Mark O’Grady – Born of the Spirit – Class 3 – The Spirit in a Son

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Good.
We’ve been looking at the

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subject of the Spirit and we’ve
learned that it’s an extension

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of the work of God himself.
So it’s it’s his power which is

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used to achieve his will and his
purpose.

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And we noted in our last class
that there are times in history

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where the the work of the power
of the Holy Spirit has been made

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spectacularly obvious.
There are other times when there

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were prophets and there were
things that took place, but

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there are certain periods in
history where there was a

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spectacular outpouring of the
Holy Spirit.

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We noted last time that it was
the intertestament period of 400

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years where there was no direct
and visible evidence of the Holy

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Spirit.
Last time we looked at the fact

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that the area of the time period
of creation was one of the very

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spectacular demonstrations of
the power of the Holy Spirit.

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As was the time period of the
Exodus when God established the

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Mosaic system of things, called
his nation, his people out of

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Egypt and, and put them into the
Holy Land, established them in

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the land that he’d chosen for
his name to dwell, the birth of

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the nation of Israel.
And another such momentous time

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in history, which we’re looking
at today.

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At top of the day was the
remarkable time when God,

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through the work of the Holy
Spirit, would reveal himself in

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earth, on earth, in the person
of his Son, the Lord Jesus

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Christ.
Now, of all time periods in

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history, that was a period of
the most momentous change.

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It’s the time when the gospel,
the good news concerning the

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Kingdom of God and the name of
Jesus Christ was going to be

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preached.
This was a time period when the

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sacrifice of the Son of God
would make possible the

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forgiveness of sins and open a
way of salvation for all men and

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women that would believe.
So this is a time period that we

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personally have a great debt of
gratitude for In terms of the

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work that was accomplished then,
I don’t know if you’ve thought

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about this, but it was also in
many ways the end of an era.

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This was the point in time when
God would remove the nation of

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Israel from their land for a
terrible nearly 2000 years.

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It was also the point in time
when the Mosaic system of things

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and the institutions of the law
and worship in Jerusalem would

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be done away and a better way
would become visible in Christ.

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This was also a point in time
when the nature of worship

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itself would change the human
race, because now the gospel is

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going to be spread out to the
Gentiles.

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So there’s going to be believers
now who are non Jews all around

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the world.
So from that time forward, the

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worshippers are going to be
gathered in scattered little

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groups in Gentile lands cut off
from worship in the city of

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Jerusalem.
So this is a rather

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extraordinary time in history.
And it was spoken of by the

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prophets for centuries
beforehand.

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So not surprisingly, it was also
a time of spectacular outpouring

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of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, I think we could say it

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was the most dramatic
demonstration of the work of the

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Holy Spirit that the world has
yet seen.

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So the time period of the birth
of Christ is an era when the

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work of the Holy Spirit became
powerfully manifested on earth

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again after 400 years of
silence.

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No prophets, no miracles, no
direct guidance, and suddenly

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God’s purpose bursts into
visible manifestation again.

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Now to get a bit of a sense of
the meticulous planning for this

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event, let’s just remember that
the time period of the Lord’s

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death, the year of the Lord’s
death, had been identified in

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the 70 weeks prophecy in Denim.
Everything was meticulously

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planned.
As the Apostle Paul writes in

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Galatians 4 verse 4, when the
fullness of time was come, God

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sent forth His Son, made of a
woman, made under the law.

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It’s such a momentous occasion
that when his Son is finally

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born, Luke 2 verse 30, and it
says suddenly there was with the

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Angel a multitude of the
heavenly host, and they’re

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praising God and they’re saying
glory to God in the highest and

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on earth, peace and goodwill
toward men.

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So as you would expect, the work
of the Holy Spirit exploded into

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prominence in those days.
Now, in preparation for that

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time, we won’t turn it up, but
in Luke 1, verse one, an Angel

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of the Lord appears to Zacharias
who was standing at the right

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hand of the altar of incense.
Can you imagine the impact of

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that when there had been
complete silence for a period of

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400 years?
No visitations from God, no

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prophecies, no direct voice from
God at all.

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Silence for 400 years, I
presume.

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The day began like any other.
Zacharias may have had toast for

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breakfast, or probably not, but
he would have got up, had his

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breakfast.
It would have just been like an

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ordinary day, like any other.
By the time that day finished,

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no lesser personage than the
mighty Angel Gabriel had been

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seen standing on Earth again
talking to me.

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What a remarkable
transformation.

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You know, it’s no wonder that
when Zacharias saw the Angel,

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we’re told that he was troubled
and fear fell upon him.

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As I was saying to the teams
this morning, probably it had

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the same sort of impact on him
that it will have on you and me.

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When we see our first Angel.
It will have that sort of

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impact.
You imagine what that will do

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for you when you see your first
Angel.

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So here’s Zacharias quietly
going about his business,

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worshipping in the temple, doing
the work beside the altar of

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incense, and suddenly the Angel
Gabriel is standing there.

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Now the Angel tells Zacharias in
Luke one, verse 15, that his

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son, whose name was going to be
called John, would be full of

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the Holy Spirit from his
mother’s womb.

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Note that full of the Holy
Spirit.

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That’s an expression we’re going
to come across quite a few times

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today, full of the Holy Spirit
and note also from his mother’s

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womb.
Just think through the

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implications of that right from
birth in Luke chapter one verse

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41, when Zacharias’s wife
Elizabeth hears the voice of

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Mary, it says she was filled
with the Holy Spirit and spoke

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out with a loud voice.
Later when John the Baptist is

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born, Zacharias writes down his
name should be John and

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Zacharias.
His tongue is loosed.

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It says in Luke one verse 67,
Zacharias was full of the Holy

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Spirit and he prophesied saying
so you get that father, mother,

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child, all fum of the Holy
Spirit.

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Only Spirit exploded onto the
sea after 400 years of thought.

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Now if that level of spirit
engagement, spirit involvement

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was involved with the birth of
the forerunner, what would you

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expect to see when it comes to
the birth of the only begotten

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Son of God?
Well, it all began in Luke

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chapter one, verse 26 with a
visitation again from the Angel

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Gabriel.
And he conveys to Mary the

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extraordinary message that she
is going to as a virgin, bring

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forth a child.
So in verse 36 of that chapter,

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the Angel says unto her, the
Holy Spirit will come upon thee

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and the power of the highest
shall over shadow thee.

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Therefore, also the holy thing
that is born of thee should be

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called the Son of God.
Now this is this is

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extraordinary.
The concept of a virgin birth.

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This is unmatched in the history
of the human race before or

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after.
This is the utterly impossible.

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But it was a beautifully crafted
solution for the impossible

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situation that the human race
found itself in man’s impossible

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predicament.
And it was also a fantastic

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fulfillment of Zizi 7, verse 14.
Therefore the Lord himself shall

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give you a sign.
Behold, a virgin shall conceive

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and bear a son, and shall call
his name Emmanuel, God with us.

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So as Joseph starts to hear of
what’s been happening and he’s

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understandably quite perturbed,
then an Angel appears to him as

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recorded in Matthew one verse 20
and tells him that what Mary is

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about to bear is conceived by
the Holy Spirit.

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Then when the baby’s born, a
sign appears to the wise men

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from the east.
A star guides them to where the

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child is.
The shepherds are visited by an

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Angel of the Lord with shining
glory.

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Then multitudes of the heavenly
host are praising God.

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God’s glorified and praised for
all the things that the

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shepherds had seen and heard.
Then after the child’s born,

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they bring him up to the city
where Simeon’s waiting.

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It says in Luke 2, verse 25,
Behold, there was a man in

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Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
The same man was just and

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devout, waiting for the
consolation of Israel, and the

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Holy Spirit was upon him.
Verse 26 And it was revealed to

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him by the Holy Spirit that he
should not see death before he’d

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seen the Lord’s Christ.
Verse 27 And he came by the

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Spirit into the temple.
Do you get the sense that is an

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explosion now of the activity of
the Spirit seen in the land of

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Israel around the time period of
the birth of Christ?

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Later Joseph and Mary are warned
by an Angel to go to Egypt,

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which they do.
Later when they come back,

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they’re told to go and settle in
the region of Galilee.

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All right, I’d like you to come
with me now to the book of Luke,

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Gospel of Luke and chapter 2.
There’s an interesting little

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phrase there, actually, when it
comes to the birth and

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development of this child.
Luke chapter 2, pick up the

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record in verse 40.
So they’ve turned in verse 39 to

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Galilee, to their own city,
Nazareth, verse 40.

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And the child grew and waxed
strong in spirit, filled with

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wisdom, and the grace of God was
upon him.

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The dialogue says The little
child grew and was strengthened

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in spirit, being filled with
wisdom.

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The favour of God was on it.
Young’s literal very similar.

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The child grew and was
strengthened in spirit, being

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filled with wisdom, and the
grace of God was upon him.

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So is this suggesting that the
Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of

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God, was actually working
directly in the Lord Jesus

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Christ even before his baptism?
And I believe the answer to that

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is yes.
And there’s a few reasons for

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that.
First of all, this expression

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here that he was waxing strong
in spirit and filled with

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wisdom.
Wisdom is actually an explicit

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gift of the Spirit that’s
referred to in the New

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Testament.
But remember the words to

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Zacharias in chapter 1 and verse
15 that his son, whose name

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would be John, would be filled
with the Holy Spirit even from

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his mother’s womb.
So I think it’s unlikely that

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the Holy Spirit was in John from
his mother’s womb and not

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actually in the Lord Jesus
Christ.

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Now we know that later the
Spirit descends on Christ at his

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baptism, but that doesn’t mean
that it wasn’t working with him

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in his life beforehand, as we’ll
see later.

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For example, Acts chapter 2, the
disciples received the Holy

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Spirit.
They actually had aspects of the

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Holy Spirit before Acts chapter
2, as we shall see as we go

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through this morning.
So here we have two remarkable

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lads, John the Baptist, the
Forerunner and the Lord Jesus

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Christ.
And their existence is

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absolutely a result of the work
of the Holy Spirit.

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And as they come to adulthood,
the day arrives when they will

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start being revealed to the
nation of Israel.

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So first of all, we’ve got the
ministry of John the Baptist.

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Now, the ministry of John the
Baptist resounded like a

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thunderclamp over the heads of
Israel as this extraordinary man

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comes out with this roaring
voice and this great message of

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repentance to the people.
And yet he’s John the Baptist.

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He’s full of the Holy Spirit,
but he does know miracles.

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It’s interesting.
It’s almost like an offhand

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comment that the people make
when they come to see Christ in

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John 10 verse 41.
Many resorted to Christ and they

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said John did know miracles, but
all things that John spake of

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this man were true.
Well, truly John spoke the

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truth.
He was full of the Holy Spirit,

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but actually his role was to be
the voice of Isaiah 40, the

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voice that cries.
So the Holy Spirit manifested in

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John the Baptist was not to do
miracles actually, but to work

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as the voice of one crying to
prepare the way for the Lord.

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And then John the Baptist spoke
of 1 coming, who would baptize

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them with the Holy Spirit and
with fire.

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Matthew 3 verse 11.
Now those are quite amazing

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words because when he says that
there’s one coming, He’s going

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00:14:11,640 –> 00:14:14,680
to baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire, He’s saying

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there’s someone going to come.
He’s not only going to be full

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00:14:16,880 –> 00:14:20,360
of the Holy Spirit, but he’ll
have the ability to pass the

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Holy Spirit on to other people.
He will baptize them with the

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Holy Spirit and with fire.
And from that point on, things

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00:14:28,520 –> 00:14:32,800
only become more potent and more
intense as the record starts to

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00:14:32,800 –> 00:14:36,240
open of the work of the Holy
Spirit now manifested in the

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only begotten Son of God.
Because now what we’ve got is

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the beginning of the new
creation process itself.

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So like you to come with me to
John chapter 1, Gospel of John

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and chapter 1 here we’ve got a
reference to the baptism of the

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Lord Jesus Christ.
We’ll pick up the record in

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00:14:54,120 –> 00:14:57,560
verse 29.
Next day John sees Jesus coming

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to him and he says, behold, the
Lamb of God, which takes away

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the sin of the world.
So John one verse 30.

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Well, verse 31 I knew him not,
he said, but that he should be

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made manifest to Israel,
therefore I’m come coming

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baptizing with water.
Verse 32 John B records saying,

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00:15:16,520 –> 00:15:22,440
I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and it abode

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upon him.
I didn’t know who he was, but he

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00:15:24,840 –> 00:15:26,480
that sent me to baptize with
water.

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00:15:26,480 –> 00:15:30,160
The same said to me, Upon whom
thou shalt see the Spirit

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00:15:30,160 –> 00:15:35,880
descending and remaining on him.
The same is he which baptizes

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00:15:36,240 –> 00:15:41,080
with the Holy Spirit, and so he
bears record that this one is

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the Son of God.
So let’s try and work out what’s

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actually happening here in this
particular record.

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He’s watching and the Spirit
descends in the shape it says of

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00:15:53,480 –> 00:15:58,600
a dove and rests upon him.
Now that’s a bit unusual, isn’t

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it?
You see the Spirit in the shape

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00:16:01,360 –> 00:16:04,040
of a dove resting upon them.
We need to try and work out

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00:16:04,240 –> 00:16:07,320
what’s happening here in the
record in John chapter 1.

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So what’s the context?
Let’s turn back the page to the

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00:16:12,520 –> 00:16:16,720
beginning of the chapter.
How does the Gospel of John

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00:16:16,800 –> 00:16:21,400
begin in the beginning?
Heard those words?

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00:16:21,400 –> 00:16:23,200
Prefer.
Where do those words come up?

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00:16:24,200 –> 00:16:26,480
That’s the opening words of
Scripture, Genesis chapter one

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00:16:26,640 –> 00:16:29,600
in the beginning.
So straight away it tells us

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00:16:29,680 –> 00:16:32,200
actually that there’s a
reference here back to Genesis

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00:16:32,200 –> 00:16:33,840
one.
In the beginning was the Word.

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00:16:33,840 –> 00:16:36,040
The word was with God.
The word was God.

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00:16:36,040 –> 00:16:37,800
The same was in the beginning
with God.

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All things were made by Him.
We’ve got a creation process in

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him.
Was life the life?

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00:16:44,280 –> 00:16:48,480
Was the light of men versified?
The light shines in darkness,

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The darkness comprehends.
If not, you can see all these

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00:16:52,080 –> 00:16:55,840
echoes of the creation process
from Genesis chapter 1.

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00:16:56,040 –> 00:16:58,560
So what do we have?
We have the Gospel of John

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00:16:58,560 –> 00:17:02,520
opening up a new creation
process as the new creation

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00:17:02,520 –> 00:17:07,000
begins in the life in the work
of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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So how did the first creation
process begin?

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An earth without form and void.
Darkness is upon the face of the

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deep, and the spirit is brooding
or moving upon the face of the

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waters.
And we looked at that word

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00:17:21,520 –> 00:17:25,960
moving yesterday, Raka, and it
means to hover or to flutter

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00:17:26,119 –> 00:17:31,480
like a bird.
So now we see the Holy Spirit in

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00:17:31,480 –> 00:17:35,720
the shape of a dove as of a bird
descending and sitting upon the

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head of the Lord Jesus or upon
the Lord Jesus Christ.

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So now we’ve got a very clear
reference that this is the new

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creation process beginning in
the work of God through the work

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of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a momentous occasion.

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This is one of those foundation
stones of history.

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Now 3 of the gospel records then
mention that the Lord is led by

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00:17:59,880 –> 00:18:04,400
the Spirit into the wilderness.
But Luke’s gospel adds another

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00:18:04,400 –> 00:18:07,720
significant little statement.
It says in Luke chapter 4, verse

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00:18:07,720 –> 00:18:14,920
one, that Jesus, being full of
the Holy Spirit, returned from

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Jordan and was led by the Spirit
into the wilderness.

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00:18:19,000 –> 00:18:20,480
It’s a noteworthy comment, isn’t
it?

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00:18:20,640 –> 00:18:23,960
Has our Lord and he’s full of
the Holy Spirit.

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00:18:24,440 –> 00:18:26,240
See how this phrase is starting
to come up?

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00:18:26,880 –> 00:18:32,360
Zacharias, Elizabeth, John the
Baptist, now the Lord himself

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00:18:32,840 –> 00:18:38,680
full of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, as the Gospel of John

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00:18:38,680 –> 00:18:41,480
knows, we’re in John.
Let’s just turn over to John 3,

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00:18:41,480 –> 00:18:44,200
verse 34, an interesting little
phrase that’s used there.

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00:18:44,200 –> 00:18:51,840
John 3 and verse 34 For he whom
God hath sinned, speak of the

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00:18:51,840 –> 00:18:56,720
words of God.
For God giveth not the Spirit by

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00:18:56,720 –> 00:19:00,120
measure unto him.
In other words, God didn’t give

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00:19:00,600 –> 00:19:04,720
a little bit of the Spirit.
Measure out two bushels of the

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00:19:04,720 –> 00:19:07,840
Spirit.
He was full of the Holy Spirit,

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00:19:07,840 –> 00:19:11,840
without measure, without limits.
So the work of God now through

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00:19:11,840 –> 00:19:15,720
the Holy Spirit is absolutely
embodied in the Lord Jesus

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00:19:15,720 –> 00:19:19,600
Christ, who’s described as here
as being full of the Holy Spirit

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00:19:19,880 –> 00:19:24,520
and without measure.
So this meant that as the Lord

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00:19:24,520 –> 00:19:29,720
Jesus Christ began his ministry,
there were extraordinary things

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00:19:29,920 –> 00:19:34,480
being seen by the people around.
Most amazing displays of power

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00:19:35,080 –> 00:19:36,520
that the world has ever yet
experienced.

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00:19:38,720 –> 00:19:40,840
This was a power that could
save.

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00:19:42,360 –> 00:19:44,880
This was a power that could
heal.

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00:19:46,240 –> 00:19:49,440
This is a power that could
release those who were in

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00:19:49,440 –> 00:19:51,480
bondage.
This is a power who could

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00:19:51,480 –> 00:19:55,160
discern the thoughts and the
intents of the of the heart.

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This was a power which could
thwart the most devious and the

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evil minds of that generation.
In fact, this was a power that

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00:20:03,480 –> 00:20:08,520
could even raise the dead.
There’s a beautiful expression

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00:20:08,520 –> 00:20:11,600
in Mark Matthew chapter 4 in
verse 16.

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00:20:12,200 –> 00:20:17,440
The people that sat in darkness
saw great light, and to them,

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00:20:17,440 –> 00:20:22,040
which sat in the region of the
shadow of death, like the

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00:20:22,040 –> 00:20:24,160
Springer, those words are
graphic.

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00:20:25,160 –> 00:20:32,080
These people are sitting in the
region of the shadow of death,

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00:20:32,960 –> 00:20:36,280
and great light suddenly shines
upon them, it goes on to say.

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And Jesus went about old
Galilee, teaching in their

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00:20:38,920 –> 00:20:42,560
synagogues, preaching the gospel
of the Kingdom, and healing all

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00:20:42,560 –> 00:20:45,720
manner of sickness and all
manner of disease among the

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00:20:45,720 –> 00:20:47,840
people.
And his fame went throughout all

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00:20:47,840 –> 00:20:49,680
Syria.
They bring to him all sick

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00:20:49,680 –> 00:20:52,840
people that were taken with
divers diseases and torments,

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00:20:53,040 –> 00:20:55,920
and those which were possessed
with devils, those which were

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00:20:55,920 –> 00:20:59,120
lunatic, and those that had the
palsy, and he healed them.

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00:21:01,000 –> 00:21:05,880
So we’ve got people that were
living in oppression and squad.

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00:21:07,400 –> 00:21:10,480
They’re subjected to just about
every disease and sickness which

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00:21:10,480 –> 00:21:13,920
was known to man.
They were living in a nation

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00:21:13,920 –> 00:21:17,720
which had lost its way and its
relationship with God.

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00:21:18,520 –> 00:21:23,040
And suddenly this bright light
springs up and the flame of that

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00:21:23,040 –> 00:21:26,640
light was ignited by the work of
the Holy Spirit.

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00:21:27,040 –> 00:21:30,840
That was the power that enabled
this extraordinary turn around

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00:21:31,200 –> 00:21:34,200
to take place.
And what we have in that little

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00:21:34,200 –> 00:21:37,760
scene is a cameo of the work of
salvation that a loving Messiah

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00:21:38,000 –> 00:21:41,240
was then going to actually bring
for the entire world.

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Now one of the one of the
specific objectives of the work

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00:21:47,640 –> 00:21:50,840
of the Holy Spirit at that time
was not just to give the Lord

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00:21:51,240 –> 00:21:54,800
these miraculous powers, but it
was to work as a witness.

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00:21:55,880 –> 00:21:59,400
And it’s referred to in the New
Testament as being the witness

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00:21:59,440 –> 00:22:03,440
of the Holy Spirit, not just for
the Lord Jesus Christ, but also

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00:22:03,440 –> 00:22:06,080
later for the for the disciples
as well.

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00:22:06,080 –> 00:22:09,760
And it’s one of the key roles of
the work of the Holy Spirit.

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00:22:11,800 –> 00:22:14,040
Let’s just look at these
passages, John five.

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00:22:14,440 –> 00:22:20,200
If I bear witness of myself, my
witness is not true, but I have

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00:22:20,200 –> 00:22:24,720
a greater witness than that of
John for the works which the

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00:22:24,720 –> 00:22:28,480
Father has given me to finish.
The same works that I do bear

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00:22:28,480 –> 00:22:30,440
witness of me that the Father
had sent me.

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00:22:30,440 –> 00:22:34,040
So the Holy Spirit was there as
a witness with the works that it

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00:22:34,040 –> 00:22:39,640
enabled him to do, or John 10.
Jesus answered them, I told you,

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00:22:39,640 –> 00:22:42,280
and you believe not.
The works that I do in my

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00:22:42,280 –> 00:22:46,880
Father’s name, they bear witness
of me if I do not.

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00:22:46,880 –> 00:22:51,640
The works of my Father believe
me not, but if I do, though ye

353
00:22:51,640 –> 00:22:56,200
believe not me, believe the
works that ye may know and

354
00:22:56,200 –> 00:22:58,680
believe.
And so the works that were

355
00:22:58,680 –> 00:23:02,000
accomplished through the Holy
Spirit were part of the witness

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00:23:02,000 –> 00:23:05,320
to the veracity of of our Lord’s
message as well.

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00:23:07,080 –> 00:23:14,400
So the 3 1/2 vibrant tumultuous
years, our Lord’s ministry was a

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00:23:14,400 –> 00:23:19,080
demonstration of the Holy Spirit
work in power in in glory.

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00:23:19,440 –> 00:23:23,800
In the process, our Lord begins
to gather around him a group of

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00:23:23,960 –> 00:23:27,360
of believers of disciples
amongst those, of course, we

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00:23:27,360 –> 00:23:30,760
know particularly that the 12
disciples were called forth.

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00:23:32,000 –> 00:23:36,400
And as our Lord starts preaching
with his ministry, even way back

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00:23:36,400 –> 00:23:40,880
then, he started sending them
out to do preaching without him.

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00:23:41,520 –> 00:23:44,440
And it was a way of extending
the reach of the gospel

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00:23:44,440 –> 00:23:48,760
preaching campaigns, even when
he wasn’t their present himself.

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00:23:49,440 –> 00:23:53,160
So I’d like you to come with me
to Luke Chapter 9 where we send

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00:23:53,160 –> 00:23:56,640
him first see him first of all,
sending out the the 12

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00:23:56,640 –> 00:23:59,080
disciples.
And just look at what we read

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00:23:59,080 –> 00:24:01,560
here.
And this this may come as a

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00:24:01,560 –> 00:24:04,080
surprise to you.
It certainly did to me to stop

371
00:24:04,080 –> 00:24:06,080
and think through it.
In fact, it’s fairly obvious, I

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00:24:06,080 –> 00:24:09,000
guess, when I look back now.
But it was a surprise to me.

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00:24:09,640 –> 00:24:12,560
Luke Chapter 9, verse 1.
He called us 12 disciples

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00:24:12,560 –> 00:24:17,160
together.
And note, these words gave them

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00:24:17,640 –> 00:24:25,160
power and authority over all
devils and to cure diseases.

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00:24:26,640 –> 00:24:30,320
So what does that tell us?
It tells us that in a limited

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00:24:30,320 –> 00:24:34,200
extent, they were given the
power of the Holy Spirit to work

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00:24:34,200 –> 00:24:38,600
miracles well before they
received it on the day of

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00:24:38,600 –> 00:24:40,960
Pentecost.
They were granted aspects that

380
00:24:40,960 –> 00:24:45,280
would enable them to to keep, to
heal, and to cast out devils.

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00:24:45,280 –> 00:24:49,080
All right, let’s turn over to
Luke chapter 10, Luke 10 verse

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00:24:49,080 –> 00:24:52,400
one.
This time it’s not 12, it’s 70.

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00:24:53,320 –> 00:24:56,240
After these things, the Lord
appointed other 70 also and sent

384
00:24:56,240 –> 00:25:00,120
them two and two before his face
into every city and place,

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00:25:00,440 –> 00:25:05,400
whether He himself would come.
It’s a very clear echo here,

386
00:25:05,400 –> 00:25:07,880
isn’t there?
Remember yesterday as we were

387
00:25:07,880 –> 00:25:11,400
looking at the Holy Spirit being
outpoured in the days of Moses,

388
00:25:12,080 –> 00:25:15,880
and we talked about the 70
elders and some of the power of

389
00:25:15,880 –> 00:25:19,760
the Spirit was taken from Moses
and placed upon the 70 elders

390
00:25:19,760 –> 00:25:21,920
who then prophesied and did not
cease.

391
00:25:22,080 –> 00:25:25,360
Well, here we’ve got the New
Testament equivalent in the work

392
00:25:25,360 –> 00:25:29,920
of the Lord Jesus Christ as He
takes these 70 and He gives them

393
00:25:29,920 –> 00:25:34,440
also the power to do some
extraordinary things.

394
00:25:34,960 –> 00:25:37,960
Now let’s have a look in verse
9.

395
00:25:41,480 –> 00:25:45,000
He sent them out and he said
that they were to heal the sick

396
00:25:45,000 –> 00:25:49,760
that are therein and say to
them, the Kingdom of God is come

397
00:25:49,760 –> 00:25:52,120
nigh unto you.
And in fact, when we get to

398
00:25:52,120 –> 00:25:57,640
verse 19, when they came back
rejoicing, they said, well,

399
00:25:57,640 –> 00:26:00,880
verse 17 the 70 returned again
with joy, saying, Lord, even the

400
00:26:00,880 –> 00:26:03,320
devils are subject to us through
thy name.

401
00:26:03,440 –> 00:26:07,400
We can we can heal sicknesses,
we can do extraordinary things.

402
00:26:08,520 –> 00:26:12,800
And he says in verse 19, Behold,
I give you power to tread on

403
00:26:12,800 –> 00:26:17,960
serpents and scorpions and over
all the power of the enemy, and

404
00:26:17,960 –> 00:26:20,920
nothing shall by any means hurt
you.

405
00:26:22,360 –> 00:26:25,400
So it’s actually clear from
these passages that to a limited

406
00:26:25,400 –> 00:26:28,040
extent, the work of the Holy
Spirit, the power of the Holy

407
00:26:28,040 –> 00:26:31,160
Spirit was actually given to
these people well before Acts

408
00:26:31,160 –> 00:26:34,880
chapter 2 in a limited extent,
to be able to go forth and do

409
00:26:34,880 –> 00:26:38,600
miracles, to do miracles of
healing as part of the the

410
00:26:38,600 –> 00:26:41,600
Witnessing campaign.
There’s actually another little

411
00:26:41,600 –> 00:26:44,120
incident which illustrates the
same thing.

412
00:26:44,120 –> 00:26:46,800
You remember when the Lord came
down from the Mount of

413
00:26:46,800 –> 00:26:50,520
Transfiguration and there was a
man there with the disciples,

414
00:26:50,520 –> 00:26:53,520
the remainder of the disciples,
and he had a son who was

415
00:26:53,520 –> 00:26:56,600
extremely unwell.
And he said, I bought them to

416
00:26:56,600 –> 00:26:58,760
your cycles and they couldn’t
heal him.

417
00:26:59,720 –> 00:27:01,520
And the indication there, of
course, is that there was an

418
00:27:01,520 –> 00:27:05,160
expectation that they would be
able to do that because they had

419
00:27:05,160 –> 00:27:09,360
been doing miracles of healing
before that particular point in

420
00:27:09,360 –> 00:27:11,520
time.
So these, these, I call them the

421
00:27:11,600 –> 00:27:14,720
early manifestations of the
Spirit in the work of the

422
00:27:14,720 –> 00:27:16,760
disciples.
And they were given to enable

423
00:27:16,760 –> 00:27:22,480
them to extend the work of the
ministry of the Lord was also, I

424
00:27:22,480 –> 00:27:26,120
guess, an opportunity to to
teach and to train the

425
00:27:26,120 –> 00:27:30,320
disciples.
Of course, the big question is

426
00:27:31,200 –> 00:27:34,480
what was going to happen once
the Lord departed?

427
00:27:35,480 –> 00:27:38,280
Now we know, of course, that the
disciples had had no, no

428
00:27:38,280 –> 00:27:42,440
comprehension of this.
They had no idea of the

429
00:27:42,440 –> 00:27:46,760
impending bereavement that they
were about to experience.

430
00:27:47,400 –> 00:27:49,960
They thought the Lord was about
to restore the Kingdom to

431
00:27:49,960 –> 00:27:52,000
Israel.
They didn’t understand that He

432
00:27:52,000 –> 00:27:55,200
was going to suffer and die.
They certainly didn’t understand

433
00:27:55,200 –> 00:27:58,080
that He was then going to be
removed from them for a long

434
00:27:58,080 –> 00:28:01,480
period of time.
They didn’t understand that then

435
00:28:01,480 –> 00:28:04,840
the work of preaching was going
to fall very squarely on their

436
00:28:04,840 –> 00:28:09,920
personal shoulders and that then
for the rest of their life,

437
00:28:09,920 –> 00:28:14,280
however long or short that was
going to be, they would be

438
00:28:14,280 –> 00:28:18,440
tasked with carrying on the
ministry of their absent Lord.

439
00:28:19,520 –> 00:28:22,800
Of course, our Lord understood
this only too clearly.

440
00:28:23,120 –> 00:28:27,080
And so as the, as the days and
the months of his ministry draw

441
00:28:27,080 –> 00:28:31,120
to a close, we can actually
sense from the, from the record,

442
00:28:31,120 –> 00:28:34,560
the way in which he’s
intensifying, intensifying his,

443
00:28:34,560 –> 00:28:37,800
his communication with the
disciples and he’s trying to

444
00:28:37,800 –> 00:28:42,120
prepare them for that time.
He’s intensely aware of their

445
00:28:42,120 –> 00:28:46,960
needs and of their own struggles
as he’s working to develop their

446
00:28:46,960 –> 00:28:50,720
characters, but he’s also trying
to prepare them for the time

447
00:28:50,880 –> 00:28:54,440
when he’s not going to be there.
He speaks to them about the fact

448
00:28:54,440 –> 00:28:55,920
that he’s going to suffer and
die.

449
00:28:56,240 –> 00:28:59,720
They don’t comprehend it.
He speaks to them about the fact

450
00:28:59,720 –> 00:29:01,720
that actually they are going to
be persecuted.

451
00:29:01,720 –> 00:29:03,960
They don’t understand what he’s
saying.

452
00:29:04,120 –> 00:29:07,680
And so as the gospel records
draw to a close, we, we, we

453
00:29:07,680 –> 00:29:12,800
sense the Lord focusing more and
more on preparing the disciples

454
00:29:12,800 –> 00:29:14,440
for the lessons they needed to
learn.

455
00:29:14,840 –> 00:29:17,240
So he’s trying to train them.
He’s trying to prepare them.

456
00:29:17,240 –> 00:29:19,360
He’s, he’s trying to enlighten
them.

457
00:29:19,920 –> 00:29:22,520
They knew what it was that they
were actually going to be

458
00:29:22,520 –> 00:29:24,280
facing.
And then he’s trying to set up

459
00:29:24,280 –> 00:29:27,960
an understanding which they can
refer back to in their minds

460
00:29:27,960 –> 00:29:30,480
after he’s gone.
They’re like, ah, that’s right,

461
00:29:30,760 –> 00:29:32,720
this happened.
And the Lord said this and he,

462
00:29:32,920 –> 00:29:38,760
he did these things and you can,
you can appreciate the emotions

463
00:29:38,760 –> 00:29:41,440
that would have filled our Lord
as he’s working with his

464
00:29:41,440 –> 00:29:44,040
disciples before he’s taken away
from them.

465
00:29:45,400 –> 00:29:50,440
He alone knew the burdens that
they would be facing, opinion of

466
00:29:50,440 –> 00:29:54,560
persecutions that they were
going to go through, and he

467
00:29:54,560 –> 00:29:58,160
warned them that in the same way
that the Jews had persecuted the

468
00:29:58,160 –> 00:30:02,280
Master, so that we’re going to
start persecuting the followers.

469
00:30:02,600 –> 00:30:06,400
I’d like you to come with me to
John chapter 15, because of

470
00:30:06,400 –> 00:30:11,600
course, the most intense record
of our Lord’s preparation of His

471
00:30:11,600 –> 00:30:15,440
disciples is the record over
several chapters in the Gospel

472
00:30:15,440 –> 00:30:20,040
of John of His discussions with
them in the Upper room on that

473
00:30:20,040 –> 00:30:23,240
last fateful night.
John chapter 15.

474
00:30:24,040 –> 00:30:29,320
Pick up the record.
Well, pick up the record in

475
00:30:29,320 –> 00:30:31,680
verse 19.
If you were of the world, the

476
00:30:31,680 –> 00:30:35,920
world would love His own.
But because you are not of the

477
00:30:35,920 –> 00:30:40,600
world, but I’ve chosen you out
of the world, therefore the

478
00:30:40,600 –> 00:30:44,040
world hates you.
Remember what I said to you.

479
00:30:44,440 –> 00:30:47,600
Remember what I said, The
servant is not greater than his

480
00:30:47,600 –> 00:30:50,960
Lord.
If they have persecuted me, they

481
00:30:50,960 –> 00:30:56,240
will also persecute you.
If they’ve kept my saying, they

482
00:30:56,240 –> 00:30:59,920
will keep yours also.
So here he is with them in the

483
00:30:59,920 –> 00:31:02,440
upper Room on that last night.
He’s saying to them, Remember

484
00:31:02,440 –> 00:31:05,480
what I’ve told you.
They are going to persecute you

485
00:31:05,480 –> 00:31:08,480
in the same way that they’ve
persecuted me.

486
00:31:09,720 –> 00:31:13,000
And because He was so concerned
for him, a few moments later he

487
00:31:13,000 –> 00:31:14,560
prays to the Father to help
them.

488
00:31:14,560 –> 00:31:18,520
We have that beautiful prayer of
John 17 where he’s praying to

489
00:31:18,520 –> 00:31:21,680
the Father that when he’s gone
here, the Father would keep

490
00:31:21,680 –> 00:31:25,320
working with them, that He would
keep them in His own name, that

491
00:31:25,320 –> 00:31:28,520
they’d be able to keep on with
this work of the gospel.

492
00:31:29,040 –> 00:31:32,400
So it’s a plea.
Look at John 17 verse 15, for

493
00:31:32,400 –> 00:31:35,440
example.
I pray not that thou should just

494
00:31:35,440 –> 00:31:39,120
take them out of the world, but
that thou should just keep them

495
00:31:39,520 –> 00:31:43,800
from the evil.
And so he’s praying that God’s

496
00:31:43,800 –> 00:31:46,880
going to be able to work with
these disciples once he’s been

497
00:31:46,880 –> 00:31:56,400
taken away.
So let’s not underestimate the

498
00:31:56,400 –> 00:31:59,840
importance of what’s actually
happening here, the enormity of

499
00:31:59,840 –> 00:32:06,320
what was at stake.
Once our Lord was gone and

500
00:32:06,320 –> 00:32:11,600
ascended to the Father, his
personal physical work on earth

501
00:32:11,600 –> 00:32:17,480
came to an end.
So from that point on, the work

502
00:32:17,480 –> 00:32:22,880
of extending the gospel not just
to the Jewish people but to the

503
00:32:22,880 –> 00:32:28,360
entire world was then going to
fall upon their shoulders.

504
00:32:29,480 –> 00:32:34,560
This process of spreading the
gospel around the world and

505
00:32:34,560 –> 00:32:41,600
doing so in such a way that for
2000 years that work of gospel

506
00:32:41,600 –> 00:32:48,120
proclamation would survive and
continue, that depended on the

507
00:32:48,160 –> 00:32:50,960
eleven of those men in front of
him actually taking up the

508
00:32:50,960 –> 00:32:52,720
mantle that he was laying upon
their shoulders.

509
00:32:53,040 –> 00:32:56,600
Just think about that.
The work of the preaching of the

510
00:32:56,600 –> 00:33:03,600
gospel for 2000 years depended
on eleven of those men taking up

511
00:33:03,600 –> 00:33:07,320
the mantle that he was laying on
their shoulders at that

512
00:33:07,320 –> 00:33:12,440
particular time.
Brothers and sisters, if that

513
00:33:12,440 –> 00:33:16,520
work hadn’t succeeded, you and I
wouldn’t be sitting here now.

514
00:33:18,240 –> 00:33:20,120
It’s that intense.
It’s that personal.

515
00:33:20,600 –> 00:33:23,760
It was that important.
If that conveying of that

516
00:33:23,760 –> 00:33:27,080
message to those disciples had
not worked, we wouldn’t be

517
00:33:27,080 –> 00:33:29,480
sitting here now.
And every single one of those

518
00:33:29,480 –> 00:33:33,320
men then those eleven were to
give their lives for that work

519
00:33:33,760 –> 00:33:36,400
and their passionate commitment
to that work.

520
00:33:36,400 –> 00:33:40,160
Also shown by by the beloved
brother Paul, the apostle Paul

521
00:33:40,480 –> 00:33:44,160
meant that the Lord’s work would
then continue and prosper.

522
00:33:44,160 –> 00:33:48,520
It worked.
But of course sheer willpower

523
00:33:48,800 –> 00:33:52,040
and commitment and enthusiasm
wasn’t going to be sufficient.

524
00:33:52,040 –> 00:33:56,200
The Lord said truly the Spirit
is willing about the flesh is

525
00:33:56,200 –> 00:33:59,560
weak.
So something more was needed to

526
00:33:59,560 –> 00:34:02,280
make sure that that work of
preaching the truth would

527
00:34:02,280 –> 00:34:04,760
actually continue.
And our Lord knew that there was

528
00:34:04,760 –> 00:34:09,159
one additional factor which was
absolutely essential for them to

529
00:34:09,159 –> 00:34:12,760
be able to continue that work.
One major thing which He could

530
00:34:12,760 –> 00:34:16,960
do which would enable them to
endure all of the persecutions

531
00:34:17,239 –> 00:34:20,560
and succeed in this
extraordinary work of gospel

532
00:34:20,560 –> 00:34:23,560
proclamation.
Of course, as we can imagine,

533
00:34:23,880 –> 00:34:26,600
that is the gift of the Holy
Spirit.

534
00:34:28,280 –> 00:34:31,560
So the gift of the Holy Spirit
is not just like, I don’t know,

535
00:34:31,560 –> 00:34:35,400
giving someone a spare pencil or
an extra pair of trousers or

536
00:34:35,400 –> 00:34:39,800
cash flow for their journey.
It’s not like a self help manual

537
00:34:40,280 –> 00:34:43,639
or some sort of mutual
improvement for incremental,

538
00:34:43,679 –> 00:34:47,560
incremental advancement of these
people on training for when they

539
00:34:47,560 –> 00:34:55,520
go out to do their tasks.
These men were full of the power

540
00:34:55,679 –> 00:34:59,920
of God, extraordinary concept
when he sent them out.

541
00:35:00,440 –> 00:35:06,080
They were a living, walking,
talking manifestation of the

542
00:35:06,120 –> 00:35:10,680
power of the Almighty.
We’re going to read a succession

543
00:35:10,680 –> 00:35:14,200
of passages and I want you to
see if you can spot the common

544
00:35:14,200 –> 00:35:15,960
phrase.
They’re all from the book of

545
00:35:15,960 –> 00:35:18,600
Acts.
It’s not hard by the way.

546
00:35:19,640 –> 00:35:23,040
X2 verse 4 and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit.

547
00:35:24,560 –> 00:35:26,880
Acts 4 verse 48, no verse 8,
sorry.

548
00:35:26,880 –> 00:35:31,240
X4 verse 8, Peter when he’s
speaking to the Jewish leaders

549
00:35:31,240 –> 00:35:33,680
and he talks about their
personal responsibility for

550
00:35:33,680 –> 00:35:35,960
rejecting the head cornerstone
chosen by God.

551
00:35:36,200 –> 00:35:39,800
It says in Acts 4 verse 8 that
Peter being full of the Holy

552
00:35:39,800 –> 00:35:43,600
Spirit spoke and did things.
In Acts 7 verse three, they

553
00:35:43,600 –> 00:35:47,440
choose seven men full of the
Holy Spirit and wisdom to look

554
00:35:47,440 –> 00:35:50,680
after the Grecian widows.
X7 verse 55.

555
00:35:50,680 –> 00:35:54,320
Stephen being full of the Holy
Spirit, looks up steadfastly

556
00:35:54,320 –> 00:35:57,640
into heaven and sees the glory
of God and Jesus standing on the

557
00:35:57,640 –> 00:36:00,840
right hand of God.
X11 verse 24.

558
00:36:00,960 –> 00:36:06,040
Barnabas was a good man and full
of the Holy Spirit in faith X 13

559
00:36:06,040 –> 00:36:07,040
verse 9.
Peter.

560
00:36:07,480 –> 00:36:11,200
Sorry, Paul being filled with
the Holy Spirit blinds Elimus

561
00:36:11,200 –> 00:36:15,840
the Sorcerer X13 verse 52 when
Paul and Barnabas are expelled

562
00:36:15,840 –> 00:36:19,040
from Antioch, it says the
disciples were filled with joy

563
00:36:19,040 –> 00:36:22,960
and with the Holy Spirit.
You hear the common phrase, you

564
00:36:22,960 –> 00:36:26,360
hear the point.
These are men who were just full

565
00:36:26,760 –> 00:36:29,800
of the Holy Spirit.
So it’s not just a small thing

566
00:36:29,800 –> 00:36:33,320
here.
They were full of the almighty

567
00:36:33,320 –> 00:36:37,560
power of God.
It’s the same power which

568
00:36:37,560 –> 00:36:40,600
created the the world in the
first place.

569
00:36:41,120 –> 00:36:45,160
It’s the same power which
sustains the life of all flesh.

570
00:36:45,680 –> 00:36:51,200
And that power was entrusted to
these men because the magnitude

571
00:36:51,200 –> 00:36:54,040
of the task before them required
that.

572
00:36:55,600 –> 00:37:00,320
And it was possible because God
gave His Son the authority to be

573
00:37:00,320 –> 00:37:02,960
able to do that, to share the
work of the Holy Spirit.

574
00:37:04,680 –> 00:37:07,840
Now, why was this necessary?
Well, let’s just keep thinking

575
00:37:07,840 –> 00:37:11,200
about this.
Why was it so necessary that

576
00:37:11,200 –> 00:37:15,040
they had this visible
demonstration of the power of

577
00:37:15,040 –> 00:37:19,600
God?
Well, if the task was fallen on

578
00:37:19,600 –> 00:37:25,600
your shoulders, how would you
convey the power of the gospel

579
00:37:25,840 –> 00:37:28,840
to others?
How would you have the power to

580
00:37:28,840 –> 00:37:33,120
convince all your hearers that
Jesus of Nazareth was actually

581
00:37:33,120 –> 00:37:34,800
the Christ, the anointed, the
Messiah?

582
00:37:35,440 –> 00:37:39,640
So, for example, take Stephen in
Acts 6 verse 10.

583
00:37:39,640 –> 00:37:44,640
It says they would not able to
resist the wisdom and the spirit

584
00:37:44,640 –> 00:37:48,640
by which he spoke.
Well, how would you perform like

585
00:37:48,640 –> 00:37:53,440
Apollos X 18 verse 28.
He mightily convinced the Jews

586
00:37:53,640 –> 00:37:57,400
and that publicly showing by the
Scriptures that Jesus was

587
00:37:57,400 –> 00:38:00,840
Christ.
So let’s imagine for a moment

588
00:38:01,040 –> 00:38:06,480
that we’re one of the 12.
How would you remember

589
00:38:06,760 –> 00:38:10,400
everything that the Lord Jesus
Christ had taught you?

590
00:38:12,440 –> 00:38:15,560
How would you be able to to open
up the limitless power of the

591
00:38:15,560 –> 00:38:18,760
Scriptures to convince people of
the way in which the Scriptures

592
00:38:18,760 –> 00:38:21,960
spoke beforehand of the work of
the Lord Jesus Christ?

593
00:38:23,480 –> 00:38:27,560
And later, when you’re dragged,
beaten and and persecuted before

594
00:38:27,560 –> 00:38:31,840
the council, in pain and in
stress, how would you be able to

595
00:38:31,840 –> 00:38:35,240
answer with wisdom and power and
might convincing people that

596
00:38:35,240 –> 00:38:40,800
Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
How would you have the stammer

597
00:38:41,800 –> 00:38:46,160
and the ability to walk into
foreign cities you’ve never been

598
00:38:46,160 –> 00:38:50,800
in before and find fertile soil
into which you can plant the

599
00:38:50,800 –> 00:38:52,760
Word of God, the seed of the
Word of God?

600
00:38:53,360 –> 00:38:57,120
How can you show the wisdom to
refute the arguments of the Jews

601
00:38:57,120 –> 00:39:00,920
in that city and then persuade
the Pagan idol worshippers in

602
00:39:00,920 –> 00:39:04,040
that city that there was a
better way as you lead the

603
00:39:04,040 –> 00:39:07,720
hearers to listen and respond to
the invitation in the court?

604
00:39:08,440 –> 00:39:11,840
And you’re not going to do this
just once or twice, but again

605
00:39:12,440 –> 00:39:17,920
and again and again for decades
until the gospel is spread

606
00:39:18,040 –> 00:39:20,440
throughout the entirely known
Gentile world.

607
00:39:20,680 –> 00:39:23,320
Colossians one, verse 23, The
hope of the gospel which you’ve

608
00:39:23,320 –> 00:39:27,640
heard, which was preached to
every creature which is under

609
00:39:27,640 –> 00:39:31,560
heaven.
How do you persuade Gentiles

610
00:39:32,640 –> 00:39:36,760
that a Jewish man was actually
the Son of God?

611
00:39:38,240 –> 00:39:40,680
How would you illustrate then
the fact that there’s this new

612
00:39:40,680 –> 00:39:43,920
power which they have never,
ever heard about, and it’s a

613
00:39:43,920 –> 00:39:47,320
power which is able to raise the
dead and is going to set up

614
00:39:47,320 –> 00:39:50,160
God’s Kingdom on earth?
Yeah.

615
00:39:50,160 –> 00:39:52,520
When you stop and think about
it, what was actually achieved

616
00:39:52,520 –> 00:39:55,640
through these menaces, it’s
nothing short of truly

617
00:39:55,840 –> 00:39:58,280
remarkable.
Well, think about the

618
00:39:58,280 –> 00:40:00,720
breathtaking claim that was made
to the authorities in

619
00:40:00,760 –> 00:40:05,560
Thessalonica, Acts 17, verse 6.
These are the men that have

620
00:40:05,560 –> 00:40:08,680
turned the world.
Upside down.

621
00:40:10,760 –> 00:40:14,400
Now that’s one element.
That’s the preaching of the

622
00:40:14,400 –> 00:40:18,520
gospel.
Now overlay over that something

623
00:40:18,520 –> 00:40:23,600
else, which is the very obvious
fact that just submerging

624
00:40:23,840 –> 00:40:30,440
converted souls in the water of
baptism and then abandoning them

625
00:40:30,440 –> 00:40:33,160
would be a surefire way of
ensuring that the gospel record

626
00:40:33,160 –> 00:40:35,280
died just as quickly as it was
attained.

627
00:40:36,560 –> 00:40:41,800
You’ve now got thousands of new
converts and little groups all

628
00:40:41,800 –> 00:40:45,440
around the world.
What are you going to do with

629
00:40:45,440 –> 00:40:46,920
them?
They’re in isolation.

630
00:40:47,440 –> 00:40:49,600
They don’t have a Jewish
background, meaning them to call

631
00:40:49,600 –> 00:40:51,120
upon.
There’s suddenly these new

632
00:40:51,120 –> 00:40:53,480
believers that are baptized.
Now what?

633
00:40:54,200 –> 00:40:56,920
Well, now we, we need, we need
to establish these new little

634
00:40:56,920 –> 00:41:00,520
communities and they can’t be
established on the basis of

635
00:41:00,520 –> 00:41:03,480
Mosaic law and worship for
several very good reasons.

636
00:41:04,000 –> 00:41:07,480
Number one, the entire Mosaic
system is about to be done away.

637
00:41:08,320 –> 00:41:11,440
In fact, it was pointing forward
to Christ and now he’s come.

638
00:41:11,920 –> 00:41:15,400
So we need some other way which
reflects the work of the Lord

639
00:41:15,400 –> 00:41:18,840
Jesus Christ a better way.
Not only that, the city of

640
00:41:18,840 –> 00:41:21,480
Jerusalem’s about to be
destroyed, the temple’s going to

641
00:41:21,480 –> 00:41:24,880
be burnt with fire.
So even if it was possible for

642
00:41:24,880 –> 00:41:27,440
you to travel from all around
the world regularly to

643
00:41:27,440 –> 00:41:30,560
Jerusalem, there’s nothing there
to worship him when you get

644
00:41:30,560 –> 00:41:32,240
there.
And even if there had been, do

645
00:41:32,240 –> 00:41:35,960
you reckon they would let you as
a Gentile into a Jewish temple?

646
00:41:37,480 –> 00:41:40,560
So the whole system of worship
which you prevailed for 1200

647
00:41:40,560 –> 00:41:45,080
years wasn’t going to work?
There has to be something

648
00:41:45,080 –> 00:41:49,720
completely new set up with these
eclisias to be established.

649
00:41:50,120 –> 00:41:54,080
Little communities of believers
who were dispersed, sitting in

650
00:41:54,080 –> 00:41:57,840
isolation all around the world.
This is, this is, this is a

651
00:41:57,840 –> 00:42:00,560
brand new concept.
This is foreign to anything

652
00:42:00,960 –> 00:42:03,000
that’s been there in Scripture
before.

653
00:42:03,320 –> 00:42:05,200
And just look at look at some of
these questions.

654
00:42:06,720 –> 00:42:11,680
Where would they meet?
What would they do when they

655
00:42:11,680 –> 00:42:15,640
meet?
How would they be organized?

656
00:42:17,640 –> 00:42:19,320
What type of activities would
they run?

657
00:42:21,000 –> 00:42:24,800
Would there be any system of
administration or organization

658
00:42:26,200 –> 00:42:30,400
Who would be in charge?
How would you protect against

659
00:42:30,400 –> 00:42:34,240
false beliefs?
How do you respond if there were

660
00:42:34,240 –> 00:42:39,120
false teachers inside the flock?
How should you deal with

661
00:42:39,120 –> 00:42:42,760
brethren the earth?
How would they maintain their

662
00:42:42,760 –> 00:42:46,040
faith?
How would their understanding

663
00:42:46,040 –> 00:42:50,000
grow?
Who would teach them the glories

664
00:42:50,360 –> 00:42:54,520
of the ways of God?
Now those are just 12 simple

665
00:42:54,520 –> 00:42:57,760
questions.
There were hundreds of such

666
00:42:57,760 –> 00:43:01,840
questions to be answered.
Just think about it.

667
00:43:01,880 –> 00:43:04,680
This is a new system of worship
that’s being set up and not just

668
00:43:04,680 –> 00:43:11,000
last for 10 years or 20 years or
even for one person’s lifetime.

669
00:43:11,880 –> 00:43:16,640
It had to last for centuries.
And how do you make sure that

670
00:43:16,640 –> 00:43:22,120
this this teaching process
continues throughout each of

671
00:43:22,120 –> 00:43:26,640
those succeeding generations
once the apostles and the Spirit

672
00:43:26,640 –> 00:43:30,360
gifted elders have actually been
removed and have died out?

673
00:43:31,560 –> 00:43:35,800
So in God’s foreknowledge, he
and his Son knew that the system

674
00:43:35,880 –> 00:43:42,520
of truth which was to be
established had to last for two

675
00:43:42,960 –> 00:43:47,400
millennia.
That’s mind boggling to think

676
00:43:47,400 –> 00:43:50,720
about.
That is truly mind boggling to

677
00:43:50,720 –> 00:43:53,240
think about.
How do you establish a system of

678
00:43:53,240 –> 00:43:57,480
worship and a system of
preaching which is going to last

679
00:43:57,480 –> 00:44:00,760
the distance for millennia?
You know, it’s almost

680
00:44:00,760 –> 00:44:04,760
incomprehensible to think about
how you’d start trying to plan

681
00:44:04,960 –> 00:44:06,920
that process.
How would you enable that

682
00:44:06,920 –> 00:44:11,120
result?
Now, as if that wasn’t enough,

683
00:44:11,520 –> 00:44:16,120
one of the greatest tools to
achieve this required the

684
00:44:16,120 –> 00:44:18,040
completion of the Canon of
Scripture.

685
00:44:19,520 –> 00:44:25,240
When the apostles began their
work, there was no New Testament

686
00:44:25,480 –> 00:44:28,760
in existence.
It’s only the Old Testament.

687
00:44:28,760 –> 00:44:32,320
There was no New Testament.
The Gospel of John appears to

688
00:44:32,320 –> 00:44:34,960
have been one of the earliest
ones that were written, and the

689
00:44:34,960 –> 00:44:37,760
other gospels followed over the
process of time.

690
00:44:38,040 –> 00:44:40,600
But to begin with, there wasn’t
even that.

691
00:44:41,680 –> 00:44:44,760
And what about the Epistles?
Well, the epistles hadn’t even

692
00:44:44,760 –> 00:44:47,840
been written yet, as they were
starting to breach the truth

693
00:44:48,080 –> 00:44:51,720
through the then known world.
So those epistles were carefully

694
00:44:51,720 –> 00:44:56,640
written under inspiration, and
they were preserved for later

695
00:44:56,640 –> 00:45:01,120
generations to be able to come
and read them literally for

696
00:45:01,120 –> 00:45:06,640
millennia afterwards.
Where would we be in ecclesial

697
00:45:06,640 –> 00:45:11,520
life if we didn’t have the
Epistles to refer to?

698
00:45:13,880 –> 00:45:16,880
Just just think about ecclesial
life as we know it.

699
00:45:17,920 –> 00:45:22,960
Where would we be in ecclesial
life if we had no guidance from

700
00:45:23,000 –> 00:45:26,200
any of the Epistles to refer to?
They’re brilliant.

701
00:45:26,480 –> 00:45:30,520
They’re not just addressing
matters of the moment in cities

702
00:45:30,520 –> 00:45:33,760
that are now long forgotten and
have ceased to exist for more

703
00:45:33,760 –> 00:45:37,760
than 1000 years.
They were recorded for men and

704
00:45:37,760 –> 00:45:42,000
women to be able to read for
2000 years later.

705
00:45:42,240 –> 00:45:45,360
And they contain all the essence
of the little principles of a

706
00:45:45,360 –> 00:45:51,080
collegial life that we know and
love today and and then the

707
00:45:51,080 –> 00:45:54,280
ultimate book, the Book of
Revelation or the Apocalypse,

708
00:45:54,280 –> 00:45:59,080
the revealing as it means this
is a dissipation given by God

709
00:45:59,320 –> 00:46:03,920
through his Son, delivered by an
Angel to the apostle John, who

710
00:46:03,920 –> 00:46:07,320
writes by inspiration and
provides encouragement for the

711
00:46:07,320 –> 00:46:10,480
Saints who lived throughout
those 2000 years.

712
00:46:10,720 –> 00:46:14,200
A message of hope and salvation
to all the men and women that

713
00:46:14,200 –> 00:46:17,120
would come through all those
periods of time as they could

714
00:46:17,120 –> 00:46:21,320
see the work of God all planned
and as he’s working through for

715
00:46:21,320 –> 00:46:23,280
the ultimate establishment of
His Kingdom.

716
00:46:23,720 –> 00:46:29,400
That book alone is truly
extraordinary, unfolding the

717
00:46:29,400 –> 00:46:32,720
future course of history for
those that would live as the

718
00:46:32,720 –> 00:46:35,120
Saints in each of those epochs
and time.

719
00:46:35,400 –> 00:46:38,000
You know, brothers and sisters,
when I stopped and thought about

720
00:46:38,000 –> 00:46:45,640
this, I was silenced by just in
amazement, in awe at what a

721
00:46:45,640 –> 00:46:47,440
Heavenly Father has been able to
accomplish.

722
00:46:49,640 –> 00:46:52,440
That’s why the Holy Spirit was
given to those men.

723
00:46:54,160 –> 00:46:57,960
That’s why I say it was such a
momentous time period of change

724
00:46:58,160 –> 00:47:03,080
in the history of the world.
The method of God in calling

725
00:47:03,080 –> 00:47:06,240
through His word and the work of
the disciples to be able to

726
00:47:06,240 –> 00:47:09,000
complete that work.
All of those things, the

727
00:47:09,000 –> 00:47:11,600
preaching of the gospel, the
establishment of the Eccleses,

728
00:47:11,840 –> 00:47:16,120
all the things that we think of
as the truth, the day it was the

729
00:47:16,120 –> 00:47:19,280
work of the Holy Spirit that was
used to enable that work.

730
00:47:19,400 –> 00:47:21,640
All right, let’s start.
What’s your time?

731
00:47:21,640 –> 00:47:23,520
We’re finishing at 11:00, aren’t
we?

732
00:47:23,600 –> 00:47:26,400
Yep, we’re good.
So let’s start to build a little

733
00:47:26,400 –> 00:47:28,760
bit of a picture about what the
Lord said to them would be

734
00:47:28,760 –> 00:47:30,200
happening.
We’re going to go to Luke

735
00:47:30,200 –> 00:47:32,440
chapter 24.
I mean, the passages we’re

736
00:47:32,440 –> 00:47:36,280
looking at now are right at the
end He had actually started and

737
00:47:36,280 –> 00:47:39,240
we won’t look at them, but about
about a year and a half before

738
00:47:39,240 –> 00:47:42,280
his death, he started telling
them that he would send the Holy

739
00:47:42,280 –> 00:47:45,800
Spirit and that it would give
them the ability to to say

740
00:47:45,800 –> 00:47:48,080
things which they wouldn’t
otherwise be able to say.

741
00:47:48,080 –> 00:47:50,200
They didn’t have to worry about
what they were going to be

742
00:47:50,200 –> 00:47:52,800
saying at the time because the
Holy Spirit would teach them.

743
00:47:52,800 –> 00:47:56,880
But let’s pick up the record,
Luke 24 and verse 49.

744
00:47:56,920 –> 00:48:00,280
Behold, he says I sin.
So this is our Lord after his

745
00:48:00,280 –> 00:48:02,840
resurrection.
He’s, he’s there with them just

746
00:48:02,840 –> 00:48:07,000
before his departure.
And he says, Behold, I send the

747
00:48:07,000 –> 00:48:12,440
promise of my Father upon you,
but tarry ye and the city of

748
00:48:12,440 –> 00:48:17,680
Jerusalem until ye be endued
with power from on high.

749
00:48:18,440 –> 00:48:22,560
So here clearly they’re given
the promise of something which

750
00:48:22,560 –> 00:48:24,680
is going to be given to them
from God.

751
00:48:25,280 –> 00:48:28,440
They need to wait in the city of
Jerusalem till it arrives.

752
00:48:28,800 –> 00:48:33,720
And it’s described on as them
being endued with power from on

753
00:48:33,720 –> 00:48:39,000
high when it says they would
they would be endued with power.

754
00:48:39,000 –> 00:48:42,240
The Greek word enduro, it
literally means to be to be

755
00:48:42,240 –> 00:48:45,120
clothed with, to put on or to be
clothed with.

756
00:48:45,400 –> 00:48:49,400
So you are going to be clothed
with power that’s going to come

757
00:48:49,400 –> 00:48:54,440
down to you from on high.
The ESP says, behold, I am

758
00:48:54,440 –> 00:48:58,600
sending the promise of my father
upon you, but stay in the city

759
00:48:59,000 –> 00:49:02,240
until you are clothed with power
from on high.

760
00:49:02,240 –> 00:49:05,600
All right, well, let’s go back
to the last chapter of Mark.

761
00:49:06,160 –> 00:49:10,120
Mark chapter 16, the same
occasion being spoken of, but

762
00:49:10,320 –> 00:49:14,080
there’s some extra detail
recorded in the gospel of Mark,

763
00:49:14,120 –> 00:49:16,960
Mark chapter 16.
We’ll pick up the record in

764
00:49:16,960 –> 00:49:22,520
verse 15.
And he said to them, Mark 16,

765
00:49:22,520 –> 00:49:25,880
verse 15, go ye into all the
world, preach the gospel to

766
00:49:25,880 –> 00:49:30,160
every creature.
Verse 17.

767
00:49:30,800 –> 00:49:35,400
These signs shall follow them
that believe in my name.

768
00:49:35,400 –> 00:49:39,320
They shall cast out devils, they
shall speak with new tongues,

769
00:49:39,600 –> 00:49:43,000
they shall take up serpents.
If they drink any deadly thing,

770
00:49:43,000 –> 00:49:47,800
it shall not hurt them, and they
shall lay hands on the sick, and

771
00:49:47,800 –> 00:49:52,440
they shall recover.
So it explains to them what this

772
00:49:52,440 –> 00:49:55,360
power from and high would
actually enable.

773
00:49:56,120 –> 00:49:59,320
It would be with them as they
were preaching, and it will be a

774
00:49:59,320 –> 00:50:03,560
demonstration.
It would be a sign as a witness

775
00:50:03,760 –> 00:50:06,520
for those that believe what are
they going to be able to do?

776
00:50:06,520 –> 00:50:08,080
Well, they’re going to be able
to heal people.

777
00:50:08,080 –> 00:50:09,840
They’re going to be able to
speak in tongues.

778
00:50:10,080 –> 00:50:13,320
They would be able to do things
which would otherwise normally

779
00:50:13,320 –> 00:50:15,320
kill them.
They would recover the sick.

780
00:50:15,720 –> 00:50:18,400
So it’s an explanation of what
this power which they were going

781
00:50:18,400 –> 00:50:21,680
to be clothed to, it would
enable them to actually do.

782
00:50:22,400 –> 00:50:25,720
And in verse 20, not this sort
of phrase, they went forth and

783
00:50:25,720 –> 00:50:32,800
preached everywhere, the Lord
working with them and confirming

784
00:50:32,920 –> 00:50:39,200
the word with signs following.
So it tells us that the Lord was

785
00:50:39,200 –> 00:50:42,360
actually, as it were, traveling
with them on the way because

786
00:50:42,360 –> 00:50:45,000
he’s given them this power to do
these things.

787
00:50:45,200 –> 00:50:48,920
And as they did them, this was
the Lord working with them.

788
00:50:49,160 –> 00:50:51,400
This is the Lord confirming
their works.

789
00:50:51,520 –> 00:50:55,160
This is the Lord enabling them
to do things through this

790
00:50:55,160 –> 00:50:57,520
particular power.
All right, let’s go to Acts

791
00:50:57,520 –> 00:51:00,680
chapter 1 because we’ve got a
few more details again, again

792
00:51:00,680 –> 00:51:04,560
about this very same
conversation, Acts chapter 1.

793
00:51:05,720 –> 00:51:09,280
It’s quite helpful having so
many records talking about this

794
00:51:09,280 –> 00:51:13,120
one little conversation the Lord
had with them just before he

795
00:51:13,120 –> 00:51:17,480
departed.
Acts chapter one, pick up the

796
00:51:17,480 –> 00:51:21,600
record in verse 4 being
assembled together with them.

797
00:51:21,600 –> 00:51:24,960
He commanded them that they
should not depart from

798
00:51:24,960 –> 00:51:29,320
Jerusalem, but wait for the
promise of the Father, which

799
00:51:29,320 –> 00:51:35,040
saith he, ye have heard of me,
and in verse saying, he says,

800
00:51:35,040 –> 00:51:41,800
You shall receive power after
the Holy Spirit is come upon

801
00:51:41,800 –> 00:51:45,680
you, and you’ll be witnesses
unto me, both in Jerusalem,

802
00:51:45,680 –> 00:51:50,200
Judea, Samaria, and unto the
uttermost parts of the earth.

803
00:51:50,600 –> 00:51:54,280
So now this power is described
as the Holy Spirit which is

804
00:51:54,280 –> 00:51:57,600
going to come upon them and
enable them to be witnesses

805
00:51:57,960 –> 00:52:02,920
throughout the earth.
Now, in addition to those

806
00:52:02,920 –> 00:52:06,480
statements which were just
before the Lord was taken away,

807
00:52:07,400 –> 00:52:12,320
we know that back in that upper
room just before His arrest, He

808
00:52:12,320 –> 00:52:14,360
spoke to them about the
Comforter.

809
00:52:14,840 –> 00:52:18,480
Let’s go back to the Gospel of
John and add a few extra things

810
00:52:18,480 –> 00:52:21,160
here in the record.
From this idea of the Comforter,

811
00:52:21,320 –> 00:52:24,080
let’s go back to the Gospel of
John chapter 14.

812
00:52:24,760 –> 00:52:28,880
He actually refers to the
comforter in chapter 14, in

813
00:52:28,880 –> 00:52:33,520
chapter 15, and in chapter 16.
Bear in mind, of course, it’s

814
00:52:33,520 –> 00:52:37,760
all just one, one evening where
he’s talking with them, so it

815
00:52:37,760 –> 00:52:39,560
all just runs to get in the
narrative.

816
00:52:39,560 –> 00:52:42,920
But there are references in
chapter 14, chapter 15, and

817
00:52:42,920 –> 00:52:46,400
chapter 16.
It’s helpful for us to know that

818
00:52:46,400 –> 00:52:50,120
the word comforter is the Greek
word paracletos.

819
00:52:51,120 –> 00:52:54,200
It’s better rendered or
translated as advocate.

820
00:52:54,520 –> 00:52:58,520
It’s a joining together of 2
words para which means alongside

821
00:52:58,560 –> 00:53:03,000
in cletos, which means calls to.
So here’s someone who’s called

822
00:53:03,400 –> 00:53:08,400
alongside to provide assistance.
Grim Thayer says the meaning of

823
00:53:08,400 –> 00:53:13,560
the word is one who pleads
another cause before a judge, a

824
00:53:13,560 –> 00:53:18,920
pleader, A counsel for the
defense, legal assistance and

825
00:53:19,000 –> 00:53:21,640
advocate.
So it conveys the idea of

826
00:53:21,640 –> 00:53:25,800
someone who’s who’s there in a
court of law providing

827
00:53:25,800 –> 00:53:29,600
assistance to the person who was
actually being examined or

828
00:53:29,600 –> 00:53:32,480
presenting a case.
And when you think about the

829
00:53:32,480 –> 00:53:35,600
work of the Holy Spirit, that’s
really appropriate because as

830
00:53:35,600 –> 00:53:38,840
they’re there out witnessing,
the Holy Spirit’s working

831
00:53:38,840 –> 00:53:42,320
alongside them to assist them in
that work.

832
00:53:42,880 –> 00:53:45,720
Now, it can be wider than just a
legal sense.

833
00:53:46,320 –> 00:53:49,240
It can also be used in the sense
of providing strength or

834
00:53:49,240 –> 00:53:51,680
support.
So it’s someone who’s come

835
00:53:51,680 –> 00:53:55,240
alongside or something that’s
come alongside to assist that

836
00:53:55,240 –> 00:53:59,360
work of speaking.
It’s actually very different

837
00:53:59,360 –> 00:54:02,040
from what we think of when we
see the word comforter in

838
00:54:02,040 –> 00:54:04,720
English, the word to comfort
over time.

839
00:54:04,720 –> 00:54:09,080
The word comforter for us means
to sort of to console or to to

840
00:54:09,080 –> 00:54:11,520
soothe someone.
Well, that’s not the idea.

841
00:54:11,680 –> 00:54:13,960
This is the idea of someone who
comes alongside.

842
00:54:14,280 –> 00:54:16,840
Now it’s similar, it’s a little
different, but it’s very similar

843
00:54:16,840 –> 00:54:20,760
to the word parakaleo, which is
comes up frequently in the New

844
00:54:20,760 –> 00:54:25,040
Testament, which has the idea of
encouragement, but paracletos

845
00:54:25,040 –> 00:54:29,680
has the idea of someone who
stands alongside to assist in

846
00:54:29,680 –> 00:54:32,480
this particular work.
The word paracletos is actually

847
00:54:32,480 –> 00:54:36,400
only used by by John.
It’s here in the Gospels and

848
00:54:36,400 –> 00:54:40,120
it’s also in the Epistle of John
1 John 2 verse one.

849
00:54:40,560 –> 00:54:45,080
It talks about the Lord Jesus
Christ being our advocate as it

850
00:54:45,080 –> 00:54:48,360
explains who our Lord pleads our
cause in heaven or speaks of our

851
00:54:48,360 –> 00:54:51,920
cause in heaven.
And that’s quite a useful cross

852
00:54:51,920 –> 00:54:55,480
reference because it shows us
what this idea of the paracletos

853
00:54:55,880 –> 00:54:59,840
actually is.
Now there are some divergent

854
00:54:59,840 –> 00:55:01,760
views as to what this comforter
is.

855
00:55:01,760 –> 00:55:04,800
The suggestion by some is that,
well, maybe it was one of the

856
00:55:04,840 –> 00:55:07,000
angels that was actually sent
along.

857
00:55:07,480 –> 00:55:09,360
I’ve seen suggestions that it
was Gabriel.

858
00:55:09,360 –> 00:55:12,280
I’ve seen suggestions that it
was Michael, that it was one of

859
00:55:12,280 –> 00:55:15,880
the one of the important angels
that was set alongside.

860
00:55:16,360 –> 00:55:19,880
Well, regardless of this, either
way, whether there was angels

861
00:55:19,880 –> 00:55:24,480
involved in the work or not,
fundamentally it had to involve

862
00:55:24,480 –> 00:55:27,560
the work of the Holy Spirit.
And there are several reasons

863
00:55:27,560 –> 00:55:29,640
for that.
We won’t go into them in detail,

864
00:55:29,640 –> 00:55:34,720
but in verse 17 of John 14, it’s
described as the spirit of

865
00:55:34,720 –> 00:55:37,880
truth.
In verse 26, it’s described as

866
00:55:37,880 –> 00:55:41,440
being the Comforter, which is
the Holy Spirit whom the Father

867
00:55:41,440 –> 00:55:45,040
will send in My name.
In chapter 15, verse 26, it’s

868
00:55:45,040 –> 00:55:48,320
described again as being even
the spirit of truth, and in

869
00:55:48,320 –> 00:55:51,360
chapter 16, verse 13, it’s
described again as being the

870
00:55:51,360 –> 00:55:54,880
spirit of truth.
So it certainly involves the

871
00:55:54,880 –> 00:55:57,840
work of the Holy Spirit, whether
or not there were angels

872
00:55:57,840 –> 00:56:00,880
involved in assisting them from
time to time.

873
00:56:01,040 –> 00:56:04,920
What we know is that the
emphasis in Acts and through the

874
00:56:04,920 –> 00:56:08,640
rest of the New Testament is of
the Holy Spirit being given to

875
00:56:08,640 –> 00:56:12,240
do these various things.
And it’s also described, the

876
00:56:12,240 –> 00:56:15,800
Holy Spirit is described as
enabling them when they go to

877
00:56:15,800 –> 00:56:17,440
speak, when they’re put on
trial.

878
00:56:18,160 –> 00:56:20,920
So it’s something which causes
them to be able to bring things

879
00:56:20,920 –> 00:56:23,680
to remembrance, to be able to
answer any particular question.

880
00:56:23,680 –> 00:56:27,440
So whichever way we look at it,
the Holy Spirit, the comforter

881
00:56:27,440 –> 00:56:30,680
here involves the work of the
Holy Spirit.

882
00:56:31,680 –> 00:56:35,280
OK, let’s pick up John 14.
And no, we won’t.

883
00:56:35,280 –> 00:56:37,800
I’m just looking at the time.
Actually, what I’m going to do

884
00:56:38,280 –> 00:56:41,440
is I’m going to short circuit
this by putting up on the screen

885
00:56:41,440 –> 00:56:44,400
the various things that
described of described in

886
00:56:44,400 –> 00:56:47,720
relation to the comforter.
It’s going to strengthen them in

887
00:56:47,720 –> 00:56:50,000
Christ’s absence.
So if you read through chapter

888
00:56:50,000 –> 00:56:53,760
14, chapter 15, chapter 16,
these are the things which it’s

889
00:56:53,760 –> 00:56:55,280
described the comforter would
do.

890
00:56:55,560 –> 00:56:57,760
It would strengthen them in
Christ’s absence.

891
00:56:58,560 –> 00:57:03,240
It would be sent by Christ after
his request of God.

892
00:57:04,320 –> 00:57:07,400
It would abide with them for the
period, the Aeon.

893
00:57:07,920 –> 00:57:10,160
I’ll come back to that because
that’s actually quite important,

894
00:57:10,160 –> 00:57:14,160
that little phrase.
It was the spirit of truth.

895
00:57:14,400 –> 00:57:16,240
It’s described as the Holy
Spirit.

896
00:57:16,400 –> 00:57:19,760
It would dwell with them.
It would be in them.

897
00:57:20,480 –> 00:57:24,600
It would teach them all things.
It would bring all things to

898
00:57:24,600 –> 00:57:28,760
remembrance that Christ taught.
It would be a witness to Christ.

899
00:57:29,160 –> 00:57:31,120
It would guide them to all
truth.

900
00:57:31,600 –> 00:57:35,560
It would reprove the world of
sin, of righteousness into

901
00:57:35,560 –> 00:57:37,240
judgement.
There are certain elements of,

902
00:57:37,480 –> 00:57:41,760
of judgement that are involved
in this record as well.

903
00:57:43,040 –> 00:57:46,520
And by the way, when I, when it
says there on the third bullet

904
00:57:46,520 –> 00:57:49,680
point down, it would abide with
them for the period.

905
00:57:49,880 –> 00:57:53,080
The actual phrase in the English
is that the comforter would be

906
00:57:53,080 –> 00:57:56,240
with them forever.
And there’s a lot of discussion

907
00:57:56,240 –> 00:57:57,640
about that.
What does that mean?

908
00:57:57,640 –> 00:58:00,520
Does that mean that the Holy
Spirit is because of course the

909
00:58:00,520 –> 00:58:03,280
disciples didn’t live forever.
Obviously the Holy Spirit

910
00:58:03,280 –> 00:58:06,080
carries on down through time.
Well, maybe some aspects of it

911
00:58:06,080 –> 00:58:08,400
carry on.
Now the word forever there is

912
00:58:08,400 –> 00:58:13,840
the word aeon, which means a
period, an indeterminate only by

913
00:58:13,840 –> 00:58:18,280
context that it would actually
be with them for the aeon or for

914
00:58:18,280 –> 00:58:20,080
the period.
And you may just want to note

915
00:58:20,080 –> 00:58:24,240
down Matthew 28 verse 20.
When the Lord sent them out to

916
00:58:24,280 –> 00:58:30,400
preach, He said that He would be
with them even till the end of

917
00:58:30,400 –> 00:58:34,120
the aeon.
So he uses the same expression,

918
00:58:34,120 –> 00:58:36,840
the aeon, the period and that
preaching.

919
00:58:36,840 –> 00:58:39,200
He would be with them till the
end of that period.

920
00:58:39,480 –> 00:58:42,480
By the time the Jewish age
ended, I think all but one of

921
00:58:42,480 –> 00:58:46,240
the disciples was dead.
Actually John lived longer.

922
00:58:46,640 –> 00:58:50,760
He lived probably until the mid
eighty 90s, but actually the

923
00:58:50,760 –> 00:58:53,520
work of the preaching had gone
forth and been done.

924
00:58:53,520 –> 00:58:56,680
And it was through that period
that the Holy Spirit enabled

925
00:58:56,680 –> 00:58:59,480
them to do that extraordinary
work of preaching.

926
00:58:59,480 –> 00:59:02,520
So I, I personally believe that
here when it talks about it

927
00:59:02,520 –> 00:59:05,520
being with them forever, it’s
actually referring to that

928
00:59:05,520 –> 00:59:10,600
period of time for that specific
ion of that initial preaching of

929
00:59:10,600 –> 00:59:14,640
the gospel.
All right, OK, a couple of last

930
00:59:14,640 –> 00:59:19,320
passages we’ll look at.
I’m going to read it out to you.

931
00:59:19,320 –> 00:59:23,480
John 7 verse 38 Christ was
talking about those that

932
00:59:23,480 –> 00:59:25,800
believed on Him, as the
Scripture says, out of his belly

933
00:59:25,800 –> 00:59:27,360
will flow rivers of living
waters.

934
00:59:27,360 –> 00:59:31,160
Verse 39 But this spatey of the
Spirit which they that believe

935
00:59:31,160 –> 00:59:35,320
on Him should receive the Holy
Spirit was not yet given because

936
00:59:35,320 –> 00:59:37,440
that Jesus was not yet
glorified.

937
00:59:38,160 –> 00:59:42,640
What does that mean?
Well, that only received some

938
00:59:42,640 –> 00:59:46,360
aspects of the Spirit.
We’d seen that earlier, but the

939
00:59:46,400 –> 00:59:50,960
actual filling off them with the
Holy Spirit took place in Acts

940
00:59:50,960 –> 00:59:53,480
chapter 2.
And there’s this interesting

941
00:59:53,480 –> 00:59:56,200
little phrase that he’s Speaking
of the Spirit which they that

942
00:59:56,200 –> 00:59:59,520
believe one and would have to
receive, but it wasn’t yet given

943
01:00:00,200 –> 01:00:02,320
because the Lord was not
glorified.

944
01:00:02,320 –> 01:00:05,200
Well, I’d like you to come with
me now to John chapter 20,

945
01:00:05,760 –> 01:00:09,400
because this now is after the
Lord has been raised from the

946
01:00:09,400 –> 01:00:12,640
dead.
It’s after he’s been made

947
01:00:12,680 –> 01:00:16,560
immortal.
It’s just before he ascends to

948
01:00:16,560 –> 01:00:22,200
his father.
John chapter 20 verse 21 Then

949
01:00:22,200 –> 01:00:25,320
said Jesus to them again, peace
be unto you, as my Father hath

950
01:00:25,320 –> 01:00:33,640
sent me, Even so send I you.
And when he had said this, he

951
01:00:33,640 –> 01:00:39,920
breathed on them, and saith unto
them, Receive ye the Holy

952
01:00:40,080 –> 01:00:43,800
Spirit.
Note the word breathing.

953
01:00:44,920 –> 01:00:47,800
Isn’t that interesting?
What’s he doing here?

954
01:00:48,440 –> 01:00:51,800
He’s showing that this is the
concept of the Spirit which is

955
01:00:51,800 –> 01:00:56,360
exhaled from the Father.
Now through the Son, he’s been

956
01:00:56,360 –> 01:01:00,400
given the ability to share that,
and so he breathes on them.

957
01:01:00,560 –> 01:01:05,200
It’s a physical demonstration of
what he’s about to do for them

958
01:01:05,480 –> 01:01:10,040
in Acts chapter 2, and what a
magnificent way to convey this.

959
01:01:10,520 –> 01:01:15,480
He breathes on them and says,
Receive thee, the Holy Spirit.

960
01:01:15,600 –> 01:01:19,400
It is a physical way of
demonstrating that the origin of

961
01:01:19,400 –> 01:01:24,440
this power came from God and now
is being shared by His Son.

962
01:01:24,880 –> 01:01:27,920
And so the disciples returned to
the city of Jerusalem.

963
01:01:28,320 –> 01:01:31,240
It says they are bowed with 1
accord in the upper room.

964
01:01:31,400 –> 01:01:36,200
Well, Can you imagine the sense
of expectation which rested upon

965
01:01:36,200 –> 01:01:39,360
them as they sat and gathered
together in the city of

966
01:01:39,360 –> 01:01:41,360
Jerusalem, just as the Lord had
said.

967
01:01:41,720 –> 01:01:46,280
And they sit there holding their
breath, excused the pun, holding

968
01:01:46,280 –> 01:01:50,680
their breath, waiting for the
sharing of the Holy Spirit power

969
01:01:50,960 –> 01:01:54,240
by the Son of God gobbling.
That’s our study tomorrow.