Class Lesson May 8, 2016

The Point: 
God's Word can be fully trusted.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Trust isn't what it used to be. My grandfather never locked his door; in fact, he didn't even have locks on the doors and windows of his house. But I wouldn't think of leaving my car unlocked even while making a quick trip into the grocery store.

Would you?

Blind trust is never wise, but we often let skepticism replace any form of trust. And why wouldn't we? Elected officials promise big changes, but they rarely deliver. More and more religious leaders are caught in moral failures. Corporate executives hoard money while their companies (and their employees) hurtle toward financial ruin.

It's difficult to trust people. And let's admit it: sometimes it's difficult to trust God. Zechariah certainly believed in God, but when God sent a specific word to him, he found it difficult to trust.

As we'll see, God didn't leave Zechariah in his doubt - and He will not leave us, either.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Luke 1:11-20, 63-65

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

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63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.

 

The Point: God's Word can be fully trusted.

When have you been blessed

by an answered prayer?

Luke 1:11-17

The Bible is filled with miracles, and two of the most familiar have to do with miraculous births: 

• Abraham and Sarah and the birth of Isaac (see Gen. 21:1-7)
• Mary and Joseph and the virgin birth of Jesus (see Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-7)

Another important birth preceded the birth of Jesus by mere months: the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.

Like Abraham and Sarah, John parents were past childbearing years. Zechariah and Elizabeth desired a child; they had prayed for one, probably for years. In spite of their righteous and blameless lives (see v. 6), their prayers had seemingly gone unanswered - seemingly. In reality, God heard their prayers and He chose to respond in His own timing.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, the man naturally "was startled and overcome with fear" (v. 12). Who wouldn't be? But the angel sought to calm his fears and announced that "your prayer has been heard" (v. 13). Gabriel gave specific details about Zechariah's son, including what his name would be and the kind of impact he would have on the world. Gabriel also promised that the son would bring joy and delight to his father and that many would rejoice at his birth.

We all desire to have our prayers answered. If we didn't expect an answer, we wouldn't ask in the first place. Yet how many times do we seek something from God, only to be surprised when He answers? Or how many times do we ask God for direction, yet we hesitate when He gives us direction through His Word? Perhaps it would be easier if an angel stood directly in front of us with the answer, but as we'll see, even such a miraculous sight doesn't always remove our doubt.

God wants to establish a pattern with His children. When we hear His Word, we should believe it, push through our fear, and step out in faith.

TRUSTING GOD

To what degree have you been able to trust God throughout the different phases of your life? Answer the following questions to see how your level of trust has progressed.

How much did you trust God as a child? 

No Trust --------O----------O---------O---------O-------Complete Trust

How much did you trust God 10 years ago?

No Trust --------O----------O---------O---------O-------Complete Trust

How much did you trust God 5 years ago?

No Trust --------O----------O---------O---------O-------Complete Trust

How much did you trust God last week?

No Trust --------O----------O---------O---------O-------Complete Trust

 

The Point: God's Word can be fully trusted.

Luke 1:18-20

If an angel, straight from the presence of God, stood before you and gave you details about how your prayers would be answered, what would you do? Zechariah doubted.

Why is it often hard for us

to trust that God will do

what He says He will do?

Can we blame Zechariah? That God had answered their prayers for a child was amazing in itself, but the news of his role in the kingdom of God is beyond incredible. I wonder if Zechariah thought to himself: How can I possibly raise such a child? How do I take on this responsibility when I feel too old to begin a new season of life with a bouncing baby boy? 

We do the same thing with God. When we sense His Spirit leading us toward a certain task, we tend to respond like Zechariah: God, are You really sure You want me to do this? Zechariah's question to the angel Gabriel was telling: "How can I know this?" (v. 18). He asked for proof. The angel promised Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a special son with a special ministry and a unique task. But Zechariah wanted more than a promise. He wanted proof. And we do, too.

What further proof could God give? Here was Gabriel, a messenger "who stands in the presence of God" (v. 19) and about whom Zechariah had read in the Book of Daniel (see 8:16; 9:21). So, Gabriel gave further proof, a sign that was punitive: "You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time" (v. 20). The promised child would cry out before Zechariah could.

How can we ask questions

of God without drifting

into doubt?

Even so, Zechariah's doubt did not keep God from working. God always keeps His promises, and His plan will prevail. When we doubt God's word, it hinders our walk with Him and our service in His kingdom. Thankfully, that's not where our story has to end - and it's not where Zechariah's story ended, either.



Luke 1:63-65

For nearly a year, Zechariah couldn't speak. He watched his aged wife struggle through the challenges of pregnancy. He surely prayed for a healthy delivery. He silently helped his wife make preparations for the son they would raise. And as the love of his life delivered their new son, he was surely overcome with emotion, including love for his child.

In addition, his love for God surely was even greater than before. Zechariah never forgot the promise God made, even as he learned a valuable lesson about doubt and trust. Zechariah was now ready to act in obedience, and he found a way to get into the group discussion. He wrote on a tablet that the boy would be called John, and immediately his mouth was opened and he began to rejoice.

When has your obedience

to God led to joy?

Gabriel had told Zechariah to call his son John. At that time, Zechariah had been filled with doubt, but now he was ready to obey. His act of obedience to God's command set him free - and led him to worship! Zechariah had a voice again, but he no longer spoke words of doubt. Now he spoke joy and praise.

We can trust God's Word to us. Whatever He tells us - whatever He calls us to do - we can be assured of His presence and guidance. We can be assured that He will work in us and through us.

After all, God doesn't call the equipped. He equips those He calls. 

The Point: God's Word can be fully trusted.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you show your trust in God and His Word this week?

Consider the following options:

• List. Make a list of the times when God used you in ways you would have never dreamed or imagined. Remember these amazing instances of His power at work in you and rejoice at His grace.

• Pray. Start praying bigger, bolder prayers. Confess your doubts to God and ask Him to use you any way He wants, stretching you beyond your comfort zone and teaching you to trust His calling on your life.

• Act. What is God calling you to do? It can be as big as a word of encouragement. Act on it. Your trust in God is seen in your obedience.

You may not live in the kind of neighborhood where nobody locks their doors at night - few people do these days. But you can still find the courage to trust God. He will never let you down. 

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Teacher Notes:

In the opening chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we are introduced to a couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. “Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly” (Luke 1:6). Zachariah is about to be blessed with an answered prayer!



I. GOD’S WORD IS SURE - LUKE 1:11-17 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”


The Bible is filled with miracles, and two of the most familiar have to do with miraculous births:

• Abraham and Sarah and the birth of Isaac (see Gen. 21:1-7)
• Mary and Joseph and the virgin birth of Jesus (see Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-7)

Another important birth preceded the birth of Jesus by mere months: the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.


What do we know about Zachariah and Elizabeth?

• Like Abraham and Sarah, John parents were past childbearing years. Zechariah and Elizabeth desired a child; they had prayed for one, probably for years. In spite of their righteous and blameless lives (see v. 6), their prayers had seemingly gone unanswered - seemingly. In reality, God heard their prayers and He chose to respond in His own timing.

• Zacharias saw an angel in the temple. This was a special day for Zacharias. Since there were so many priests in Israel at this time, they only served twice a year for one week. Zacharias had been chosen by lot to burn incense that day. A priest seldom got this honor more than once in a lifetime. Zacharias was afraid when he saw the angel. No one had heard a word from God in four hundred years. The angel was standing to the right of the altar, which meant he had come bringing good news. The angel told him his prayer had been answered. He may have been referring to Zacharias’ prayer for a son, even though he had long given up hope of this prayer being answered. It was customary for priests to pray for the coming of the Messiah. It’s possible the angel was referring to both prayers. The angel told Zacharias what his son would do. He would be called John, which means “the Lord is gracious”. He would be great in the Lord’s sight. He would not drink wine or strong drink. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. He would come in the spirit and power of Elijah and fulfill the prophecy of Malachi (Malachi 4:6).

Was it merely a coincidence that the angel appeared to Zacharias on the day he was chosen to burn incense?

• I don’t think anything happens by chance. This all happened according to God’s plan. He would give Zacharias a son, but Zacharias had to wait on God’s timing.

When have you been blessed by an answered prayer?

• We all desire to have our prayers answered. If we didn't expect an answer, we wouldn't ask in the first place. Yet how many times do we seek something from God, only to be surprised when He answers? Or how many times do we ask God for direction, yet we hesitate when He gives us direction through His Word? Perhaps it would be easier if an angel stood directly in front of us with the answer, but as we'll see, even such a miraculous sight doesn't always remove our doubt.

God wants to establish a pattern with us.

When we hear God’s Word, we should believe it, push through our fear, and step out in faith.


So, end of story…right? Zechariah and Elizabeth have their prayer answered and everything is great?


II. DOUBTING GOD’S WORD HINDERS - LUKE 1:18-20
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
If an angel, straight from the presence of God, stood before you and gave you details about how your prayers would be answered, what would you do?

• Zechariah doubted.

Why did Zachariah doubt the Word of God?

• Zacharias was skeptical. He had long lost hope in having a son. By this time he and his wife were too old to have children. It’s easy for us to criticize Zacharias on this point, but long periods of unanswered prayer have a way of testing your faith. He was probably also skeptical that his child would have such a close connection to the long-awaited Messiah.

• We doubt God at times too – His Word and His promises. Put yourself in Zachariah’s shoes.

Who was the angel?

• The angel identified himself as Gabriel. He is one of three angels in the Bible who is mentioned by name. He is mentioned twice in the book of Daniel, and both times he is connected with the Messiah. Gabriel promised a sign to Zacharias. Zacharias would be struck dumb until the child was born. God had previously used muteness as a sign for Ezekiel (Ezek. 3:26). Zacharias’ loss of speech would be both a sign and a punishment for his lack of faith. Doubt is not always a sin. Its one thing to have legitimate questions, as Mary did, but it’s quite another to continue doubting in the face of convincing evidence. An angel personally appeared to Zacharias and told him what would happen. How much more evidence did he need?

• When Zacharias came out of the temple, he was indeed unable to speak. He “beckoned” to the other priests (1:22). The other priests were convinced he had seen a supernatural vision.

Doubters in the Bible

1. Abraham – When God told him he would be a father in old age. (Genesis 17:17)

2. Sarah – When she heard she would be a mother in old age. (Genesis 18:12)

3. Moses – When God told him to return to Egypt to lead the people. (Exodus 3:10-15)

4. Israelites – Whenever they faced difficulties in the desert. (Exodus 16:1-3)

5. Gideon – When told he would be a judge and leader. (Judges 6:14-23)

6. Zechariah – When told he would be a father in old age. (Luke 1:18)

7. Thomas – When told Jesus had risen from the dead. (John 20:24-25)


Many people God used to accomplish great things started out as real doubters. With all of them, God showed great patience. Honest doubt was not a bad starting point as long as they didn’t stay there. How great a part does doubt have in your willingness to trust God?

Zechariah and Mary’s stories are very similar in Luke 1 but are also very different.


Why are they similar?

• Both are visited by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:19; 1:26-27)
• Both are promised the miraculous birth of a son (Luke 1:13; 1:31)
• Both are equally unfit to have a child: Zechariah's wife is barren, and Mary is a virgin (Luke 1:7; Luke 1:27)
• Both respond with equal perplexity—"How?" (Luke 1:18; 1:34)

Obviously, Luke is trying to compare Zechariah and Mary simply because he mentions these points - Matthew didn't in his Gospel. But Luke does, and by drawing them out he prepares us to see Zechariah and Mary's substantial contrasts.


Two major differences between Zechariah and Mary:

1. Zechariah is a law-abiding, married old man and temple priest (Luke 1:5-7) Mary is a young and obscure single woman (Luke 1:26-27)
2. Zechariah is struck dumb (literally!) for his response to Gabriel (Luke 1:19-20) Gabriel answers Mary graciously (Luke 1:35)

Why is Zechariah struck dumb and Mary isn't?

• When Zechariah questions Gabriel about the possibility of conceiving, the angel makes it clear that he is silenced because he "did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time" (Luke 1:20).

• In Mary's case, however, Luke leaves it to Elizabeth (Zechariah's wife!) to tell us why she wasn't also muted. When Mary comes for a visit, Elizabeth greets her saying, "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45). (Just imagine Elizabeth saying this loud enough for her helpless-to-respond husband to overhear in the next room.)

• Zechariah seems more positioned by his age, experience, and exposure to the word of God to believe God's promise, but we see that it is in fact Mary who has the greater faith.

Doubt does not disqualify us from being used by God.


Here’s the thing – we pray for faith then we wait for proof.

• Time between when God speaks and God acts can be a few moments, days, years, or even decades.
• Eventually God’s promises do come true.

God is accustomed to doing the impossible and the improbable.

• What God says He will do, He does.

• Sometimes God answers prayer in surprising ways, even after we have decided an answer is not forthcoming.

You see, when God makes a promise, we start waiting for the payoff!
Between the promise and the payoff, there is a season of process.

•   This process is tough, but it’s necessary. As we walk closer and deeper with God—this process is a test of our faith.

We can trust where we’re going even when we don’t know what God is doing.



III. OBEYING GOD’S WORD LEADS TO JOYOUS PRAISE – LUKE 1:63-65 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.


What has happened here?

• For nearly a year, Zechariah couldn't speak. He watched his aged wife struggle through the challenges of pregnancy. He surely prayed for a healthy delivery. He silently helped his wife make preparations for the son they would raise. And as the love of his life delivered their new son, he was surely overcome with emotion, including love for his child. In addition, his love for God surely was even greater than before. Zechariah never forgot the promise God made, even as he learned a valuable lesson about doubt and trust. Zechariah was now ready to act in obedience, and he found a way to get into the group discussion. He wrote on a tablet that the boy would be called John, and immediately his mouth was opened and he began to rejoice.

• Nine months later, the baby was born. When the baby was eight days old, their family and neighbors gathered to circumcise him and officially name him. Circumcision is still a celebratory event in Jewish cultures. The family wanted to name the baby Zacharias after his father, even though this was an uncommon custom in those days. Elisabeth insisted that he be named John. Zacharias motioned for a writing tablet. Zacharias wrote, “His name is John.” As the father, his word was final. The people “marveled”. 1) If Zacharias was deaf, they may have wondered how he knew that the child was to be named John. 2) If Zacharias was not deaf, people probably marveled at the fact that he agreed with Elisabeth on this point. They were even more astonished when Zacharias was able to speak! When Zacharias spoke, people knew something miraculous had happened. They spread the word all through Judea. Zacharias’ prophecy about his son probably increased their wonder. If this baby was the forerunner of the Messiah, could the Messiah be far behind?

• Zechariah did not make the same mistake twice. What do his actions teach us about our responses to God?

Obedience to God’s Word always brings joy.

• Faithfulness to the word of the Lord brings about His blessing.
• We can trust God's Word to us. Whatever He tells us - whatever He calls us to do - we can be assured of His presence and guidance. We can be assured that He will work in us and through us.

Faith and doubt have to co-exist. They move side by side in our life.



God can use our doubts and fears to showcase His power and strength.



God worked in spite of Zechariah’s doubt, and in the end, Zechariah responded with full confidence and trust (vv. 64-79).


Prayer of Commitment

Lord, give me a faith that is greater than my doubts because I know You are greater than my circumstances. Amen.

Hope to see you this Sunday!

In His Love,



David & Susan