Part 2 - 6-25-2022 West Palm Beach 7th Day Baptist Pastor Garfield “Silenced In Hope” Hebrews 11;1, Luke 1, I Peter 1;9
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In the text, Elizabeth actually got pregnant. Now Zacharias was at the temple at the beginning of his assigned week. So when he could not speak, he did not run out of the temple screaming. He stayed at the Holy place and finished his duty and weekly assignment. This shows that even though he was silenced, he continued his actions and duties. The people outside the temple were wondering why it took Zacharias so long to finish his incense duties to God. Before Elizabeth conceived John, the angel had said that the child would speak of the coming Messiah. John would bring joy to his family and to the nation. God had already set up plans for John before he was even formed in his mother’s womb. John was to be a forerunner to Christ and make way for the coming of Jesus Christ. You must understand that you also are forerunners of Jesus. When you have talks and conversations with people, you are opening a way for Jesus to enter a family. You are opening a way for Jesus to enter a needy house. You are opening a way for someone to find peace in their hearts. Now when Elizabeth gave birth to John, in those days the family gave the child his or her name. The family said the child would be called Zacharias and Elizabeth said no this child will be named John. Then they said no one in the family had ever been named John. She kept saying John so they asked Zacharias what he wanted the child’s name to be. Zacharias had been waiting all the days of the pregnancy, nine months, to tell the name of the child. As Zacharias named this boy, it was him accepting that the prophecy had come to pass. As he wrote down and named the child, his voice returned. His doubt could not do anything to turn back this child anymore.
It is about when the Lord God places a hope in your heart and not about someone else doing it. When thinking about your one hope ask is there a reason why God would not want you to have this hope. The hope must align with what God wants for his people. Ask yourself how well does this hope align with your known purpose on earth. Thirdly, ask yourself do you deserve or have you earned this hope based on how faithful you have been to the Lord. Then ask yourself how you will use this hope to glorify God and serve his people. Questions five is to ask yourself do you have the mind and personality to manage this hope. If you know you have a money problem, you can’t ask God for 10 million dollars. Then ask yourself is God capable of granting your hope. The seventh and last question is to ask yourself how will getting this hope impact those close to you and around you. Brothers and sisters these questions are what you should ask yourself about your hope and desire. Maybe you will need to modify what your hope is. If it fits in with these questions then there is a good chance it is a reasonable hope to hold onto.
Concepts about Zacharias’s Silence:
** Silence would control his doubt and he could not speak it out loud and be contagious with doubt. To limit your doubt, talk less.
**When you are in Silence, you are giving the Hope the best chance to germinate and conceive.
**You are giving God the room He needs to work when you are Silent. Be still and know that He is God.
**Silence means you are spending more time with God concerning this matter and you get closer to the Lord. You are closer to the Lord and further from the cares of the world.
**When you are Silent it helps you reflect without interruptions. We need to spend more time reflecting on the hope that God has placed inside of us.
**Silence is a way to cultivate faith and to build the bridge from where you are to the new hope that you have.
**When you are in the place of Silence, you remember scriptures like you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.
** Silence will also have you remember that the Word of God says that He will not withhold good things from his children.
AMEN
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In the text, Elizabeth actually got pregnant. Now Zacharias was at the temple at the beginning of his assigned week. So when he could not speak, he did not run out of the temple screaming. He stayed at the Holy place and finished his duty and weekly assignment. This shows that even though he was silenced, he continued his actions and duties. The people outside the temple were wondering why it took Zacharias so long to finish his incense duties to God. Before Elizabeth conceived John, the angel had said that the child would speak of the coming Messiah. John would bring joy to his family and to the nation. God had already set up plans for John before he was even formed in his mother’s womb. John was to be a forerunner to Christ and make way for the coming of Jesus Christ. You must understand that you also are forerunners of Jesus. When you have talks and conversations with people, you are opening a way for Jesus to enter a family. You are opening a way for Jesus to enter a needy house. You are opening a way for someone to find peace in their hearts. Now when Elizabeth gave birth to John, in those days the family gave the child his or her name. The family said the child would be called Zacharias and Elizabeth said no this child will be named John. Then they said no one in the family had ever been named John. She kept saying John so they asked Zacharias what he wanted the child’s name to be. Zacharias had been waiting all the days of the pregnancy, nine months, to tell the name of the child. As Zacharias named this boy, it was him accepting that the prophecy had come to pass. As he wrote down and named the child, his voice returned. His doubt could not do anything to turn back this child anymore.
It is about when the Lord God places a hope in your heart and not about someone else doing it. When thinking about your one hope ask is there a reason why God would not want you to have this hope. The hope must align with what God wants for his people. Ask yourself how well does this hope align with your known purpose on earth. Thirdly, ask yourself do you deserve or have you earned this hope based on how faithful you have been to the Lord. Then ask yourself how you will use this hope to glorify God and serve his people. Questions five is to ask yourself do you have the mind and personality to manage this hope. If you know you have a money problem, you can’t ask God for 10 million dollars. Then ask yourself is God capable of granting your hope. The seventh and last question is to ask yourself how will getting this hope impact those close to you and around you. Brothers and sisters these questions are what you should ask yourself about your hope and desire. Maybe you will need to modify what your hope is. If it fits in with these questions then there is a good chance it is a reasonable hope to hold onto.
Concepts about Zacharias’s Silence:
** Silence would control his doubt and he could not speak it out loud and be contagious with doubt. To limit your doubt, talk less.
**When you are in Silence, you are giving the Hope the best chance to germinate and conceive.
**You are giving God the room He needs to work when you are Silent. Be still and know that He is God.
**Silence means you are spending more time with God concerning this matter and you get closer to the Lord. You are closer to the Lord and further from the cares of the world.
**When you are Silent it helps you reflect without interruptions. We need to spend more time reflecting on the hope that God has placed inside of us.
**Silence is a way to cultivate faith and to build the bridge from where you are to the new hope that you have.
**When you are in the place of Silence, you remember scriptures like you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.
** Silence will also have you remember that the Word of God says that He will not withhold good things from his children.
AMEN
