November 18, 2002

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Dec. 1

God reveals his will in a multitude of manners
___ Luke 1:5­7, 11­15a, 18­20, 68­69, 76­79
___By Rick Willis
___First Baptist Church, Roscoe
___The church study course "Experiencing God" has introduced many Christians to the question, "How can I know where God is at work in the world?"
___That question offers a good focus for studying the story of Zechariah, Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist. If we meditate on Luke 1 from the perspective of the righteous couple who parented the forerunner of Christ, we can begin to develop a feel for recognizing and responding to God's work in and through us.
___It's such a familiar story--a part of the Christmas routines for Bible lovers! The familiarity can cloud its significance for those who desire to know and do God's will. Therefore, this supplement to the regular Bible study quarterlies will attempt to contemporize the story a bit in order to enrich application possibilities. As always, the text itself has final say and should be open alongside the lesson material!
___God reveals his amazing work
___Imagine an older preacher going into the pastor's study to be alone before preaching the associational annual sermon. Thinking about his long obedience to God in serving the church, he wistfully wonders why he doesn't seem to have much to show for it. He fights back a tinge of jealousy for his peers who serve in much larger churches and who have greater accolades.
___He reflects on the rewards he has experienced in mentoring younger ministers along the way. But he grieves that he has no child of his own to love and nurture, through whom to pass on his wisdom and experience. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have prayed for a child for so long (Luke 1:5­7).
___Just then an angel appears to him right there in the pastor's study! The splendiferous being nearly gives the old guy a heart attack, so the angel says, "Relax!"--sort of like when the doctor starts a diagnosis conversation by saying, "Now don't get excited." Then he gives the man news that his prayers have been heard, and he's going to be a father to an exceptional son (Luke 1:11­15a).
___Not everyone gets a bolt in the blue, an angel in the temple, writing on the wall, a voice from heaven. If you do, then you don't need anyone to tell you how to know God is speaking to you. You just need encouragement to go ahead and do as he says.
___God forms us into his listeners
___More likely, however, we're like Zechariah. Even if the bolt in the blue comes, there I sit. I stare blankly back at the angel on high and say: "Well, yikes! How do I know for sure?"
___Zechariah, the old preacher and father-to-be, thought the angel's news was too good to be true. He asked: "How can I be sure? Can't I have some immediate confirmation?" So the angel said: "OK, sure. Right now you are struck deaf and dumb until all that I have said has been fulfilled" (1:18­20).
___This element of the story keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously. Zechariah's absurd response helps us approach following God with a healthy sense of humor and humility. We pray and we pray for a special assignment from God, for the privilege of being "used in a special way," and then when it comes, we balk.
___Even if we could feel an electric current run down the spine and see a fleet of seraphim skywriting our instructions across the horizon, we would still hesitate with sinful incredulity and say: "OK, God. I have an idea what you want me to do. But if you could just give me a sign ..."
___God is at work in Jesus
___For old Zechariah, spiritual hindsight was 20/20. When the baby came and the naming time arrived, Elizabeth named the boy as the angel instructed, "John." When everyone said: "No, there must be some mistake. Zeke, tell us now. What's the name to be?" he pulled out a legal pad and wrote, "John." When he did, his ears were unstopped and his tongue was set loose (Luke 1:57­64).
___All those months of having to live with his own thoughts and reflections were good for Zechariah. He listened to God's Spirit. He kept learning. All the prayers, all the study of the Scriptures, all the participation in God's covenant relationship during his long life culminated in his prophecy of the Messiah and the forerunner, John, the prophet of the Most High (1:67-79).
___He praised the Lord for coming to fulfill his covenant with Abraham, for coming in salvation through the Messiah from the house of David. Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied Jesus.
___How can I know where God is at work in the world? God is at work in Jesus. Wherever the name of Jesus is held up in honor, God is at work. Wherever the commands of Jesus are obeyed in neighborly love and service, God is at work. Wherever the gospel of Jesus is proclaimed in the Holy Spirit, God is at work.

___Questions for discussion
___ What are six different means mentioned in Luke 1 by which God revealed his will?
___ How does Zechariah provide a positive example to be followed? How does he show a negative example to be avoided?

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