Praise God for His Nine Anointed Ministries (Isa 61:1-3)
We can praise God He anointed Jesus with nine key ministries that provide the avenues of service. The Lord Jesus used this passage one day in the synagogue of Nazareth to speak of Himself as the one who fulfilled Isaiah’s prophetic words. (Luke 4:16-21)
Isaiah pictures the deliverance of Israel from exile in Babylon as a Year of Jubilee when all debts are cancelled, all slaves are freed and all propety is returned to its original owners.
Jesus announced, "This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes." Just as Jesus proclaimed Himself as the one who would bring this Good News to pass, so we must allow the Spirit of God to enable us to carry out His ministries today.
Illustration: I would propose that the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshipers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ. I am asked what is my creed, I reply, "It is Jesus Christ." My venerated predecessor, Dr. Gill, has left a [theological heritage] admirable and excellent in its way. But the [legacy] to which I would pin and bind myself forever, God helping me,...is Jesus Christ, who is the arm and substance of the gospel, who is in Himself all theology, the incarnation of every precious truth.
C.H. Spurgeon, first words in the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London.
Know that some people may not fully grasp what we are doing but be assured that even though some people do not understand or accept what you are doing, God is well pleased. Here are the nine ministries of those anointed by the Holy One:
1. PREACHER - He anoints us to preach Good News to the poor. The Lord calls us to exercise the role of a prophet in proclaiming what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, admirable and praise-worthy to those who recognize their spiritual impoverishment. We must be about the preaching of good news to those who are meek, penitent and humble. To these teachable people the word of God is truly good news. Do not be shy about proclaiming, announcing and heralding the cure for the spiritual cancer in the world today.
2. HEALER - He anoints us to bind up the broken-hearted. Those who hearts are broken by sin, who are really humbled by a sense of guilt and a fear of the wrath of God against sin will gladly receive a warm embrace of Christ’s loving arms to bind up their brokenness. People who feel torn apart by the pressures, problems and preoccupations of this world need to experience God’s mending, repairing and rebuilding. May the Lord use you to comfort those who are hurting and are wiling to allow the word of God and the Spirit of God to make them whole and calm their fears.
3. DELIVERER - He anoints us to proclaim liberty to the captives. Just as He sends us a prophet to preach, a priest to heal and as a king to proclaim liberty to all the prisoners to sin, oppression from evil and slavery to personal appetities. Just as we proclaim release from the dominion of sin so we can announce how Christ helps us triumph over evil by renouncing the devil and his deeds. God’s word, His Spirit and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ overcomes the world so we should bring good cheer to many. Let us publish abroad the honor of His name by showing people how to appropriate His free grace, love and acceptance.
4. SPIRITUAL WARRIOR - He anoints us to war against evil enemies. Christ proclaims the day of vengeance of our God against all that is evil. There is coming a day when non-christians will have to stand before the great white throne of judgment and Christians will have to go before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account to God of everything. May we learn how to fight the good fight of faith by teaching others to put on the full armor of God and go forward into the battle for the hearts and minds of people throughout the world. Let us not shrink in the face of opposition knowing that greater is He who is in us than the one who is in the world.
5. COMFORTER - He anoints us to comfort those who mourn. There is so much sadness in the world today with few people willing to bring comfort to the hurting. The Spirit of God helps us carry out the ministry of comforting through the promise, "He comforts us in all our affliction so that we can comfort those who are undergoing affliction with the comfort that we ourselves receive from God." (2 Cor. 1:3,4) Ask the Lord to help you to bring a greater quantity and quality of comfort to others who are in great need.
6. BRINGER OF BEAUTY FOR ASHES - He anoints us to bring what is beautiful, true and holy into the lives of those who experiencing discouragement, deterioration and decay. Allow Him to use you to turn people away from death to life through the redemptive work of Christ our Lord and Savior. Let us bring greater beauty to the hearts, minds and souls of people for a lasting beauty that pleases the Lord in all respects and bears fruit for eternity.
7. DISPENSER OF OIL OF JOY - He anoints us to minister the oil of joy to those who are sad, distressed and hurting. Allow others to experience a new shine of their countenance because of the oil of the Holy Spirit’s fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. When the oil of the Holy Spirit is evident in your life you will be able to keep the fires of joy glowing and deliver people from the darkness of depression, discouragement and despondency.
8. PEOPLE OF PRAISE - He anoints us to praise God for His greatness, goodness and glory. He bestows upon us the garments, the evidence of praise instead of mourning. He helps us find the power of praise to lift us up when we are sinking under the weight of feelings of hopelessness. People who praise God for His attributes find deliverance from a spirit of dimness, heaviness and despair.
9. PLANTERS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS - He anoints us to plant and grow new believers and churches throughout the world. The Lord Jesus uses us to help plant new seeds that germinate in new converts and churches that are serviceable to Him as living trees giving fruit for the benefit of many. Let us allow the Lord to use us to plant seeds of righteousness, truth, love, peace and evangelism wherever we go.
Application: Take advantage of every opportunity to reflect God’s favor on people, be more gracious to others and may it redound to a greater quantity and quality of saints for the King’s Kingdom expansion. Let God use you to change frowns to crowns for the King’s greater glory.
