The Book of Luke: What Shall We Do? (Luke 3:10-20)
We are there in Luke 3 and we are working our way through the book of Luke on Sundays. Tonight we are going to pick up where we left off at Luke 3:10. This morning we saw John’s ministry and the focus of getting people saved and to also teach them to observe the things of God.
John’s preaching was very strong, very direct, very applicable. As a result of his preaching, John gained some enemies against him. We see this in Luke 3:19-20 “19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.”. We know that as a result of the preaching of John the Baptist, he gained some enemies. Any Bible believing preacher that doesn’t hold back will develop some enemies because they don’t like the Word of God.
Tonight I want to focus on the fact that there were some sincere converts that appreciated the ministry of John the Baptist. In this passage we will look at tonight, there is this question that keeps coming up from the converts of John. Notice verse 10 “10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?”. These are people who just got saved and want to follow God with their life. Notice verse 12 with the 2nd group of people “12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?”. Then in verse 14 we have a 3rd group of believers. “14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do?…”.
When you come to a Church that preaches the truth, the proper response is not to get offended but to ask this question “What shall we do then?”. I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul on the road to Tarsus and he said “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”. I hope that you want to do what God wants you to do.
Let’s look at the response that John gives to these 3 groups of people. They all ask something very similar but he gives different responses. With the first group, he tells them to be generous. Verse 10 “10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.”. John is telling these people to be generous to others. Paul speaks about Jesus saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”. Go to 1st John.
1st John 3:17 “17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”. The Bible teaches that the way we show our love and affection for someone is by what we are willing to give. The most famous verse in the Bible tells us of the love of God that he sent his Son. He proved his love by what he was willing to give. The best way to show your love is to be generous.
In addition to being generous to others, we ought to support the work of God financially. 1st Chronicles 29:3 “3 Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.”. David had a love for the house of God and we ought to have a love for the local New Testament Church today. The proof of David’s love is that he gave for the house of God. This is not merely referring to the required 10% that God asks. It is talking about giving over and above. Jesus said “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Don’t get mad about a preacher talking about money. We don’t talk about money a lot around here but we don’t avoid it either.
How does it make sense “It is more blessed to give than to receive”?. The reason it makes sense is because you can’t out give God. Luke 6:38 “38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”. Whenever I look at this passage, I always thinking about cooking and a measuring cup. The Bible is saying that the more we measure or get means the more will be given back to us.
Malachi 3:10 “10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”. There is the promise here that if you give to God then he will bless you back in return. The truth is that you can’t out give God. I am not preaching a prosperity gospel. I’m not saying that if you sow $100 then you will get back $1,000. The Bible doesn’t say that. What the Bible teaches is that you can’t out give God. There are some things that are more valuable and important than money. God is not just the source of money but of all of the things that money can’t buy. I’d rather invest financially and have God bless me with blessings that are more valuable than money.
Someone at our Church recently asked me about books that I would recommend outside of the Bible. Of course I don’t recommend everything in these books. However, when you read books like “The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader” or “Entreleadership” or “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” or “Developing the Leader within you” or books on administration and leadership, what you will find is a common denominator where these books highlight the same or similar things. Jesus said that he came that ye might have life and might have it more abundantly.
What’s interesting is that you find John the Baptist teaching the same things that you find in these business books on leadership. 1 thing that is often taught in these books is generosity. What you find is that people with a lot of money tend to be very generous. People that are broke think “If I had that much money then I would be generous too.”. Wrong. They have that much money because they are generous. Why is this? The Bible says that if you give then it will be given to you. Last time I counted, we have 15 business owners at our house. Some people here are very successful. What I find is that these business owners are very generous and do volunteer work. I wonder when do they ever make money? This is Biblical though. 2nd Corinthians 9:6 “6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”. You can’t out give God. Somehow God just steps in and helps these people. John looks at these new converts and he tells them to be generous. The first lesson is on generosity.
Let me give you a 2nd thought from Luke 3. Luke 3:12-13 “12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”. This group in verse 12 is different from the group in verses 10 & 11. These publicans are tax collectors and not well liked by people. The publicans are working for the Roman Empire and collecting taxes from their own people but also collecting more than they are supposed to and profiting the difference. History tells us that these people had an agreement with the Roman Empire and were able to tax above what was legal and profit the difference.
Luke 19:1-2 “And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.”. When Zacchaeus gets saved in verse 8, notice this. “8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”. This is a man who was aware that he had taken more than he was supposed to take and he wanted to make things right.
In Luke 3, John didn’t tell them to quit his job. John told them not to charge them more than what is due. He told them they could work for the government but “Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”. I know a lot of conversative Christians don’t feel this way but the Bible tells us to pay our taxes. The first group John taught be generous and the 2nd group he taught to be just.
Micah 6:8 “8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”. There are 3 things that the Bible tells us to do here in Micah 6. John told the Publicans to be just. 2nd Corinthians 8:21 “21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”. God’s people ought to be honest. There should be no person at your job that is more honest than you. As a Christian you ought to tell the truth and not take money for times that you weren’t working. All of us are anti-Government to some level of degree but we ought to pay our taxes.
When you study highly successful people in the business world, not only do you find that they are generous but they have an almost obsession with honesty. They are honest with people and they don’t want dishonest people around them. They have a strong character for integrity. We ought to be generous and just. We ought to have an honest lifestyle.
1st Peter 2:11-2 “11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”. The word “conversation” is defined as your lifestyle. Notice how it says “honest among the Gentiles”.
Let me give you the 3rd one. The first group were told to be generous and the 2nd group were told to be just. Luke 2:14 “14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.”. He gives the 3rd group a different set of instructions.
Some people believe wrongly that the Bible teaches us to be pacifists. War is wrong often but it is not always wrong. Different religions through the years have taught us to be pacifists. People will look at this passage and say that the soldiers are told not to fight. What is wrong with that is mis defining the word “violence”. The word has changed in our modern day to what is taught in the Bible. I can prove that not only through a dictionary but also through the passage itself. John tells them to “be content with your wages”. If he was teaching them pacifism then it would be dishonest for them to get a paycheck for work they weren’t doing. That would be going against what he just told the publicans.
Today we use the word “violence” for any physical contact. The word “violence” comes from the same root word as “violate”. What John is telling them not to violate anyone. Why would he say this? All throughout history, when soldiers go off to battle, people lose their minds and will rape and pillage and kill random people and steal when it is not actually part of the war. A modern-day example is that during protests, people are robbing stores and taking advantage of the situation. The message of John to the soldiers is to be content.
Philippians 4:11-12 “11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” The secret to contentment is not “Once I get everything I want, I will be content”. The problem is that you will never get everything that you want. There will always be something new that you want. There is no end to our wants. People think contentment is something that happens to them. You learn to be content. He says that he learned and was instructed to be content.
What you will find with highly successful people are not only generous but also just and honest and have find a drive between success and contentment. They are not so ambitious that they will cross a line to accomplish what they want. We have John telling this 3rd group of people to be content with their wages.
All 3 of those groups had different areas that they needed to work on. He told the people that were poor to be generous. It’s hard to be generous when you are poor. When the rich publicans showed up, he didn’t tell them to be generous. That would be easy for them. He told them to stop stealing from people. John was applying it to their lives. 1 lesson we can learn from this story is that all of us can do something right where we are at.
In Luke 3:15-20, we have the end of this story. Luke 3:15 “15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;”. When it says “expectation” it means they were hopeful that John was the Christ. John can tell that they are wondering or hoping that he is the Christ. Luke 3:16 “16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:”. John is telling them that he is just baptizing with water and there is a greater coming than him.
Let me just quickly explain these baptisms mentioned. Firstly it says “baptism of the Holy Ghost”. The Pentecostals like to make a big deal about the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is a reference to the empowering of the Holy Ghost but this is not what takes place when you get saved. This is not the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. We are sealed with the Holy Ghost at salvation but you can be filled with the Holy Ghost. The Bible uses the terminology of the Holy Spirit coming upon you or it says here “the baptism of the Holy Ghost”. The word “baptism” means to immerse. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is when you are filled or surrounded by the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:1 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”.
Go back to Luke 3:16 “16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:”. It also mentions “with fire”. You could take this a few different ways. Many people believe the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the baptism of fire is referring to the same thing. There is an argument to be made with that as it said in Acts 2 “cloven tongues like as of fire”. That is not the position that I take though. Look at the next verse.
Luke 3:17 “17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”. Let me help you define some of these words. “purge his floor” – This is an illustration of the harvest being taken up. “wheat” represents believers all throughout the Bible. “Garner” means to collect in the storehouse. The modern-day word for “throughly purge the floor” would be the word “winnowing”.
Winnowing – Winnowing is a process by which chaff is separated from grain. It can also be used to remove pests from stored grain. Winnowing usually follows threshing in grain preparation. In its simplest form, it involves throwing the mixture into the air so that the wind blows away the lighter chaff, while the heavier grains fall back down for recovery. Techniques included using a winnowing fan (a shaped basket shaken to raise the chaff) or using a tool (a winnowing fork or shovel) on a pile of harvested grain.
Psalm 1:1-4 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.”.
Notice that the ungodly are the contrast with the godly person.
Psalm 1:5-6 “5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”.
John brought up that there was one mightier who would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Some people say that it is referring to the Holy Ghost also and that might be so. However, it’s interesting that the next verse in Luke 3 talks about “burning with fire unquenchable”. There is a very similar parable in Matthew 13.
Matthew 13:24 “24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.” The problem with a tare or a weed is that it is useless but resembles wheat when young. “26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?”. There was a field growing up with wheat and tares and they didn’t notice it until the tares were grown.
Matthew 13:29 “29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”. We have this idea that the wheat and tares will be separated and the tares will be burned.
What is this referring to? I believe that John is referring to the fact that Jesus will either baptize you with the Holy Ghost or with fire. I believe what he is saying is that unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire or baptized with fire for all eternity. Revelation 20:10-15 “10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”.
It doesn’t matter whether people believe in Jesus or not. If they don’t believe in him then he will baptize them in fire for all eternity. Revelation 20 is about the Great White Throne of unsaved people being judged for all eternity and thrown into the Lake of Fire. We will not be judged as believers but we will be there to watch unbelievers baptized in the lake of fire forever.
Let’s pray.