God Moves First, You Decide What Comes Next | Chad Veach

0:00 Hey, what's going on, everybody? Thank you so much for listening to this week's message from Zoe Church. We are starting a brand new series today. We're studying the book of Luke. Go in your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse number one, and we'll begin in just a moment. But I want to say thank you to every person that gives to and through Zoe. If you'd like to give your tithe or your offering today to help us get the message of Jesus out around the world, go to our website and you can give give there. But let's jump into week one of our new series, The Jesus Road. All right, Luke chapter one. Clap for this amazing worship team doing a great job today. Luke chapter one, go there in your Bible. Luke chapter one, we are studying the book of Luke. We're going to start in verse number one. We're marching through the whole book. And I'm going to give you six truths out of chapters one and two. Six truths out of the first two chapters of the book of Luke.

0:58 And let's start in verse number one.

1:28 you most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. I want to preach in first, in the first week of this series, I want to preach a message right down the title. It's called God Moves First, You Decide What Comes Next. But if you didn't know this about God. God is the ultimate initiator. In fact, our role as believers is simply to respond to God because God is the God of initiation. In fact, the Bible says before we ever loved God, God first loved us. And so whatever you decide to do next will determine the outcome. But just a heads up, God is the initiator. And I like that because you and I, we got to respond all the time. Somebody texts you, you got to think, am I going to respond to this?

2:26 You ever get a text, you're like, this requires way too much thought and attention. I'm going to get back to this, but you ain't never get back to this. But we respond all the time. We respond when someone's offending us. We respond when someone is pursuing us. We respond to outcomes of games. We are responders. God is the initiator. And I love how Dr. Luke starts. Luke says, I know there's been some eyewitnesses. I know there's been some accounts. So I did some careful investigation because I want your faith to have a foundation. Write down number one today. First truth. I love this about God. God gives a foundation for our faith. I love it this way. If you've got God's word under your feet, you've got something strong to stand on. Come on, South Bay, join with us today. Clap and thank God for the word of God.

3:25 What did Jesus say? He said, that man that built his house on the sand, when the rain comes in and the wind starts to howl and that storm blows through, he'll get washed out into the sea. but the man that builds his house on the what? The rock, the word. See, faith requires a foundation. And Luke said, I want you to be able to have a faith, a faith that can stand in adversity, a faith that can stand amongst a shifting culture, a faith that can stand in the midst of sickness or the midst of poverty. Your faith needs a foundation. So Luke said, I interviewed all of the witnesses. I talked to everybody. I wrote down carefully the account of those that were there, the account of those that experienced things, because I want to put together, after careful examination, a whole body of work for your faith to stand strong.

4:20 In other words, this is the first Netflix documentary. I just like that he's talking about investigation because here in the church, we got a lot of social media investigators. Someone's like, how did you know? People are watching, where are they at? And who are they with? And are they still together? Doesn't look like they're together. Well, how do you know? Well, they haven't posted about each other in two weeks. I've done my investigation. I love Luke. Luke said, I did careful examination. I did interviews with all of the witnesses. Here are the conclusions of what I've drawn. Here are the things that I have discovered. I put together a whole body of work for you to stand strong on the foundation of faith. The first time I ever heard this scripture in 1999, I had a buddy, he was my buddy, that he married my little sister.

5:19 Fast way to ruin her friendship. and he was leading worship. He got invited to lead worship at the National Christian Journalist Convention, and I went with him because he got a free room at the embassy suites, and I knew that if we stayed there, we'd get a free breakfast, so I went with him, and while he was leading worship, he stopped, and he read this scripture, and he said, you journalists are like Luke. You do investigation. You want the truth. I'm thankful today that Luke might have written it for Theophilus, but at the end of the day, he wrote it for us, that you and I can have a foundation for our faith. Come on, clap louder if you're standing on the word of God today. So after he tells us why he did it, he begins to go through the accounts of what happened. And the first person he teaches us about is a man named Zachariah.

6:21 Zachariah is John the Baptist's father. An angel of the Lord appears to John the Baptist's dad, Zachariah, and watch what he says. He says, but the angel said to him, do not be afraid, Zachariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to call him John. By the way, just shout out real fast. It's great to have him in church with me. I have to acknowledge him. John Wilds is here in the service. Led worship at Zoe Conference, dear friend of ours. One of my favorite worship leaders in the whole world. Come on, Zoe, give honor where honor is due. It's an honor to have you here today. Love you so much.

6:58 You are to call him John, not Wilds. he will be a joy and a delight to you and many will rejoice because of his birth for he will be great in the sight of the lord he is never to take wine or other fermented or energy drinks and he will be filled with the holy spirit even before he is born he will bring back many of the people of israel to the lord their god and he will go on before the lord in the spirit and the power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Zachariah asked the angel, how can I be sure of this? I'm an old man and my wife is well along in years. Write down point number two today. Doubting doesn't cancel God's decision. I just love this about God because Zachariah hears this amazing word from the angel. Your son, don't let him have a drink of wine. He's going to operate in the spirit of Elijah. He's going to turn many back to God. He's going to prepare the way of the Lord.

8:05 You would have thought Zachariah would be like, yes, PTL. He goes, how? no it sounds cool but like how isn't it amazing that so many of us god will speak to us and tell us he's going to do something and our first response is how well so how no i'm not saying it didn't sound good all that stuff sounds good but just like how some of us in order for us to obey god we need an itemized printed out list of all the things that God's about to do. But I don't know about you, I wanna trust in God. I wanna have faith in God. I wanna have obedience in God. And I'm thankful that in the times of doubt, God never treats doubters like haters. If you struggle with doubt, I serve the God that draws you close.

9:01 I serve the God that will challenge you and encourage you. In fact, he says to Zachariah right after this, I'll tell you how. And then he says, from this point forward, you will not speak another word until the child is born. What he's trying to say to Zachariah is, trust me, I'll give you signs along the way that if you don't trust in me, that you will eventually trust in me. If you're dealing with doubt, I'm gonna show up and encourage. I'm gonna show up and challenge. I'm gonna show up and reveal my power. I'm gonna show up and reveal my glory. There's a guy in the Bible who struggled with doubt so much it became his nickname.

9:39 Doubting Thomas. In Spanish, Tomas. and what did Jesus do Jesus reveals himself to Thomas and he says touch touch my hands look at my feet he doesn't say oh you're a doubter you doubt in me I just love that doubt doesn't mean that God changes his mind it doesn't cancel God's plan for your life it doesn't cancel God's decision he's made to do in you and through you come on everybody thank the Lord today if you're grateful that even when you're struggling with doubt God is not put off God is not intimidated God is not afraid of your doubt God can handle your questions God can handle your fears God can come close to you and show you his hands and his feet and show you his power even if God's got to shut your mouth for the next nine months God will do whatever he has to do so you believe in his glory and you believe in his power. Somebody say amen.

10:41 So Zachariah says, how? And God closes his mouth for nine months. I wish I had this ability to close my kid's mouth like this. Just until we get to where we're going. and so Zachariah, his reply to the angel was, how? And maybe you're struggling with doubt today. Don't worry, God is not intimidated or put off by your doubts. He's a God full of answers, and he's a God full of mercy, and the law of opposite takes place in the next story. The next story goes from Zachariah, John the Baptist's father to Mother Mary, and if you have never been to church, Mary is a teenager, she's a virgin, and she's about to be married to Joseph. And when the angel shows up to Mary, the angel says, we've put the Messiah inside of you.

11:38 Watch the difference in Mary's response between Zacharias and hers, verse 34. How will this be, Mary asked. The angel said, asked the angel, since I am a virgin. And the angel answered, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. so the holy one to be born will be called the son of God. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. I wanna pause right there. She who is besaid that she's unable to conceive. I wanna tell you today that I believe that God can get any couple pregnant because he has the power to give. Children are a gift from the Lord. Come on, clap if you believe it today. That what is impossible for man, y'all better get some faith today. What's impossible for man is possible for God.

12:35 And they said it was impossible for your relative Elizabeth. She's about to have a child. And she's in her six months. For no word from God will ever fail. Listen to Mary. I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled. Write down number three. You can say yes to God's plan without understanding it.

13:01 Mary didn't have the attitude of Zachariah. Zachariah said, how? Mary said, Oh, whoa. How? I've never been with a man.

13:23 We're planning on Pinterest our wedding. We were going to go to Cabo San Lucas. He's going to be so upset when I tell him. but nevertheless let your will be done in your servant. See you don't got to understand God's plan to obey God's plan. You don't got to understand what God's asking you to do. Sometimes God's going to ask you to step out in faith. Sometimes God's going to ask you to walk on water. Sometimes God's going to ask you to walk around the walls of Jericho. Sometimes God's going to ask you to face a Goliath. Sometimes God's going to ask you to give his fish and to give your bread, but you don't have to understand it to obey it. All you got to do is walk by faith and not by sight. Is there anybody at Zoe Church that's willing to trust in the Lord with all your heart? Lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your past.

14:19 Somebody clap and give him praise if you believe he's worthy of your trust. So many of us walk by fear because it doesn't make sense. You don't serve the God of the natural. You serve the God of the supernatural. And if you never walk in faith and trust God at his word, you'll never see the blessing on the other side. And I just love Mary. Mary's like, this is crazy. I'm a teenager. okay I'll never forget when God spoke to Pastor Julie and I to move from Seattle to LA we had two kids Winston was not even one years old and the Lord told us I want you to move to LA to start a church there was no promise attached he did not say if you move to LA I will do X, Y or Z He just said, go.

15:24 We didn't know what was on the other side. We just knew he's trustworthy. I just know he's never led me down the wrong path. And I believe if it's his will, it's his bill. If he called me to it, he's going to see me through it. Anybody believe in the character and the nature of a God that has been good time and time again? Come on, South Bay, join us and give God a praise. there in your living room clapping. Thank God. I don't have to understand it to obey it because you've already been worthy and trustworthy every time again. Mary said, oh, that doesn't make sense and my parents are going to kill me and Joe might break up with me, but what other option do I have to walk out in my own strength and walk out in my own understanding and walk out in my own knowledge or to trust in the Lord with what he's called me to do. And I want to tell you, I obey God because I trust God. And I trust God because of all the things he's done in the past. He has earned equity with me because he's never left me alone. He's never left my children begging for bread.

16:32 He's never forsaken me. He's been there for me in every season. God is my provider. God is my healer. God is the source and the strength of my life. His banner over me is love. Clap louder if God's been good to you and he's been faithful all the days of your life. Some of us, some of us, the Lord would literally have to sit down at the negotiation table and you'd have to negotiate a better rate for you to trust God.

17:01 Okay, God, well, this sounds interesting. Wow. No doubt an offer, no doubt an offer to carry the son of God. No, I'm not minimizing. It would be an honor. However, let's go through the terms real fast. So what you're saying... Mary said no this is so big and so grand and so intimidating this is beyond anything I've ever imagined in my lifetime but I have found you to be so trustworthy after this you know Mary writes a song of worship and praise

17:42 and can I just side note real fast You don't think God didn't know who he could select to carry the son of God? How you do some things is how you do all things. And you're either gaining the trust of the father or losing trust with the father. I don't know about you, but I wanna just gain, the Bible says if you're faithful with little things, our God can make you faithful with many things. He saw the worship and the character of Mary and said, I know exactly which teenager we can choose. We can choose this girl because she'll say yes and respond to the will of God. Clap if that's the equity that you want to build and the trust you want to build with the Lord today. And so she carries child for nine months, and it comes time for the baby to be born. Can I just say real fast? I just drove up from the South Bay. We had a tremendous 9 a.m. service in the South Bay.

18:37 Shout out to Jeremy and Elisa and the whole team there. Can we honor the whole team? We're only like 10 weeks old in the South Bay. and uh and i was leaving and i was watching these two there's two women in our church in their 40s that their due date is this week to have their first children miracles and I was walking out and I got to hug one of the couples and they said is the last time we get to see you pastor before we have our first baby and I just thought man I know the backstory of all this I know what the the faith and the patience that has required to get here today and I just want to say if you're waiting on God keep waiting don't force stuff Don't manipulate things. Don't take matters into your own hands. God has got his best stuff up his sleeve.

19:35 I believe that God's still working things out for your good in the name of Jesus. Clap for these two babies being born this week. Amen. Amen. And so the time comes for these children to be born, for Jesus to be born. And let's look now in chapter 2, verse number 6. It says, while they were there, while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. And she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them. I like that. She wrapped him in cloths. These two kids being born this week are going to be wrapped in cloths and placed in a hospital. Jesus was placed in a manger because there was just no room available for them. write down this next point. Unlikely is God's most likely.

20:29 This is just how he moves. If it's unlikely, in God's kingdom, it's most likely. And it's like, Joe and Mary having the Messiah in a barn with all the sheep, man? Like what? he was not born like five-star hotel. He was not born 90210. He was not born to the most prestigious and elite family. He was born in a manger. Because if it's unlikely, when it comes to God, it's most likely. Like, hold on, you're telling me this other kid named Joseph who was sold in slavery by his brothers and is now in prison is supposed to be the deliverer of all of Israel.

21:24 Hold on, you're telling me that this kid who's a Hebrew boy who murdered somebody who has a stuttering issue is supposed to be the one that confronts Pharaoh and leads us out of slavery? Come on, man. Hold on, you're supposed to tell me that if we walk around these walls seven times and we lift up a trumpet that the wall, come on, I'm just telling you, if it's unlikely, when it comes to God, it's most likely. You don't gotta be from the right neighborhood. You don't gotta be from the right family. You don't got to be the most talented. You don't got to be the most gifted. You don't have to have the most amount of money. All you got to do is say yes. Here am I, your servant. And God will do a supernatural. Give him a praise today if you believe it. he does his best stuff in the most unlikely of places. He does his best stuff in the most unlikely of people. How can a revival break out in Highland Park?

22:19 How can a revival break out in Torrance? Torrance all over the news today for the wrong thing. How about knowing that we got some church going on and some people getting baptized and some people getting saved in the same place that the world's putting a spotlight for evil in the midst of darkness is light. Somebody praise him today. Like God will do something immeasurably more beyond you can ask, think, or imagine.

22:44 If it's unlikely, it's God's best work. Why does he do stuff in mangers? Why does he do stuff in barns? Why does he do stuff on the, they said, what good can come out of Nazareth? You know what Nazareth was in our day? Rancho Cucamonga. What good could come out of Rancho? My answer is nothing. Palmdale you want me to keep going? Pomona. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

23:22 You guys are the best. if it's unlikely when it comes to God it's most likely every time I've watched God use somebody it's never been because of their their prowess their gifting it's never been because they are the elite chosen one it's because they have a spirit like Mary that says be it done according to your servant he's not looking for capability he's looking for availability and he just chooses is the most unlikely. And people say, hold on, you serve at church? I remember when you, okay, that's enough. I do too. Try to forget every day. because if it's unlikely, when it comes to God, it's most likely, and you're like, I'm not from the right family.

24:18 I'm sorry, when you said yes to Jesus, every generational curse that was in your family before you has been canceled by the blood of Jesus, and you are now royalty. The Bible says you are now the head and not the tail. You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. You're a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a marvelous light called by God to declare the good things of God. And if it's unlikely, I'm just telling you how God works. It's probably gonna be God. God's gonna allow us to buy a building in Highland Park. Look like salmon. What are you going to do out in Highland Park? I don't know. We just felt like God gave us this building.

25:09 We're going to buy it. And I declare in Jesus' name, it will be debt free. All the way out in Highland Park. Yeah, Highland Park. If Jenny's ice cream can come, we can come. it's just how the kingdom of God operates right down the next one you can resist or you can marvel so Jesus is born and they start you know operating with Jesus and they just you know they they got the stroller and in in the in the pack and they're just taking the son of God everywhere like it's nothing and so one day they go to church and this old man walks up to him Simeon and Simeon just goes crazy. And he's like, oh, I can die now. Because I seen, I seen the promised one. And this old man, Simeon, just marveling, like, oh, the guy. And then if that wasn't freaky enough, a lady named Anna comes, does the same thing. Watch what Anna says when she sees him. Verse 36, there was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Peniel, from the tribe of Asher. She was very old.

26:15 She had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When it comes to Jesus, you got two options. You can resist him or you can marvel at him. and my question to you today is do you resist the words of Jesus do you resist the ways of Jesus do you resist the life of Jesus or do you marvel at his beauty do you gaze upon his eyes do you look upon his splendor do you behold all the power and the glory of the come on clap if you believe it today I marvel at the Lord our God and I pray that Zoe would be a church that does not resist our Savior, we marvel at our Savior. That when we come to church, we marvel at His grace.

27:16 We marvel at His presence. We marvel at His words. I don't know if you're someone that marvels at diamonds and marvels at cars and marvels at celebrity and marvels at creation. That's great. But around here, we marvel at Jesus. We are in awe of God. And you got to be careful at what you marvel at. Be careful at what makes you go, wow. because Jesus deserves our greatest marvel. How beautiful is our God. How magnificent and radiant and glorious is Jesus. And when Simeon and Anna saw him, they said, I don't care what y'all parents, you know, they're like grandparents. You know, grandparents can do whatever they want.

28:10 They're not in their 30s. This lady's 84 years old, and she came up to these parents, and she grabbed that boy, and she marveled. She said, I can die now. I have seen the salvation of the Lord. I have seen the redemption of Israel. And she marveled at this child that was in her arms. May you never grow so desensitized. May you never grow so familiar. May you never become so religious that you've got Jesus amongst you and it's whatever. Nothing will kill your love for God like indifference. Yeah, I seen him.

28:50 Yeah, it's cool, it's cool. But, you know, the Lakers are up 3-0. Okay, that's not the time to clap, pal. Okay, like read the room. You can do it like... Signs that we're in LA when that still makes you clap. It's good, Pastor, but also... here's the last one worship team you come join me this is my i say i say my favorite verse for last my favorite part for last and i've been i've been chewing on and thinking about this last verse we're going to read today for many many years it's one of my favorite truths about jesus and so simeon goes nuts anna goes nuts and now they're raising jesus and they're feeding Jesus.

29:48 He's growing up and we don't see him again until he's 12. and I've always loved this because I've always read this as, if Jesus could be like this at 12, so could our youth. and so when they find Jesus, long story short, their parents have to travel to go to a census, and they come into the town, and they take their part of the census, and then after that's fulfilled, they leave town, and when they leave town, they've been traveling, and Joe looks at Mary one day and says, have you seen our son,

30:24 and Mary's like, thought you had him, and Joe's like, don't play around, I told you, you had him. And Mary's getting upset. She's like, Joe, enough. Where is he? And these parents have lost, this is like us in Target. they have lost God. I have hit some cold yellows in Target, but I never lost God. so they rush back into town and they're looking high and low they're looking high and low they're looking for Jesus looking for Jesus and finally they go into church to see if he's there and when they show up in church of course he's there and he's sitting down and he's doing the most beautiful thing a 12 year old could do he's listening and he's asking questions perfection is being instructed the perfect one is learning and he's sitting there listening to the word of god and asking questions about the learning god and his mom and dad run in they said jesus where you been why you do this to us and Jesus says the seven words that changed the world forever he says what didn't you know I had to be here of course you should have come looking for me in the house of God and the seven words he says changes the world forever because he says I must be about my father's business and if that was the I must of Jesus at 12 I want to prophesy over Zoe youth That's our young people's mandate.

32:22 I must be about my fathers. Come on, clap louder. South Bay, clap with us. I must. I'm about this thing. If Jesus was about it at 12, I pray over our children, they'll be about it at 12. And it says, Jesus was, read 52, Luke 2, 52. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and in favor with man. He grew. See, God's plan is growth. Just if you wonder what God's plan is for your life, God's plan is growth. He grew his son and he wants to grow your life. God wants you to grow. In fact, write down the last point today. If you keep showing up, you're going to keep growing up. But a lot of us wonder why we're not growing. It's because you come too infrequently. You read the Bible too infrequently. You pray too infrequently. If you want to keep growing up, you got to keep showing up. And notice the posture of Jesus when he did get there.

33:15 When Jesus got there, he didn't go. October of 2018, I started a podcast called Leadership Lean In. And it was all based upon this truth that if you lean into God's word, and if you lean into God's way, and if you lean into wisdom, God's truth and God's way and God's kingdom will lean into you. Jesus wasn't leaning back to go, I know everything. He was leaning in with a teachable spirit to say, God, open up my ears so I can hear marvelous things from your word. Open up my eyes so I can get insight, revelation, knowledge, and understanding. I want to know God. I'm just praying over our church that we will not be a church that kicks back and goes, yeah, another Sunday, another worship set, another baptism. But when you, it's not that you show up, it's how you show up. That when we show up, we come to worship and extol and marvel at our King. And we've come to open up his word to say, speak for thy servant is listening. I want, I'm not just putting my face in the place.

34:23 I'm putting my faith in the place. And I want to grow in wisdom. I want to grow in stature. Anybody by show of hands, you'd like to have more favor. If you need more favor, lift up your hand right now. Father, I pray over every person with their hand up right now. I speak the favor of God, the favor of God to be upon businesses, the favor of God to be upon households, the favor of God to be on children right now. Lift your hand higher. God, I speak and I prophesy that we'll grow. I thank you that growth is your plan. Growth is your desire. Growth is how the kingdom works. And if Jesus was about the Father's business, we wanna be about the Father's business. And so we're praying on a day like today. We know that you initiate, but we'll respond. We respond in worship. We respond in trust. We respond in grace today. in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. Again, thank you so much for listening to today's message. We pray it brought you great strength and great encouragement. So excited to study this book together. We'll see you back next week. Make sure you read Luke chapter three and Luke chapter four before we dive back into the word next week. We'll see you next Sunday.