Let's turn to God's word again.
We turn now to the Gospel of Luke.
And as I said, in the very first
words of these Gospels, I try to understand
what the Gospel writer is trying to emphasize.
We saw in Matthew, in the very first
sentence he said about Jesus being the son
of Abraham, the son of David, and he
was emphasizing to the Jews that he came
from that line.
In Mark's Gospel, he said, I'm talking about
Jesus, the son of God.
And we see those tremendous demonstrations of power
in the Gospel of Mark, described in great
detail.
And in Luke, his burden is to give
us an accurate record of, as far as
possible, of everything right from the time of
Jesus' conception, I mean his coming into Mary's
womb, and his resurrection all the way, and
everything that preceded it.
Also, and even to some extent, what followed
after his resurrection, towards the end of Luke's
Gospel.
And that's what he says, it seemed fitting
for me, verse 3, having investigated everything carefully
from the beginning, to write it in consecutive
order, Most Excellent Theophilus.
Now, Luke was the one writer of Scripture
who was not a Jew.
All the others were Jews.
All 64 books were written by Jews, except
the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the
Apostles, which were also written by Luke.
Luke was a Gentile, a Greek.
And both these books, Luke and the Acts
of the Apostles, are written to a man
called Theophilus, who was a Greek.
It's a Greek man writing to a Greek
man.
He's not particularly trying to quote Scripture like
Matthew does, to prove this is fulfilling that
Scripture, this is fulfilling that Scripture.
But he's trying to demonstrate how Jesus came
to earth as a man, and how he
lived, and fulfilled God's purposes.
Now, it begins with the foretelling of the
birth of John the Baptist.
And you read here about Zacharias and Elizabeth,
verse 6, they were both righteous people, walking
blamelessly in all the commandments of the Lord,
and requirements of the Lord.
They had no child.
And this angel comes to Zacharias and tells
him about John the Baptist, saying, when John
the Baptist, your wife will have a child,
and you must give him the name John.
And he will be great in the sight
of the Lord, verse 15.
And he will be filled with the Holy
Spirit while in his mother's womb.
Now, there is a verse about being filled
with the Holy Spirit.
You go to the end of the book
of Luke, again you read about being filled
with the Holy Spirit.
They were waiting there to be endued with
power.
So here you find this emphasis.
You know that this baptism in the Holy
Spirit is emphasized at the beginning of the
first five books of the New Testament.
You shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
It's the beginning of Matthew.
It's the beginning of Mark.
It's the beginning of Luke.
You find it in Luke chapter 3 again.
And also in John, and in Acts of
the Apostles.
The first five books in the New Testament
begin with an emphasis on being baptized in
the Holy Spirit.
That teaches us the tremendous importance of the
ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New
Covenant.
And it also shows us that if there
is one thing the devil will try to
counterfeit, it will be the baptism in the
Holy Spirit.
And we see plenty of counterfeits today.
Supposing the devil wants you never to be
baptized in the Holy Spirit, what will he
do?
I know what he would do.
If I were in the devil's place, this
is what I would do.
I would give you some type of counterfeit
emotional experience and convince you that you are
baptized in the Holy Spirit.
You will never seek for the baptism in
the Holy Spirit forever for the rest of
your life.
And I've got what I wanted.
What I wanted was that you should never
seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
How did I succeed in doing it?
By giving you some emotional tickling in your
body or emotions and making you convinced that
you got it without any power, without any
strength to overcome in life or to minister.
And I see millions of people like that
now.
Quite satisfied, defeated, lovers of money, living for
the world.
But they say we speak in tongues and
I got an electric shock down my spine
and all these types of stuff.
The devil has convinced them.
I say examine what type of experience you
had.
Did you get power?
Otherwise it's worthless.
This is God's work.
It's not something that you work up.
Think of this verse.
In his mother's womb, he'd be filled with
the Holy Spirit.
Do you think he was staring in his
mother's womb waiting to be filled with the
Holy Spirit?
Did somebody exhort him over there?
No.
God filled him.
It's the work of God.
If we submit to him, he does it.
If a God can fill a helpless child
in a mother's womb and fill it with
the Holy Spirit, why can't he fill you
and me?
Don't go for these counterfeits that you see
today.
Go to the scriptures and don't be satisfied.
You know, in my life it took me
10 years to be convinced.
And I said, Lord, I will never be
satisfied with a counterfeit.
If I don't get the genuine thing, I'll
wait 10 years.
And it was worth it.
When you get the genuine thing, it changes
your life.
Don't ever be satisfied with a counterfeit.
Don't be satisfied with some pastor telling you,
yeah, yeah, you're filled.
He was filled with the Holy Spirit from
his mother's womb.
And the result is he'd be great in
the sight of the Lord.
That's just in passing.
Let me go on.
Go on to verse 35 where the Holy
Spirit comes to Mary and tells her.
The angel comes to Mary and tells her
about the Holy Spirit too.
It's very interesting.
The Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
See, the angel came to Mary and Mary
said, how can this be?
Verse 34.
I'm a virgin.
How can a virgin have a baby?
And he said, the Holy Spirit will come
upon you.
And power.
Notice, Holy Spirit and power.
Always it's like that.
Jesus said that.
When the Holy Spirit's come upon you, Acts
1.8, you shall receive power.
Acts 10.38. God anointed Jesus with the
Holy Spirit and with power.
Holy Spirit and power go together.
What is the evidence of being filled with
the Holy Spirit?
Power.
That's what Jesus said.
And here, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary.
And power came upon her.
And that is how Jesus came into her
womb.
And it's exactly the same.
I remember when God met with me and
baptized me in the Holy Spirit.
This is a passage the Lord brought to
my mind.
That the Spirit of God has come upon
you now.
Just like he came upon Mary to produce
Jesus in her.
To produce Jesus in your life.
And that set a guideline for me throughout
my life.
As to what the purpose of the Holy
Spirit coming upon me was.
To produce Jesus in my life.
And just like it took time for that
body to grow inside Mary's womb.
It will take time in my life for
the character of Christ to become more and
more manifest in me.
I keep that before you as a guideline.
And then the Lord spoke to her through
the angel, verse 37.
Nothing will be impossible with God.
Or no word that God speaks will be
without power.
That's a lovely promise.
Nothing is impossible with God or another translation
of it is.
No word that God speaks will be without
power.
If God has spoken a word, there is
power in it.
Let there be light.
It's not just a word.
Light comes.
Let the earth come up out of the
waters.
The earth comes up.
Sin shall not have dominion over you.
Romans 6.14. It will happen.
If you believe no word from God is
without power.
If you take it as the word of
God.
If you think it is just Paul's idea
or some preacher's idea.
Then of course you will not have power
because you don't believe it's the word of
God.
From the beginning of my Christian life, I
have never doubted that this is God's word.
I've never tried to analyze to find out
whether this is God's word like a lot
of people do and waste their life.
I believe it's God's word and gone to
it.
And proved in all these years of my
life.
That no word from God is without power.
Now you be careful when you go analyzing
scripture.
And you don't get any power.
Take it as God's word.
And you will experience the power of God.
Jesus never questioned the Old Testament.
He was not bothered what all the critics
and theologians said.
He believed it and he experienced its power.
Today the devil is leading so many people
astray from that.
That instead of believing it and experiencing power.
They go around with all their cleverness.
Trying to analyze and listen to what this
person said and that person said.
Reading this book and that book.
And waste their life without the power of
God.
Which way do you want to live?
You want to live doing all that?
Or you want to believe it?
Experience God's power?
And live a useful life before you leave
this earth.
I would recommend that course of action to
all of you.
No word from God will be without power.
And Mary submitted to that word.
And said, behold the bond slave of the
Lord, verse 38.
Let it be done according to your word.
I believe that's how we must submit.
When God comes and says something to us.
Which we know will bring tremendous reproach upon
us.
I'm a great admirer of Mary.
Even though I'm not a Roman Catholic.
Because I believe she was such a godly
woman.
God looked all over Palestine.
To find one young woman.
Probably 18-19 years old.
Who was really godly.
And he found one.
God didn't make a mistake.
She knew that the whole village will be
spreading stories about her.
When she becomes pregnant without getting married.
And she was willing to suffer that reproach.
To bring forth the body of Christ from
her body.
Now apply that to your life.
You want to build the body of Christ
in your village.
But you want honor?
Forget it.
It will never happen.
If you are willing to suffer reproach.
Then it will happen.
A lot of people want to build a
church.
And they want honor.
And I've seen people who try to do
that.
Nothing happens.
They build a congregation.
Not the body of Christ.
But if you want to build the body
of Christ.
It is always coupled with reproach.
Misunderstanding.
Wagging tongues.
Gossip.
That's what Mary faced in Nazareth.
But the result didn't make a difference to
her.
She brought forth the body of Christ.
And so it is today.
Those who serve the Lord.
When they seek to bring forth the body
of Christ in a locality.
There will be wagging tongues.
Gossiping.
Misunderstanding.
Criticism.
Jealousy.
All types of things.
Let it all be there.
Ultimately the body of Christ will come forth.
It's always connected with reproach.
As we see right from the very first
thing.
Now I want you to notice one other
thing here.
Do you know that Zacharias and Mary asked
almost the same question?
Zacharias asked the same angel.
Verse 18.
How can this be?
I'm an old man.
My wife is advanced in years.
Mary also asked the same question.
How can this be?
Why is it Zacharias was punished with being
dumb.
And Mary was not punished.
When both of them responded initially in unbelief.
Have you ever thought about that?
There was a reason.
Because two things.
First of all.
Zacharias had an example before him.
Of an old man and an old woman
who got a child.
Abraham and Sarah.
So there was no reason for his unbelief.
If he knew the scriptures.
Mary did not have an example before her
of any virgin.
In the history of the human race.
Producing a child.
So that's why she was not struck down.
Secondly.
Zacharias was an old man who had studied
the scriptures from childhood.
Mary was a young girl.
To whom more is given.
More will be required.
You know that if you are an older
person.
God expects much more from you than from
some young girl.
So.
And if there is an example ahead of
you.
And you have not followed it.
You are more guilty.
Than if another person does not have an
example in front of them.
That's why I say these people under the
law.
They didn't have an example.
Today we have an example in Jesus.
So there are some things we can learn
from that.
Let's move on.
To verse 74.
When John was born.
Zacharias prophesies and saying that the Lord has
now come.
Through this son of mine.
To grant us that we will be delivered
from the hand of our enemies.
And serve him without fear.
Those enemies are our sins.
Which enslaved us.
That now Jesus has come.
John the Baptist is the forerunner for that.
And the Lord is preparing us.
You know Zacharias was prophesying here.
Because it says here he was filled with
the Holy Spirit.
Verse 67.
It's remarkable how many times the Holy Spirit
is mentioned.
In the very first chapter.
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Verse 41.
And Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Just filled with the Holy Spirit.
Filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke enjoyed writing about it.
Because he also wrote Acts of the Apostles.
About a lot of people who were filled
with the Holy Spirit.
And it says.
It didn't begin in the Acts of the
Apostles.
It began with John the Baptist.
Elizabeth.
Zacharias.
Etc.
And the Spirit of God coming upon Mary.
So the Holy Spirit is the answer.
And the main factor in New Covenant life.
And he delivers us from the hand of
our enemies.
Verse 74.
And brings us to the place where we
can serve God.
Without fear.
In the entire Old Testament history.
1500 years.
They served God with fear.
The fear that if I don't obey.
I'll get punished.
You read Deuteronomy 28.
I'll get sickness.
I may get madness.
I'll get poverty.
I'll be defeated by my enemies.
And all that fear.
And now.
Was coming a new age.
Where we could serve God.
Without any fear.
Out of love.
Zacharias prophesied that.
I want to ask you today.
Have you entered into the enjoyment of that?
Of serving God without any fear.
That's why Jesus often said.
Fear not.
Now we go to chapter 2 and verse
7.
She brought forth her firstborn child.
And laid him in a manger.
And there were some shepherds.
Staying out in the fields.
Keeping watch over their flock by night.
Now we see here.
In these early chapters.
In chapter 2.
You read about the shepherds.
Later on verse 25.
You read about Simeon.
And later on.
You read in verse 36.
About a prophetess.
Called Anna.
Who were the people who knew.
About the coming of Jesus Christ.
To that manger in Bethlehem.
Four groups of people.
First.
The shepherds.
Second.
The wise men from Iran.
Or somewhere there.
Third.
An old man.
Who was.
Filled with the Holy Spirit again.
It says about him in verse 25.
That the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And fourth.
A prophetess.
Who for years and years and years and
years.
Was fasting and praying.
Up to the age of 84.
Verse 37.
She never left the temple.
But served night and day.
With fasting and prayer.
So.
They are very different type of people.
Shepherds.
Ordinary people out there.
But God fearing people.
Wise men.
Belonging to another country.
Not even knowing scripture.
Simeon.
Filled with the Holy Spirit.
And a godly older man.
And a woman.
This is a picture of the remnant.
Whom God had prepared in Israel.
To be prepared for the coming of his
son.
And it is a picture.
Of the remnant in these days.
Whom God is preparing all over the world.
For the coming of his son.
His son is coming again.
You know that.
And.
Who are the people who did not know
about it.
Herod.
Annas.
Caiaphas.
The leaders.
The religious leaders.
They studied the Bible every day.
And they were at praise and worship meetings.
But they did not know anything about the
coming of the Messiah.
And even today.
There are multitudes of people in Christendom.
Who are not ready for the coming of
Jesus.
But there is a remnant.
It is important that you and I be
in that remnant.
And it is very interesting.
That out of these four groups of people.
Three of them are significant.
For their activity.
At night.
One.
The shepherds.
Were watching their flocks at night.
The wise men.
Traveled at night watching the star.
Do you know that they could not travel
during the day.
In their long journey.
Why?
Because they could not see the star.
They had to wait for the night to
start their journey again.
You cannot see stars during the daytime.
I do not know whether you ever thought
of that.
Their activity was at night.
Third.
Anna.
Was fasting at night.
And praying at night.
Those who are part of the remnant.
Are people.
Who seek God.
In the night seasons.
I believe that.
When other people are sleeping.
They are seeking God.
And they are the ones to whom God
reveals.
Things that.
He never reveals to other lazy people.
Who just look for a comfortable life.
And say.
I believe the right things and I will
be alright.
Okay you can live like that if you
want.
But if you want to be part of
God's powerful remnant.
Who got understanding of the times in which
they live.
Who got revelation from heaven.
Be one of those who seek God.
With fasting.
Praying.
Praying to God at night.
And seeking Him.
Studying His word.
Trying to know Him.
Willing to break with every custom, tradition and
everything.
And you will get revelations like Simeon got.
Which other people don't get.
You may be a unknown heathen.
Like these wise men.
You may come from a heathen background.
And God can reveal Christ to you.
Like He revealed to Sadhu Sundar Singh.
Who knew nothing about the Bible.
And he sought God.
He was like one of those wise men
from the east.
Who sought God and God revealed to him.
Without any knowledge.
And you can be like that too.
God calls people like that in our country.
The remnant and a lot of so called
Christians.
Who live their comfortable life.
And want an easy life.
Are not ready for the coming of Christ.
It's like that in the first coming.
It's going to be like that in the
second coming.
And we read further.
Something about the way Jesus was born here.
You know there was no room in the
inn.
We know that story.
And he was born in a manger.
I believe that this is something that God
permitted.
He was born in a.
Verse 7 chapter 2 says he was born
in a cow shed.
In the little trough where the cows eat.
You know they had to come all the
way from Nazareth.
To Bethlehem.
To.
Because they had to register.
That's because God allowed Caesar.
To pass an order like that.
All for the sake of his son being
born in Bethlehem.
And so Joseph and Mary.
Otherwise Jesus would have been in Nazareth.
The prophecy said he's to be born in
Bethlehem.
So God makes Caesar in Rome.
Pass an order at the same time.
That all people must go for their census.
Now even in India they take a census.
But they never say when you take your
census.
You must go to your hometown.
To me it's quite a silly rule.
If you're just counting the people.
Why do they all have to go to
their hometown.
But anyway that is God's sovereignty.
Making sure that Joseph and Mary arrive in
Bethlehem.
And Jesus will be born there.
And she did not deliver on the way.
That could not happen.
Because God's prophecy had to.
The prophecy had to be fulfilled.
But.
By the time they came to Bethlehem.
There was no room there.
In the inn.
And I believe God purposely delayed them.
So that by the time they came there.
All the rooms in the hotel were booked.
And I believe that Mary did not complain.
When she had these difficult circumstances.
In which to live.
Do you ever complain?
When you have difficult circumstances.
In which you have to be.
I mean if you found Mary was complaining.
And telling Joseph.
I told you we should have started two
days earlier here.
You landed up here.
Without any room for me to stay.
No privacy.
And only this cow shed.
I have to give birth to.
Can you imagine this murmuring.
Complaining attitude.
And the son of God being born into
that type of thing.
That's why God didn't choose any of the
other women in Palestine.
They were all the grumbling complaining types.
Why did he pick on Mary?
Because he knew.
That she was a humble person.
Who would be quite satisfied.
With whatever.
God provided for her.
If it's a cow shed.
It's a cow shed.
And I don't believe she was complaining and
blaming her husband.
For being late.
Or not starting earlier.
Because in God's sovereign purpose.
Do you think it would have been difficult
for God.
To keep a room empty for them.
By the time they came to Bethlehem.
Not at all.
He who runs the universe.
Could have easily kept a room.
For them in Bethlehem.
Without any problem.
He wanted his son.
To be born in a cow shed.
To show this world.
That all the things.
That the world considers great.
Are rubbish and garbage in his eyes.
Think of the shame.
Of being born in a cow shed.
I've never in my life.
Met a human being.
Who was born in a cow shed.
None of us were born in cow sheds.
Even if we were not born in air
conditioned hospitals.
We were at least born in a clean
room in a home.
With a certain amount of privacy.
That our mothers had.
But Jesus had come to serve.
Humanity.
And one.
Just understand this principle.
Because it's how we are to serve the
Lord.
He who comes to serve others.
Must descend below them.
In order to serve them.
Did you get it?
He who wants to serve others.
Must descend below them.
In order to serve them.
And that's why he had to be born
in a stable.
With the cows and the donkeys.
Because he had come to save all humanity.
What type of servants of God.
Do we see today?
Exactly the opposite.
We see preachers.
Who want to live above everybody else.
You can't meet them.
Unless you go through a secretary.
What type of servant of God is this?
Did Jesus have a secretary?
Who fixed appointments for him?
I say, I'm sorry, I don't agree with
that.
I say, God saved me from having secretaries.
All my life.
Jesus was below everybody.
Do servants have secretaries?
Have you ever heard of a servant having
a secretary?
It's Maharajas.
And Lords.
And Chairman.
And Directors who have all that.
Jesus was a servant.
You never needed.
You could go to him anytime.
Nicodemus could come and see him at night.
He came below everybody.
I want to say to all of you.
Brothers and sisters.
If you want to serve God.
Make Jesus your example.
And don't ever follow these other examples that
you see today.
If you want to serve God.
Come below everybody.
And remain there.
Jesus started there.
And at the end of his life.
Where was he at the end of his
life?
He was at the feet.
Of his disciples.
Washing their feet.
He started in a cow shed.
And he ended at the feet of his
disciples.
And I say, Lord Jesus.
Please help me to go that way all
my life.
You pray that prayer.
No matter how much God uses you.
No matter how anointed you are.
Say, Lord Jesus.
Please keep me at the feet of your
disciples.
Till the end of my life.
I never want to sit on anybody's head.
This is the servant of God.
Whom the father has shown us.
As an example to follow.
He had to be born in a cow
shed.
Okay.
We move on.
To verse 34.
Onwards.
Simeon made a prophecy.
Saying this child.
Is appointed for the fall and the rise.
Of many people in Israel.
And for a sign to be opposed.
And a sword will pierce your own soul.
To the end of the thoughts of many
hearts.
Will be revealed.
He was showing here.
The type of ministry that Jesus would have.
And that's important for us to see.
Because today the body of Christ.
The church.
Has to have the same type of ministry.
The way Jesus lived on earth.
Is the way.
Today the church is to live.
That's why the church is called.
The body of Christ.
Which was the first body of Christ?
This one.
He in his earthly body.
Lived in a certain way.
In simplicity.
Serving other people.
Going underneath.
Once they tried to make him a king.
He said no.
I don't want to be a king.
He was a servant of everybody.
The church.
The body of Christ.
Must be like that today.
Elders in a church.
Must be like that today.
A servant of everybody.
Don't ever try to be an elder.
If you want to lord it over people.
Forget it.
Go and join some secular multinational company.
And you can lord it over as many
people as you like.
But when you come to the church of
Jesus Christ.
And you want to be a leader.
You have to be a servant.
You have to get underneath everybody.
And we see here.
That Jesus was assigned.
Verse 34.
To be opposed.
That means if you are building the body
of Christ.
And you are a leader in the body
of Christ.
You are going to be opposed.
Like Jesus was.
Till the end of your life.
Religious people like Pharisees.
Will oppose you.
This is true.
And.
Through that.
As they oppose you.
The thoughts.
Verse 35.
Of their hearts will be revealed.
They will discover.
What a lot of jealousy there is in
them.
Because of Jesus ministry.
And when God blesses a church.
Other people will see.
What a lot of jealousy they will have
in their heart.
Because of what God is doing here.
This is how Jesus went.
And this is how the church.
In the last days.
The remnant will also go.
Ok.
We move on to.
Verse.
47 to 52.
About the time when Jesus went into the
Jerusalem.
And you know.
Joseph and Mary left him behind.
And when they went back.
This is the one incident mentioned.
Of what he did when he was 12
years old.
It says here.
He was.
Amazed.
I mean he was asking questions.
Listening to them.
To the teachers.
When he was 46.
And asking them questions.
And they were amazed.
At his understanding.
And his answers.
Amazed at his explaining.
What these scriptures meant.
And that teaches us.
That at the age of 12.
Jesus knew the scriptures so well.
And do you know.
That Jesus didn't have a bible at home.
There were no bibles those days.
These were scrolls.
Written on parchment and things like that.
And it was very expensive.
To have a copy of the Old Testament.
There would be one in the synagogue.
How did Jesus know the scriptures by the
age of 12?
They would go to the synagogue.
And hear.
And in the schools in those days.
They taught the scriptures.
So it was only by listening.
And if you went to school.
And you didn't pay attention.
And you went to the meetings in the
synagogue.
You didn't pay attention.
By the age of 12 you would know
nothing.
Like most of the others.
But Jesus listened.
As a young boy he listened.
Carefully when he went to the meetings.
Understood the scriptures so thoroughly.
Without having a bible at home.
So well.
That he could ask other people questions.
I tell you.
This is one of the most shameful things.
That I have seen among Christians today.
They have not only one version.
But umpteen versions of the bible in their
house.
And they still don't know the bible.
That's amazing.
Can you imagine the depth of laziness in
today's Christians.
And they all want to serve God.
And they think just somebody lays hands on
their head.
And they mumble some words.
And they say oh now I am anointed.
I will go out and serve God.
And what happens?
Nothing.
You can't build the body of Christ there.
If you don't study the word.
God could not even use his own son
if he didn't study his word.
Now let me tell you this.
Those of you who are too lazy to
study the scriptures.
I can prophesy to you.
God will never use you.
I don't like saying that.
But it's true.
And equally I can say to you.
Those of you who are diligent to study
the scriptures.
And diligent to be filled with the spirit.
God will mightily use you.
So from your earliest days when you are
converted.
Get into the word.
Almost all the bible knowledge I have today.
I studied in the first 7 years after
I was converted.
Get into the word of God.
Get to know God's mind.
Study it.
Day and night.
Not just to pass some examinations.
Study it.
To know God.
To know God himself.
To understand God's ways.
How diligently people study to pass earthly examinations.
How diligently people work in their business to
promote their business.
If Christians had even 5% of that
much diligence to study the word of God.
Their lives would have been so effective.
And I am not saying study the bible
in an academic type of way.
So that you know the verses where they
are.
You may not have a good memory.
That doesn't matter.
The important thing is to know God through
his word.
There are a lot of people who know
the bible very well.
Who are useless.
God is not able to use them.
What's the use of that bible knowledge?
It's waste.
Get to know God through his word.
Get a fire in your hearts through his
word.
Jesus is an example at the age of
12.
And the other thing we see in Jesus
as an example at the age of 12
is not only he knew his word.
Knew the word thoroughly.
But he had a tremendous burden and passion
for the father's business.
He says in verse 49.
Did you not know that I must be
in my father's business?
Now a lot of people who know the
word they know the word for their own
honor.
It's not for the father's business.
You know like some places in Bangalore.
This is very common.
They have bible competitions.
Memory competitions.
What they are checking up is whether you
know where the semicolons are and where the
commas are and where the full stops are.
What a waste of time studying where the
commas and semicolons and the full stops in
the King James Version are.
It's all crazy.
Only an idiot will waste their time studying
all those things.
I say that's all for honor.
I say you must know God through his
word and have a passion for the father's
business.
Otherwise your life will be wasted.
Your life will be thoroughly wasted.
I've seen lots of people like that who
know the bible their life is wasted because
they don't have a passion for the father's
business.
The Holy Spirit has not filled them.
So you must have a passion.
I have got a business to do on
earth.
I came to earth for a certain business
and that's not just to produce a family
and to work somewhere and earn a living.
It's to do my father's business before I
leave this earth.
I have to finish it.
I hope you'll have that passion.
And it doesn't matter to me whether I
live in a hut or a palace.
It doesn't matter whether I sleep on a
comfortable bed on the floor.
It doesn't matter whether I get martyred and
killed.
I have to complete my father's business before
I leave this earth.
Oh I wish there were more people like
that in India like Jesus at the age
of 12 who knew the word and who
had a passion for his father's business.
What a message there is in those verses.
We go on to um chapter 3.
We read about John the Baptist here.
It's a wonderful verse.
Verse 1 and 2.
It's always a great excitement to me when
I read this.
Have you read these two verses together?
Luke 3 verses 1 and 2?
In the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, he
was the greatest man in the world at
that time.
Pontius Pilate, he was the greatest man in
Judea.
Herod, he was the greatest man in Galilee.
Philip, he was the greatest man in Aitoria.
Lysanias, he was the greatest man in Abilene.
Annas and Caiaphas, they were the greatest people
in religious Israel.
The word of God bypassed all these people
and came to one unknown man in the
wilderness called John the Baptist.
I'm really excited by that.
That the word of God bypasses all these
great secular men and also the great religious
priests and preachers and everybody and comes to
a man who is seeking God alone in
the wilderness.
Oh God, give me your word.
It's the same today.
The word of God bypasses all the great
people.
It'll bypass all the great people in Christendom
and it can come to you.
If you're like John the Baptist, getting alone
with God and saying, Lord, open my eyes
that I may understand your word.
And, he's not in a hurry.
A time comes when he comes forth.
It says in chapter 1 verse 80, he
was in the deserts, John the Baptist, until
the day of his public appearance.
One day God said, okay, John, I've taught
you enough.
Go and preach.
He preached for a very short time.
But all Judea came to listen to him
because he was a prophet of God.
So that's what we see in chapter 3.
And now we move on to verse 8
to 13, something about John the Baptist's ministry.
Let me mention briefly here.
John the Baptist's ministry was very fiery and
very practical.
He did not baptize everybody who came to
him.
Some people came to him and he said,
bring forth fruits fit for repentance.
Otherwise, I won't baptize you.
I will not just baptize anybody, any Tom,
Dick and Harry who says, I want to
be baptized.
I want to see whether there's fruit for
repentance.
I don't want, I'm not counting statistics here.
I don't have to report to anybody that
I baptized so many people.
That's why John was free.
He could preach, keep the standard high because
he didn't have to write any reports or
statistics.
Now, if John the Baptist had to write
reports about how many people are baptized, he
would have just baptized everybody.
But he said, listen, if you fellas don't
repent, I'm not going to baptize you.
And I wish we'd hear more of that
today.
The axe is laid to the root of
the tree and it must be laid to
the root of your life if you want
repentance and if you want to be baptized.
And then he gave them some practical advice.
People came to him and said, what shall
we do?
And the tax collectors came to him and
said, what shall we do?
And the soldiers came to him, verse 14
and said, what shall we do?
And to each of them, he gave some
down-to-earth practical advice.
Don't be like the other people.
Don't be like the other tax collectors.
Don't be like the other soldiers.
Be different.
Don't exploit others.
If you got extra, give it to other
people.
See, his preaching was not some theory of
analyzing some verse or something like that.
It was practical.
Jesus' teaching was always practical.
The apostles' teaching was always practical.
And may your preaching always be practical.
How you can live on this earth.
What you should do if you have two
courts and another fellow's got only one.
And what you should do if you are
in the army and other soldiers are exploiting
other people.
John the Baptist preaching was practical.
Okay?
We go on to verse 21 and 22
about the baptism of Jesus.
And it says, how did the Holy Spirit
come upon Jesus?
It did not happen automatically.
That's what I want you to see here.
Again, you see the emphasis on the Holy
Spirit.
Have you noticed in Luke?
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit.
Chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, and now
Jesus himself.
Now, if John the Baptist was had the
Holy Spirit from his mother's womb, what about
Jesus?
Didn't he have the Holy Spirit?
How did he overcome for 30 years without
sinning?
How did he live without the Holy Spirit?
And yet we read at the age of
30, the Holy Spirit came upon him.
Today, a lot of people are arguing about
when we are born again, don't we have
the Holy Spirit?
What is the second experience you're talking about
the Holy Spirit coming upon you?
What is this in Jesus' case?
He was also born of the Spirit.
He had the Holy Spirit from birth and
yet we read here, he was anointed with
the Holy Spirit.
What I learned from that is, the Holy
Spirit is God.
You cannot explain him by all your theology.
But you can experience his power if you
seek him.
I don't try to explain God just like
a dog cannot explain a man.
You know a dog is below a man
and a dog cannot explain a man.
Supposing you find two dogs sitting and analyzing
the psychology of a man.
You think they're crazy.
But that's what some human beings sit and
do.
How does the Holy Spirit work?
I say, I don't know.
But I know he works.
And if I seek him, I know he'll
fill me.
I don't have to explain it.
And that's what that one dog will say,
listen, I don't know how these human beings
work, but my master is very kind to
me.
He gives me bones every day and he
takes care of me, takes me for a
walk and I'm very happy.
He can experience his master's goodness, but he
cannot explain his master's psychology.
Why not we admit the same thing about
God.
There are many things about God I cannot
explain.
And brother, I admit I cannot explain, but
I experience his goodness and his love and
his power.
Because we are much below God compared to
a dog being below us.
And that's the folly of man when he
tries to explain everything.
I cannot explain everything.
I cannot explain many things in the New
Testament.
But I know what is enough for me
to know and experience.
And that's enough for all of us.
So we see here, Jesus was anointed with
the Holy Spirit when he did something.
Verse 21, when he was baptized, he was
praying, Father fill me with the Holy Spirit.
And he came out and he was filled
with the Holy Spirit.
Immediately the heavens were opened and the Holy
Spirit came upon him.
It's by faith.
Do you pray?
Jesus received the Holy Spirit by prayer.
And so will it be with us.
In chapter 3, verse 23 to 38, we
have the genealogy of Mary.
It says in verse 23 he was about
30 years of age, being supposedly the son
of Joseph who was you know the word
son there is in italics means it was
not in the original Greek who was of
Eli.
Of Eli means he was the son-in
-law of Eli.
Because Jews did not put the name of
women usually in there.
But this is the genealogy of Mary which
is obvious from the fact that Joseph came
through David's son Solomon we read in Matthew
1 whereas this genealogy is verse 31 through
another son of David called Nathan.
Okay, this goes all the way to Adam
because Luke is writing to the Gentiles.
In chapter 4 we read about the temptation
of Jesus.
We know that Jesus was tempted and the
Bible says in Hebrews 4.15 he was
tempted exactly like us but he did not
sin.
Now there are many people who seek to
analyze and ask this question.
It's a great discussion among theologians for 2000
years.
Could Jesus have sinned or could he not
sin?
And there are two views on this.
Some people say he could not have sinned
and some people say he was enabled not
to sin.
Now to me this is all in the
realm of theological discussion.
I'm like that dog.
I say I don't have to get into
this discussion.
I know just this much that he was
tempted like me and he did not sin
and in that he's an example for me.
I don't have to get into this discussion.
I know he was God and I know
that God cannot sin.
And if he had sinned the trinity would
have broken up.
Obviously he could not have sinned.
But at the same time that's not for
me to discuss.
I say I understand just this.
He was tempted like me.
In my younger days, when I was more
foolish, I used to get into a lot
of discussions about these things.
But I've got a little more wisdom now
because I've learned to be like that dog
and admit that a lot of things I
don't know.
I might as well leave it.
I cannot analyze the psychology of Jesus.
I find it difficult to analyze my own
psychology.
Where can I analyze the psychology of Jesus?
I don't have to.
Scripture says he was tempted.
Jesus was 40 days verse 2 he was
tempted by the devil.
And he resisted the devil.
He just didn't lie down there and sleep.
He resisted the devil with the sword of
the spirit and he said it is written.
Again the devil came and said Oh, if
you quote it is written then Jesus said
then the devil said isn't it written verse
10 that he will give his angels charge
over you and he said it is also
written that you shall not tempt the Lord
your God.
Jesus had a word from scripture every time
Satan came and then the devil left him.
It says for a certain amount of time
verse 13 came back again later.
So I find the devil comes to me
like he came to Jesus.
And Jesus drove him away with the word
of God and I can drive him away
with the word of God.
Jesus is my example.
He was tempted like me and he did
not sin.
In chapter 4 we come to the public
ministry of Jesus beginning in Nazareth.
And he announces that the spirit of God
he quotes from Isaiah 61 verse 18.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me to preach the
gospel and so on.
I want you to notice something here again
Holy Spirit.
Notice the emphasis on the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness
where chapter 4 verse 1 and chapter 4
verse 14 after temptation he returned in the
power of the Holy Spirit.
He went into the wilderness full of the
Holy Spirit.
He was tempted.
He came out in the power of the
Holy Spirit.
Temptation is necessary.
After you are filled with the Holy Spirit
you need to be tempted and you return
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Temptation was necessary for Jesus.
It's necessary for you and me.
And Jesus overcame where Eve fell.
Eve was tempted with food.
Jesus was tempted with food.
Turned the stones into bread.
He said no.
I will not do what God has not
told me to do.
It was a temptation to use his power
for some personal benefit.
God has anointed you.
Use your power now for personal benefit and
Jesus said no.
Do you know how many preachers today are
being tempted by the devil like that?
God has anointed you.
Use your prophetic gift to make money for
yourself.
Go and preach in places you can collect
a lot of money with your prophetic gift.
Jesus would have said no.
I don't use my gift for making money.
I use my gift for serving people.
See this temptation comes even to us today.
Jump from the temple and claim God's protection.
When you're sick, don't take any medicine and
trust God to heal you.
You'll die like so many other people.
This is all tempting God.
When God has provided medicine, why can't you
use that?
If there are steps coming down from the
top of the temple, use those steps.
Don't jump down and say God will protect
me.
Now if there are no steps, then you
can jump down and ask God to protect
you.
But when God has provided steps, He expects
you to use the steps and not jump
down.
You know that.
Those of you who are living on the
top floor and all, what do you do?
It's the same thing with use of medicine.
Now if I were in some jungle where
no medicines are available, I would really trust
God to heal me without medicine.
Where there are no steps, I would trust
God to protect me.
But if steps are available, I would recommend
that you use them.
It's a safer way of coming down.
Okay.
And the third temptation was, I'll give you
all the glory of this world.
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you,
but you've got to bow down to me.
And the devil says, do you want a
wider opportunity for ministry?
Just keep quiet about water baptism.
Don't talk about baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Don't talk about anything that's offensive.
Just please everybody.
I will give you wide doors of ministry.
And thank you very much, you say to
the devil.
I'll go.
You bow the knee to the devil to
get the honor of this world.
Brother, preach the whole counsel of God.
Even if you don't get anything here, that's
my recommendation.
God will be with you.
See, we can get a lot of glory
in this world if you bow the knee
to the devil and compromise somewhere or the
other.
Having conquered these things, he came in the
power of the Holy Spirit and proclaimed the
word.
You know, a man who is filled with
the Spirit and who has been tempted and
who has overcome can now get up in
the pulpit and preach.
That's how Jesus preached.
If you are not filled with the Spirit
and you have not overcome in temptation, what
are you going to get up in the
pulpit and preach?
We see here that Jesus got up in
Nazareth and said the Spirit of the Lord
has anointed me.
And the result of the anointing, I want
you to notice, is all for other people.
Today a lot of people are seeking the
anointing of the Holy Spirit to get something
themselves.
I want an experience.
I want to speak in tongues.
I want an electric shock going down through
my body.
But what did Jesus get the anointing for?
Please read verse 18.
To preach the gospel to other people.
To proclaim release to other people.
To proclaim recovery of sight to other people.
To set free other people.
What is for himself here?
Nothing.
The fruit of the Spirit is for myself.
Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness,
humility, self-control.
But the anointing and the gifts of the
Spirit are all, every one of them for
other people.
Every gift of the Spirit.
Healing, if God gives you the gift of
healing, it's for other people.
If God gives you the gift of evangelism,
it's for other people.
Prophecy, other people.
Discernment, to help other people.
Wisdom, to give advice to other people.
Every gift of the Spirit is for other
people, even speaking in tongues.
I remember when I asked the Lord for
this gift.
I said, Lord, I want this gift because
I want to be fresh.
The Bible says, he who speaks in a
tongue edifies himself.
I want to be fresh because I have
to speak so many times a day and
I don't want to be dry.
I always want to edify myself.
I can edify myself through Bible reading, through
prayer, through fellowship, through many ways.
But if it says you can also edify
through speaking in tongues, I want it.
That's how I got it.
And I use it for what?
To be fresh, to bless other people.
Every gift of the Spirit is for other
people.
It's not for self.
And when you seek a gift of the
Holy Spirit for yourself, you're going to build
Babylon.
Please remember that.
Okay, chapter 4.
We read further.
Sorry, chapter 5.
It says about a time when the disciples
came, were pressing in and he got into
this lake and he told Simon, verse 4,
put out into the deep water and let
down your nets for a catch.
And Simon said, Lord, we worked hard all
night but at your bidding I will.
Sometimes the Lord tells us to do something
and we say, Lord, I tried that so
many times but it didn't work.
And the Lord says, okay, do it now
because I told you.
Sometimes we go to a place without God
sending us and we don't get any fruit
naturally.
What we learn from this is, wait.
Let God tell you to go and your
boat will be full of fish.
Go where God tells you.
Chapter 5, verse 16.
We read in verse 15 that news about
Jesus was spreading further and further and great
multitudes came to hear him and to be
healed of their sicknesses.
And when you have, supposing that was happening
to you, whenever you read something like this,
put yourself in that verse.
My little recommendation I could give for you
for Bible study is, when you read something
happening in scripture, put yourself in that place
and then you'll get a good understanding.
Supposing you were the person who is healing
multitudes of sick people and your fame is
spreading everywhere.
What would you be in danger of?
What?
Pride.
Jesus was tempted like us.
You know what he did?
Verse 16, he would often slip away into
the wilderness to pray.
He preached, he was anointed, people were mightily
blessed and while other people were sitting, gossiping
and talking he would slip away to pray,
to get alone with God.
Develop that habit in your life of getting
alone with God.
It's good to be with people but you
need to have plenty of times when you
are alone with God.
And the more your ministry spreads the more
you need to have time to get alone
with God.
This was a habit.
He would often do it.
Not just once in a while.
And we read further in verse 27 to
29.
It's a very interesting, I don't know whether
you've noticed this, sometimes you compare scripture with
scripture and you see a beautiful thing.
It says here about Matthew.
It says he went out in verse 27,
Jesus, and met a tax collector called Levi,
Matthew, that's his other name.
And he said, follow me.
And he dropped his pen, dropped his job,
gave in his resignation and came out immediately.
And verse 29, it says, Matthew after that
gave a big reception for him, for Jesus
in his house where there were many sinners.
Now I don't have time to show this
to you, but if you read the same
incident where Matthew writes about himself in Matthew
9, verse 9 and 10, there it says
about Jesus calling Matthew, but it says in
verse 10, the next verse, that Jesus went
to a feast.
And Matthew does not say, actually I gave
that feast in my house.
Such a humble man.
Luke tells us that it was Matthew who
gave that feast.
But Matthew in chapter 9, verse 10 just
says, Jesus was at a feast.
I see something godly about these examples and
these little, little things in scripture, that when
a man gives a feast, he doesn't say
that he was the one who gave it.
Other people report on it.
If you do something, let other people report
it and not you yourself.
We go to chapter 6 in verse 12
and 13.
We see how Jesus called his disciples.
He prayed all night.
Why did he need to pray all night?
He was in fellowship with the father all
the time.
He prayed all night because he wanted to
be clear whom to choose.
And I want to point out one thing
here.
It says about Judas Iscariot.
He was not a crook when Jesus chose
him.
It's very clear in verse 16.
Judas Iscariot became a traitor.
He became a crook when he was selected.
He was as wholehearted, as sincere as Peter,
James or John.
Jesus would not have chosen a crook.
Impossible.
He chose a wholehearted, sincere man who became
a crook.
Now I believe there's some tremendous lessons here
that we can learn and we've got some
more sessions on the gospels to study about
the life of Jesus.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the scripture
which opens our eyes to see your ways,
your principles.
Help us to follow them in our daily
life, we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.