Summit Church
I See You Pt 1 | I See You When Your Dream Is Dead | Jim Ladd
Locations & Times
Summit Church
7200 S Clinton St, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Luke 1:5-25
“In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and 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 drink, 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 power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.””
“In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and 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 drink, 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 power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.””
The High Price of Being Afraid:
In the Mind
Fear hijacks your brain’s control center — the amygdala — and flips it into “threat mode.”
When that happens, logic takes a backseat. You stop thinking with your prefrontal cortex (reason, planning) and start reacting from instinct (fight, flight, freeze).
In the Mind
Fear hijacks your brain’s control center — the amygdala — and flips it into “threat mode.”
When that happens, logic takes a backseat. You stop thinking with your prefrontal cortex (reason, planning) and start reacting from instinct (fight, flight, freeze).
In the Body
Fear releases adrenaline and cortisol — your “danger” hormones. Great for outrunning lions; terrible for modern life.
The body keeps the score — fear leaves fingerprints on your health.
Fear releases adrenaline and cortisol — your “danger” hormones. Great for outrunning lions; terrible for modern life.
The body keeps the score — fear leaves fingerprints on your health.
In the Emotions
Fear isolates. It convinces you that you’re safer alone, quieter, smaller.
It can morph into shame, anger, anxiety, or cynicism — all defense mechanisms dressed as control.
Fear isolates. It convinces you that you’re safer alone, quieter, smaller.
It can morph into shame, anger, anxiety, or cynicism — all defense mechanisms dressed as control.
In the Spirit
Spiritually, fear is the great interrupter.
It questions God’s goodness (“What if He doesn’t show up?”) and replaces trust with self-reliance. It’s subtle — it masquerades as caution or wisdom — but underneath, it whispers, “You’re on your own.”
Spiritually, fear is the great interrupter.
It questions God’s goodness (“What if He doesn’t show up?”) and replaces trust with self-reliance. It’s subtle — it masquerades as caution or wisdom — but underneath, it whispers, “You’re on your own.”
Four people were told, “Do not be afraid” as the Christmas story unfolds. We can hear the reason for no fear as they hear from Angels: "God sees you!"
God sees them and is inserting Himself into their story.
God sees them and is inserting Himself into their story.
God says, “I see you and I will insert myself into your story so that you can participate in my story to the world.”
The Big Idea: God can be trusted with your dreams.
1. God Sees You
His Backstory
Zechariah was a priest, part of the division of Abijah, serving in the temple in Jerusalem. He and his wife Elizabeth were both righteous before God, but they had no children. They were old—way past the age of childbearing—and for a Jewish couple in that time, this isn't just sad - it's a cause for social shame.
- Both Descendants of Aaron
- Both Righteous in the sight of God and Blameless
- Childless and VERY OLD (Every time he walked through the temple courts, he assumed that people probably pitied or whispered about him)
His Backstory
Zechariah was a priest, part of the division of Abijah, serving in the temple in Jerusalem. He and his wife Elizabeth were both righteous before God, but they had no children. They were old—way past the age of childbearing—and for a Jewish couple in that time, this isn't just sad - it's a cause for social shame.
- Both Descendants of Aaron
- Both Righteous in the sight of God and Blameless
- Childless and VERY OLD (Every time he walked through the temple courts, he assumed that people probably pitied or whispered about him)
"I see YOU"
"I know your Fears"He Feared He and Elizabeth Were Forgotten Failures
"I hold your dreams in my heart"
"I know your Fears"He Feared He and Elizabeth Were Forgotten Failures
"I hold your dreams in my heart"
How Do We Know God Saw Him?
- Chosen "by chance" to perform a once-in-a-lifetime duty
- An Angel appears - prophecy nor revelation have occurred for 400 years
- Chosen "by chance" to perform a once-in-a-lifetime duty
- An Angel appears - prophecy nor revelation have occurred for 400 years
2. God Hears You
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.”
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.”
3. God's Plans Are Bigger Than Your Prayers
God sees the desires of your heart and does you one better with the desires of His heart!
"You will have a son"
"You will Parent a Prophet"
"Your Son will make ready a people prepared for the Lord!"
"Your Son will pave the way for the Redeemer of the World"
God sees the desires of your heart and does you one better with the desires of His heart!
"You will have a son"
"You will Parent a Prophet"
"Your Son will make ready a people prepared for the Lord!"
"Your Son will pave the way for the Redeemer of the World"
Amos 8:11-12
““The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.”
““The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.”
400 silent years - where no new prophets were raised and God revealed no sacred writings to the Jewish people.
After 4 centuries of prophetic silence, and decades of personal defeat, God was speaking again.
After 4 centuries of prophetic silence, and decades of personal defeat, God was speaking again.
Malachi 4:5-6
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Luke 1:13-17
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and 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 drink, 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 power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and 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 drink, 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 power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
It’s beautiful irony: the man who had stopped believing his own prayers would father the one who would stir a nation’s belief again.
The Takeaway
God didn't just see Zechariah - He saw all He could do with his life
God didn't just hear Zechariah's prayers - He had dreams for Z that he would never dare dream or imagine
God didn't just answer his prayers - He unfolded much bigger plans for him and his son.
God didn't just see Zechariah - He saw all He could do with his life
God didn't just hear Zechariah's prayers - He had dreams for Z that he would never dare dream or imagine
God didn't just answer his prayers - He unfolded much bigger plans for him and his son.
God still breaks silence, still redeems shame, still answers prayers long since shelved.
And this is true, even if your dream does not have a miracle resurrection.
Even if your dream doesn't work out - He still works it out!
You will be able to say, like Elizabeth, “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Even if your dream doesn't work out - He still works it out!
You will be able to say, like Elizabeth, “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
When God says, “Do not be afraid,” it isn't just comfort—it is an invitation.
God is about to rewrite your story, on His way to rewriting THE story.
God is about to rewrite your story, on His way to rewriting THE story.
We all have broken dreams and brokenness in our lives, but God takes all of our brokenness together and makes a beautiful reflection of his grace through us all.
Response:
1. Invite you to break a mirror as you bring your broken dreams to God in prayer
2. Invite God to demonstrate His Power and Love in your story
1. Invite you to break a mirror as you bring your broken dreams to God in prayer
2. Invite God to demonstrate His Power and Love in your story
Discussion Guide
“I See You – When Your Dream Is Dead” (Luke 1:5–25)
Icebreaker Question:
What’s the strangest or most ridiculous fear you’ve ever had (as a kid or as an adult)?
Discussion Questions
1. What parts of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story stood out to you the most? Why?
2. Why do you think fear is such a powerful driver in our lives? Where is fear currrently affecting you the most (mind, body, emotions, or spirit)?
3. Luke emphasizes that Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous” and “blameless,” yet they were still childless. What does this teach us about suffering, shame, and unmet desires?
4. Where do you currently feel “forgotten” or unseen in your story?
5. Fear can masquerade as “wisdom” or “caution.” Where does that show up in your life?
6. “God sees you.” In what area of your life do you need to hear that truth the most right now?
7. Gabriel tells Zechariah, “Your prayer has been heard.” What’s a prayer you’ve stopped praying because it felt too late or impossible?
8. How does the idea that God’s plans are “bigger than your prayers” challenge, comfort, or frustrate you?
9. In Zechariah’s story, God isn’t just answering a personal prayer—He’s advancing His global plan. How does that reshape the way you look at your disappointments?
10. What do you think God was doing in the 400 “silent years” before this story? How does that connect to seasons when God feels silent in your own life?
11. When God says “Do not be afraid,” what does that practically look like in your day-to-day choices?
12. Some responded by breaking a mirror—bringing their broken dreams to God so He can craft something beautiful. If you were to hand God one “broken piece” today, what would it be?
Icebreaker Question:
What’s the strangest or most ridiculous fear you’ve ever had (as a kid or as an adult)?
Discussion Questions
1. What parts of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story stood out to you the most? Why?
2. Why do you think fear is such a powerful driver in our lives? Where is fear currrently affecting you the most (mind, body, emotions, or spirit)?
3. Luke emphasizes that Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous” and “blameless,” yet they were still childless. What does this teach us about suffering, shame, and unmet desires?
4. Where do you currently feel “forgotten” or unseen in your story?
5. Fear can masquerade as “wisdom” or “caution.” Where does that show up in your life?
6. “God sees you.” In what area of your life do you need to hear that truth the most right now?
7. Gabriel tells Zechariah, “Your prayer has been heard.” What’s a prayer you’ve stopped praying because it felt too late or impossible?
8. How does the idea that God’s plans are “bigger than your prayers” challenge, comfort, or frustrate you?
9. In Zechariah’s story, God isn’t just answering a personal prayer—He’s advancing His global plan. How does that reshape the way you look at your disappointments?
10. What do you think God was doing in the 400 “silent years” before this story? How does that connect to seasons when God feels silent in your own life?
11. When God says “Do not be afraid,” what does that practically look like in your day-to-day choices?
12. Some responded by breaking a mirror—bringing their broken dreams to God so He can craft something beautiful. If you were to hand God one “broken piece” today, what would it be?