Christmas Sunday 2024

CHRISTMAS

December 22, 2024

CHRISTMAS STAGING

LUKE 1:5-17

((10:30AM)) Good morning:

Luke 1

INTRODUCTION:

Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV) But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. (CSB) When the time came to completion [the right time], God sent His Son [to Bethlehem, the right place], born of a woman [the right people], born under the law to redeem those under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons.

TEXT:

Luke 1:5-17 (NIV) ⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. ⁷ But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸ Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹ he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Highlights:

Luke 1:1 (NIV) In the time of Herod king of Judea… This is the crafty and cruel Herod the Great from the line of Esau. He was in the family line full of hatred across the centuries.

Luke 1:2 (NIV) Abijah’s division…

Luke 1:7 (NIV) But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Genesis 30:1 (NIV) “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

1 Samuel 1:6-8 (NIV) Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. ⁷ This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Luke 1:9 (NIV) …the temple of the Lord…

Luke 1:11 (NIV) …standing to the right of the altar of incense…

Psalm 141:2 (NIV) May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Luke 1:10 (NIV) …when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Luke 1:11 (NIV) Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him…

THREE BIBLE PRINCIPLES TO LEARN:

1. CATCHES THE EYE OF GOD

Luke 1:8 (NIV) …and he was serving…

Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks, the

door will be opened.

Luke 1:13 (NIV) “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John…”

2. COMES AT A PRICE

Luke 1:14-17 (NIV) ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Luke 1:18 (NIV) Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

Genesis 3:1 (NIV) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Luke 1:19-20 (NIV) The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Mark 9:22-23 (NIV) Jesus said, “Everything is possible for the one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Luke 1:20 (NIV) “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Luke 1:21-22 (NIV) ²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

3. WILL SET YOU FREE

Luke 1:57-64 (NIV) When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶² Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

Luke 1:60 (NIV) “No! He is to be called John

Luke 1:62-63 (NIV) ⁶² Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”

Luke 1:64 (NIV) Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

CONCLUSION:

PRAYER:

WORSHIP:

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