A Man Filled With The Holy Ghost From His Mother

Q: What does the Bible say about prayer?

The Bible teaches that prayer involves believing in God's sovereignty and submitting to His will, acknowledging that His timing is perfect. In scripture, prayer is presented not merely as a means to express our desires but as a way to demonstrate our faith in God's sovereign control over all things. God's answers to our prayers may often be delayed, but this is not an indication of His neglect; rather, it is a part of His wise and gracious plan. For instance, in Luke 1:13, the angel reassures Zacharias that his prayers have been heard, despite the lengthy wait. Thus, prayer serves to strengthen our faith as we learn to trust in God's timing and purposes, aligning our hearts with His will. Paul echoes this in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, encouraging us to 'pray without ceasing,' which implies a continuous awareness of God's presence and sovereignty in our lives.

Q: How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

God's sovereignty is evident in scripture, demonstrating His control and purpose over all creation, both in individual lives and history. The doctrine of God's sovereignty is paramount in Reformed theology and is richly supported by scripture. God's sovereignty means that He is in control of all things, working all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). The narrative in Luke 1 emphasizes this, showcasing how God orchestrated events surrounding John the Baptist's birth—even before his conception—as part of His divine plan. This sovereign control is also seen in the lives of individuals, where God selects and sets apart those He will redeem, as exhibited in the lives of prophets like Jeremiah and the Apostle Paul, who were chosen before birth for His purposes (Jeremiah 1:5, Galatians 1:15). Thus, God's sovereignty provides comfort and assurance to believers, as nothing happens outside of His divine will.

Q: Why is grace important for Christians?

Grace is central to the Christian faith, as it signifies God's unmerited favor towards us, crucial for salvation and spiritual growth. The importance of grace in the Christian life cannot be overstated. It is by grace that we are saved through faith, as stated in Ephesians 2:8-9, emphasizing that salvation is a gift from God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. In the message of Luke 1, the angel assures Zacharias that his son John will bring joy and gladness, emphasizing the transformative and life-giving power of grace. Moreover, grace empowers believers to live according to God's will, fostering a deep reliance on Him for spiritual growth and perseverance. As we seek grace for ourselves and our children, we acknowledge that our greatest need is not for worldly success or accolades but for the grace of God to shape our hearts and lives towards His glory.

Q: What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being controlled and guided by the Spirit throughout one's life, impacting actions and decisions. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Luke 1:15 regarding John the Baptist, signifies a special anointing and control by the Spirit, enabling one to fulfill God's purposes. This concept of being filled is not a one-time event but a continuous state of being under the Spirit's influence, akin to being drunk with wine, which similarly alters behavior and decision-making (Ephesians 5:18). For believers today, being filled with the Spirit involves relying on His guidance in everyday life, seeking to demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit in our actions. Moreover, this filling aligns one's desires with God's will, resulting in a life that bears witness to His glory and grace in the world.

Let's turn this evening to Luke chapter 1. The text will be verses 13 through 17. And as I announced this morning, the title of the message is A Man Filled with the Holy Ghost from His Mother's Womb. John the Baptist was a remarkable, remarkable man. In many, many ways he stands above other men, separated and distinguished from other men by the hand of God even before he was born. In this passage of scripture, Luke 1, 13 through 17, we're allowed to hear the message which the angel of God delivered to his father Zacharias in the temple before John was born, before he was even conceived in his mother's womb. It is a message full of spiritual instruction. May God the Holy Spirit seal the words of this passage to our hearts.

That which stands out most prominently as I read this text and the lessons it's intended to convey is the fact that God's ways are indescribably higher than our ways. His ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts. As heaven is higher than the earth, so are his ways and our ways and his thoughts and our thoughts. Men often in literature and in various forms of entertainment and sometimes just simply out of lack of understanding what else to say will quote a portion of Cowper's hymn, but let us never forget it is true. God moves, in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in every sea and rides upon every storm.

Now, let me show you four or five things in this text of Scripture that I think stand out as prominent lessons from the passage before us. First, let's look at verse 13. Now, the lesson that we find in this text is a lesson about prayer. I hope we will lay it to heart. God's answers to our prayers are often delayed, wisely, graciously delayed, but often delayed for a long, long time. Sometimes, perhaps most often, The Lord graciously and wisely delays answering our prayers for many, many years.

That was certainly the case with Zacharias and Elizabeth. No doubt, judging by the passage we're about to read, this old man and woman in their youth had often prayed that the Lord might be pleased to grant them a child, as any young couple would. They find out that she's barren, and they pray, Lord, be pleased to intervene. Give us a child. Lord, if you'd just give us a child. But now Zacharias is an old man and his wife is an old woman. And years have passed probably since they've mentioned this thing to the Lord. They've long since given up on the prospect or the idea of ever becoming parents.

And yet the first word that fell from the angel's lips to this old man in the temple are these. Look at verse 13. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard. And thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. Now, there are several things obvious here. We ought to try to remember them.

First, let's learn and remember, we must never attempt to prescribe to God how or when to answer our prayers. We're all guilty. We're all guilty. Let's never attempt to prescribe to God how or when to answer our prayers. Let's never attempt to prescribe to God how or when to do anything.

He knows best and He does best. He does best in the best way and at the best time. He knows the best time for his elect to be born, and he knows the best time for his elect to be born again. We want everything right now. We want everything right now. We, especially as parents, want everything so soon, so quickly.

We must also never conclude that our prayers are not answered. because they're not answered in the way we expect or at the time we desire. So many times we pray and we, after a while, begin to think, Lord, I guess this is over. I guess I may as well not mention this anymore. I've been praying for so long. Don't ever conclude that the Lord ignores your supplications because he delays answering them. because he doesn't immediately gratify your desires. You see, prayer, prayer, I'm afraid most people, most religious people, and I confess myself, prayer is something we know so very, very little about. We just don't know much about it. But prayer has something to do. I don't know how to say this.

Prayer has something to do with just believing God. It's got something to do with just believing God. When Paul says, pray without ceasing, he's not talking about constantly being on your knees in prayer, nor is he even talking about being in a constant frame of mind in prayer. He's talking about walking before God with faith. Walk before Him, continually believing Him.

And prayer has something to do with believing God. So the Lord often tries our faith. He often tests our faith and strengthens our faith by delaying His answers to our prayers. This day of health, wealth, prosperity, demanding claims from God kind of religion. Everybody says, well, we just, we claim it in Jesus' name, it's ours. Listen carefully now. When we talk about praying in the name of Christ, when our Lord says, if you ask anything in my name, you shall have it.

He is not saying that prayer is like a blank check, you fill in the amount and I'll give you whatever you want. That's not it at all. But to pray in Christ's name is not just hacking his name on at the end of the prayer, saying, now, this is what we've asked for, Lord, we ask it in Jesus' name. That's not it at all.

But praying in his name is praying by faith in him. Praying on the basis of his merit, his righteousness, his blood, and his intercession. It is praying for His will and His glory. That's what it is to ask something in His name. As we pray in His name, led by His Spirit, taught of Him to pray, then we have that which we seek. Our Lord taught us to pray this way, not verbally. But He said, when you pray, pray like this.

Father, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. for the sanctity, the honor, the glory of God's name. That's primary concern. That's our primary concern. It ought to be. He said, when you pray, pray like this. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. Pray for God's kingdom, his church, his people. Pray for one another. Pray for God to build and establish and do good for his kingdom. to protect and care for his kingdom. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What does that mean? Exactly what it says. Pray with a submissive heart, seeking the will of God perfectly in all things.

Lord, I pour out my heart to you, and I can't help because of my sinful flesh. What you said in reading the psalm and in praying a little bit is I can't help, because of my sinful flesh, I can't help being selfish. I just, I wish I could. Oh, to just have a thought that didn't involve self, just for God's glory. The Lord, my will, whatever it is, I want. There's something I want more than that. I want your will. I want your glory, I want your kingdom to be established.

So we pray your will be done. That's how we are taught to pray. So prayer has something to do with believing God. It has something to do with seeking and submitting to the will of God. Prayer is not simply bombarding God with our desires, be they ever sincere, but prayer is seeking the will and glory of God, vowing our will to his will.

Now often the Lord delays our requests, not because he doesn't intend to answer them, but because he's determined to make us willing for him not to answer them. Oh, how wise and how gracious. We are at our best when we are conformed to his will. And while we seek things, and we want things now, and we desire things of God now, and our hearts ache for many things now, the Lord delays answering our request, giving us what we want immediately, gratifying us immediately, because it's best for us that we wait until He has made us willing for Him to do what He will, not what we will.

A wise father does that with his children, doesn't he? A wise father doesn't give his son everything he wants. A wise father doesn't give his child everything she wants. No, no, no, no. The wise father makes the child understand that you've got to wait for my wisdom.

And you've got to learn to trust my wisdom. And you've got to learn to submit to my will. Because I'm your father. And that's just the way things are. And our heavenly father demands that of us. and he graciously sees to it that his children bow to his will.

More than that, the fact is none of us, none of us, none of us, know what to pray for as we ought. None of us. We don't know what's best for ourselves, much less somebody else. We just don't. We think we do, but we don't. We don't know what's best for the glory of God. We don't know what's best for the kingdom of God. We don't know what's best for the accomplishment of God's purpose. And therefore, let us wisely bow to his will. Now, this is this is the way we must pray. If we're going to pray, if we're going to pray this way, we must pray.

I'm concerned for your health, the same coming up with you again, and we pray for you. And I want you here. I want you here. But I submit to God's will. Submit to his will. And when we say, Lord, your will be done. We mean. We better be. Your will be done. Our Savior did. In his flesh he struggled. Whatever the struggle was in Gethsemane, he said, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, thy will be done. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we watch. But the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groaning, which cannot be uttered.

All right, now look at verse 14 and learn this second thing. Here is a lesson all parents ought always to bear in mind. Grace, grace, grace must be the principal thing we seek for our children. The angel says, thou shalt have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth. What a blessed word this is from God.

Here's an old man. He's about to have a son. And he's at the age where the promise of having a son comes with a little bit of difficulty because it's not likely he's going to live to see the son grow to manhood. He's an old man, his wife's an old woman.

And so the Lord says to him, now I'm going to give you a son and you shall have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth. What a blessed word. Zacharias is here assured before his son is ever born that his only son will be numbered among the sons of God. What parent wouldn't want that? His only son. His only son. He's one of God's sons. He's chosen. He's redeemed. He'll be called by grace. His name is written in heaven.

Now, as I read that, I couldn't help but think about our young friend Tony, his parents. I grabbed him as he went out today, and I said, Tony, I want you to hear something I think about you every day, and I do. Think about it, pray for him, thank God for him every day, every day.

Let all those who are blessed of God with the heavy burden of caring for children with limited mental capacity, or who have the heavy burden of having lost children in infancy, be cheered by this fact. God has granted to them the rare, rare, rare privilege of being assured to have a child whose name is written in heaven.

I can't speak from experience, I've never been there, but I'll tell you what, I believe that would offset every other burden. Couldn't it? What more could any mother or father desire? Nothing can give believing men and women greater joy than to see their sons and daughters experience, possess, and walk in the grace of God.

Just before promising this old man that his son would be filled with the Holy Spirit, the angel said to Zacharias, Oh boy, hold on to your seat. Not only are you going to have a son, you're going to have a son who is chosen of God. And thou shalt have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth.

I'm saying this. Let us, my friends, above all things, seek the grace of God for our children. I get disturbed with parents. Sometimes, I'll be honest with you, more often preachers group up in this area than anybody else. I get disturbed with preachers. I see preachers and their wives, they want their children to become star athletes. They want their children to become models or actors or singers and movie stars.

Oh, I wouldn't want any of those things for my daughter if she could have them. I wouldn't want them. I'm honest with you. Some folks got a hold of faith when she was just a young teenager, wanted her to do some modeling. I said, no, no, not going to happen. Now, as long as I got in control. Oh, but it's such an opportunity. Opportunity to ruin her soul. Opportunity to destroy her. Brother Marvin Starnaker's boy, Gabe.

I heard a demo tape he did a few years ago. They all know Dave Gates, he's tall, good looking, you know, he's got all the looks for a country-western singer, and he's down there, he knows the folks, got the right connection. I mean, he got the right connection. And not only that, the boy has got talent running out of his ears. When he comes up here, he just plays guitar, Marvin sings. Marvin can't sing a lick compared to Gates. That boy can sing. I mean, he can sing. And he had a little band together. A few years ago, he went out to Iowa State Fair, I believe where it was, hoping for one of the big names. country western music and I saw him a few months later and we chatted a little bit.

I sat down in his truck and I said, Gabe, I tell you what I hope God will do for you. I hope you're just good enough with this music to enjoy it and make a little spare change with it. And I hope you're just lousy enough that you can't possibly make a living at it.

He looked at me kind of strange. About six months or a year later, he called me up No, he came to me, came to visit with me, sitting here at the house. Margaret had gone to bed. He said, I'd like to talk to you a little bit. We sat and talked a while. He said, I didn't understand what you were talking about when you had that conversation with me. He said, I want you to know I understand now, and I've given it up. And I said, thank God.

There's something more important. There's something more important. Beauty, brilliance, wealth, and honor, even health and happiness are utterly insignificant. when compared with the grace of God. Our sons and daughters need Christ. They need the grace of God in Christ. Let us then seek it earnestly. Seek the grace of God for our children. Happy indeed is that father who is assured upon good grounds that his child is chosen of God, redeemed by Christ, born of God's Spirit.

That mom, that dad, the rest of the world can end to them. Now you got something, you got something. All right, third lesson. Here's a lesson about true greatness. It's found in verse 15. True greatness is greatness before God. That's where it is, Rod. greatness before God. He shall be great in the sight of the Lord. What a word. Men always measure greatness with a real short stick. That which men call greatness is nothing, just nothing. Politicians, presidents, doctors, lawyers, Philosophers and statesmen.

Boy, wouldn't you like for your son to be one of them? Sure would like for him to grow up and be president of the United States. I have higher aspirations. I really do. And I'm not belittling the office. I'd love my son to be a great statesman like Winston Churchill. Oh, I've got higher aspirations than that. I want my son to be a doctor, a lawyer. These days, We don't even set such high aspirations as that. We think, man, if he can just be Michael Jordan and make $10 million a year, woo, that'd be great. Oh, my son.

All who are called great, all who are admired great by little fools are utterly insignificant to the angels of God. Did you hear me? All who are admired and called great by little fools on the earth are utterly insignificant to the angels of God. Totally insignificant. Those who are great before men, they count nothing.

Those who are great before God, they count great. We will be wise to learn to measure with their stick. We'll be wise to learn to measure greatness like they do. They measure greatness with God's measuring stick. Let's seek for ourselves and our children this true greatness, greatness before God, greatness in the world to come, greatness that is forever. You say, Pastor, what is that greatness? I'll tell you what it is.

Turn to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11. Our Lord is here talking about John the Baptist. The angel said, He shall be great before the Lord, great in the sight of the Lord. Now look at Matthew chapter 11, verse 11. The Lord Jesus says, Verily I say unto you among them that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. Now, here our Lord's talking about a great man on the earth. He said there has never been one greater than this, this preacher, this prophet, this This man who comes in the spirit and power of Elijah, there's never been one like him on the earth. Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. What is true greatness? It is greatness that only the grace of God can give you.

It's a gift. It's a gift. Any of us who I've ever watched, I mentioned Michael Jordan a little bit ago. He's kind of an icon down in North Carolina. Any of us ever saw him play basketball? You look at that fella fly through the air and you think he's got wings. How'd he do that?

It's just a gift. Yeah, yeah. But I'm talking about a gift of grace. It's not something you can exercise and stretch your muscles and exercise and stretch your muscles and exercise and stretch your muscles and finally attain it. No, no, no. I'm talking about grace.

This greatness is a gift of God. It is the greatness of divine approval so that we stand before God Almighty accepting of His Son. This is the only greatness in the world, James Jordan. that lets you sleep well at night. Accepted before God. Approved of God. Will you hear me, children of God? God approves of you. God approves of you. That's greatness. God has imputed to you the righteousness of His Son. He has washed away your sins in the blood of His Son. God counts you holy as His Holy Son.

This is the greatness of faith. It belongs to all who believe. So that all who are in the kingdom of God, believing on the son of God, stand before God great in the sight of the Lord. So great. He said, I've sacrificed Egypt and Ethiopia and Saba for you. And I'll give men for you and people for your life. That's called greatness. All right.

Look at verse 15 again. and learn something about the operations of God. God always acts in total sovereignty. And his sovereignty defies explanation. I'm getting to the age, I'm getting more than a little bit weary and put out with imaginary brilliance. with proud, haughty opinions of ourselves.

I hear men talk about doctors and educate them. They start, he got him a doctor's degree in theology. He got him a master's of theology. I don't believe I'd put that in my name. A master of the study of God. Man, that's a mouthful. That's a mouthful. Let me tell you something about God. He won't fit in any box. You're not going to press him down and get everything lined up neatly and say, now there, I've got this thing figured out. Let me show you a monkey wrench. Again, verse 15.

And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. even from his mother's womb. One of these days we're going to find out God's bigger than we are. As I read through the book every now and then, I run across text like this and I think to myself, I'm so glad he did that. I'm so glad he did it. He just takes a huge monkey wrench and throws it right in the middle of our theological machinery and says, now you figure that out. That is, oh boy, what does that mean?

I took time to read several commentators on this first scripture. I was interested in what they had to say. J.C. Ryle, one I like to read after, Matthew Henry, another. They both took this passage of scripture to say that John the Baptist was born again before he was born. They both say here is evidence that God works in little children and therefore we should not prohibit little children from being baptized.

We cannot do that. And I read the text again, and I scratched my head, and I said, I just don't see that. I just don't see it. Some of the hard-shelled, primitive badgers, they refer to this text, and they say, now there, there's proof that God saves sinners without the use of means. There's proof God saves sinners without hearing the word, God can save me in any way he will. Well, I scratched my head again. I just don't see it in the text.

Now, let's be honest with Scripture. Let's be honest with Scripture. Don't ever grab a verse of scripture and rip it out of its context and make it mean whatever it is you want it to mean. We do not, in honesty, build our doctrine with the whims of our imagination, but rather upon the plain statements of scripture.

If you can't point in the scripture and say, this is why I believe what I do, keep your mouth shut about it. Just keep your mouth shut about it. We ought to be able to look in the Word of God, then are there. That's the reason I believe what I do. And be honest and deal with it in the context. To be filled with the Holy Spirit simply means to be controlled by the Spirit. No more and no less. Let me see if I can give you an example. Our Lord tells us by the Apostle Paul, Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit.

Now, Most of you have seen a fellow who was falling down drunk. He tries to walk a straight line, he can't do it. Tries to touch his nose, he can't do it. He tries to drive a car, miss the pylons, he'll run over everyone else. He just, how come? Because he's under the control of wine or of alcoholic drink.

This is exactly what Paul said. He said, now you, children of God, you live in such a way that your lives are controlled by God's Spirit. Now here, John the Baptist, we are told his father was given this promise. He shall be controlled by the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. That is, he shall be brought up and protected and cared for from the time of his conception by the special care of God's Spirit.

He's my special The same thing was said concerning Jeremiah. In Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5, the Lord said, Before I brought you forth from the womb, I sanctified you. The same thing was said of the apostle Paul. He said, he said, when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb to reveal his son in me, the same thing was said about David. The prophet, the psalmist David says, thou art he that took me out of the womb and didst make me to hope when I was upon my mother's breast. I was cast upon thee from the womb, for thou art my God from my mother's belly.

Oh well, David. David, that means David, when he was nursing in his mother's breast as a little infant child, had conscious hope before God. Now, don't be stupid. No, no. What does that mean? That means God had put his hand on him and cared for him and protected him, even from his mother's womb. Now, I got news for you.

He has you, too, if you realize. the special objects of his grace. And of course, there is a special application of this to John, as he is God's servant and God's preacher. Look at verse 60. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God, and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Now there's the character and the conduct of a man sent of God as his messenger. He's an instrument in God's hands to turn the hearts of God's people to the Lord God. He turns the hearts of Israel, God's elect, to God by the preaching of the Word. He turns them from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light, from superstition to revelation, from unbelief to faith, from sin to righteousness. He turns the hearts of the fathers to the children.

Now I read that, I tried to find out what other fellows had to say about it, and not much made any sense. What in that name? Before God saves a man, surely his heart's toward his children, sorta, sorta. But when God gives a man life and faith in Christ, now his heart's toward his children because he's concerned for their souls and bent upon their eternal good for God's glory.

And he turns the rebel son, those who are disobedient to the wisdom of the just, calls his rebel son to bow willingly as the servant of God. He goes before and walks before God in the spirit and power of Elijah, seeking God's message, God's will, God's grace, God's glory, and God's kingdom. And he makes ready a people prepared for the Lord. Makes them ready by preaching the word for Christ's coming. He's a man filled with the Holy Ghost and sent from God with God's word, amen.

A Man Filled With The Holy Ghost From His Mother

What does the Bible say about prayer?

How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

Why is grace important for Christians?

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

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A Man Filled With The Holy Ghost From His Mother

What does the Bible say about prayer?

How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

Why is grace important for Christians?

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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