2020 has been an unusual year,
but a good year for us to learn Agile as a church.
We had just experienced some easing of restriction
still due to another outbreak of COVID-19 in the Northern Beaches.
We are moving back to online gathering this morning.
Another good thing out of such a strange year
would be fewer people would have lost their voice
because we cannot meet together.
I remember when I was much younger,
I would meet up with friends over the weekend
and we would go karaoke to sing at the top of our voice
and drink for the whole night till dawn.
On Monday morning, we are often very quiet
because we have lost our voice.
We would gradually get our voice back over the week,
but we lose it again in the weekend.
We are terrible at saving our voice,
let alone saving ourselves.
We can lose our voice over sininess,
and we can lose it due to sickness.
It can also happen to us due to some exceptional reason.
In our passage today, we meet Zechariah,
who lost his voice for about 10 months.
And it was because God has something special planned.
Imagine what would daily life be
and relationship between Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth
be like during the 10 months of pregnancy.
They have been married for a long time
and would have gotten used to communicating with each other.
And now they have found a new way to communicate.
We see Zechariah at the point of him getting his voice back after 10 months.
He was unable to speak in silence.
It is a time also where God starts to speak to his people again
after being in silence for more than 400 years,
since he has last spoken through the couple of minor prophets,
including Malachi,
towards the end of the Old Testament.
God broke his silence through the angel Gabriel,
as Eve has shared with us.
He spoke to Zechariah and Mary
to foretell the birth of two significant people,
John the Baptist and Jesus.
We are at the point of significant changes in human history.
The birth of John the Baptist and Jesus
also means significant changes
to whoever will believe in the message they bring and in Jesus.
I want to give voice to three changes
to highlight them from today's passage.
Change from fear to anticipation.
From loss in sin to serving him.
And from darkness to light.
God broke his silence through the angel Gabriel
to tell Zechariah that he and his wife
will have a son while in their old age.
And Zechariah won a sign
as proved that it will happen,
as the angel Gabriel said.
So he was silent
and not be able to speak
until the pregnancy is fulfilled,
until the prophecy is fulfilled.
This questioning of God's power and instruction
is typical of humans all through the ages.
After God created the first couple of humans,
Adam and Eve,
they were presented with a question,
did God really say?
They were tempted and encouraged
to question what God has said.
And they failed to uphold God's word
and other things that did not come from God's mouth
and end up doing what God asked them not to do.
The result was when they heard the sound of God,
they hide from God.
They were afraid and ashamed to see God.
People become fearful of God
because they know they have not obeyed God's word
and have broken their relationship with God.
And it is impossible for anyone
to fully obey God from that point onward,
except Jesus, the Son of God.
The whole Bible is about
how God worked on keeping his relationship
with his people
and how people keep turning their back on God.
Instead of treachering their relationship with God,
they treasure each other people
or things more than their creator.
Things such as traditions,
reputations, fame and fortunes.
Instead of carefully listening to
and following his words,
they put words in God's mouth
and follow a God of their own imagination.
God is the one who speaks to his people,
who lay out everything to his people
to ensure that they have a working relationship with him.
But we are the one
that keeps doing things our way
and breaking that relationship.
We try to silence God
and we refuse to listen.
God gave his people the silent treatment
because they did not believe
or obey God's words and prophecy.
They even questioned God's love for them.
They questioned in Malachi 1-2,
after God said,
I have loved you,
they asked,
how have you loved us?
Humans do not honor or respect God.
The whole Bible shows us
how people are going back and forth with God
in their questioning.
And that questioning still happens today.
When we hold disrespect
and disregard towards someone,
it will not be easy
to build a relationship.
What is often left
would be fear and contempt.
Especially when we deliberately disobey
someone or twist their words
or misrepresent them.
Whatever relationship
we think that we share
would be very shallow
and superficial.
So how is your relationship
with God and others?
Luke 1-6 told us that
Zechariah and his wife
had a good relationship with God.
Both of them were righteous
in the sight of God,
observing all the laws,
commands, and decrees blamelessly.
God had so mercy
towards Zechariah and Elizabeth
by granting them a son
at their old age.
And they seemed to have
a good relationship
with their neighbors
and relatives as well
because they came to share
the joy in the birth of their son.
However,
1st 12 still tells us
that even Zechariah,
righteous in God's eyes,
was gripped with fear
when the angel appeared to him.
We should maintain a sense of fear
and respect towards God,
our Creator.
Our healthy kind of fear
and respect
will stop us from being contempt
and becoming a fool.
Prophet 1-9 says,
The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom
and instructions.
A healthy kind of fear
will help us to listen up
with attention to details.
It will not paralyze us,
but help us to do the right things.
The right kind of fear
is enabling,
is attentive.
Zechariah was kept
from speaking for 10 months,
but he made sure
Elizabeth got the instruction
of the angel
regarding what name
to call their son.
He made sure
history did not repeat itself,
that his wife upheld
God's instruction
and did not add anything
to it like Eve.
As both Elizabeth and Zechariah
confirmed their son's name
in his John,
Luke says in verse 64,
immediately his mouth was opened
and his son set free.
He began to speak,
praising God.
All the neighbors
were filled with oil.
And throughout the hill country
of Judea,
people were talking
about all these things.
Everyone who heard
his wonders about it,
asking,
What then is this child
going to be?
For the Lord's hands
was with him.
Can you imagine
what kinds of anticipation
Zechariah and Elizabeth
have been through
up to this point?
They did not have
any outro sound back then,
even though they may be able
to tell from different signs,
such as the shape
of the belly,
whether the baby
is a boy or a girl.
Was it run for girls
and pointed for boys,
or terrible morning sickness
in the first three months
for boys
or the other way around?
I have to ask my mom.
They would not know
that firstborn
is a son or not
until he was born.
But when he was born,
great anticipation
awaits them.
And the neighbors
and the relatives
share their anticipation.
The anticipation
of what is to come,
what is this child
is going to be.
More so,
the anticipation
of what God will do
with humanity
through Jesus our Lord.
We'll move from fear
and an uncertain relationship
to a great anticipation
of what he will do
with our life.
The key to that change
is our Lord Jesus.
His arrival
repairs our relationship
with God.
He placed his Holy Spirit
in those who believe in him
to help us
to turn and obey
the command of God
so that we can change
from fear
to anticipation.
And we will also change
from loss in sin
to serving him.
At the birth of his son,
when Zechariah
holds firm
to the instruction of God
by naming him John,
God broke his ten months
silence.
And Zechariah
was filled
with the Holy Spirit
and unable to speak again.
He prays and prophesies
from verse 68.
Praise be to the Lord,
the God of Israel,
because he has come
to his people
and redeemed them.
He has raised up
a horn of salvation
for us
in the house
of his servant David,
as he said
through his holy prophets
of long ago.
Salvation
from our enemies
and from the hands
of all who hate us.
God is no longer silent.
He has spoken
and he deserves
all our praises
because he has come
to his people
to redeem them.
A horn
can also mean
a strong king.
So he has raised
a strong king
to save his people
from their enemies.
The greatest enemies
of humans
are sin
because it breaks
our relationship
with God.
However,
with the birth
of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior,
our enemies
have been dealt with,
we can get back
to a great relationship
with God.
As I have indicated before,
God's plans
of salvation
was foretold
in the whole Bible,
spoke through
his holy prophets
all through the ages
from long ago.
We need to be safe
because of our
broken relationship
with God.
We need God
to come
and save us
because we are
bad at saving ourselves.
We cannot save ourselves.
And like Adam
and Eve,
after realizing
what they have done,
we are running away
and hiding
from God
instead of running
towards him.
How do I know that?
Because we still
try to hide
from the sound
of God.
We tend to spend
lesser and lesser
time
to read the Bible,
to let God
speak to us.
we are letting
other people
or things
to be our
small letter G,
God,
instead of making
sure God,
the creator of the world,
is truly the ruler
of our life.
We spend
less and less time
into reading
God's word,
but more and more time
in social media,
checking out
the latest posts.
We spend
less and less time
in praying to God,
but more and more time
in replying emails
or checking out
the latest Netflix.
Do you really need
your Netflix account?
For some who read
the Bible
and pray,
it was more
to cock in
and tick the box
that we have done so,
to make us feel
at ease
with ourselves.
But there's no growth
in our relationship
with God.
How do I know
that
some of us
still lost
because
we cannot
confidently
cry out,
come,
Lord Jesus,
come.
We worry about
how God
looked at us.
Our eyes
still fix on
what we have
or have not done.
And we serve
God
out of fear
or to earn
God's favour
and the
acknowledgement
of others
instead of
serving out
of gratitude
of our hearts.
But God
had come
to change
all that.
He comes
to save us.
He has come
to us
to remove
our fear
by doing
with the
roots
of the
problem,
our sins.
He has
overcome
our enemies
and set
us free
for a purpose.
Verse 72
say,
He come
to show
mercy
to our
ancestors
and to
remember
his holy
covenant,
to rescue
us from
the hands
of our
enemies
and to
enable us
to serve
him without
fear,
in holiness
and righteousness
before him
all our
days.
we are
saved
to serve
him,
to become
God's
full oneness
like
Zechariah's
son John
the Baptist.
It reads
on from
verse 76,
6,
and you,
my child,
will be
called a
prophet of
the Most
High,
for you
will go
on before
the Lord
to prepare
the way
for him,
to give
his people
the knowledge
of salvation
through the
forgiveness
of their
sins.
We are
called to
give God's
people the
knowledge of
salvation
through the
forgiveness
of their
sins.
What do
you know
about how
people are
saved?
How are
our sins
being forgiven
by God?
How does
someone get
right with
God?
The answer
to these
questions are
the most
fundamental
for any
Christian.
Peter
urges
in his
letter in
1 Peter 3,
13-15,
who is
going to
harm you
if you
are eager
to do
good?
But even
if you
should suffer
for what
is right,
you are
blessed.
Do not
fear what
they fear.
Do not
be frightened.
But in
your hearts,
reference
Christ as
Lord.
Always be
prepared to
give an
answer to
everyone who
asks you to
give the
reason for
the hope
that you
have.
But do
this with
gentleness
and respect.
We are
saved to
serve by
telling others
about the
great salvation
that awaits
them.
We are
saved to
serve by
answering
questions about
our hope.
If you are
not sure how
to do it,
please speak
up.
Don't remain
silent and
treat God
with contempt.
Stop living
in fear,
but instead
live in
anticipation of
the great
things God
will do in
your life.
Cling to
Jesus.
Look into
his word.
Speak to
him in
prayer,
so your
sin will
be removed
and you
will be
safe and
free to
serve him.
Speaking up
is very
important.
Imagine
Elizabeth did
not speak up
about the
name of
their child.
The relative
and neighbors
would not
have asked
Zechariah to
confirm the
name, and
he would
not have the
chance to
demonstrate
his determination
to obey
God's
instruction
fully.
What
Zechariah and
Elizabeth
were instructed
to do
was groundbreaking
and
atonish
everyone there,
because what
they were
doing was
breaking with
tradition.
Instead of
following the
tradition to
call their
son Zechariah,
which means
God remembers,
their son's
name is
John, which
means God
is gracious
and merciful.
Holding on
to tradition
could be one
of the signs
of someone
living in
darkness
instead of
the light.
Instead of
being guided
by God
to live a
daily renewed
life,
they remain
in the
dark by
thinking that
they are
okay because
of their
tradition.
Because they
have done
religious deeds
or because
my family
has always
been Christian.
It's like
saying,
God has
been quiet
for 400
years now.
We are
used to
the silence.
God broke
the tradition
with John
the Baptist.
He is
appointed
from birth
to speak
up for
God,
to bring
light into
darkness
of this
world.
And you,
my child,
will be
called
prophet
of the
Most
High.
For you
will go
on before
the Lord
to prepare
the way
for him,
to give
his people
the knowledge
of salvation
through the
forgiveness
of their
sins.
Because the
tender mercy
of our
God,
by which
the rising
sun will
come to
us from
heaven,
to shine
on those
living in
darkness
and in
the shadow
of death,
to guide
our feet
into the
path of
peace.
the
rising
sun
has
come
to us
from
heaven
to shine
on those
living in
darkness
and in
the shadow
of death,
to guide
our feet
into the
path of
peace.
The
rising
sun
is referring
to Jesus,
who is
soon to be
born at
this point.
The birth
of Jesus
offers
transformation
to those
lost
people who
are living
in
darkness,
meaninglessly
porting
through life
to a
life with
abundance.
One of
the ways
we know
people are
living in
darkness
is when
we value
tradition
and
convenience
more than
God's
instruction
and
commands.
When we
hold the
way we
used to
do certain
things
with greater
significance
than
obedience
towards
God's
instruction
through
his
appointed
messenger.
it's at
the time
that we
step away
from
light
and
step
into
darkness
if we
value
tradition
and
convenience.
To deal
with COVID-19,
we need to
go online
to keep
each other
safe.
We need
to be
agile
and follow
the health
advice and
guidelines
of our
government
and our
diocese.
We are
having church
online
only today.
it's a
testimony
of how
hard we
have
worked
in keeping
each other
safe
at St.
Paul's.
So,
when it's
safe for
us to
meet face
to face
again,
what will
be your
anticipation?
It's,
of course,
more convenient
to stay at
home to
watch a live
streaming of
church.
Some of
us will
have to
continue
meeting with
us online
because of
health
reasons.
But will
you be
choosing to
stay home
and not
coming to
church together
face to
face because
you cannot
have your
usual cup
of tea or
have to
wear a
mask to
sing?
It's your
usual way of
doing things
stopping you
from obeying
God together
together to
worship him.
one of the
ways for us
to get from
darkness to
light is to
speak up about
things.
Things that are
not right
according to
God.
To confess
the wrong
doings,
the sins in
our life
and repent.
Repentance
means turning.
Turning from
your tradition
and look back
to God's
words and
instruction.
Turning
from being
a consumer
to live
a life of
a disciple,
a follower
of Jesus.
Turn to
pursue
discipleship.
When Paul
speaks up
about his
life and
the works
of God
at the
end of
Acts in
chapter 26
verse 20
he said,
first to
those in
Damascus,
then to
those in
Jerusalem
and all
Judea,
and then to
the Gentiles
preach that
they should
repent and
turn to
God and
demonstrate
their repentance
by their
deeds.
To change
from darkness
to light,
we need to
acknowledge our
sin and
repent.
True repentance
is not done
in the dark.
It's
demonstrable.
It's not
saying sorry
and keep
going without
any changes.
Jesus
offers
transformation
from living
sinful,
unholy
life to
lives of
righteousness.
The birth
of Jesus
is much
more than
giving us
a reason
to get
together,
to eat
food and
exchange
gifts.
The birth
of Jesus
is a
reminder
of the
monumental
changes
that God
is bringing
into all
of us,
which
begins in
salvation.
God
saves us
from a
life of
meaninglessness
to be
his servants.
How is
your
relationship
with God
and others?
Jesus
comes to
change out
your life.
What
changes and
growth have
you got to
show that
Jesus is in
your life?
What
anticipation
do you
hold?
What
service
have you
offered
to God?
Is a
life full
of light
as bright
as a
new dawn
sun?
It will
if you
stop hiding
and run
towards the
light.
Let the
Son of
God,
Jesus,
take hold
of your
life today
and let's
walk on
the path
of peace
that God
offers us
all.
Amen.