 Amen, amen. Turn with me to Luke. Our time is going and we're just going to shortly share from the story of where it all began. If you open with me to Luke chapter 1 verse 6. Let's read together. There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea a certain priest named Zacharias of the division of Abidia. His wife was of the daughter of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth and they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandments and ordinance of the Lord blamelessly. Verse 7. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and they were both well advanced in years. Verse 8. So it was that while he was serving as a priest before God in the order of his division and verse 13. But the angel said to him do not be afraid Zacharias for your prayer is heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall call his name John. Today we're celebrating Christmas and we're celebrating the birth of Christ and the birth of Christ means so much to us as Christians because it's a birth of hope. It's a birth for us of a bright future of another chance for us. Birth of Christ means something great. The birth of Christ is a birth of Savior because without a Savior we were all condemned to eternity without God. Birth of Christ means for us is that we are reconciled with heaven and we have eternity with him and doesn't matter how we live how what kind of quality of life we have here on earth whether we live in poverty or whether we live in wealth whether we live in pain in our body and suffer or whether we live in health we know one thing because Jesus Christ was born and now he's born in our hearts we have heaven where we're going where there's no pain no suffering where there's streets made of gold we have a Savior. Savior was born unto us and this is the news that the angels declared unto the unto the shepherds that were shepherd in the sheep the Savior is born to the world when Jesus was born the Redeemer was born anything in your life that's been lost anything in your life that's been broken anything in your life that's got damaged we have a good news today because Redeemer is born Job said when he lost everything in his life he said my Redeemer lives and you know one thing about Job and his story is that everything got restored and everything got redeemed and he got twice as much as he had before when we're celebrating Christ being born we're celebrating Redeemer is born anything in our life that's been lost that's been broken everything has been torn apart Christ can redeem it in Jesus mighty name when we're celebrating Jesus Christ's birth we're celebrating the birth of a healer anything that's in our body that's malfunctioning any kind of pain and sickness we are celebrating the birth of a healer in our lives and a birth as well of a deliverer anything that we're suffering with today anything any torment or experience in our life we have a promise that the deliverer was born and today we can be free in Jesus mighty name amen church let's put our hands together for Jesus Christ in this place when angel we just read the story when angel came to Zacharias he told Zacharias a good news he told Zacharias that Zacharias what you've been praying for for all these years what you've been what you've been waiting for God heard your prayer but I want you I want you to see something Zacharias has a problem Zacharias doesn't have a child Zacharias is an honorable priest he's well known he's respected he's doing well all his life is is is fairly put together but there's one area in his life that's plagued there's one area in his life that's barren and he doesn't have a child and if we look in the history and even even now in in those parts of the world in that in that part of the world Arab countries in that culture we know one thing is not to have a child is very shameful it's a very great reproach and while he had everything well in his life there was one area that was causing him trouble there was one area in his life there is one prayer that was not answered for many years but I want you to notice one thing about Zacharias that we read in verse 6 that he still served God and served people in your life doesn't matter what you go through point number one do not stop serving God and never stop serving people never stop never never stop serving God because something you prayed for for so long did not get answered do not stop believing God because something you prayed for did not come to pass we see Zacharias being a man of God praying for other people ministering for other people and most likely seeing his prayers answered and seeing other people being blessed by him yet in his own life there's a problem yet in his own life there's a prayer that's not answered but that does not stop Zacharias from serving God that does not stop Zacharias from throwing in a towel and say you know what I tried God and he did not help me he did not answer my need serve God not because of something new that you're gonna get from him serve God for what he's already done for you and what he's already done is enough and even if God is not gonna do anything more than what he's already done and what he's done for you he saved you he redeemed you he gave you an eternal hope he sealed you with the Holy Spirit and you have heaven as your home you're going that doesn't matter like we talked about doesn't matter what you're gonna go through in this life you are sealed by the Holy Spirit your salvation is secure in heaven you will suffer no more you will live a satisfied life you will be whole serve God for what he's already done for you in Jesus name Bible says all things work together for good for those that love him it will all work out in another in another scripture in the Bible says that I have not seen righteous forsaken nor his children begging for bread when you commit your life to serving God God will come through second the second part of it is as a priest Zacharias who one of his duties was to serve God the other part of that duty was to serve people because as a priest his responsibility was to bring especially in this in in this scripture he he he came to him as a chance to go in and to bring atonement on behalf of the nation of Israel so that God will forgive their sins we see that despite of the fact that he has an he has a problem in his life he has a reproach in his life he has an area of his life that's suffering that doesn't stop Zachariah serving people that doesn't stop Zachariah reaching out to people that doesn't stop Zachariah to praying to God for other people's needs to be answered while he has something in his life while he has a need that hasn't been answered I encourage you today let's learn from this story let's serve God not based on what something we want him to do for us but let's serve God because he loved us and we love him back in return and no matter what he is what he will do or not do in our life we're gonna stand like a joke we say I don't know what happened I don't know what's going on in my life I know one thing God is faithful I know he saved me he redeemed me I know my salvation is secure I'm going to heaven and whether he answers this prayer or not I'm gonna serve him whether he heals me or not he's my healer whether he redeems me or not he's my redeemer whether he saves me or not he's still my savior and that's the declaration of faith that will bring us to the Christmas miracle that we're gonna see I know you know I know this I know this firsthand you know I already shared the story multiple times but just gonna quickly remind where in our family my dad our pastor back back even back in Russia when he was a missionary he opened his home to help those people that are recovering from from drugs or those that were addicted to drugs praying for them and letting them live in our house letting them recover in the meantime so then they can go back into the society as a full functioning people and many times a pastor my dad he would bring them in our house I mean they would steal from our house they were clean our house clean because they need to get a fix because they were going through their to their withdrawals and things of that sort and he kept ministering and ministering and ministering to them and keep giving that little money that we have to support them and and years went on by serving people like that and here's something that happened 15 years down the road one of his own sons and you guys know him David he's he's here among he got strength and drugs he started using drugs and he started using heavy drugs and the time came where you know he was honestly a hopeless situation but even in that situation those of you that were around for five years ago even during those times he was continuing to serve he continued to speak he continued to pray for other people he continued to minister and as he was doing that it was difficult it was hard God came through God used another man of God from completely other continent to pray for David to bring him into his own house to spend a year with him to help him recover let's use that word help him recover get him on his feet and release him back into the family as a full functioning man a person of the society and today if you look at him if you meet him you'll never know that he was ever he ever used drugs or he was he was ever doing those kind of things when you serve God like Zachariah when you trust God when you minister to God even despite the fact that you still have maybe struggles in your finances maybe your kids still misbehaving maybe your marriage is still not not where it should be but you say you know what despite of my shortcomings despite of things that don't work out in my life I'm still gonna love on people I'm still gonna care for them I'm gonna pray for them and I'm gonna love God with all my heart and you will see how God will come through there's the same he says hose that water waters others never never never dry itself if you water other people if you pray for other people you'll be like the channel you'll be like the hose that God will send blessings into other people's lives you will never be dry yourself something will be dripping into your backyard something will stay something will be remained you will be always refreshed and renewed like the psalm one says the righteous that's planted by the waters and it always bears fruit in its season love God love people serve God serve people and your miracle is surely on its way put your hands together for Jesus Christ point number two don't give up praying verse verse number 13 verse 13 says do not be afraid Zechariah is for your prayer is heard don't notice that it's not it's not talking is in the past tense that your prayers were hurt meaning he prayed the prayers he already gave up forgot about them because he's an old age he even doubted himself so I don't know what he was praying because sometimes sometimes you know how it is you praying God for an answer but sometimes when an answer comes you doubt yourself God is it really you but we see one thing about about Zechariah's even the fact that he was an old age and the bearing age of her of his wife was already has passed he still kept praying for a child that's a radical faith that's a faith that believes that God can do impossible do not give up praying maybe it's your children maybe it's your spouse maybe it's your parents maybe it's it's your financial situation it's been for this like this for a very long time you're already tired of it it's weighing you down maybe whatever it is do not stop praying every prayer we pray is being collected in heaven and in the due time it will be poured out into your life with an answer the beautiful part about it this is that it's not going to be an average child it's not going to be an average answer it's going to be a special answer it's going to be an answer much bigger and greater than you even participate in the parade they were praying for a child but they got a prophet and Jesus said the greatest prophet when you pray for a miracle even if it's delayed even if it takes time continue to pray continue to stand in faith because God hears your prayer and he will answer it and the longer it takes the greater the miracle it is the lower the valley the higher the mountain trust God in the midst of your situation trust God with the things that maybe cause a new pain cause a new reproach trust God with those areas that you know you feel like things are okay in my life but if only just if only just this would be fixed that'd be awesome it'd be great it'd be awesome things would be good in my life trust God with those areas God will come through say don't give up praying in Philippians chapter 4 verse 6 says don't be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests unto God present everything to God bring to God the things that weigh in you down don't be anxious about them don't stress about them don't worry to somebody said if you can change it change it don't worry about it if you can't change it don't worry about it either because you can't change it bring it to God don't let your heart be weighed down by anxiety and worries don't be don't let your heart be weighed down by the things that you can't change trust in God because God is the one they can change in Jeremiah my 33 and 3 says call unto me and I'll answer you and I'll show you great and mighty things which you did not know never give up praying it's never too late it's never too late and point number three do not abort your miracle with your negative confession and I angel of God comes to Zechariah says Zechariah I've heard your prayer God heard your prayer I'm here before I stand before God and I bring you this news your prayer is answered you'll get a son and then it's almost like he finds himself in a shock and he's in Zechariah's like well yes I've been praying for it but okay God how's it gonna happen and so before he could go on and that is miracle even further and begin to speak negative things and begin to start destroying his own miracle with his own mouth angel said nope you're done talking until the miracle comes but in the same sense in the same in the same kind of situation in the verse in the verse which verse I believe it's chapter 2 angel of God comes to Mary and says exactly same thing the impossible situation you accept that you will bear a son without a knowing a man it's gonna be from the Holy Spirit and it's crazy it's like how's it gonna happen but Mary doesn't start saying to the angel how's it gonna happen what's going on I mean how's it even possible she says let it be according to your word and we see the angel didn't have to mute Mary and then Mary comes to Elizabeth and Elizabeth says you're blessed above all women but Zechariah had to suffer for a bit so that he would not ruin his miracle don't destroy the miracle with you with with your negative confession speak positive things speak life declare God's word over your situation if you cannot speak something speak the promise of God or don't speak nothing at all God created his world with his mouth you create your world with your mouth I want to leave you with this is that do not destroy the miracle that's on the way sometimes it takes time sometimes it takes years to be honest and God through those years he develops a perseverance within us he develops he develops a character within us he show and then he shows us that he is faithful but in the in this process of being purified it being molded in this process of being of being challenged in this process of of where a character is being pruned in this process of waiting don't abort your miracle don't say well I always knew it's not gonna happen why you know why I was I why I was I even hoping that the situation is gonna change she's never gonna love me back he's never gonna come back to me he's never gonna come and take care of our family kids are never gonna come back and kids are never gonna behave properly oh this business never gonna take off the ground do not abort your miracle your miracle is on its way if because Jesus is born there's hope because Jesus was born there's redemption because Jesus is born there's healing there's deliverance there's all God's breakthroughs available for us and they're on its way continue to stand in faith continue to pray continue to trust God God is gonna bring you that Christmas miracle in Jesus mighty name did you receive some