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You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor and teacher, Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro in Burleson, Texas. Please join us as we study the Gospel of Luke verse by verse.

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God has never done one imperfect thing. Now you say, well, I don't know about that. I look around the world and I see lots of things that are imperfect. It's because of the corruption that has come into the world through sin. My wife shared something with me yesterday. She'd seen this on a sign as she was driving around town. It said God forms, the devil deforms, but Christ transforms, Amen. And when we have the transforming power of Jesus Christ at work in our lives, we need fear nothing and no man.

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The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the Gospels of the life and teachings of our Savior Jesus Christ. As believers, there are few studies that will benefit us more spiritually than studying the life and teachings of the Master. The plan and timing of the Lord are things that we could ponder for the rest of this existence. God's unfathomable wisdom is beyond our understanding. And yet, as we begin our study through the Gospel of Luke, we see a great example of how God used current circumstances, like where we work to perform His will and glorify His name. Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Heed the Word, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verse 1, as we join Pastor Ken.

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The Old Testament, in the book of Malachi, ends with these words Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. It's often been said that the Old Testament ends with a curse and the New Testament ends with a blessing. And yet within that curse there's also a promise isn't there, and that is that he would send Elijah before the coming of the Lord and that he would prepare the way for him, that he would prepare the hearts of those people. And in fact, we see there a promise from God that is soon to be fulfilled within the pages of the New Testament, that is soon to be fulfilled within the pages of the New Testament. The books of the New Testament, particularly the Gospels, begin at somewhat differing points in history. Now, obviously, in the order that they appear in our Bible, matthew is first, then Mark, then Luke, then John. But what I'm talking about is not their order of appearance, nor their date of having been written, but rather the point in the story in which they pick up Now, the one that, of course, is the earliest point in the story is the Gospel of John, because the Gospel of John has as the beginning of its story a time that precedes even Genesis, doesn't it?

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John 1.1 says In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. Now, at that point the earth had not been created. Not one beast, not one bird, nor man was upon the face of the earth. So John, chronologically speaking, would be the earliest part of the story there, in verse 1. But then John skips from that very beginning point in time to a much later time and he says there was a man sent from God whose name was John, and John came to bear witness of the light. Which was that light that had entered into the world. I'm not quoting directly, but you remember the story. So John does give us a prelude, as as it were, from the very beginning, but then comes immediately to the ministry of John the Baptist.

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Matthew begins with the genealogy and the birth of Jesus Christ. Mark begins with the ministry of the forerunner of Christ, john the Baptist. Turn just briefly. I realize we haven't even read in Luke yet, but go one book back to Mark, chapter 1, starting in verse 1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the prophets behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way. Before you, the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locust and wild honey. And he preached, saying there comes one after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, amen. Now, john was the last and the greatest of the Old Testament prophets and he came as the forerunner of Jesus Christ, and we see here the beginning of his ministry, there on the banks of the Jordan River.

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But Luke takes us back to John's beginnings. Turn, if you will, to Luke again, chapter one Now. Last week we covered the first four verses and I'll go over those briefly again and just summarize what we talked about. Luke says here Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first. That phrase there can also be translated from above having had a perfect understanding of those things from above, what we're seeing here is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the writing of the gospel of Luke. Luke went out and he interviewed all of those who had been eyewitnesses to these accounts that he could find. He asked them what was it like, what happened, what was said, what was done? And then, having gathered all of that information through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he penned the words that we find today in the Gospel of Luke.

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Now, luke was a physician and it's interesting to note that in the first chapter of Luke he takes on the role almost of an OBGYN and he gives us the only real detailed account throughout the scriptures of the births of not just one but of two babies, both Jesus Christ and his forerunner, john the Baptist. And if we want to look at John's role, or rather Luke's role here, as an OBGYN, we almost look at the story of John here as almost a prenatal visit, because that's very much what is going to take place here. We're going to see the very beginnings not only of the ministry of John the Baptist and of the birth of John the Baptist, but even the foretelling of the conception of John the Baptist. Luke says it seemed good to me also, having had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first or from above, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus. We remember last week, theophilus means lover of God. So even if this was to a specific person, we can say it's also to those of us today who love God, isn't it that he writes to you, most excellent lover of God, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. We can know of a certainty that the things that we have been instructed concerning the grace of God, concerning our faith in Jesus Christ, are true because they are founded upon the testimony of eyewitness accounts as recorded by Luke, this most excellent of historians. And so let us begin verse 5.

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There was, in the days of Herod, the king of Judah, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth, and they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. Now, as we read here, we need to understand just a few things. First of all, during that day, to be childless would almost imply that the blessing of God was being withheld from your life, because children were seen as not only a blessing from God but an endorsement by God of your life. If you had a lot of children, then you were blessed of God, weren't you? And if you were barren, then you must have been doing something wrong, you must have been sinning in some way, because obviously the Lord was withholding from your life that blessing with which he wished to bless you. But Luke tells us very clearly that that was not the case. Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias were righteous before the Lord. In all the commandments and the precepts that they were to follow, they followed them. Does that mean that they were sinless? No, it means that when they sinned, they brought the appropriate sacrifice to the temple and that their sin was covered by the blood of that sacrifice. In all the ordinances of God they were righteous before him and in all the commandments they were godly people. They loved the Lord, and yet that thing which they longed for most of all was withheld from them.

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Why Doesn't it seem unfair? I have three boys, all under nine, and one phrase that I hear quite often is Dad. That's not fair, it's not fair. And my response, of course, is you're right, it's not fair, but that's the way it is. Sometimes things are not fair, but it's the way that they are. Now, very times, in the situation with my children, what it is that is being withheld from them is something that they very much want and desire, but also oftentimes it is something that they very much want and desire, but also oftentimes it's something that they very much do not need or perhaps deserve at a given point in time. And I may withhold that blessing that they're wanting for a season that, ultimately, I may bless them with something better.

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In the same way, sometimes God in our lives withholds things from us for his own purposes. Elizabeth wanted a child, zacharias wanted a child, as we'll see in a moment. They had prayed for a child and yet God had said no. I'm not going to say he hadn't answered their prayer. He had said no. Can I tell you that sometimes God says no. And I can also tell you I'm very grateful for that fact, because there are times that I've asked for things that, had I received that which I asked for, it would not have been for my best. It might have been for something that seems good at the time, but ultimately it would not have brought about the will of God in my life.

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I could be doing a lot of different things right now had I gotten everything I asked for in life, but I would not be standing before you today. I might have a wonderful career in politics or teaching at a university or running a restaurant or doing any number of things, but I wouldn't be preaching the word of God. Maybe I would. I don't know, maybe God would have brought me there by a different path. But I am where I am today because God has moved and worked in my life to bring me to this point, and the same is true for you.

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You might say well, I don't see the hand of God working in my life. Why would God take notice of someone as unimportant and insignificant as me? Can I tell you that God is no respecter of persons. God does not look at one of us and prefer us over the other. He may use us in different ways. He may use us for different purposes.

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Some of us may have the opportunity to minister to millions, others to minister to one. But what is it that Jesus said? Even as you do unto the least of these, my children, you have done it also unto me. And even as you have not done it unto the least of these, my children, you have done it also unto me. And even as you have not done it unto the least of these, my children, you have done it not unto me. So, whether we minister to one or to many, we minister to the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is great blessing in that.

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Trust God to direct your paths. Trust God to lead you to the place where he wants you to be. If you have a desire to seek God's face, then he will be found by you. If you have a desire to follow God's will, then he will lead you. God is not going to deceive you. God is not going to mislead you. God is not going to put you in a place, when you're willing to follow him, where he does not want you to be. God is not going to open a door and say, come this way, only for you to fall down an elevator shaft. Now that having been said, when we seek God's will we have to understand we must be seeking God's will, not trying to manipulate God's will to make it line up with ours. That's why prayer and fasting and time with God is so important, not because it changes God's mind, but because it brings our mind in alignment with God's mind. Prayer doesn't change God. Prayer changes us and it can indeed change our circumstances.

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So Elizabeth and Zacharias had not yet received that which they had wanted. Now Zacharias was a priest and in that time the priesthood was divided into 24 divisions and they would work in the fields, in their farming areas or in their shops or in whatever their regular trade was, for the majority of the year and for the majority of their time, but one week twice a year. So that's two weeks each year, but one week twice a year. They would come in their rotations into the temple and lots would be cast to determine who would take on what responsibilities. And so we see here that Zacharias is in Jerusalem. He's at the temple. So it was that while he was serving as priest before God, in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense. When he went into the temple of the Lord, his lot fell. That means there was an element of chance seemingly involved in where Zacharias was going to be at that particular point in his rotation. Do you know what that means, guys? God directed Zacharias through his job. God put him where he wanted him at the specific time. He wanted him there through his employment.

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Can I tell you, there are times that God puts you in a place of employment where you may not want to be, where you may not particularly like working, or you may not think there's any direct purpose for your being there. And yet God has placed you there for a season and for a purpose that he might accomplish it. Wherever you find yourself in your life, whatever you find yourself doing, whether it's getting your hair cut or going to the grocery store, or going to your job, or sitting at dinner at a restaurant, look around and ask yourself the question for what reason has God brought me to this place? Whose life am I to touch for him? At this moment, when that waitress messes up your order as she's coming to the table and she got it all wrong even though you told her three times exactly how you wanted it, do you get mad? Do you get angry and say what's the matter with you? Didn't you understand what I was telling you? I didn't order this.

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No, you see in that an opportunity to share the grace of God with that person, to share the love of God with that person. Now, does that mean you don't ask for it to be corrected? I'm not saying that. I'm not saying sit there and eat your eggs raw or something like that. I'm saying respond with love, respond with kindness, respond with understanding. Can I tell you that you don't know, but maybe that poor waitress got in a huge fight with her husband before she came to work that day and doesn't even know if he's going to be there when. And you're mad because she got your eggs wrong. How is the love of Christ exercised in that? How are we bearing witness to the one who loves us so when we treat those, his other creations, with such disdain and disrespect?

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When you go out and about among the workplace in the world where God has placed you. Look around for those that God has given you to love in that place. Look around for those that God has given you the opportunity to speak to about him in those locations. Pray as you're sitting in the barber chair and say, lord, if you want me to talk to this person, open up a door, give me an opportunity, let him share something with me that gives me the opportunity to share you with them. Pray for those opportunities and be ready, because if you pray for them, he'll give them to you.

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So here's Zacharias. According to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord and the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Turn to Revelation, chapter 8. Zacharias is in the temple, he's entered in to that holy area that is the temple of God and he's come to the altar of incense. And one of the things that he's going to do there at the altar of incense is he's going to take that bowl of incense and he's going to pour that on the coals of that altar, and that incense is he's going to take that bowl of incense and he's going to pour that on the coals of that altar and that incense is going to burn and the sweet smell of that incense is going to waft up into heaven and that is representative of something very, very special.

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The apostle john, as he was seeing the vision that he notes for us in Revelation, says in chapter 8, verse 1, when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half an hour and I saw the seven angels who stand before God and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar. Then another angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne, and the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints, that's, you and I, those who believe in Jesus Christ ascended before God from the angel's hand. Jesus Christ ascended before God from the angel's hand.

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That incense that Zacharias was burning there at the temple was representative of the prayers of the people who were praying right outside there in heaven. As that bowl of incense is being poured out upon the altar before the very throne of God. As that wafts altar before the very throne of God, as that wafts up into the very face of God, as he smells that sweet aroma, he's partaking of the prayers of his people. You say why should I pray? So that you can burn incense in heaven, so that your prayers can rise up to God and to be a sweet smell to him. Don't you think he'd love that? Don't you think he'd be blessed by that? You say what gift can I give to God? You can give him the gift of your prayers. You can give him the gift of that wonderful, sweet-smelling aroma as it comes up before him from the altar, as those prayers have been poured out there.

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Turn back, if you will, to Luke. Now, from the time of Malachi the prophet, there is no recorded word of the Lord having spoken to his people, israel. A space of some 400 years has passed with no word from God whatsoever. Now, certainly the scriptures were being taught and studied during that time, but from the days of the prophet Malachi, there had not been a prophet in Israel to speak the word of the Lord. In that we have it recorded in scriptures. We find nothing there, but silence for 400 years. That silence in verse 11 is about to be broken.

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Then, as the incense is burning, as Zacharias is there praying, as all the people await outside in prayer, then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, appeared to Zacharias, appeared to him, appeared to Zacharias and he was standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him now mark my words, friends, hear the first words from heaven in 400 years and those words are do not be afraid. I like the King James Version fear not, fear not. 400 years of silence, and the first thing God has to say to his people is fear not.

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There are a lot of us today who are troubled by all kinds of fears Fears of terrorism, fears of the wrong party being elected or the wrong man, fears of sickness and disease, fears of rejection in relationships, fears of financial frustration or failed attempts and broken and lost dreams. Fears of all kinds or failed attempts and broken and lost dreams. Fears of all kinds. Fear, it paralyzes us, it grips us and it prevents us from moving forward into whatever it is that God desires for us. Fear not. Jesus used those words too. He said fear not, for I am with you Even into the end of the age. Fear not, for I am with you even into the end of the age. Fear not.

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I've often said, and will say many times more, that those who fear God need fear nothing else. And when I say fear God, I'm not talking about a trembling quaking oh my goodness, he's going to squish me kind of fear. I'm talking about a fear that is born of the knowledge that the one whom we serve spoke this world into existence. I'm talking of fear that is born of the knowledge that the one who loves us is perfect in all of his ways. You know, god has never had one imperfect thought. God has never done one imperfect thing. Now you say, well, I don't know about that. I look around the world and I see lots of things that are imperfect. That's because of the corruption that has come into the world through sin.

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My wife shared something with me yesterday. She had seen this on a sign as she was driving around town. It said God forms, the devil deforms, but Christ transforms, amen. And when we have the transforming power of Jesus Christ at work in our lives, we need fear nothing and no man. So the angel says do not be afraid, zacharias, for your prayer is heard. Your prayer is heard, saint of God, your prayer is heard. What have you been praying about? What have you been crying out to God? For what thing in your life has kept you bound and beaten.

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Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. You've been listening to Heed the Word, the teaching ministry of Pastor Ken Davis, Calvary Chapel in Burleson, Texas. We are currently making our way through the Gospel of Luke here on Heed the Word. The Gospel of Luke is packed full of insights about Jesus, our Savior, so we encourage you to join us again, same time, same place, for the next Study Through Luke with Pastor Ken. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast, this teaching, as well as many others, are available from the Heed the Word media player. You can listen to today's teaching, download today's teaching, subscribe to the Heed the Word podcast or even get a copy on your mobile phone. Everything's right there. There's even a Bible available for you to follow along in the scriptures as Pastor Ken teaches. So log on to heedthewwordorg and continue studying with us today.

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If today's teaching has blessed you, perhaps you'd like to visit us for worship. Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro meets each Sunday morning at 10.30 am and Wednesday evening at 7 pm. We'd love to have you stop by and join us. For more information and driving directions, log on to wwwheaththewordorg. This has been another edition of Heed the Word, the verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter and book-by-book teaching ministry of Ken Davis, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro. Place a marker in your Bibles and join us next time for our continuing study through the Gospel of Luke, right here on. Heed the Word.