09/01/2002
The Spirit Of The Lord Is Upon Me
* How many have sensed the anointing of God at one time or another?
* Have you ever wondered why God anoints us?
* Have you ever asked God to pour His anointing on you?
* The anointing is given for specific reasons, not just so we can play in it and enjoy its manifestation
* We must be careful not to waste anointing of God
Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
* Jesus had come back to the place where he had attended church as a youth
* There is something to be said for having a long lasting commitment to a place of worship
* In the synagogue they had 7 readers every Sabbath; 1st the priest, 2nd a Levite, then 5 Israelites
* We see that Jesus preached in the synagogues but not read
* Jesus was willing to serve in whatever position
* And He did everything in excellence
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
* Jesus was handed the book, He was obviously in order when he stood to read
* Because He was in the perfect will of the Father, God’s will opened up to Him - the scroll - revelation
* We see Jesus submitting to authority, his humbleness, his understanding of the timing of God
* He opens to quote Isa 61, which was His prophecy
18a "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me
* Upon (epí) - superimposed (saturation), in a relation of distribution (through me), rest on
* JTB "saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:" Mt 3:16
* "because" - there is a reason when the Holy Spirit moves upon God’s people
* anointed - smear, rub - to ordain or consecrate
* Jesus was appointed & ordained by the Holy Spirit for a work, for a ministry, to serve
* Whatever ministries we see Jesus do, we should do
* John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
* John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
* Jesus is about to define His ministry, ordained by the Holy Spirit
* This is ordination is for those who want the anointing
* Quote MH - "Those who God appoints, He anoints"
6 REASONS FOR THE ANOINTING
(1) 18b...To preach the gospel to the poor;...
* Preach the gospel (euggelizo) - to declare good news, to evangelize
* Not just to preach at them
* To preach to their hearts
* We are called to preach the gospel to the poor
* Who are the poor, anyone who doesn’t know the riches of life in Christ
* Sometimes "the poor" can be real hard to preach to
* 2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
* 2 Cor 5:18 tells us that Jesus "has given us the ministry of reconciliation"
* The anointing is given so we can preach with effectiveness
(2) 18c...He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,...
* This phrase is not in the original Greek manuscript
* But He is quoting Isa 61:1 & 2 - therefore the translators include this in the quote
* Jesus is the Great Physician not just to our bodies but to our soul as well
* Psa 41:4 I said, "LORD, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You."
* There are thousands of brokenhearted people around us... most don’t know why
* How can we heal them? - minister repentance
* Matt 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
* Psa 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
* There are hearts who are broken for sin
* Who are truly humbled in repentance
* They will find healing
* We have to be bold enough to call sin - sin
* We don’t minister in judgment or criticism
* We minister in truth and love
(3) 18d...To proclaim liberty to the captives...
* Captives - prisoners of war
* Liberty - forgiveness, deliverance
* Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
* He is the same yesterday, today and forever - Heb13
* Non-believers are in the worse captivity ever
* Many believers are plagued with bondages
* "He who the Son sets free is free indeed" - Jn 8:36
(4) 18e...and recovery of sight to the blind,...
* Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
o All believers can flow in healing
o Tornado path
* This is not just physical & spiritual blindness
* Matt 15:14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."
o There are prisoners of war , groping about in darkness, that need their sight restored
o The anointing is upon you to give recovery to their site
(5) 18f...to set at liberty those who are oppressed;
* Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
* When we start talking about getting people free of demons, folks start getting nervous
* Mark 16 - They shall cast out demons
* We don’t have to make a spectacle out of it
* We don’t have to give the devil or his demons a stage to perform on
* The Word says - we are given the anointing to get folks out of jail
(6) 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
* This is the year of Jubilee, the year when we are restored and set free
* What year is that? - This year!
* This is where it all starts - the acceptable year
* The acceptance of our condition without Christ
* The acceptance of our need for a Savior
* The acceptance that the blood of the perfect Lamb of God has atoned for our sin
* The acceptance that our life is no longer our own but brought at a price
* The acceptance that we are going to serve Him, praise Him, worship Him, honor Him, seek Him and obey Him for the rest of our life
* Sound like wedding vows? - well they are!
* The acceptable year of the Lord is our engagement announcement
* It is our jubilee, the year of release
* And we should proclaim it everywhere we go
CONCLUSION:
* Do we really want the anointing?
* Do we count the cost of the anointing?
* I cannot think of a better way to live
o You want excitement
o You want thrills
o You want to see the miraculous
o Flow in the anointing
o Use it or lose it
* Matt 25 - parable of the servants given talents (5,2,1)
* ’Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
* 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
