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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - Touched By An Angel (Part 1)

November 26, 2024 | S

Robert Jeffress - Touched By An Angel (Part 1)
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#Faith #Prayer #Parenting #Religion #WordofGod #Belief #Miracles #Angels #inActive #Dr.RobertJeffress #RobertJeffress #Commandment #Humor #Luke19:10

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - Touched By An Angel (Part 1) | November 26, 2024
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church of
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  • Dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory" with dr.
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  • Robert jeffress.
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  • Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and welcome
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  • Again to "pathway to victory."
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  • When it comes to christmas, most people think about mary, joseph,
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  • And the baby jesus lying in a manger, but they often forget
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  • About the other child who was born around the same time.
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  • Today, we're going to look at the story of zacharias and
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  • Elizabeth and the miraculous birth of a baby named, no, not
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  • Jesus, but john.
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  • My message is titled "touched by an angel" on today's edition of
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  • "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Announcer: the celebration of jesus's birth each christmas
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  • Marks the moment when god's radiant hope entered our world,
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  • And jesus calls us to share this light with others.
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  • You can help pierce the darkness with the light of god's word
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  • Through the pathway to victory light the darkness
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  • Matching challenge.
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  • Since 1996, "pathway to victory" has been boldly sharing the
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  • Gospel of jesus christ, and your gift, doubled in impact, will be
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  • Used to proclaim god's truth here in america and around
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  • The world.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: chuck swindoll tells a great story about a father who
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  • Asked his 10-year-old son what he had learned in sunday school
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  • That morning.
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  • The 10-year-old said that his sunday school teacher had talked
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  • About the parting of the red sea.
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  • So the dad said, "well, can you tell me the story?"
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  • He wanted to check and see if his son was really
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  • Listening to the story.
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  • He said, "well, sure, dad.
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  • Moses was this really cool guy, but pharaoh was a really bad
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  • Dude who wouldn't let the israelites leave egypt until
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  • Moses performed some miracles.
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  • But pharaoh decided he didn't want to let them go, so he
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  • Chased them until they got to the red sea.
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  • The israelites didn't know what they were going to do until
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  • Suddenly they look up and they saw some helicopters carrying a
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  • Large pontoon bridge.
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  • Once the bridge was lowered into place, moses reached inside his
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  • Coat, and pulled out an electronic megaphone, and said,
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  • 'now, everybody follow me across the bridge.'
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  • As soon as they made it across the bridge,
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  • The egyptians started chasing them, and then some jet
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  • Airplanes swooped down and bombed the
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  • Bridge while the egyptians were still on it, and they
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  • All drowned."
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  • The father said, "is that what your sunday school teacher
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  • Told you?"
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  • He said, "well, not exactly.
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  • But if i told it the way she told it, you'd never believe
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  • It."
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  • You know, all of us, from time to time, face impossible
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  • Situations, don't we?
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  • Our back is up against the wall, there seems to be no way
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  • Of escape.
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  • And even if we believe these stories of the bible, like the
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  • Parting of the red sea, we tend to think, well, that was then,
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  • But this is now.
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  • God just doesn't do the same things today as he did thousands
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  • Of years ago.
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  • But the bible i read says god has not changed.
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  • He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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  • Aren't you glad of that?
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  • And the same god who is able to part the red sea, the same god
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  • Who collapsed the walls of jericho, the same god who
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  • Miraculously fed elijah for three and a half years in the
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  • Wilderness, that same god is ready,
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  • He is able to work miraculously on your behalf.
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  • And that's the story that we're going to see illustrated today.
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  • Usually god--have you found this out?
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  • God usually waits until the very last moment when our backs are
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  • Up against the wall to intervene on our behalf, because when he
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  • Does, then there's no doubt who really performed the miracle.
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  • That was the experience of the couple we're going to talk
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  • About today.
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  • If you have your bibles, i want you to turn to luke chapter 1 as
  • 00:04:06.803 --> 00:04:10.273
  • We discover one couple who was truly touched by an angel.
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  • Now last time, we began our study of the gospel of luke.
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  • It's the most detailed of all of the accounts of jesus's life,
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  • Which is the reason we're studying this particular gospel.
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  • Not only is it the most detailed, it was written to
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  • People like most of us here today who are
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  • Gentiles, non-jews.
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  • And if you were going to do an overview of the gospel of luke,
  • 00:04:33.596 --> 00:04:37.467
  • See how luke is divided into three major parts, and really,
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  • The theme verse of luke is found in luke 19, verse 10, when jesus
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  • Said about himself, "for the son of man has come to seek and to
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  • Save that which was lost."
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  • That was jesus's reason for coming.
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  • And you see how that theme verse is divided out
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  • Over the gospel of luke.
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  • The first section is about christ's birth,
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  • About his coming.
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  • He has come.
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  • The second portion is about his ministry on earth.
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  • He came to seek.
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  • And then the final portion of luke deals with his death
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  • And resurrection.
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  • He came to save.
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  • And so, after the first four verses, which are the prologue
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  • Of the gospel of luke, we're ready to get into the story
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  • In verse 5.
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  • And verse 5 tells the story of a miraculous birth of a baby.
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  • It's not the baby you're thinking about.
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  • We're gonna get to that next time, the baby jesus.
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  • But did you know there was another miraculous birth that
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  • Preceded the birth of jesus?
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  • It was the birth of a baby whose name would be john, someone who
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  • Would be pivotal in the life of jesus christ.
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  • Look at verse 5 with me: "in the days of herod, king of judea,"
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  • Now, it's easy to skip past that and not
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  • Understand what's going on.
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  • In the days of herod, who was herod?
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  • He was the puppet king that rome had put in place to rule over
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  • Judea, to rule over palestine.
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  • Herod was not a jew.
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  • He was an edomite.
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  • Now, remember from the old testament, who the
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  • Edomites were.
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  • They were the descendants of esau, one of the sons of isaac,
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  • But it wasn't the son of promise.
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  • Esau had a brother. remember his name?
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  • Jacob.
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  • And so, jacob and esau and their descendants were always in
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  • Strife with one another.
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  • And the edomites hated the jews.
  • 00:06:34.016 --> 00:06:36.452
  • And that's who the king of judea was, an edomite named herod.
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  • It would be herod, for example, who erect pagan temples
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  • In judea.
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  • It was herod who later, as we'll see, instigated that genocide,
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  • Or infanticide, against babies two years of age and younger
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  • When herod found out another king was threatening his rule,
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  • And he was trying to extinguish the birth of the messiah.
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  • These were dark days in israel.
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  • To say "in the days of herod," it would be like an iraqi
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  • Citizen today saying "in the days of saddam hussein."
  • 00:07:10.086 --> 00:07:14.357
  • That's what it was like for the israelites in the days of herod.
  • 00:07:14.357 --> 00:07:18.961
  • And yet it's against this dark backdrop of distress and
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  • Bleakness that god was ready to answer the prayer, not only of
  • 00:07:22.932 --> 00:07:27.303
  • One couple but of an entire nation.
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  • It was in these dark days, look at verse 5, that "there was a
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  • Certain priest named zacharias, of the division of abijah; and
  • 00:07:32.942 --> 00:07:37.914
  • He had a wife from the daughters of aaron, and her name
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  • Was elizabeth."
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  • The name zacharias means "the lord remembers."
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  • He was a priest.
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  • He was from one of the priestly orders, or divisions, of abijah.
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  • His wife, elizabeth, her name meant "oath of god," who was
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  • Also of the priestly line of aaron.
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  • But more important than their vocation or even their heritage
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  • Was their character.
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  • I want you to look at verse 6: "and they were both righteous in
  • 00:08:06.275 --> 00:08:11.314
  • The sight of god, walking blamelessly in all the
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  • Commandments and requirements of the lord."
  • 00:08:15.384 --> 00:08:19.188
  • Zacharias and elizabeth were declared righteous.
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  • Now, folks, this is important to understand, what the word
  • 00:08:22.858 --> 00:08:25.595
  • "righteous" means.
  • 00:08:25.595 --> 00:08:26.929
  • The word "righteous" is actually used two different ways in
  • 00:08:26.929 --> 00:08:30.066
  • The bible.
  • 00:08:30.066 --> 00:08:31.434
  • Sometimes the word "righteous" refers to imputed righteousness.
  • 00:08:31.434 --> 00:08:37.506
  • Write that down, imputed righteousness.
  • 00:08:37.506 --> 00:08:40.543
  • To impute means to put to one's account.
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  • This is the righteousness we receive when we trust his
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  • --in christ as our savior.
  • 00:08:47.183 --> 00:08:49.952
  • We are immediately declared righteous.
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  • We are in a right standing with god.
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  • We are saved.
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  • We are forgiven forever.
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  • That is imputed righteousness.
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  • You were never more righteous than the moment you were saved
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  • In god's eyes.
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  • You are completely forgiven.
  • 00:09:07.770 --> 00:09:09.105
  • That is imputed righteousness.
  • 00:09:09.105 --> 00:09:10.706
  • Put out to the side: it deals with our right standing
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  • With god.
  • 00:09:14.477 --> 00:09:15.945
  • But there's a second kind of righteousness in the bible, and
  • 00:09:15.945 --> 00:09:19.015
  • That's ethical righteousness.
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  • That is how we live after we're saved.
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  • It is the way we conduct our lives.
  • 00:09:24.987 --> 00:09:27.223
  • And out beside "ethical righteousness," write the words,
  • 00:09:27.223 --> 00:09:30.893
  • Right acting before god.
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  • Imputed righteousness is our standing.
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  • We've been declared forgiven, our right standing.
  • 00:09:36.666 --> 00:09:40.036
  • But ethical righteousness is our right acting before god, and
  • 00:09:40.036 --> 00:09:43.906
  • This is the kind of righteousness that is being used
  • 00:09:43.906 --> 00:09:46.142
  • To describe this couple: "they were righteous in the sight of
  • 00:09:46.142 --> 00:09:49.512
  • God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and
  • 00:09:49.512 --> 00:09:54.483
  • Requirements of the lord."
  • 00:09:54.483 --> 00:09:55.818
  • Does that mean they were perfect?
  • 00:09:55.818 --> 00:09:57.153
  • Of course not. we'll see that in just a moment.
  • 00:09:57.153 --> 00:09:59.422
  • They weren't perfect, but walking blamelessly.
  • 00:09:59.422 --> 00:10:02.692
  • The word "walking" refers to the way you conduct your life.
  • 00:10:02.692 --> 00:10:05.795
  • Listen to this, the general direction of their life was
  • 00:10:05.795 --> 00:10:09.765
  • Moving toward god rather than away from god.
  • 00:10:09.765 --> 00:10:13.803
  • That's what it means to walk blamelessly.
  • 00:10:13.803 --> 00:10:16.372
  • It means your heart's desire is that you obey god.
  • 00:10:16.372 --> 00:10:20.543
  • It doesn't mean you never make a mistake.
  • 00:10:20.543 --> 00:10:22.578
  • Think about it.
  • 00:10:22.578 --> 00:10:24.346
  • Noah found favor in the eyes of god, and yet he got drunk.
  • 00:10:24.346 --> 00:10:28.951
  • David committed adultery.
  • 00:10:28.951 --> 00:10:31.253
  • Abraham, the friend of god, remember what he did?
  • 00:10:31.253 --> 00:10:34.757
  • To save his own skin, he allowed his wife to--well, he didn't
  • 00:10:34.757 --> 00:10:38.227
  • Allow, he made his wife sleep in the harem of the king in order
  • 00:10:38.227 --> 00:10:41.464
  • To protect himself.
  • 00:10:41.464 --> 00:10:42.965
  • He was hardly blameless before god.
  • 00:10:42.965 --> 00:10:45.668
  • We'll even see zacharias, he had his moments of doubt as well.
  • 00:10:45.668 --> 00:10:49.905
  • It's not that these people were perfect, but the general
  • 00:10:49.905 --> 00:10:53.342
  • Direction of their life was moving toward god rather than
  • 00:10:53.342 --> 00:10:56.746
  • Away from god.
  • 00:10:56.746 --> 00:10:59.315
  • Aren't you glad god doesn't judge the totality of our lives
  • 00:10:59.315 --> 00:11:03.085
  • By one or two episodes in our life?
  • 00:11:03.085 --> 00:11:06.188
  • Instead, he looks at the general direction of our life.
  • 00:11:06.188 --> 00:11:10.126
  • He looks into our motivation and says, "is that a person who
  • 00:11:10.126 --> 00:11:13.462
  • Really wants to follow me?"
  • 00:11:13.462 --> 00:11:16.532
  • What about your life?
  • 00:11:16.532 --> 00:11:17.867
  • Is the general direction of your life moving you toward god or
  • 00:11:17.867 --> 00:11:22.138
  • Away from god?
  • 00:11:22.138 --> 00:11:23.672
  • This couple was moving toward god, and yet, even though they
  • 00:11:23.672 --> 00:11:28.210
  • Walked toward god, that didn't exempt them from problems.
  • 00:11:28.210 --> 00:11:31.013
  • In fact, you'll find usually when you're trying to walk with
  • 00:11:31.013 --> 00:11:33.449
  • God, it guarantees you're going to have problems.
  • 00:11:33.449 --> 00:11:35.785
  • Look at verse 7: "and they had no child, because elizabeth was
  • 00:11:35.785 --> 00:11:40.856
  • Barren, and they were both advanced in years."
  • 00:11:40.856 --> 00:11:43.993
  • Now, in jewish culture, this didn't come from the bible, but
  • 00:11:43.993 --> 00:11:47.463
  • In jewish culture, if you were a female and married and had no
  • 00:11:47.463 --> 00:11:50.366
  • Child, it was thought to be a curse from god.
  • 00:11:50.366 --> 00:11:53.469
  • And so, they were ashamed of the fact that even though they had
  • 00:11:53.469 --> 00:11:56.338
  • Tried to have a child, they had no child.
  • 00:11:56.338 --> 00:11:59.575
  • And the fact that they were both advanced in years means that
  • 00:11:59.575 --> 00:12:02.211
  • They had no prospects of having a child as well.
  • 00:12:02.211 --> 00:12:05.681
  • They were in a hopeless situation, or so they thought.
  • 00:12:05.681 --> 00:12:09.819
  • But notice how god intervened.
  • 00:12:09.819 --> 00:12:11.787
  • Look at verse 8: "now it came about, while zacharias was
  • 00:12:11.787 --> 00:12:16.325
  • Performing his priestly service before god in the appointed
  • 00:12:16.325 --> 00:12:20.763
  • Order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly
  • 00:12:20.763 --> 00:12:24.133
  • Office, he was chosen by a lot to enter the temple of the lord
  • 00:12:24.133 --> 00:12:28.637
  • And to burn incense."
  • 00:12:28.637 --> 00:12:30.172
  • Now, let me explain what's going on here.
  • 00:12:30.172 --> 00:12:32.942
  • Nine hundred years before this, king david had a problem, and
  • 00:12:32.942 --> 00:12:36.512
  • The problem was they had too many priests in israel and not
  • 00:12:36.512 --> 00:12:39.949
  • Enough work to do.
  • 00:12:39.949 --> 00:12:41.350
  • Back then, priests were kind of like baptist preachers.
  • 00:12:41.350 --> 00:12:44.186
  • They were a dime a dozen.
  • 00:12:44.186 --> 00:12:46.121
  • I mean, they were everywhere.
  • 00:12:46.121 --> 00:12:47.623
  • There just wasn't enough for them to do.
  • 00:12:47.623 --> 00:12:49.758
  • So, according to god's instruction, 1 chronicles 24,
  • 00:12:49.758 --> 00:12:52.895
  • David says, "okay, we're gonna take all of these priests, and
  • 00:12:52.895 --> 00:12:55.164
  • We're gonna divide them into 24 groups.
  • 00:12:55.164 --> 00:12:57.733
  • And then what we're gonna do is, according to each group in each
  • 00:12:57.733 --> 00:13:01.403
  • Division, every priest will go to the temple in jerusalem for
  • 00:13:01.403 --> 00:13:06.842
  • One week twice a year to do his duties," kinda like the national
  • 00:13:06.842 --> 00:13:10.512
  • Guard of priests, okay?
  • 00:13:10.512 --> 00:13:12.281
  • You go to jerusalem, and you perform your service one week a
  • 00:13:12.281 --> 00:13:16.118
  • Year, twice a year.
  • 00:13:16.118 --> 00:13:18.254
  • So, zacharias, being one of those priests, was simply
  • 00:13:18.254 --> 00:13:22.591
  • Fulfilling his duty.
  • 00:13:22.591 --> 00:13:24.260
  • He was in jerusalem the week that he was supposed to be there
  • 00:13:24.260 --> 00:13:28.597
  • To perform his service.
  • 00:13:28.597 --> 00:13:29.965
  • Now, here are hundreds of priests who happened to be in
  • 00:13:29.965 --> 00:13:32.635
  • Jerusalem on this particular week.
  • 00:13:32.635 --> 00:13:34.870
  • Now, they would cast lots, that's like throwing dice, to
  • 00:13:34.870 --> 00:13:39.808
  • Decide which priest got the right that week to go inside of
  • 00:13:39.808 --> 00:13:45.414
  • The holy place, not the holy of holies, that was only for the
  • 00:13:45.414 --> 00:13:49.518
  • High priest once a year, but the holy place outside is where
  • 00:13:49.518 --> 00:13:52.621
  • There was an altar.
  • 00:13:52.621 --> 00:13:53.989
  • And there was a priest who was chosen by chance to be the one
  • 00:13:53.989 --> 00:13:57.860
  • Who got to go in and light incense on the altar and to say
  • 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:01.664
  • A prayer.
  • 00:14:01.664 --> 00:14:03.032
  • This was such an honor, to be the one chosen to do this, that
  • 00:14:03.032 --> 00:14:05.801
  • You only got to do that one time in your lifetime.
  • 00:14:05.801 --> 00:14:09.138
  • And so, notice what luke is saying here.
  • 00:14:09.138 --> 00:14:11.473
  • Zacharias just happened to be in jerusalem on this particular
  • 00:14:11.473 --> 00:14:18.480
  • Day, and by chance, he was the one chosen to burn the incense
  • 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:25.387
  • On the altar.
  • 00:14:25.387 --> 00:14:26.855
  • By chance my foot.
  • 00:14:26.855 --> 00:14:28.424
  • Nothing happens by chance in god's will.
  • 00:14:28.424 --> 00:14:31.894
  • Proverbs 16:33 says, "the lot is cast into the lap, but it's
  • 00:14:31.894 --> 00:14:37.199
  • Every decision is from the lord."
  • 00:14:37.199 --> 00:14:41.003
  • The lord is the one who determines the result of the
  • 00:14:41.003 --> 00:14:45.708
  • Throwing of the dice, or the casting of the lot, or the
  • 00:14:45.708 --> 00:14:49.311
  • Winning of the lottery ticket--no, we're not supposed
  • 00:14:49.311 --> 00:14:51.313
  • To talk about that, but that god is in control
  • 00:14:51.313 --> 00:14:53.349
  • Of things that seem by chance.
  • 00:14:53.349 --> 00:14:56.118
  • Now, here is zacharias.
  • 00:14:56.118 --> 00:14:58.187
  • He's the one chosen.
  • 00:14:58.187 --> 00:14:59.521
  • He's feeling so great.
  • 00:14:59.521 --> 00:15:00.889
  • He goes into the holy place to burn the incense.
  • 00:15:00.889 --> 00:15:04.460
  • Now, may i stop here and point out something that i think will
  • 00:15:04.460 --> 00:15:07.730
  • Be a great encouragement to you?
  • 00:15:07.730 --> 00:15:10.199
  • When is it that god chose to answer zacharias's prayers?
  • 00:15:10.199 --> 00:15:15.371
  • We'll see in a moment.
  • 00:15:15.371 --> 00:15:16.705
  • It wasn't when he was cloistered in some monastery somewhere, you
  • 00:15:16.705 --> 00:15:20.976
  • Know, meditating, you know, chanting, all by himself.
  • 00:15:20.976 --> 00:15:27.549
  • No, it wasn't when he was all by himself cloistered in
  • 00:15:27.549 --> 00:15:30.786
  • A monastery.
  • 00:15:30.786 --> 00:15:32.121
  • It was when he was performing his everyday responsibility that
  • 00:15:32.121 --> 00:15:35.991
  • God chose to speak to him.
  • 00:15:35.991 --> 00:15:38.127
  • His everyday responsibility happened to be to be in
  • 00:15:38.127 --> 00:15:40.863
  • Jerusalem and in the holy place.
  • 00:15:40.863 --> 00:15:42.931
  • But the point is that is when god intervened in his situation,
  • 00:15:42.931 --> 00:15:47.503
  • And you see that all throughout the bible.
  • 00:15:47.503 --> 00:15:49.505
  • It's when people are doing their everyday chores that god seems
  • 00:15:49.505 --> 00:15:54.109
  • To answer and give direction.
  • 00:15:54.109 --> 00:15:56.045
  • Think about moses and david.
  • 00:15:56.045 --> 00:15:57.846
  • Where were they when god spoke to them?
  • 00:15:57.846 --> 00:15:59.548
  • They were taking care of the sheep.
  • 00:15:59.548 --> 00:16:00.883
  • That's what they were supposed to be doing.
  • 00:16:00.883 --> 00:16:02.484
  • Or think about gideon.
  • 00:16:02.484 --> 00:16:03.819
  • He was threshing wheat.
  • 00:16:03.819 --> 00:16:05.454
  • Or think about peter, the apostle peter.
  • 00:16:05.454 --> 00:16:09.158
  • Where was he when jesus called him into service?
  • 00:16:09.158 --> 00:16:12.161
  • He was out doing his day job.
  • 00:16:12.161 --> 00:16:14.129
  • He was mending nets when jesus said, "come and follow me."
  • 00:16:14.129 --> 00:16:18.400
  • Warren wiersbe says, "it is difficult to steer a car when
  • 00:16:18.400 --> 00:16:22.504
  • The engine is not running.
  • 00:16:22.504 --> 00:16:24.373
  • When we get busy, god starts to direct us."
  • 00:16:24.373 --> 00:16:28.544
  • That is a great principle.
  • 00:16:28.544 --> 00:16:30.179
  • When we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, we're not
  • 00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:33.015
  • Stationary, we're moving, that's when god can direct us.
  • 00:16:33.015 --> 00:16:37.553
  • I know today i'm speaking to some of you who are students.
  • 00:16:37.553 --> 00:16:40.856
  • Maybe you're young adults.
  • 00:16:40.856 --> 00:16:42.491
  • You're at that stage in your life when you're seeking god's
  • 00:16:42.491 --> 00:16:45.260
  • Direction about some specific decisions, maybe about where to
  • 00:16:45.260 --> 00:16:48.464
  • Go to school, or maybe what vocation to choose, or maybe
  • 00:16:48.464 --> 00:16:52.134
  • What mate to choose.
  • 00:16:52.134 --> 00:16:54.403
  • May i point out three principles about how to find god's will in
  • 00:16:54.403 --> 00:16:58.907
  • Your life whenever you're seeking god's direction--maybe
  • 00:16:58.907 --> 00:17:01.977
  • You're a middle-aged adult or senior adult, and you're in one
  • 00:17:01.977 --> 00:17:04.780
  • Of those intermissions we talked about a few weeks ago, and
  • 00:17:04.780 --> 00:17:07.916
  • You're sensing god's direction for the second act of your life.
  • 00:17:07.916 --> 00:17:10.953
  • Whenever you're seeking god's direction, notice these
  • 00:17:10.953 --> 00:17:14.156
  • Three principles.
  • 00:17:14.156 --> 00:17:15.491
  • Number one, walk blamelessly before the lord.
  • 00:17:15.491 --> 00:17:20.262
  • That's what zacharias and elizabeth did.
  • 00:17:20.262 --> 00:17:22.698
  • That is, they knew to do what they were supposed to do.
  • 00:17:22.698 --> 00:17:26.568
  • They were obedient to god in every way they possibly
  • 00:17:26.568 --> 00:17:30.606
  • Could be.
  • 00:17:30.606 --> 00:17:32.441
  • If you want god's direction in your life, you cannot be
  • 00:17:32.441 --> 00:17:36.712
  • Disobeying god blatantly and asking him for direction.
  • 00:17:36.712 --> 00:17:39.581
  • He just won't give it to you.
  • 00:17:39.581 --> 00:17:40.949
  • 1 peter 3 says, "god attends his ear to the prayers of the
  • 00:17:40.949 --> 00:17:45.921
  • Righteous," those who are right acting before him, "but he turns
  • 00:17:45.921 --> 00:17:50.425
  • Away his ear from those who practice evil."
  • 00:17:50.425 --> 00:17:53.061
  • If you want god's direction, do what you know you're supposed to
  • 00:17:53.061 --> 00:17:56.165
  • Do, walk blamelessly before the lord.
  • 00:17:56.165 --> 00:17:58.367
  • Number two, when seeking god's direction, persist in prayer.
  • 00:17:58.367 --> 00:18:03.539
  • That's what zacharias did.
  • 00:18:03.539 --> 00:18:05.040
  • He never quit praying for a child, even though god didn't
  • 00:18:05.040 --> 00:18:08.477
  • Immediately answer his request.
  • 00:18:08.477 --> 00:18:10.312
  • When we get to luke 18, we're gonna see a story jesus told
  • 00:18:10.312 --> 00:18:13.982
  • About how we ought to persist in prayer at all times.
  • 00:18:13.982 --> 00:18:17.753
  • We're not to pray just when the answer seems obvious, we're to
  • 00:18:17.753 --> 00:18:21.089
  • Pray when the answer seems impossible.
  • 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:23.492
  • And then thirdly, be faithful in your everyday responsibilities.
  • 00:18:23.492 --> 00:18:28.397
  • If you want god's direction, be sure you're not only obeying
  • 00:18:28.397 --> 00:18:32.768
  • God, but you're fulfilling your everyday responsibilities to
  • 00:18:32.768 --> 00:18:35.437
  • Your family, to your workplace.
  • 00:18:35.437 --> 00:18:37.339
  • That's when god is most likely to speak.
  • 00:18:37.339 --> 00:18:39.541
  • You know, there's a great illustration of that in
  • 00:18:39.541 --> 00:18:41.276
  • Genesis 24.
  • 00:18:41.276 --> 00:18:42.611
  • Remember the story of rebecca?
  • 00:18:42.611 --> 00:18:46.515
  • Abraham was concerned that his son, isaac, you know, was still
  • 00:18:46.515 --> 00:18:51.453
  • Living at home, failure to launch, and so, he wanted to get
  • 00:18:51.453 --> 00:18:54.957
  • Him a wife.
  • 00:18:54.957 --> 00:18:56.325
  • And so, he sends his servant, eliezer, out to find a bride
  • 00:18:56.325 --> 00:18:59.928
  • For isaac.
  • 00:18:59.928 --> 00:19:01.263
  • So eliezer goes, and he stops at the well, and he sees this
  • 00:19:01.263 --> 00:19:06.368
  • Woman, a girl really, named rebecca.
  • 00:19:06.368 --> 00:19:10.072
  • And what is she doing?
  • 00:19:10.072 --> 00:19:11.440
  • She's doing her household chores.
  • 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:12.874
  • She's getting the water.
  • 00:19:12.874 --> 00:19:14.243
  • She was in charge of retrieving the water and taking it
  • 00:19:14.243 --> 00:19:16.445
  • Back home.
  • 00:19:16.445 --> 00:19:17.813
  • And he spotted her and said, "this is the girl for isaac."
  • 00:19:17.813 --> 00:19:21.617
  • Now just think, what if rebecca had rebelled against her parents
  • 00:19:21.617 --> 00:19:24.886
  • And said, "you know what, i don't want to do that today,
  • 00:19:24.886 --> 00:19:26.521
  • I wanna go hang out with my friends"?
  • 00:19:26.521 --> 00:19:28.857
  • Had she not been there on that particular day, she would have
  • 00:19:28.857 --> 00:19:31.994
  • Missed god's choice for her mate.
  • 00:19:31.994 --> 00:19:35.030
  • God many times answers our prayer when we're in the midst
  • 00:19:35.030 --> 00:19:39.034
  • Of fulfilling our everyday responsibilities.
  • 00:19:39.034 --> 00:19:42.037
  • Remember, it is much easier for god to steer an object that is
  • 00:19:42.037 --> 00:19:45.907
  • Moving than one that is stationary.
  • 00:19:45.907 --> 00:19:48.510
  • Now, it's while zacharias is inside the temple that the
  • 00:19:48.510 --> 00:19:52.581
  • Angel appears.
  • 00:19:52.581 --> 00:19:53.915
  • Look at verse 11: "and an angel of the lord appeared to
  • 00:19:53.915 --> 00:19:57.352
  • Zacharias, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
  • 00:19:57.352 --> 00:20:01.290
  • And zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear
  • 00:20:01.290 --> 00:20:06.128
  • Gripped him."
  • 00:20:06.128 --> 00:20:07.462
  • Now, there are only two angels in the bible who have
  • 00:20:07.462 --> 00:20:11.433
  • Names attached to them.
  • 00:20:11.433 --> 00:20:13.568
  • One angel was michael, michael the archangel.
  • 00:20:13.568 --> 00:20:17.072
  • He seems to be the angel in charge of defending israel,
  • 00:20:17.072 --> 00:20:20.842
  • Michael the archangel.
  • 00:20:20.842 --> 00:20:22.411
  • The other angel that is named, as we'll see in this passage,
  • 00:20:22.411 --> 00:20:25.714
  • Is gabriel.
  • 00:20:25.714 --> 00:20:27.215
  • Gabriel is the messenger angel.
  • 00:20:27.215 --> 00:20:29.484
  • He's the one we'll see next time that would appear to a teenage
  • 00:20:29.484 --> 00:20:32.721
  • Peasant girl named mary to announce the coming of
  • 00:20:32.721 --> 00:20:36.024
  • The messiah.
  • 00:20:36.024 --> 00:20:37.359
  • But zacharias, when he saw this appearance of gabriel, he was
  • 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:40.595
  • Gripped with fear.
  • 00:20:40.595 --> 00:20:42.364
  • Why is that?
  • 00:20:42.364 --> 00:20:43.732
  • Now, remember it had been 400 years since god had spoken a
  • 00:20:43.732 --> 00:20:46.601
  • Word, since the old testament, the ending of malachi.
  • 00:20:46.601 --> 00:20:49.538
  • God had not spoken for 400 years, and that means there was
  • 00:20:49.538 --> 00:20:53.275
  • Nobody alive in zacharias's day who had even seen an angel.
  • 00:20:53.275 --> 00:20:58.113
  • They hadn't seen an angel, but they knew about angels from the
  • 00:20:58.113 --> 00:21:00.482
  • Old testament, and they knew whenever in angel appeared, it
  • 00:21:00.482 --> 00:21:03.552
  • Usually wasn't good news.
  • 00:21:03.552 --> 00:21:06.388
  • Whenever an angel appeared, it was usually an angel
  • 00:21:06.388 --> 00:21:09.024
  • Of judgment.
  • 00:21:09.024 --> 00:21:10.359
  • And so, zacharias, when he saw this angel suddenly appear
  • 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:13.595
  • Before him, he thought, "this is it.
  • 00:21:13.595 --> 00:21:15.597
  • My life is over."
  • 00:21:15.597 --> 00:21:17.532
  • But notice how the angel greeted zacharias.
  • 00:21:17.532 --> 00:21:21.303
  • He said, "do not be afraid," verse 13.
  • 00:21:21.303 --> 00:21:24.940
  • Whereas the king james says, "fear not."
  • 00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:27.776
  • Now, apparently, gabriel had to say that every time he appeared
  • 00:21:27.776 --> 00:21:31.046
  • To somebody, "fear not, fear not."
  • 00:21:31.046 --> 00:21:32.881
  • To the shepherds, "fear not!"
  • 00:21:32.881 --> 00:21:34.783
  • It was a way of keeping his audience from going into cardiac
  • 00:21:34.783 --> 00:21:37.319
  • Arrest whenever they appeared.
  • 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:39.321
  • So, i'm sure he got tired of having to say that all the time,
  • 00:21:39.321 --> 00:21:41.356
  • "fear not, fear not, fear not, i'm not here to kill you."
  • 00:21:41.356 --> 00:21:44.126
  • He goes on to say, "for your petition has been heard."
  • 00:21:44.126 --> 00:21:49.498
  • Now, what petition?
  • 00:21:49.498 --> 00:21:51.333
  • Well, the obvious one is your petition for a son.
  • 00:21:51.333 --> 00:21:55.070
  • He and elizabeth had been praying for years that god would
  • 00:21:55.070 --> 00:21:58.440
  • Give them a child.
  • 00:21:58.440 --> 00:21:59.808
  • But i think it's more than that.
  • 00:21:59.808 --> 00:22:02.077
  • It was not only their petition for a child, but it was the
  • 00:22:02.077 --> 00:22:04.846
  • Nation's petition for a savior.
  • 00:22:04.846 --> 00:22:08.383
  • For hundreds of years, the jewish people had been waiting
  • 00:22:08.383 --> 00:22:12.621
  • For the messiah to come, and they were especially anxious
  • 00:22:12.621 --> 00:22:16.858
  • Right now because time seemed to be running out.
  • 00:22:16.858 --> 00:22:20.629
  • So when gabriel says, "your petition has been heard," it's
  • 00:22:20.629 --> 00:22:24.433
  • Not just the petition for a son, it's the petition for a savior.
  • 00:22:24.433 --> 00:22:28.770
  • But the bible also said before messiah comes, there will be one
  • 00:22:28.770 --> 00:22:32.541
  • Who announced his coming, a messenger, and we see that in
  • 00:22:32.541 --> 00:22:36.244
  • Isaiah 40, verses 3 through 5.
  • 00:22:36.244 --> 00:22:38.780
  • I have it on your outline.
  • 00:22:38.780 --> 00:22:40.182
  • We don't have time to look at it.
  • 00:22:40.182 --> 00:22:41.616
  • But isaiah the prophet said before the messiah would come
  • 00:22:41.616 --> 00:22:45.520
  • A messenger.
  • 00:22:45.520 --> 00:22:47.355
  • Now, remember what gabriel says here?
  • 00:22:47.355 --> 00:22:49.758
  • He says, "you shall have a son.
  • 00:22:49.758 --> 00:22:51.493
  • You will call his name john."
  • 00:22:51.493 --> 00:22:54.095
  • That name, john, literally means "the grace of jehovah."
  • 00:22:54.095 --> 00:22:58.099
  • And i want you to look at the prophecies, the six prophecies
  • 00:22:58.099 --> 00:23:01.636
  • Related to the coming of john that gabriel announced
  • 00:23:01.636 --> 00:23:04.873
  • To zacharias.
  • 00:23:04.873 --> 00:23:06.241
  • Write these down quickly.
  • 00:23:06.241 --> 00:23:07.576
  • Number one, he will bring joy to others.
  • 00:23:07.576 --> 00:23:11.746
  • John will bring joy to others.
  • 00:23:11.746 --> 00:23:13.548
  • Throughout luke's gospel, joy is always related to salvation.
  • 00:23:13.548 --> 00:23:18.720
  • John would bring joy to the people because his coming would
  • 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:22.491
  • Mean salvation is just around the corner.
  • 00:23:22.491 --> 00:23:25.227
  • Number two, john will be great in god's sight.
  • 00:23:25.227 --> 00:23:28.763
  • Remember what jesus said in matthew 11:11 about john
  • 00:23:28.763 --> 00:23:31.700
  • The baptizer?
  • 00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:33.034
  • There's nobody greater in the world than he.
  • 00:23:33.034 --> 00:23:35.036
  • Why was he great?
  • 00:23:35.036 --> 00:23:37.172
  • Because he understood his role.
  • 00:23:37.172 --> 00:23:38.874
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:23:38.874 --> 00:23:43.845
  • Jeffress: there's much more to learn about the miraculous birth
  • 00:23:43.845 --> 00:23:46.581
  • Of john, and i hope you'll make plans to join us again
  • 00:23:46.581 --> 00:23:49.818
  • Next time.
  • 00:23:49.818 --> 00:23:51.186
  • But right now, i wanna share some tremendous news with you.
  • 00:23:51.186 --> 00:23:54.489
  • "pathway to victory" has been blessed this season with an
  • 00:23:54.489 --> 00:23:57.559
  • Extraordinary light the darkness matching challenge in the amount
  • 00:23:57.559 --> 00:24:02.264
  • Of $1.5 million.
  • 00:24:02.264 --> 00:24:04.599
  • This means that every dollar you give between now and december 31
  • 00:24:04.599 --> 00:24:09.938
  • Will be automatically matched, doubling your impact for
  • 00:24:09.938 --> 00:24:13.775
  • God's kingdom.
  • 00:24:13.775 --> 00:24:15.277
  • Today, your generous $100 gift becomes $200, a $500 gift
  • 00:24:15.277 --> 00:24:20.982
  • Becomes $1,000.
  • 00:24:20.982 --> 00:24:23.118
  • There's really no limit to how much you can give that will
  • 00:24:23.118 --> 00:24:26.588
  • Be matched.
  • 00:24:26.588 --> 00:24:27.956
  • Thank you so much for giving generously toward the matching
  • 00:24:27.956 --> 00:24:30.959
  • Challenge and helping us light the darkness this
  • 00:24:30.959 --> 00:24:34.696
  • Christmas season.
  • 00:24:34.696 --> 00:24:36.398
  • Now, stay right there.
  • 00:24:36.398 --> 00:24:37.732
  • I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
  • 00:24:37.732 --> 00:24:41.169
  • Announcer: the one thing god wants more than anything else in
  • 00:24:43.004 --> 00:24:45.640
  • This world is time with you.
  • 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:48.209
  • Make god your priority by spending quality time in his
  • 00:24:48.209 --> 00:24:51.346
  • Word with the brand-new "2025 pathway to victory
  • 00:24:51.346 --> 00:24:54.683
  • Daily devotional."
  • 00:24:54.683 --> 00:24:56.051
  • This year's devotional has a beautiful navy blue leather
  • 00:24:56.051 --> 00:24:58.587
  • Cover with inlaid brown and gold foil accents.
  • 00:24:58.587 --> 00:25:01.222
  • And now with larger print, the 260 practical insights from dr.
  • 00:25:01.222 --> 00:25:05.226
  • Robert jeffress are easier to read.
  • 00:25:05.226 --> 00:25:07.228
  • This stunning 532-page devotional makes an ideal
  • 00:25:07.228 --> 00:25:10.799
  • Christmas gift for loved ones who want to grow
  • 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:12.767
  • In their faith too.
  • 00:25:12.767 --> 00:25:14.102
  • Jeffress: of all the ways god could have revealed himself to
  • 00:25:14.102 --> 00:25:17.138
  • Us, he chose to do it through the written word.
  • 00:25:17.138 --> 00:25:20.675
  • And that's why it's so important for you and for me to set aside
  • 00:25:20.675 --> 00:25:23.812
  • Regular time to read the word of god.
  • 00:25:23.812 --> 00:25:27.515
  • Announcer: every season carries an uplifting theme.
  • 00:25:27.515 --> 00:25:30.385
  • Begin the new year by exploring god's will for your life.
  • 00:25:30.385 --> 00:25:34.923
  • In spring and summer, grow stronger in christ with insights
  • 00:25:34.923 --> 00:25:37.859
  • From colossians.
  • 00:25:37.859 --> 00:25:39.227
  • And in the fall and winter, embrace the father who loves you
  • 00:25:39.227 --> 00:25:42.464
  • With inspirational readings based on the parable of the
  • 00:25:42.464 --> 00:25:45.200
  • Prodigal son.
  • 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.968
  • When the day-to-day problems of life feel overwhelming, take a
  • 00:25:46.968 --> 00:25:50.372
  • Moment to anchor yourself in the calming truth of god's word with
  • 00:25:50.372 --> 00:25:53.842
  • The brand-new "2025 pathway to victory daily devotional."
  • 00:25:53.842 --> 00:25:58.046
  • Your gift of support not only provides you with this
  • 00:25:58.046 --> 00:26:01.082
  • Life-giving resource, it empowers us to spread the
  • 00:26:01.082 --> 00:26:04.119
  • Hope-filled message of jesus christ as well.
  • 00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:06.655
  • Thank you for supporting the ministry of "pathway
  • 00:26:06.655 --> 00:26:09.591
  • To victory."
  • 00:26:09.591 --> 00:26:11.126
  • Jeffress: zacharias certainly wasn't expecting an angel to
  • 00:26:13.328 --> 00:26:16.798
  • Appear to him that day in the temple, but god had that date
  • 00:26:16.798 --> 00:26:20.535
  • Marked on his calendar for thousands of years before, and
  • 00:26:20.535 --> 00:26:24.839
  • It was an essential step in god's great plan of redemption
  • 00:26:24.839 --> 00:26:28.443
  • For mankind.
  • 00:26:28.443 --> 00:26:30.011
  • Next time, we'll look at zacharias's response to the
  • 00:26:30.011 --> 00:26:33.515
  • Angels shocking revelation, and then we'll see how god
  • 00:26:33.515 --> 00:26:37.585
  • Ultimately fulfilled his promise to zacharias along with two
  • 00:26:37.585 --> 00:26:42.390
  • Timeless truths for our life today.
  • 00:26:42.390 --> 00:26:45.827
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next in our
  • 00:26:45.827 --> 00:26:48.630
  • Series, "reigniting your passion for christ."
  • 00:26:48.630 --> 00:26:53.868
  • Jeffress: if you haven't got any problems, you should get down on
  • 00:26:53.868 --> 00:26:56.404
  • Your knees and ask, "lord, don't you trust me anymore?"
  • 00:26:56.404 --> 00:26:59.674
  • I doubt many of us are gonna get down on our knees and ask god
  • 00:26:59.674 --> 00:27:02.510
  • For more problems, but don't miss the point.
  • 00:27:02.510 --> 00:27:07.148
  • Our problems are really opportunities in disguise for
  • 00:27:07.148 --> 00:27:12.854
  • God to demonstrate his faithfulness and his power to
  • 00:27:12.854 --> 00:27:17.358
  • Act on our behalf.
  • 00:27:17.358 --> 00:27:19.227
  • Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for part two of the
  • 00:27:19.227 --> 00:27:22.597
  • Message, "touched by an angel," here on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:27:22.597 --> 00:27:27.235