Watch What You Say (339) – February 28 2026

The power of your tongue can never be underestimated. The mouth of Zachariah was shut by the angel Gabriel, because his heart was in doubt. Gabriel needed to prevent Zachariah from speaking doubt over the subject of the angel’s message about the baby that was to be born by Zachariah and Elizabeth - John the Baptist. This, compared to the response given by Mary, Mother of Jesus, to a similar message, this time about the The Immaculate Conception of Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, about The Virgin Birth of Jesus, given by the same angel.

This program covers the following Scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): Luke 1:1-65.

Transcript

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) And a good day to you, this is Pastor Marc Whelan with Touch of God. And before we begin the teaching today, let us remind ourselves of the Word of God in Matthew chapter 18 verse 20 in the Amplified Classic Version of the Bible. And Jesus says, For wherever two or three are gathered, drawn together as my followers, in into my name, there I am in the midst of them. And interestingly, in this Amplified Classic Version, the words I AM are in capital letters. Just like the Lord said in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 to Moses, I am. So today, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, and there I believe are many of you listening today, He is with us on this program because we are here, we are gathered in His name, in remembrance of Him. Amen? So Lord, we thank you for being here. Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, we welcome you to this program, that you may be heard, your voice may be heard, your heart may be heard and understood by your precious creation listening to you today. Let it be not me that's teaching, let it be your Holy Spirit using my vocal cords. So help me, Lord, with this message today from you. So we start with Luke chapter 1 today, and we're going to spend most of the time on the program in this chapter today. Luke chapter 1 in the New Testament. And this, as we know, is Luke himself writing, and it says in verse 1, Since, as is well known, many have undertaken to put in order and draw up a thorough narrative of the surely established deeds which have been accomplished and fulfilled in and among us, exactly as they were handed down to us by those who from the official beginning of Jesus' ministry were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, that is, of the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God. It seemed good and desirable to me, and so I have determined also, after having searched out diligently and followed all things closely and traced accurately the cause from the highest to the minutest detail, from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, Most Excellence Theophilus. Now first of all, let's pause here and say that Luke was a physician. He wasn't the great physician, that's Jesus, but he was a physician, and Jesus called him among the disciples to follow him, and Luke obviously obeyed and took up that request. I always find it interesting that the Lord has wanted to ask a doctor to follow him so that the doctor would find out the best way to administer healing in life, and that's by Christ's stripes and believing in the suffering, and that it's already been paid for. Also though, with a physician is very detailed, especially when it comes to surgery and other things like that. You need a surgeon, a physician, who is meticulous with detail, because you don't want to have them generalize a problem, you want them to get specific with the diagnosis. So this is why the book of Luke, the book of Acts, which Luke also is believed to have written, is good for detail. We also know that the book of Mark is very good for detail, observing in great detail as well. But today we're focusing on Luke. The last word in verse 3, Theolophilus, I've done some research and there does not appear to be 100% confirmation on who this person is or group is. There are speculations that this is a person, or it could be a word to describe Jesus' followers, but there is nothing conclusive about this, and we know that this name is mentioned in this verse, Luke 1, 3, as well as Acts 1, 1. Verse 4, My purpose is that you may know the full truth and understand with certainty and security against error the accounts, histories and doctrines of the faith of which you have been informed and in which you have been orally instructed. In the days when Herod was king of Judea, there was a certain priest whose name was Zechariah, of the daily service, the division of Abba, and his wife was also a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Verse 6, And they both were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren, and both were far advanced in years. Verse 8, Now while on duty, serving as priest before God in the order of His division, as was the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the sanctuary of the temple of the Lord and burn incense. So this verse 9 here, where it says it fell to him by lot that means it was his turn to enter the sanctuary. Verse 10, And all the throng of people were praying outside in the court at the hour of incense burning. Verse 11, And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zachariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear took possession of him. But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you must call his name John. God is favourable. That means that in the square brackets in the Amplified Classic Version it says God is favourable, which means that the name John means that. It means God is favourable. The other thing about verse 13, it says, The angel said to Zachariah, Your petition was heard. So Zachariah had been praying to the Lord for his wife to bear children, and his petition, his prayers were heard. Verse 14, And you shall have joy and exultant delight, and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord. Now he meaning John, and we know John becomes John the Baptist. This is the John of whom Luke 1 is speaking about. So for he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord, and he must drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit, even in and from his mother's womb. Verse 16, And he will turn back and cause to return many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will himself go before him. Capital H for him there. That means he's going before Jesus, the coming Messiah. And he will himself go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of the upright, which is the knowledge and holy love of the will of God, in order to make ready for the Lord a people perfectly prepared in spirit, adjusted and disposed and placed in the right moral state. Verse 18, And Zechariah said to the angel, By what shall I know of the law and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. Now the central point of today's message is focusing on what you speak and what you're speaking is coming from your heart. Out of your heart is what you speak. So where we see here in verse 18, Zechariah is responding to the angel and he says, By what shall I know and be sure of this? So if he's wanting to be sure of something, that means he's not convinced that what the angel is saying will come true. For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. Verse 19, And the angel replied to him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the very presence of God, and I have been sent to talk to you and to bring you this good news. Now behold, you will be and will continue to be silent and not able to speak till the day when these things take place, because you have not believed what I told you. But my words are of a kind which will be fulfilled in the appointed and proper time. Now this verse 20 here shows us the severity of what doubt can cause or a lack of faith in what God has said will happen. Now there are things that the Lord will say and they will happen no matter what. And there are other things, as you see here, when the Lord's will needs to be fulfilled, but there is someone speaking doubt. Proverbs chapter 18 verse 21 says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue. So God does not want to bring death or a postponement or delay, cancellation of what he wants to happen here, which is to bring about John the Baptist through the womb of Elizabeth. So the angel is aware of not just what Zechariah is saying, but what he truly believes in his heart. Because you will see in a little bit later on in this program that when Gabriel speaks a similar thing to Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary's response is quite similar. So there must have been more going on in Zechariah's heart here because we find out later that Gabriel did not shut the mouth of Mary like he did Zechariah. Nevertheless, the point remains that we have to be careful what we believe. We must read the word of God so that we must trust in the Lord with the faith that he has given us to use, to trust in him and to speak his word over situations. When we pray to him, we must believe that we have already received because we know his nature. We know that he's steadfast. We know that he's never wrong. We know that he's always trustworthy and he cares for us deeply. He cares for us. He cares for our future. He cares to carry out the plans that he has for you. So he does not want for your plans in your life to not be fulfilled. But you have a free will to say or believe what you want. And only if you are a follower of Jesus and you seek him and you believe and trust in him is there a greater likelihood that the plans that God has for your life will come about. Because if you are not saved, if you are not a follower of Jesus, if you are not a Christian, then the Lord is not going to force a plan upon your life when you do not belong to him. He would be going against your free will, which he would never violate. So what we say and then what we believe and end up saying as a result of what's in our heart is very important. We should never speak death over anything. And death doesn't always mean physical death, speaking physical death over something. It could mean just cancelling something, just doubting. You're pouring water on God's fire, trying to put it out. Let God's fire consume everything that's bad in your life. Let God's fire purify your path ahead of you. Let his fire stay a light in your heart. So in verse 20 here we see that Gabriel is responding to his heart and the angel is aware of what Zachariah believes and does not believe. And so it's so important for the Lord's will to be done here where John the Baptist needs to be born through Zachariah and Elizabeth in order for John the Baptist to become the forerunner of Jesus himself. God had specific plans for how this was to come about. So it was very important that no one got in the way with any doubt, but that everybody was just trusting in the Lord even if they did not understand how it was going to happen. Verse 21, now the people kept waiting for Zachariah and they wondered at his delaying so long in the sanctuary. Remember the people were outside in the court. They were praying and they were wondering how long is Zachariah going to be in there. They did not realize until he came out what he had been going through inside the sanctuary. Verse 22, but when he did come out he was unable to speak to them and they clearly perceived that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary and he kept making signs to them, still he remained dumb. And when his time of performing priestly functions was ended he returned to his own house. Now after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months she secluded herself entirely saying, I have hid myself because thus the Lord has dealt with me in the days when he deigned to look on me to take away my reproach among men. Now in the sixth month after that the angel Gabriel, the same angel that was mentioned before, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth. Verse 27, to a girl never having been married and a virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. Verse 28, and he came to her and said, Hail, O favoured one, endued with grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed favourer of God are you before all other women. Now that's verse 28, how surprised would you be if you had an angel arrive in your room and the first things out of the angel's mouth was, Hail, O favoured one. You are being addressed in that manner, that would be quite something, wouldn't it? Verse 29, but when she saw him, so when Mary saw the angel, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean. Verse 30, and the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace, free, spontaneous, absolute favour and loving kindness with God. And listen, you will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, eminent, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his forefather David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages, and of his reign there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no intimacy with any man as a husband? Now you see here that the answer that Mary gave was similar to the answer Zachariah gave, but we see as we go forward, the angel did not close her mouth. Verse 35, Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you like a shining cloud. And so the holy, pure, sinless thing, offspring, which shall be born of you, will be called the Son of God. And listen, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren. So you can see here before we continue that the angel was actually answering Mary's question as to how this will come about. So when the angel responded to Zachariah's question, he did not answer in the same way. The response that the angel gave Zachariah was that his mouth would be closed in so many words. I believe from reading these scriptures that because the answers between Mary and Zachariah are very similar, that is why there was more going on in the heart of Zachariah than the heart of Mary. I believe the heart of Zachariah had a degree of doubt. With Mary, on the other hand, she wanted to know how it was going to happen, but she was in a heart of belief and faith in her Lord that even though she didn't understand how it would happen, she believed it would happen if the Lord wanted it to happen. And I think that's the big difference between the two of them. Verse 37, the angel continues here. Verse 37, For with God nothing is ever impossible, and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Verse 38, Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her. Verse 39, And at that time Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town of Judah. And she went to the house of Zachariah, and entering it, saluted Elizabeth. And it occurred that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud cry, and then exclaimed, Blessed favorite of God, above all other women are you, and blessed favorite of God is the fruit of your womb. And how have I deserved that this honor should be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, the instant the sound of your salutation reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed happy to be envied is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has looked upon the low station and humiliation of his handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations of all ages will call me blessed and declare me happy and to be envied. For he who is almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name to be venerated in his purity, majesty, and glory. And his mercy, his compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted is on those who fear him with godly reverence from generation to generation and age to age. He has shown strength and made might with his arm. He has scattered the proud and haughty in and by the imagination and purpose and designs of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree. He has filled and satisfied the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty-handed without a gift. He has laid hold on his servant Israel to help him to espouse his cause in remembrance of his mercy. Even as he promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever, and Mary remains with her, Elizabeth, for about three months, and then return to her own home. Now the time that Elizabeth should be delivered came, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy on her, and they rejoiced with her. And it occurred that on the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were intending to call him Zechariah after his father. But his mother answered, Not so, but he shall be called John. And they said to her, None of your relatives is called by that name. And they inquired with signs to his father as to what he wanted to have him called. So you can see here, people in the family did not listen to Elizabeth when she said, His name shall be called John. And this was the name that Gabriel told Elizabeth that she should name the child. So the people were actually asking Zechariah against the wishes of Elizabeth. One thing I would like to draw to your attention there is, if people are insisting you do one thing and you heard from the Lord another, be obedient and do what the Lord tells you to do. Do not be persuaded, even by family members and people close to you. If you know that you know that you heard from the Lord, then do what the Lord told you to do in whatever situation it is. Because He knows best. He knows the beginning from the end, and He is the one with the wisdom, far more than anyone around you. And that's why we need to read the Word so that we can hear His voice clearer. We need to fast and pray. We need to spend time with Him in the secret place every day so that we can hear His voice, so that we can be confident that we know His voice and can carry out what He says we should do in everyday life. So in 62 the family is asking the father Zechariah what the child should be called, even though Elizabeth said he shall be called John. Verse 63, then Zechariah asked for a writing tablet, remember he still cannot speak at this point, he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, His name is John. And they were all astonished. So thank goodness, thank the Lord, that Zechariah remembered what the name of the child should be when spoken to him by Gabriel originally. Verse 64, and at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak, blessing and praising and thanking God. At that point we will leave the message today. We will continue next week. Lord, I thank You for Your precious souls listening in today. Thank You Lord for allowing them to hear Your voice with clarity. As they seek You with all of their heart, they will find You. As they pray, as they seek You in the secret place, Your presence will be known by them, and they will hear Your voice. As they read Your word, and as they stay silent, they will hear Your voice, because Your sheep know Your voice. Thank You Lord that we are convicted by Your Holy Spirit to be obedient to the leading of Your Holy Spirit. And we thank You Lord that we will be followers of You in obedience. Lord, we bless You for all the provision that You continue to provide us every day, whether it be roofs over our heads, food on the table, money to pay our rent, money to pay for things that are needed for the family. Thank You Lord that we shall trust in You, not lean on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge You, and You shall direct our paths. Let us trust in You Lord for the path ahead of us. We know in Psalm 119 verse 105 that Your word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. So let us read Your word, soak it up, contemplate Your word day and night, so that that light is ever so bright on our feet and our path ahead, so we know where we are standing today, and we know where we are going, that we will not fall into a ditch with the light being so dim we cannot see the ditch before we fall into it. Thank You Lord today for Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace upon us. Lord, we come to You again every day in with a repentant heart, confessing our sins, known and unknown to You. 1 John chapter 1 verse 9, it says, If we confess our sins, You are faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Lord, we receive the cleansing of any unrighteousness in our consciences today, and we receive Your forgiveness of our sins to wash them away with Your blood. Lord Jesus, we bless Your very holy name. Alright, that is all the time we have for this week. Until next week, have a blessed week.