Fear Not, But Believe God

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And now here's your message. You're listening to a message

from Victory. Learn what it means to have faith in

week one of our Christmas series Hark and we're starting

this series entitled the Heart.

Now I know we use that word every day, Hark,

my daughter Hark. Heart simply means to listen or to

pay attention. And generally December is one of the busiest

times of the year with everything that's happening around us,

with all the parties, the sales, the exchange, gifts, the bonus,

the plant vacation, with all these things that's happening. You know,

it's it's it's it's making us making it more difficult

for us to hear what God is saying to us.

Sometimes it's with all the noise, it's more difficult for

us to actually listen and hear what God is speaking

to us. This season, and so in this series, we're

going to look at four stories, actually four messages delivered

by angels to different people building up to the first Christmas.

So me mahapindella hun a.

Messengersey Lord, and these people are in different situations leading

up to Christmas, and God gave them a message that

really spoke to them. Not only that it prepared them

for Christmas, but it really enriched their relationship with God.

And that's our prayer for this series. With all the

preparations we're doing, we hope that this series will help

us prepare our own heart as we celebrate Christmas. And

not only that this will prepare us for the twenty

fifth of December, but somehow this will enrich our own

faith and our own relationship with God. So that's what

we're going to look at starting today, in the.

Next three weeks.

Can we bow our heads and close our eyes as

we pray and commit this time to God. Lord, we

pray Lord, maybe for some of us here, we're here today,

but our mind is somewhere else.

We're thinking of something else.

I pray Lord that you will help us Lord calm

our soul in our spirit. I pray that you will

silence all the voices and allow us to.

Hear only your voice.

I pray Lord that you will give us the ability

to hear you and receive your message for us, not

only to prepare us for the Christmas celebration, but really

to draw us closer to you. So thank you, Lloyd

for the message that we're going to receive. I pray

Lord that you will speak to us in Jesus name.

We pray Amen. Okay.

The first story we're going to look at is in

Look chapter one, verse five. We're going to start in

verse five, and this is the story of Zechariah and

his wife Elizabeth. So we're going to read in verse five.

Then we're going to jump from time to time from

one verse to another, and then I'm going to make

some comments in between. In verse five, it says, in

the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a

priest named Zechariah of the division of Abaijah, and he

had a wife from the daughter of Aaron, and her

name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God,

walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes.

Of the Lord.

But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and

both were advanced in years. Now, first thing to introduce

us to this story were introduced to these characters Zacharaia

and Elizabeth, and both of them were from families of ministers.

Now in today, Zachariah is the equivalent of a pastor

and young Pamilia Pula Man pastor pastor, that was Apple pastor,

so it's a long line of really ministers. Now he's

someone who works in the church. The only difference compared

today is that Zachariah was a pastor from a small

town approximately fifty to one hundred people during their time,

gonna Pucalile community and maybe pastoring a church of twenty

to thirty members. So he he is nationally ignored and

internationally unknown. He's a simple man, not really influential, not rich,

but faithfully doing what God has called him to do.

So go to my own may Facebook account see Zacharaiah

ten twenty friends, Nito Tapoposa asa Negla like.

Paran your wife coppolaa one time I checked.

So because in the bottom Madelasmak likes a postco.

Not only that, the Bible says that they were already

old and they had no children for many years.

We don't know how many exactly, but maybe forty or

fifty years. When they were younger, they believed God for

their own child, and year after year they prayed, they believe,

but they failed. Imagine the number of baby showers and

baby dedications they've attended together as a couple children of

other people, not their own. Imagine how they felt through

the years of praying and believing and.

Nothing is happening.

And they prayed, and every year they failed, and their

hope dwindled. And during their time, what made it really

more difficult was that during their time, barrenness was considered

as a curse. So if you're not producing babies, people

might think that you are actually in sin, or you're

doing something wrong, maybe you're not right with God. Can

you imagine going to church and you have this battle

going on in your mind and you're wrestling with this

idea of what people are actually thinking about you. But Gannun,

they don't have children now. Child bearing was one of

the primary roles of women. That's why it's a shame

for them that they don't have children, because that's their

way of securing the future.

The more people they have, the more secured their nation

will be from invaders.

Because they don't have life insurance or hospitals in every town.

The more children they have, the more secure their future

will be. As they grow old, somebody will take care

of them, somebody will actually work for them and provide

for the family. So children are really it really signifies

security for the future. So can you imagine if you're

a wife, you're a woman and you're not producing babies,

the pressure from the community. Now here's what's mind boggling

about it. Because the Bible says they were both righteous

and they're walking blamelessly before God. How do you reconcile

that they are close to God, they are both righteous,

yet they are quote unquote cursed, they are not blessed.

What's what's wrong with this? How can that be? There?

Serving God? They're walking with God.

They are praying every day, so they should be getting

all the answer to their prayers.

So what could be possibly wrong?

And that's not just a mentality during their time, but

even today there are actually people who think that Christian kadapad.

Every time you pray, there's always an answer right away.

But now go work as a church, dappad, everything will

be smooth. Knowing papastor paposa, you built a mang students.

Many times, you know, study would come to me and

sasabinla Pastoraguelan problem but as if we're acempted or.

Immune from these things. But that's not true, So how

can that be? What could be possibly wrong? Here?

Here's what's wrong, and what's wrong is this thinking that

because we serve God somehow we are entitled to receive

his blessing. Because we are serving God, somehow, God is

indebted to us, and God is obligated to actually give

us what we're asking from him or what we're expecting

from him. So this was a paradigm shift because all

along that's what people believed.

If you are in God, then you should be blessed.

You should not be experiencing all these things. So it's

a paradigm shift.

Because here God was saying they are righteous, yet they

are going through these things. So and I believe it's

something that Zecharai and Elizabeth understood. That's why we can

see them in spite of their situation. They are still

serving God. They are still serving God. You know why,

because they are worshiping God for who he is, not

because of what they get from him. So that was

very clear to them, and that I think that's very

important for us as we prepare our heart as we

celebrate Christmas.

It's important for us to to.

Understand that we worship God because of who God is,

not because of what we get from Him. That's why,

even though they are still waiting for the answer to

their prayers, how many of you here there are still

prayers that you're waiting to be answered from God. There

are still things that you're believing God for. Some people

have already turned their back and walked away from God.

God because Lord necessary the most in as good and

I think there's a misunderstanding. There's something that was clear

to Elizabeth and Zachariah that probably is not very clear

to some people.

To them, it was very clear, whether we get the

answer to our prayers or not.

We are going to worship God, you know why, because

we worship God for who he is, not because of

what we get from Him. That's why it requires faith

if we are going to walk with God and if

we're going to live for Him, because there are things

in our life that we will not completely understand that

will require trust on our part.

More than understanding.

If we are to live for God and serve him

meansid there are people who would always ask for an explanation, Lord,

give me an explanation.

If you cannot.

Explain it to me, I will never obey, I will

never continue. But you know, sometimes there are things that

what is needed is for us to trust God more

than try to interpret and understand everything that's happening in

our lives, because sometimes God works in a mysterious way.

Did common reconcile? I'm praying to you. I know what

I'm asking from you is good, But why is it

that you are not yet answering my prayer? Why I

don't have the answer, And sometimes we will never have

the answer. That's why it requires faith, you know. I

like this verse and Ecclesiastis chapter eleven, verse five.

It says, as you do not know the path of

the wind or how the body is formed in a

mother's womb, so you.

Cannot understand the work of God, the maker of all things. Now,

how many of you agree we don't completely understand everything

that's happening around us, And we're okay with that, right.

We're not demanding.

Apple Company to explain to us everything that's happening with

our in our iPhone before we buy in explain latsak,

we don't we just buy. We're okay with that, you know,

the same way with God. You know, first time I

held in my hand chess car, first born, and first

time n young kids lamin.

But the first time, you know, I was well twenty

nine at that time I was holding my newborn. I

was staring at.

Her, and I can't believe that my wife and I

were able to actually produce another human being. But it's

so amazing, you know, our children really or some of

the most amazing and tangible miracles that God allowed us

to experience until today. They gohaiani explain panna young eyes, yeah,

young nose, heart, the bones. I don't know how that

transformed inside. I don't know how that was formed inside.

I just know that we now have our children. It's

their gift from God. So the Bible says, as you

do not know the path of the wind or how

the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you

cannot understand the work of God.

You know, he's too great. God is too big and

too awesome for.

Us to comprehend with our finite mind. He is too

big for us to try to make him fit inside

our brain and understand everything about him. That's why The

proper response to God is trusts faith, not unbelief, and

the proper response to God is worshiped. How many of

you believe God is worthy of our worship? That's why,

regardless of where you are and regardless of your situation,

you can actually worship God. Whether you have already answered

received the answer to your prayer, whether you're listening down

the things that you're.

Grateful for this year, to go to three five pages.

Already one hundred things I want to thank God for

for this year, and maybe for some of you here,

but I'm feeling more. Lord, I'm going twentysta.

This year is not really that good.

But guess what, we can still worship God today. I

may not be able to understand everything that's happening in

my life, I may not be able to reconcile it

in my head, but I just know I can worship

God no second. While he was serving as priest before God,

and I'm not going to read the verse eight nine,

I'm going to jump. While he was serving as print

before God, when his division was on duty, Zachariah was

faithfully serving God. An angel appeared and showed up. How

many of you here this Thiscember you want an angel

to show up saying your detail, pastor in thel and

kate ka boom something else. So we're going to jump

on verse thirteen. This is where Zachariah was serving. That

was their situation building up to the First Christmas. And

while he was serving, here's what the Bible says, an

angel appeared, and the angel said to him, do not

be afraid. I don't know if you are afraid of something,

but I believe that's got message for you today. Fear not,

do not be afraid. And he said, do not be afraid, Zachariah,

for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth,

will bear you a son, and you shall call his

name John. Your prayer has been heard. How many of

you want to hear that from God this December, this Christmas?

Like I saying the Lord, your prayer has been heard.

We pray more of ten years this year it will

be answered. Whatever that is that you're believing for. We

want to hear that from God. You know, I remember

this story of a of an Italian kid, son of

an Italian gangster. He wants a bike, so he told

his mom, But his mom was a devout, you know

Christian and wanting to really change the trajectory of his

son's life. He wants to teach him how to have

faith in God and how to pray. So instead of

buying a bike for his son, her son, the mom said,

pray to God.

So an an gangster, the Italian. I'll try to to

really say it an Italian accent note. So I pray on.

Batas Jesus, can you give me a bike? Italian boo,

Chinese fella, praisia. He waited for two days, nothing happened.

On a third day, still prayed, Jesus, can you give

me a bike? Well happen in third day, So you

knew what this kid did. What he did was he

went to the altar. He took the statue of Mary,

wrapped it in a towel and hid under his bed.

Then he wrote a letter and put it on the altar,

and the letter read Jesus Italian palazory, Jesus, if you

still want to see your mom, give me a bike tomorrow.

He knowstage then a good working prayer. No, you're laughing,

but some of us did that before. Maybe some of

us are still doing that today in order to get

what we're asking from God. Sometimes we make threats, Lord,

but theopatus got dynama to church.

Lord, if you don't still answer my prayer, I'll stop

praying and reading the Bible. Or sometimes we try to

bribe God.

Lord, I'll read my Bible ten chapters a day, I'll

complete all six services in Green Hills nine eleven, one, three, five, seven,

I'll give my tithes. Then twenty one days of Christmas,

I'll spread it out. So we make bribes so that

God will somehow grant our requests. But you know, here's

the good news for you. You don't need to make

threats or you don't need to bribe God. You know

why because every time you pray God, here's your prayers.

And I think that's encouraging for us to know, though basic.

Yet that's very comforting to here because how many of

you Sometimes when you text your wife or your kids

or somebody else and they don't answer, sometimes you freak out.

We said that the text also a wife got ten

where are you well?

Where are you sweety? But if that was detect sorry

left my phone.

Oh pero maka thisa.

Say pasha come forth, and sometimes gonna die.

Pepreka Lord alum bunny Lord payment co alum bunny Lord.

Now on the rocks marriage now man alarm bunny Lord,

Alum bunny lord.

Na no single alum bandy lord. How many of you

know alumni Lord that will give you so much peace

and encouragement. And guess what.

Here's the message of the angel to Zacharia and God's

message to you that every time you pray, God actually

hears your prayer.

And that's our confidence. God cares for you.

He knows your frustrations, your disappointments, your excitement. You know

two verses for us first John five, verse fourteen to fifteen.

And this is the confidence. Everyone say confidence. And this

is the cont well and confidential confidence. Everyone say confidence.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him

that if we ask anything according to his will, he

hears us. And if we know that he hears us,

and whatever we ask, whether that's relational, financial, spiritual, professional,

whatever that is, we know that we have the request

that we have asked of him. You don't need to bribe,

you don't need to make threats every time you pray.

If you pray, if you know what your praying for

is God's will for you, you have this assurance that

God hears you, and God will do.

Something about it. Hebrews four, verse fifteen to sixteen.

For we do not have a high priest talking about Jesus,

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one

who in every respect has been tempted as we are,

yet without sin. Let us, then, with confidence, draw near

to the Throne of Grace, that we may receive mercy

and find grace to help in time of need. That's

our confidence that every time we come to the throne

of God we will find grace and help in our

time of need.

What help do you need? What grace? What area of

your life do you need grace?

The assurance is that every time we come to God

we will find help in grace. The reason you are

still here today is because the grace of God is

sustaining you. God always hears and answer our prayers. But

he answers in three ways. But but you don't pastor

every time I write in the prayer request by the

way we're praying for that, every week we go through

that we read we pray. I know that some of

you it's your prayer request week after week. But God

answers in three ways.

Three ways.

God answers yes, not yet, or I have something better

in mind. Sometimes but net praik express delivery. How many

of you here experienced that already? After praying just a

few minutes the answer already came Lord in Jesus name.

Amen.

Then may a text and say, oh, by the way,

granted na billss nona miss. If you pray kapalange, you

know I have experienced that before. And if you pray

plan Lord, I pray for aa.

Okay.

You know why, because the Bible says, even before a

word is on your mouth, the Lord already knows what

you're praying for.

But we need to pray. You know why. It's for

our good. It's to build our faith, to exercise our faith.

So sometimes God's answer is yes, it's God's will. The

timing is right, go.

Sometimes the answer is not yet Ecclesiasts three, verse one.

For everything, there is a season and a time for

every matter under heaven, for every activity under heaven. So

God's delay doesn't mean God's denial. So feeling well, I

prayed for that for six months nothing happened. Maybe it's

not God's will, not necessarily God's delay doesn't mean God's denial.

So if you know if that is God's will, keep praying.

Tell the person see it next to you, keep praying.

You know, there's this card that my wife and I

are family prayed for for a year. We are before

my wife gave birth to our second child.

We had this car the picture.

We posted it on our phones, the screen of our

phones and laptop, so that every day when we open

our phone and our laptop, we would be reminded to

pray for this. So every day when I bring my

daughter to school, I would tell her pray for the

car we're believing for. So we prayed for it for

one whole year, one month, two months, three months, four months,

five months. We know it's God's will for us.

We just know we have a word from God seven month,

But we don't know how we're to get the money

for the down We don't know, but we're just praying.

We're just believing.

And guess what exactly one year God answered our prayer.

So maybe the answer is not yes, maybe the answer

is not yet. So remember God's delay doesn't mean God's denial.

And third, sometimes God's answer is I have something better

in mind. Zachariah and Elizabeth, we're just asking for a child.

It's a longlord one baby lan. But you know God

gave them John. And here's what the Angel told them

about this son that they're going to have in verse fourteen.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will

rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before

the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink.

And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even

from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of

the children of Israel to the Lord or God. And

he will go before him and the spirit and power

of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to

the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,

to make.

Ready for the Lord of people prepared.

You know that verses we read, it's actually found in

the Book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament,

and the last book of the Old Testament is Malachi.

And between Malachi and the Book of Look, there's four

hundred years of silence, meaning God did not send a

prophet to give the word of the Lord.

Nobody gave the word of the Lord. So people were.

Waiting and then after four hundred years, an angel showed.

Up giving the word of the Lord.

The silence was broken and they were given a word sagrab.

Can you imagine the parents were just simply asking for

a child. Now you're talking about the child prophesied four

hundred years ago, who will prepare the way for the

coming Savior, and we are going to be the parents.

The prophecy was actually talking about our child.

You know, God's answer is always bigger than our prayer.

God's answers are bigger than our prayers. Child beginning an act,

I'm going to give you something that will bless the

nations of the world. And so sometimes we think Lord

ay in equal lang promotion Lang. You know, we need

to always see everything in connection to God's overall plan

of redemption for humanity.

You know why, because your story is part of a

bigger story.

Your life is a puzzle, is a peace that God

is using to accomplish his plan of salvation for whole humanity.

So it's not just about you. Christmas is a reminder

that life is not.

All about us. It's all about Jesus and everything that's

happening in our life. It's not isolated in a vacuum.

It's connected to what God is doing in the world today.

God's answers are bigger than our prayers. And here's what's funny.

In lu and verse eighteen, during the conversation the dialogue,

Zacharaiah said to the angel, how shall I know this?

For I am an old man and my wife is

advanced in years. In other translation, Sabina pretty b a maniarion,

and the angel answered him, I am Gabriel. I stand

in the presence of God, and I was sent to

speak to you and to bring you this good news

Napeiconian angel and verse twenty.

And behold, you.

Will be silent and unable to speak. I'll mute you

until the day that these things take place.

Because you did not believe my words, which will be

fulfilled in their time.

You know why, Sometimes if you don't have anything good

to say, just keep quiet.

Don't ruin God's plan for your life.

Don't keep speaking negative things about our nation if you

have nothing good to say. Now here's the conversation, Sabina,

how shall I know this? Imagine they're praying for this

for forty fifty years. Then finally an angel showed up

and Sabina God answered your prayer and Sabina Sabina, Gabriel, Sabina,

how how can I know this will happen? Sabina Gabriel, Hello,

I have wings angel. There are only two angels named

in the Bible, Gabriel and Michael.

Sabina, I'm one of the two. And Sabina, Hello, You've

been praying for this. How can you pray for something

and not believe that God will answer? You? Know? When

God answers our prayers, the question is not can God

do it? But will you believe it? Will you believe it?

Pug In answering a.

Lord Ga meeting Moro And when God finally give you

an open door to preach Lord Kayo buttoh Kaya. But

when God answers your prayers, the question is not God, can.

God do it? No? Will you believe it?

Will you actually step out in faith and preach Lord

gmtin more to be a blessing to others?

And then God opened the door for you to be

a blessing Sabin the Lord.

M Sometimes our confessions are opposite our petitions.

Sometimes what we say is different from what we pray.

The Lord blessed mom.

Ma, Lass, Lord heal our marriage upon a time, grabbing pagasa.

We we're saying we have we have to check the

words coming out of our mouth. And to do that

we have to check our heart, because out of the

abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So I want

to ask you this question, how is your heart as

we sell break Christmas? Is your heart full of faith

or full of fear? Are you trusting God or are

you doubting him? How's your heart? How's your heart? As

I end and look one verse twenty four. In twenty five,

after these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five

months she kept herself hidden, saying, thus the Lord has

done for me in the days when he looked on

me to take away my reproach among people. Finally God

gave the answer to their prayer, and Elizabeth said, my

God has taken away my reproach. Reproach means shame or disgrace.

She suffered emotional and verbal and spiritual abuse for many years.

Then God intervened and took away her shame. This is

a picture and preparation for the coming of Christ. This

is a picture of what God wants to do in

our lives. He wants to save us from our sins,

and He wants to take away our shame so that

we can worship God, we can walk with God, and

we can serve Him for the rest of our life.

Amen.

So as we celebrate Christmas, be reminded that God is

a God who hears and answers your prayers. And God's

answer to you is bigger than what you're asking from him,

because your story is part of a bigger story and

God came to save you and take away your shame.

Amen. As we pray, Lord, thank you for the encouragement

we receive from you today.

Thank you God for giving us ears to hear. Thank

You for giving us heart that is tender before you.

Thank you for giving us mind to comprehend.

That we may understand Lord, what You're doing in and

through our lives. God, Thank you Lord.

I pray, like Elizabeth, like Zechariah, whatever situation we're in,

whatever is happening, whether we have the answer to our

prayers or not yet, Like them, I pray we will

worship You and we will continue to serve you and

live for you. That we will worship you for who

you are, not because of what we get from you.

So Lord, God, elevate our understanding of who you are.

Align our hearts to you. Align our hearts to you today. Lord,

I pray for those of us who are full of fear,

Lord God, replace it with faith.

Lord. For those of us, Lord now, maybe because.

Of praying for months and years and we feel like

nothing's happening, but we're wrestling with doubt and unbelieved.

I pray, Lordat, restore the confidence in us.

Restore our confidence that you know what's going on, you

are concerned, and you're doing something behind the scene.

Lord.

I pray for those of us here, Lord who are

waiting for the answer to our prayers. I pray LORDA

that this message will Lordat, build our faith into the

name of Jesus.

Build our faith in the name of Jesus. Thank you

for listening to this message. For more messages like these

from other Victory Centers, please visit Victory dot org, dot pH,

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