Gtcotr/ss120323
The western celebration of Christmas is just around the corner. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah begins this coming Thursday, and our annual Christmas Fest is on Friday evening. There are parades and gatherings and vacations scheduled for the holidays and presents are being wrapped and meals planned. City streets and local houses have been decorated and Christmas music can be heard in elevators and in shops all around.
The hustle and the bustle of people going about their busy lives can almost cover up and drown out the fact that many people are yet experiencing tragedy, trauma, and disappointments. This season of the year is often a stark reminder that the world around us goes on, even when some things in your world haven’t.
This is what it was like for a certain man and his wife who lived not far outside of Jerusalem about 2000 years ago. Before we read about his particular situation, allow me to show you a picture of the Old Testament Tabernacle. The Temple in the days of Jesus, which was called Herod’s Temple, was built and operated according to the pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses. And the Jews had been worshipping in this manner, in Israel, since about 1450BC.
Every piece of ground on planet earth today has been conquered, claimed, inhabited, and occupied by someone. In fact, the house you live in today is sitting on ground that was previously owned by someone else. You may say, “Yes … but I bought it … or someone gave it to me.” Those are ways to obtain land. And our hope is that the land you own today is worth a lot more than whatever you paid for it.
But … that’s not what we are talking about this morning. Rather, we are talking about unforgettable prayer. Now for the picture of the tabernacle.
While you turn to the Gospel of Luke, allow me to explain:
The next picture:
There was a gate at the Eastern side of the Tabernacle where all people wishing to offer sacrifices for sin entered. You may remember that Adam and Eve went east when they were driven out of the Garden of Eden and an angel with a flaming sword was posted at the eastern gate to ensure no mortal had access to the tree of life. Coming back from the east to enter the Tabernacle is a picture God gives us of man being received back into His presence … restored in relationship. Every detail is important to God.
Next
picture: (Describe each piece and function of the furniture.)
·
The Gate
is open by invitation to whosoever will come.
o We enter His gates
with thanksgiving in our heart
o We enter His courts
with praise. (Psalms 100:4)
o Every gate and each
area are to be entered with thanksgiving and praise.
·
The Brazen Altar is for Salvation.
·
The Laver
is our Water Baptism.
o Made from mirrors
picturing repentance and a changed life.
o Hands and feet were
washed before entering the Holy Place.
o We don’t wash before
the sacrifice so that our sacrifice will be accepted … rather … we wash
afterwards because our sins have been paid for and forgiven through the
sacrifice of the Lamb of God.
·
The
Holy Place has a door opening first to The Candlestick,
which is The Holy Spirit.
o The oil and fire of
God …
o The light and the
power …
o The Holy Spirit’s
illumination
·
Next
is the Table of Shewbread … The Word of God.
o Reading the Word is not enough. In order to understand it, we must first partake of the Light of
the Holy Spirit.
o Spiritual things are
spiritually discerned.
o Most likely your
enemies have read the Bible and maybe can even quote it … sometimes better than
you. But – they don’t know what it means and are absent the Light of the
Father.
·
Then
– finally in the Holy Place, which is also called the inner court, we find the Altar of Incense, representing our Prayer being lifted to God in a sweet-smelling aroma.
· Finally, through the veil, The Ark of God’s Presence, Power, and Glory of God.
Have you found the Gospel of Luke yet? Chapter 1: Remember, this season of joy and thanksgiving for the world is not always a happy time in every person’s life. Some people are reminded of what they do not have.
Luke 1 NKJV
5 ¶ There was in the days of
Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of
Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 And they were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the
Lord blameless.
7 But they had no child,
because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8 So it was, that while he
was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
9 according to the custom of
the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of
the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of
the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 Then an angel of the Lord
appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw
him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him,
“Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth
will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
18 And Zacharias said to the
angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well
advanced in years.”
19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.
23 And so it was, as soon as
the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.
24 Now after those days his
wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying,
25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
My 2 take-aways today:
1. Multitudes are standing outside praying. (v.10)
a. They haven’t been
saved, washed, touched, they don’t understand the Word … They are praying, but
praying from the outside.
b. Zachariah’s prayers
were unforgettable prayers no doubt because he had come by the way of the cross
and cleansed his heart and purified his hands and was thankful while he praised
the name of the Lord and lifted his intercession and his petitions to God.
c. V.13 – “Do not be
afraid: Your prayer is heard …”
d.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of
the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their
prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
i. Don’t fear the prayers
of your enemies …
ii. Are you right with
God?
iii. Righteous prayers are
unforgettable prayers.
2. God demands we participate in our miracle. (v.14)
a.
God is getting you ready for that which He
already has ready for you.
b.
You are not too old or too far gone to be
happy and blessed.
c. And you can make others happy too!
I want to encourage you to be like Zacharias and get with the program. God hasn’t changed His plan, and He hasn’t forgotten your prayers. There may be a whole lot hinging on you not giving up and quitting on God.
God hasn’t forgotten your prayers … just
don’t you forget.
