We often think that the result of not listening when God speaks to us is that God will stop speaking. Luke 1 tells us just the opposite: When we fail to hear God and listen to what He says to us, it's we who lose the ability to speak. This is especially relevant for communities of people trying to speak hope and challenge to our cities...
We did a lead in/kick off to the Advent season yesterday... okay, a week early, but for some reason this year I'm just eager :)
The Annunciation narratives in Luke are some of my favorites, not only because of their close ties back to the OT, but also because of the juxtaposing going on within the chapter. If you are interested, here's what we did... feel free to steal!
After the welcome, we sang two songs, and in between, I did a powerpoint deal on Malachi 4 and silence. We do some good dialogue in our times together, and asking everyone to sit in silence, while I sat in front of them- in silence- was a good experience.
The PPT works through the last chapter of the Old Testament where God speaks about the Savior coming, the prophet who would preceed Him... or a curse coming.
And that's it.
Savior/Messiah or curse.
And then nothing...
Here's the sermon text:
Advent, Week 1- Mal 4/Luke 1
Welcome- Sarah
Song
Silence Presentation/Bob…
Song
Prayer-bob
Let’s talk about hearing from God… If I had to be perfectly honest, I’d have to say I get a bit nervous when people tell me that God has spoken to them. I do okay with general kinds of stuff, like “God’s really been telling me lately to be more generous” or “God’s been working on my pride”… I can handle that level of specificity. But when it gets real detailed, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but it makes me nervous. I met this guy once in college…
How does God speak to people today? Has God ever spoken to you? When? What did He say? Have you ever ignored what you knew or suspected was God speaking to you?
God spoke to the people of Israel- and through them, to the whole world. At one point early in the OT, He said to them, I’m holding out two things in front of you- blessings and a curse, and it’s entirely up to you- love each other, don’t run after false gods, take care of the poor- down that road lies blessing. Treat each other poorly, take advantage of the needy, worship/run after false gods… down that road lies nothing good. And God told them- choose life.
1000 years later, in that passage we just read in Malachi, God is still giving them the same options, the same chance…
So we come to Luke 1… it’s 400 years later, 400 years after Malachi… and the last thing God had said to them was a promise that if they were careful to obey Him, He would send a savior, someone who would come bringing healing to the world. God also promised that before that savior, someone would come to set the stage- a prophet like Elijah.
And then… nothing. The people waited. And waited. And the people had waited so long. And so we come to Luke chp 1
VS 1:5-6
They were careful to obey all the Lord’s commands… I love that Luke tells us this. Regardless of where the rest of the nation was, here were two people at least, that had read Malachi, that in their waiting had not lost hope. They remembered the promise- and the warning. They wanted to see the savior. And like the rest of the people, they wanted to hear from God again.
VS 7
How did this culture view childlessness?
What’s interesting to me is that regardless of how childlessness was viewed by the culture around them, whenever it becomes part of the plot of a story in Scripture, it usually becomes an opportunity for God to do some amazing things. Whether it’s Abraham and Sarah, Hannah, Samson’s mom, here… Anyone who had read the OT, and was now reading Luke for the first time would have seen the pattern here- Childless, getting on in years… Just like Abraham and Sarah, just like others… I wonder what God is going to do?
VS8-9
There were thousands and thousands of priests- it was a whole class of the people- All the descendants of Moses’ brother Aaron. So, even by David’s time, there were so many, that they began dividing them up into groups who each got to serve at the Temple twice a year for a week. And out of all the duties that all the priests had to do, one would be chosen to actually enter the Holy Place and burn the incense. And because of all that, and the way it was chosen by the roll of the dice, this may actually have been the only time in his life Zechariah was allowed to go in like this.
VS10
The incense represented the prayers of the people- The smoke, the fragrance rising to God pictured the hopes and prayers of the people. So as the priest burned the incense, the people would stand outside, praying. Praying for redemption, for God to hear them, for God to act. At that moment, Zechariah was literally the focal point of the prayers of an entire nation. And they were waiting for the priest, for Zechariah to come out and tell them that God was listening, and give them a blessing.
VS 11-13
The first words from God’s messenger, the first words they had heard from God in 400 years… Don’t be afraid. God has heard your prayer…
I read this and I wonder- is this still a prayer this man was praying? All those years, all that pleading with God… perhaps his one chance to stand before the altar of God, and as he prays for the people, for liberation from their Roman oppressors, for faithfulness to God and His commands, for God to send a Savior, I imagine Zechariah adding one last line- and God- if there’s any way possible, please… give us a child.
And God says: yes. The angel says- Don’t be afraid- God has heard your prayer. God is going to keep His promise. He’s not cursing you- He’s blessing you.
VS 14-17
He tells Zechariah that though they are old, he and his wife will give birth to the prophet God had promised His people- the one who would set the stage, who would lead the way for the Lord Himself to come to His people.
God has broken 400 years of silence. He has sent His messenger to talk to Zechariah, and tell him the God has heard the most heartfelt prayers of his heart, and is going to keep His promise… and Zechariah’s response?
VS 18-
He doesn’t believe it. He doesn’t listen. Yes, he heard… but he didn’t listen. When God finally speaks, Zechariah actually doubts what God is saying to him.
Now, listen to the annoyance in Gabriel’s response…
VS 19-20
There’s something here…
God breaks His silence of 400 years in a spectacular way- sending this angel to appear to the priestly representative of the people. God is silent, and then God speaks. Zechariah won’t listen. He questions. So God strikes him… silent.
And now, all he can do is listen…
It amazes me how stubborn we are, in our refusal to listen to God- even when He’s telling us things that any rational observer would label “good news.” We ask God to speak, and when He does…
God comes to us and tells us we can be forgiven, and we say- “Really? No… you don’t know what I’ve done.” He comes to us and says down this road lies good things- down that one, nothing but judgment, and we say “Really??” He says- treat others well… and we continue in our selfishness. He gives us direction for how we can live rightly when it comes to loving others, to living right whether it’s in the area of our sexuality, or how we handle money and possessions, or what we chase after in this life and we say- “Really?“
Did God really say that? Did He really say… seems like this thing of questioning what God says has been around since the beginning…
What has God been saying to you recently? What has God been saying to this community? What is He saying to us about the things He’s been talking to people about for thousands of years? How we treat each other, how we take care of the poor, how we worship…
We’ll stop here and pause- talk to God through these songs- and listen as well…
Break- 2 songs
VS 21-25
Zechariah didn’t listen to God when God spoke, so he lost the ability to speak himself.
I’ve been thinking lately about what God has been saying to our community- I think we need to spend some time pondering- as this year we finished the book of Luke, and have moved through some minor prophets, and into Colossians, what has God said to us?
As we begin this season of Advent, I want to call this community to something- to a season of reflecting and listening- of praying, asking God to speak, and straining our ears for the response.
I believe if we pray as a community and listen as a community, God will speak to us as a community.
The real question is, what will we do with what God says to us?
Let’s pray this prayer together and the Tom and Tina and family will come and do the first Advent reading of the season.
Advent reading
Break- Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Wrap-up:
Box and blessing
