Sometimes God Answers Our Prayers: "Not Now!"

Brethren, among a Christian's greatest desires, are to grow spiritually and build a deep and abiding relationship with God our Father and Jesus Christ our Elder Brother. I was thinking about that. I was thinking about the fact that I will not be speaking again to you for another month. Next week, I'll be in Beloit. We'll be saying our goodbyes to the Duran family in Beloit next week, the week after, the 24th. We'll be doing the same thing here. On both occasions, Mr. Duran will be speaking on the next week and the week after. So I'll be seated and enjoy listening to him speak. And then, of course, on May 1st, we've got Cincinnati. So the next time I speak to you will be May 8th. But I was thinking about where we are as a congregation. Thinking about how we desire to grow spiritually. How we desire to have a deep and abiding relationship with God our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our Elder Brother. And I was thinking about a verse I'd ask you to turn to now. Let's look at Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 13. Because the Apostle Paul acknowledges what I just made mention of, our desire to grow spiritually and to build a deep and abiding relationship with God our Father and Jesus Christ our Elder Brother. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 13. And here, this verse does double duty for what I would just make you mention of. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect or a maturer man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So here we see how we are growing spiritually. We grow by coming into the unity of the faith, unity with God the Father and Jesus Christ, to the knowledge of the Son of God. And, of course, that would also, by principle, meet the knowledge of God our Father, to a maturer person, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So again, all this is growing spiritually, but also as we do this, give us a deep and abiding relationship with God and Jesus Christ.

Now, the Bible reveals and discusses important tools we can use to grow spiritually, to build that deep and abiding relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. One of those tools is prayer, and that tool is very key in the process.

Now, we know a number of things about our prayers with our Father.

When we receive answers to our prayers, we know that our loving Father has heard us.

We also know He's considered our prayer or prayers. We also know He's acted in our best interest because of God's deep and abiding love for us. God is love, 1 John 4, 8.

But there are times when we don't see God answering our prayers in a way we requested.

There are times when, because of that, we feel our prayers are not being answered.

But is this really the case? As your pastor, as I have mentioned before, I had one gentleman write to me and say, it must be awful hard to see all these things happening in your congregation, all these severe and these many various difficult situations. And then just last week, he wrote me again and said, I'm going to be praying for you. It must be hard to want to answer that phone knowing what might be on the other end, another difficult situation.

I got to thinking about that, what our congregation is going through. And of course, other congregations are going through very similar things. We're not alone in this. But is it true that because we don't get an affirmative answer to a prayer, that God's not hearing us, that God's not answering our prayers?

Well, brother, I want to make maybe a bold statement here. Maybe you think this is a statement that's just a matter of course. But to make a bold statement, I believe God answers each and every one of our prayers to those in his spiritual family. Now, God is not required to answer the prayers of those in the world, those who are not a part of his spiritual family. But there are times because of God's love for mankind and grace toward mankind as universal grace, there are times God will even answer some of their prayers. But for us, the people in God's church, we appreciate and I say that God answers every prayer. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is no. And no is an answer. But there's a third category of answered prayers. And that third category is that sometimes God says, not now. Not now. Now, let's remember God is love. And as a loving being, when you're talking to him and you're being heartfelt and you're pouring out your heart and your prayers and your tears and what have you and your prayers, it would be rude of God simply to ignore you. Well, our God is a God of love. He doesn't ignore us. He will answer that prayer. But sometimes the answer is a no, or sometimes it's not now. Just as parents want to hear from their children, because parents love their children, God wants to hear from his children, just like we want to hear from our kids.

Do you give your children everything they ask for? Of course you don't. And God doesn't either. God is never asleep. He's never too busy to listen. There's never a bad connection or a bad time. You never get a busy signal or a voice email putting you on hold.

You have unlimited free minutes. You've got unlimited free hours. And God thoughtfully considers each and every prayer placed before him. God thoughtfully considers each and every prayer placed before him. Now again, I know as your pastor that we have been going through quite a few things in this congregation. And I'm giving this sermon because this is the last one I have to give to you for the next month. But you know, it seems to me that every week we've got some very serious prayer requests. I don't like spending a lot of time on announcements. I try very hard to keep announcements in about five minutes. I try not to go much over that. And these days, what that almost means, sometimes I'm able to kind of quickly go through other things, but a lot of my time is spent in these prayer requests. And I want to do that. We need to do that. You want to hear those. You want to be on your knees. You want to be preaching God for your brothers and sisters in the faith. But I'm giving this sermon because I know a number of you think you've heard only no or silence. And, brethren, let's not think that about our great God.

Let's be encouraged to know that there are times when it's not a matter of yes at this point or no at this point, but sometimes it's a matter of not now.

Now, the theme of my sermon for today is this. Seven words. Sometimes God answers our prayers not now. Sometimes God answers our prayers not now. It's not a yes at the current point. It's not a no at the current point. Don't think because you hear silence God hasn't thoughtfully considered your request because He has and He loves you and He wants the very best for you. He's God's love.

So the heart of the question is not whether or not God hears and answers our prayers. He does. The heart of the question might really be stated this way. Does God always give us the answer we desire? The answer we are looking for in a certain way that we want or at a certain time that we desire?

Well, the answer to that is no. God doesn't always give us the answers we want at the time we want. So we are so firmly aware of the yes answers. I'm not going to discuss that in the sermon.

Nor do I need to discuss no answers. That could be a sermon all to itself. I'm not going to discuss that. Although I want to turn just to one scripture to show what we're talking about here. Let's go over to 2 Corinthians 12. Here's a beautiful example of a no answer.

2 Corinthians 12, starting in verse 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations.

So God is considering this request by the Apostle Paul. He loves the Apostle Paul. He wants what's best for the Apostle Paul. That being the case, a thorn in the flesh was given to him, a messenger of Satan above him, lest he should be exalted above measure.

Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times, and it might depart from me.

Note, I don't know that it says here he was anointed, but he was pleading in his prayers. He was asking for whatever the problem was to go away. It didn't go away. But notice verse 9. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. And in my Bible, that section of Scripture is in red print, the words of Jesus Christ. The answer was no. But it wasn't because God was too busy. It wasn't because Paul didn't have enough faith. It was because God had something else in mind for the man to grow in various ways, to have people who watched him to see his example as he was growing.

But the answer was no. But God did answer him.

But notice Paul's response. Therefore, most gladly, I would rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and needs and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak, then I am strong. So there's a reason why God does this.

So in this sermon, we want to highlight the not now answer that God may be giving to you.

Maybe there's something happening in your life. It could be health-wise, could be economic-wise, could be relationship-wise, could be any number of things. But whatever you've asked for is not happening. Does that mean it's a no? Not by any stretch of the imagination. There is a section of Scripture that I was studying here recently, and to me it was very inspiring. And we're going to turn there. Let's turn over and you might put a marker in this section of Scripture, Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1, because we're going to study in some detail the prayer of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. He was also known as Zachariah in the Hebrew. He is a tremendous—he and his wife, Elizabeth, are tremendous examples of somebody who were praying and praying and praying day in, day out, month in, month out, year in, year out, decade in, decade out, and it seemed like there was no response.

I'm sure they could have thought, well, what's happening? Why isn't there some kind of response? Well, the answer for them was not now. But the answer was going to be a very inspiring one. And I want to take a look at that. So let's start here in Luke chapter 1, starting here in verse 5. There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea—we'll stop there. So we've got a date stamp. The king, Herod the Great, takes place during his reign, one of the great builders. Also a ruler who was paranoid, a ruler who was quite brutal, but also a ruler who helped build the great temple, the Jerusalem temple. We'll talk more about that in a little bit. There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea a certain priest named Zacharias, or Zachariah, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

So let's pause for a moment and not go through this too quickly.

Zacharias' parents named him Zacharias. Jewish parents in those times gave their children names that were intended to convey a sense of destiny, a sense of who those children were going to be, at least who they hoped those children would be. Now, the parents didn't know what was going to become of their son, but they gave him this name, Zacharias, and they chose that name because it hearkened back to almost 500 years to the great prophet, the great prophet Zacharias.

That book talks about the coming of the Messiah. That book talks about the Messiah's reign of peace and prosperity. Now, did Zacharias' parents name their son Zacharias because they knew what was going to happen? Well, of course not. At least we don't think so. Maybe an angel told him, I don't know, we don't see that in the Scriptures, we can't say. But they named their son Zacharias.

What does that name mean? What does that name mean? It means remembered by God.

Now, I want you to keep that in mind. Remembered by God, as this man is praying and praying and hearing nothing and nothing and nothing, he remembers his name. His name means remembered by God. Again, did the parents name Zacharias in hopes that God will remember the plight of his people and intervene on behalf to send the promised Messiah? Again, we don't know. There is a possibility that might have been the case. But we also move on here in verse 5. So we've got this priest named Zachariah, remembered by God. It says here he is of the division of Abijah.

Now, you've heard about that. What does that mean? The division of Abijah. I'm not going to turn there for sake of time, but in your notes you might want to jot down 1 Chronicles chapter 24. 1 Chronicles chapter 24, the first 19 verses, about a thousand years earlier, we see David making preparations for the temple that his son Solomon is going to build after David's death. There are far too many priests to serve in a temple at once, so David divides them up into 24 groups called divisions or courses. Each course is going to take a week's turn twice a year. Each course is going to take a week's turn twice a year serving in the temple.

The cycle started immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles, and for Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, all the priests came and served during those weeks.

The schedule started immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles with the first course, followed by the second course, and so on. At the time of the course of Abijah, and we can go back, and I can't get into all the details here, but at the time of the course of Abijah, he served during early December or mid-June by our calendar. Early December or mid-June. Now, we can take that information, and again, this is something that we can talk about at another time. But when we understand that, we look at when John the Baptist was born. We can understand when he would have been born because of this and what we're about to read in the Scripture, and then when Christ would be born. That's another topic for another time.

We see in the Scripture here where his wife's name was Elizabeth, or in the Hebrew, Eleshibah, meaning the Oath of God. So here you've got a parent, one parent, remembered by God, and another parent, the Oath of God. Verse 6.

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinance of the Lord blameless. So here we've got two very righteous people, blameless people. They obeyed from the heart. They weren't just going through the motions.

They loved God and serving God, and they did so year after year, decade after decade, even though their prayers, they may have thought, were not being heard or answered. Verse 7.

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well-advanced in years.

Now, we need to understand the culture of the day. In the culture of the day, if you were a righteous, you were fulfilling Genesis chapter 1 and verse 28. Genesis chapter 1 and verse 28 says, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Well, if you had a couple that wasn't doing that, then they were thought, something has to be wrong. And especially for a priest and his wife, something must be wrong. They must actually have some sort of sinful past or doing something that was untoward. So, as this faithful couple is doing what God has called them to do, as they're praying day in, day out, week in, week out, decade in, decade out, things don't change. Finally, the years pass, and it comes to the place where they're just too old to have that prayer be answered. At least that's what they may have thought.

That's what they may have thought. Verse 8. Let's go through verses 8 through 10.

So it was that while he was serving as a priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn the incense when he went into the temple of the Lord, and a whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. Now, again, we don't want to go past this real quickly. If you were to take a look at the city of Jerusalem and see the temple complex, that temple complex was massive in relation to the city. The temple complex was so huge it dominated the entire city of Jerusalem, about 35 acres worth of buildings, building, and other areas. The temple itself was massive. Josephus and other accounts, historical accounts, in our day-to-day would say that that building was approximately, the temple, was approximately 15 stories high. Can you imagine in that day a building 15 stories high? It was made of white limestone and trimmed with gold. White limestone and trimmed gold. The building it was set was so dazzling in the sunlight, people could hardly look at it.

So here you've got Zachariah. He's been called to do his priestly duty. Now, understand something. I want to quote from Expositor's Bible commentary.

Each of the 24 divisions served in the temple for one week, twice a year, as well as for the major festivals. An individual priest could offer incense at this daily sacrifice only once in his lifetime. Only once in his lifetime since there were so many priests. Therefore, this was the climactic moment of Zachariah's priestly career, perhaps the most dramatic moment possible for the event described to have occurred. One thousand years ago, David invented this system of the courses.

A thousand years later, this old priest is called upon for the only time in his life to go into the temple and to say a prayer and to do the duty he was called to do.

Zachariah had been totally alone in the temple when he was carrying out his responsibility.

He would have been facing the altar of incense, also facing the Holy of Holies. And there he would offer the incense that represented the prayers of God's people. When he finished praying, he would take a bowl of incense and pour the bowl on the hot coals that were on the incense altar. There was a small hole in the roof and the people standing outside could see the smoke ascending out of the hole in the roof. And this gave them a picture of their prayers going to the great God. The sweet smell of the incense filled the air. That sweet smell represented them that their prayers were sweet to God. So at this point in time, the course of Abijah serving, and it comes time to be chosen by Lot to a man who was named God remembers.

God remembers. His wife's name, the oath of God.

Think about how Zacharias must have felt. He had never been chosen before. This was his only opportunity. He was old. He was very old. He was wondering if he would ever be chosen, but he was chosen. God took this opportunity to make sure he was chosen for this responsibility.

And there he was, as close to the holy of holies as he could have been by himself. As I was doing the research on this, it was interesting. Alfred Eldersheim, in his work, The Life and Teachings of Jesus the Messiah, talked about the veil that very clearly Zacharias could have seen.

You and I, when we think of a veil, unless we've done any study on it, if we think of a veil, we maybe think about why Brides veil, you know, very sheer and not much really there. And yet this veil, according to historical records, according to Josephus and so forth, was six stories high. This veil was six stories high.

It was 30 feet wide, and Josephus said it was as thick as the hand breath of a man, maybe about four inches. It was said that this veil was as thick as the hand breath of a man, maybe about four inches. It was said that this veil was so heavy that it took hundreds of priests to be able to move it. Just kind of an interesting aside. Of course, another interesting aside is when Jesus Christ died, and that veil was torn in two from the top. Now, we understand why that took place, so we could have immediate access to the throne room of God.

We could come boldly to the throne room, which was what the Holy Volleys represented. But a bit of speculation, a bit of speculation, could it have also been, as we understand in Bible times, people would tear their clothing when they were grieving. Could it be that God, in His grief, tore that curtain from the top to the bottom?

Not from the bottom up. God tearing it as a sign of His grief at what Jesus Christ had been going through. So what did Zechariah pray? Well, technically we don't know. It's not in the Scriptures. But in the Mishnah, which is the written collection of Jewish oral traditions, we have a writing of what the priests were supposed to say, at least a part of it.

And so Zechariah, as he's performing his duties, prays, send us the one who will prepare the way for the Lord. Wow. Send us the one who will prepare the way for the Lord. God remembers. God remembers. Luke 1, verses 11-13. So as perhaps Zechariah is praying this prayer, verse 11, Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said, Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call him John.

John in the Hebrew means God is a gracious giver. So to the man whose name was God Remembers, he's going to have a son named God as a gracious giver. Think about that. The angel tells Zechariah that God is about to give Zechariah the gift he's been waiting for for decades. He thought maybe his prayer wasn't even heard. He remained faithful. He and his wife remained faithful. They kept on praying. But now it is time. The prayer is no longer, well, not now. The prayer is, yeah, now's the time. Right now. So let's put all of this together.

And I don't know how it strikes you, but to me it strikes me as an incredibly powerful answer to prayer. A prayer that for decades had the answer of not yet. Just like you might be going through something in your life right now, and God is saying to you, not yet. He's not saying yes at the current moment. Not saying no at the current moment. But maybe right now he's saying not yet.

So there's a number of lessons I draw from this. Let me go through those. Lesson number one. God's view of time is not our view of time. God's view of time is not our view of time.

There are many times, a number of times, when I'm praying for an anointing for somebody, that I'll remark to God, Father, we are human beings. We want to be healed right now. Let's be honest, Father. We want to be healed right now. But we also know, Father, that you heal in a time and method and way of your own choosing. We know that you love us, and we know that you will hear this prayer. You will consider this prayer. And we humbly, respectfully place this request at your feet. And in your time, your time, you do what you feel is best. Brethren, think about the context of what we looked at here. God is using a system and a timing that had been set up about a thousand years earlier under David to make this particular announcement to this particular elderly priest about the coming of the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah a thousand years later. This shows us that we worship a God not of chance, that we worship a God of precision and planning and perfection in everything that He does. Our God is a God who is always faithful. He remembers your faithfulness. He remembers your obedience. And, yes, He remembers your many heartfelt fervent prayers. They are not just uttered by you and they go into nothingness. God remembers. Let's take a look at a few Scriptures here. Let's go to Luke 18. Put a mark over there in Luke 1. Luke 18.

Luke 18, verse 1. Then He spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Zachariah and Elizabeth did not lose heart. Not after decades of not getting what they thought was an affirmative answer to their prayer. They would eventually get that affirmative answer. But it was going to take a long time. God had His reasons. 1 Thessalonians 5.

1 Thessalonians 5. And verse 17, where it says, Pray without ceasing. Pray without ceasing. I don't know how many times Zachariah and Elizabeth prayed. I don't know if they prayed every day for His Son. For children. I don't know. We don't know. I'm sure they prayed often. I'm sure they prayed quite a bit. I'm sure they prayed without ceasing. Over the course of all those years. Finally, that prayer was acted upon. God heard them all.

Finally, God said, Now is the time. 1 John, chapter 3. Again, this is another one of those scriptures I will quote when anointing somebody. 1 John, chapter 3.

And in verse 22, And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Zachariah and Elizabeth were people of faith. They were people who obeyed and they pleased God. God heard them. So, lesson number one, God's view of time is not our view of time. If you're going through something right now that seems like it's been an eternity, well, you just compare what you're going through with what Zachariah went through. In the decades he went through it. Lesson number two.

God doesn't forget.

God doesn't forget. Remember, Zachariah's name means remembered by God.

God remembered faithful Zachariah and Elizabeth. Let's look at Psalm 25.

Psalm 25 and verse 6. Psalm 25 and verse 6.

Psalm 25 and verse 6. Psalm 25 and verse 6. Remember, O Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old. This has been a part of who you've been for all of eternity. Remember your tender mercies.

Zachariah, Elizabeth, they knew that God would not forget them. They may have had their doubts from time to time, but they remained faithful. As we see here, remember, O Lord, your tender mercies. Tender mercy was being shown to Zachariah and Elizabeth. Loving kindness was being shown to them.

Let's take a look at Malachi chapter 3. I read this, I think, last time I spoke here. Malachi chapter 3.

Verses 16 and 17.

Malachi chapter 3 verse 16. Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him. Now, this book of remembrance is the book of life. But I quote this to show that God is a God who does remember. Maybe there are other books. Does God need books? I don't know. I don't think He does, but He does it anyway. Maybe it's good for us to think of it this way. Maybe it's a visual thing for us. So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and those who meditate on His name. God remembers. Zachariah means remembered by God. Brethren, if you've not gotten the affirmative prayer you've been looking for, just please remember that God, our Father, loves you, and He remembers. He sees your needs. He sees your trials. Lesson 3. God is loving and gracious.

God gave Zachariah and Elizabeth the Son, whose name meant God is a gracious giver. Throughout John's life, as he went through life and he thought about the name of his father, the name of his mother, as he thought about his own name, it reminded him that to two very old people who were way out of the time when they should have been having children, that his name means God is a gracious giver. The term gracious as applied to God brings in the ideas of tenderness, gentleness, considerateness, and dealing with those who are frail and weak. Zachariah and Elizabeth were frail and weak. God was tender toward them, gentle toward them, considerate toward them, and God gave them a son. Psalm 112.

Psalm 112.

Psalm 112 and verse 4. Under the upright there arises light in the darkness. He is gracious and full of compassion and righteousness. Think about Zachariah and Elizabeth when you look at this verse. Unto the upright, to Zachariah, to Elizabeth, there arises light in the darkness. As they had to endure year after year after year after decade of people perhaps accusing them of things, now there is light in that darkness. They've got their little boy, John, the gracious God. God is a gracious giver. And we see there in the end of verse 4, He is gracious and full of compassion and righteousness. Lesson 4.

Lesson 4, God answers our prayers exceedingly above what we may expect.

God answers our prayers exceedingly above what we may expect. Let's go back to Luke 1. Luke 1. Let's drop down to verse 14.

Luke 1.14. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. Talking about John's birth. Joy and gladness will come to Zachariah and Elizabeth. And many people will rejoice at John's birth. No longer will they be the subject of gossip, but now they're going to be the subject of rejoicing.

God is changing the narrative here. Verse 15.

Wow! Truly something to think on, to be encouraged and inspired by. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. Not the sight of men, but the sight of the Lord. How much more can you ask for?

Toward the end of verse 15, he will also be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb.

You know, when God answers a prayer, he answers a prayer, doesn't he?

The Holy Spirit given to him from the time of birth. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. So this is going to be a great man, not just some little guy that no one's ever going to hear from. This is going to be a great man before God. Verse 17. He will also go before him in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn their hearts of the fathers to the children. And a disobedience to the wisdom of the just to make ready people prepared for the Lord.

So he's got a great commission before the great God. A special mission from God, designed especially for him.

Now, with all that in mind, let's keep our marker here. We'll come back. Let's go over to Ephesians 3.

And we see how this is fulfilled in this section. Ephesians 3 and verse 20.

Ephesians 3, 20. Ephesians 3, 20. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus, to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Verse 20 is something that Zachariah and Elizabeth could really relate to. To him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Certainly that was true in the birth of John, John the Baptist, according to the power that works in us.

Fifth lesson to be learned.

Be careful how you receive your long-awaited answer.

Be careful how you receive your long-awaited answer.

Luke 1, verse 18. And Zachariah said to the angel, How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in the years. Basically, Zachariah said, Hey, look at me! Look at my wife! We're not kids anymore!

And the angel answered and said to him, I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God, who was sent to speak to you and bring these lad tidings. And he said to him, I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God, who was sent to speak to you and bring these lad tidings. Zachariah knew exactly who Gabriel was. The people of this age were very biblically literate.

When you were a priest, the temple complex not only had the temple, but also had a community building, much like this. And especially the kids who were going to be in the priesthood, before they were 12 years old, they had memorized the first five books of the Bible. All the words, by heart!

The first five books. My grandfather, who went to Moody Bible Institute, was able to quote almost every word of the book of John. Remember, he used to sit us grandkids down and start going through John 1-1, and I thought, how does that guy do that? That's all I could do to remember my address. But, no, the first five books, and of course, after they were older, by the time they were 18, they were supposed to know a whole lot more of the Scriptures word for word. So Zacharias knew exactly who Gabriel was. But notice here now an interesting thought in Luke 1-20. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which were fulfilled in their own time. So all these prayers, and now when the fruit is coming, he's a doubter to some degree. And Gabriel says, you know what? We appreciate all those prayers of faith, but we've got to teach you a little something here. We drop down to verse 62. So they made signs to the Father what He would have called Him. So they're making signs to Zacharias. So the idea here when He was told in verse 20, He would be mute, that word can also mean not only unable to speak, but unable to hear.

I'd like to quote now from Expositor's Bible commentary in this section of Scripture. Zacharias' question in verse 18 seems innocent, but verse 20 reveals that it was asked in doubt. In contrast, Mary's question, how can this be? Let's take a look at verse 34, chapter 1 here. Then Mary said to the angel, how can this be, since I do not know a man? Mary's question, how can this be, arose from faith. Notice verse 45. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be abundant, there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord. So Mary was simply asking, how is this going to happen? Whereas Zacharias was having a problem with faith. Mary simply, again quoting back from Expositor's, Mary simply inquired as to the way God would work things out. Zacharias questioned the truth of the revelation. So again, brethren, be careful. When those prayers are answered, or when the time comes for your prayer to be answered.

Take a look at Lamentations.

You know we're really getting into Lamentations.

Okay.

I'll get there one of these years.

Lamentations 3, 25, and 26. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

So at the very end of things, let's not mess up as God is answering that prayer of ours. Last lesson I want to cover with you today, the sixth lesson, and that is God's faithful people are vindicated. God's faithful people are vindicated. Going back to Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1 verses 24 and 25.

Now after those days, His wife Elizabeth conceived, and she hid herself five months, saying, Thus the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked on me to take away my reproach among people. She knew people's tongues had been wagging, but she knew now that she had a little boy, that things had changed. God's faithful people are vindicated. And there are plenty of other scriptures we can look at and turn to along those lines. I'd like to re-quote to Jeremiah chapter 51 verse 10. Jeremiah 51 verse 10. This is in the Holman Christian Standard Bible. The Holman Christian Standard Bible. Jeremiah 51 verse 10. The Lord has brought about our vindication. Come, let us tell in Zion what the Lord our God has accomplished.

The Lord has brought about our vindication. Come, let us tell in Zion what the Lord has accomplished.

So, brethren, today we've taken a look at Luke chapter 1. We've taken a look at the various things that we're going through. An older priest who, for decades, he and his wife have been asking for a son. The prayer at that point, as I made mention, was not a yes. At that point was not a no. But there is a point, brethren, where God says, for some of our prayers, not now. We've taken a look at a number of lessons that we've learned here in Luke chapter 1. Just to quickly reiterate, lesson 1. God's view of time is not our view of time.

Zachariah and Elizabeth had to wait for decades for that prayer to come through the way they wanted it to.

Lesson number 2. God doesn't forget. He hears our prayers. He will answer yes, no, or not now. Lesson 3. God is loving and gracious. Zachariah, whose name was God Remembers, was given a son. God is a gracious giver. Lesson 4. God answers our prayers exceedingly above what we may have expected.

Zachariah and Elizabeth could have had just a regular priestly son that would have been lost to memory, to history, but know their son was John the Baptist. Or, as Scott actually likes to say, John the Baptizer. Because he definitely was not a Baptist.

Lesson 5. Be careful how you receive your long-awaited answer. And Lesson 6. God's faithful people are vindicated. Again, brethren, the reason I gave this sermon today is I know many of you are hurting. Many of you are hurting from long standing. But don't think you're not being heard. Don't think you're not being loved. The answer for you may simply be, not now.