He's just got to 30. He's been water baptized, and filled with the holy ghost from an open heaven.
He was gently led by the spirit. Where did the spirit lead him? Did He lead him out to start crusades? To start a big ministry deal? To confront Rome? No, it led him into the wilderness - the most barren, hostile, terrible place. If you go to Israel next year on the trip, one thing you want to see is the wilderness. It is horrible! It is a terrible, terrible place. No one in their right mind would go there; but He was led by the spirit, for preparation for His destiny.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads people into what seems to be restrictive, limited circumstances, invisible to everyone else; but He is preparing you through that. For me, that season was in a school of 25 children, buried in a little town called Dannivirke. It was out of sight of the world, of most New Zealand in fact, but the Lord told me very clearly: this is your place of preparation. Don't buck against it. Learn where He plants you.
People often say: I don't feel like it's going well for me; I'll go somewhere else, where it feels like it'll be better; the grass is greener. No, it isn't. Not in the things of the spirit. It's just the seduction away from the things that God called you to. Never go where it seems greener unless the Holy Spirit leads you.
He was led by the spirit.
Luke 4:14 - "He returned in the power of the spirit..."
There is a connection between being led into preparation, and returning in power. We just want to have it all happen to us in an alter call; but there's an actual personal life preparation that brings power to our lives. It's living a life depending on the Holy Spirit. A
What about Lazarus? Jesus friend. They told Jesus: your friend is sick and dying, come now! What does Jesus do? He cooks up a meal, and he sits down, and he takes a little bit of time. He just seems to fritter away two days; and they said: but it's your friend, and he's sick, and then they finally get there... He's dead! Understand what they're thinking - you're supposed to love him, he's your friend. Why don't you come and fix him, and heal him? They were upset with Him; and He said: if you can believe, you'll see the glory of God. In other words, I was led by the spirit to wait - because if I'd come, you'd have seen a healing; but by waiting, you see a man raised from the dead. He's been dead four days! Which is going to have the greater impact? Someone being healed, who is lying in a sick bed; or someone dead four days, and they're in decay - and they're recovered!
He said: if you will believe, you'll see something bigger and better. He was led by the spirit. Imagine the pressure of having to come and help fix that situation? Sometimes God delays, because he's got something bigger in mind. Don't worry about it.
Mark 1:34-35 - "Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."
There's a huge crowd, and they've been doing mighty miracles - the glory of God is there. The disciples come to him and say: come on, let's go. They're all waiting, ready to go. He's been up early and prayed, and He's led by the Holy Spirit to go somewhere else, so He just says to them: I must go to other cities, and other places to preach. In other words, by following the leading of the Holy Spirit, he was able to demonstrate a much greater power and presence of God, and the miracle of Lazarus. By following the leading of the spirit, he was not contained where God wanted Him to be contained. He could go and minister right across the nation.
That's why we have to be aware of the need at times, to release ministries to go out, so that the work is bigger than just me and my needs. I can remember when I was making a transition from teaching in Christian school to pastor, and God spoke to me very clearly about the shift, and I brought it to the leadership. I was surprised at the intense reaction, contrary to this direction, until I thought about it. I realized that what they want, is for me to continue to do what will meet their needs and bless them. They don't see the bigger thing that God has in mind, if I'm released from that to do this. You've got to follow the leading of the spirit.