Sunday, July 29, 2018 - God Anointed Us!
Pastor Roger Marcos
July 29, 2018
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
During the Second World War a flyer shot down in the Pacific Ocean floated for sometimes on a rubber raft without being found. Finally, in desperation he prayed this prayer Dear God, I haven’t asked you for anything for 20 years if you will hear my prayer and send someone to rescue me I WON’T TROUBLE YOU FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS.
Sometimes, we treat God as a lawyer or a physician.we go only when we need it--
If you are a Christ Follower, you have nothing to feel inferior about - you have been chosen by God to serve a purpose in this world, and that makes you somebody in the eyes of God.
In the Old Testament the word “anointed” was used in a symbolic way to describe someone chosen by God - the word was normally used for someone God had named as King, a Prophet, or a Priest.
In the New Testament the word is used to describe each and every one of us that are Christians.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. - 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
There are four specific things here that God has done for us - each one builds upon the other and are all connected to this idea of anointing.
GOD HAS.
I. GIVEN ME THE ABILITY TO STAND FIRM.
[Runner's World (8/91) told the story of Beth Anne DeCiantis's attempt to qualify for the 1992 Olympic Trials marathon.
A female runner has to complete the 26-mile, 385-yard race in less than two hours, 45 minutes to compete at the Olympic Trials.
Beth started strong but began having trouble around mile 23.
She reached the final straightaway at 2:43, with just two minutes left to qualify.
Two hundred yards from the finish, she stumbled and fell.
Dazed, she stayed down for twenty seconds.
The crowd yelled, "Get up!" The clock was ticking--2:44, less than a minute to go
Beth Anne staggered to her feet and began walking.
Five yards short of the finish, with 10 seconds to go, she fell again.
She began to crawl, the crowd cheering her on, and crossed the finish line on her hands and knees - Her time? Two hours, 44 minutes, 57 seconds.]
Beth Anne’s training and willpower gave her the endurance she needed to finish.
In our walk with Christ we find that we need a similar type of training and willpower to make it through life.
We have temptations and struggles trying to pull us away from our faith.
And in those times we have to rely on our own resources to pull us through.
The time that we spend in the Word and prayer will equip us to withstand.
Every moment we spend with the Lord in training will benefit us in giving us strength to overcome the powers that try to knock us off our path.
But praise God that through His Spirit He also gives us the ability to stand firm so that we are not facing the struggle alone.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. - 2 Corinthians 1:21
Instead of letting us waver and stumble, God empowers us to keep our commitment to Christ.
He is with us to guide us, to encourage us, to strengthen us, and sometimes to rebuke us, so that we will stand firm in our commitment to Christ.
While I must work at growing to maturity so that I have the resources necessary to resist opposition to my faith, I must also rely on God as my source to overcome.
If I try to do this completely on my own I am bound to fail.
If I trust in God to see me through, I can only experience success.
II. SET ME APART FOR SERVICE.
21 ends with the second thing God has given us - (God) anointed us
As I said earlier it was customary in the OT to anoint kings, prophets, and priests, as they began their service as a part of the ceremony of inauguration.
They were being consecrated, or set apart, to fulfill the duties of a particular office God had chosen for them. But what we see in the OT is just a shadow of what was to come.
These OT shadows anticipated the spiritual anointing that would come on all true believers.
All those who are in Christ (who the Bible describes as the Anointed One), are themselves anointed by the Holy Spirit by virtue of their union with Christ.
This anointing of the Holy Spirit involves the Spirit’s indwelling presence and empowerment.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being - Ephesians 3:16
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us - Ephesians 3:20
In both of these cases, the Word is telling us that our anointing results in empowerment to accomplish the tasks God sets before us.
The Spirit’s anointing also empowers us for special service.
- If God sets you apart as a preacher He will empower you to preach.
- If God sets you apart as a care-giver He will empower you to show mercy.
- If God sets you apart as a leader He will empower you to lead.
- God anoints us and imparts to us the spiritual gifts necessary to accomplish the tasks that He has set us apart to accomplish.
Today God is looking into your heart and mine, knowing whether we are receiving and acting upon the anointing He has given to us.
What Is Your Ministry Here at this Church? What has God anointed and gifted you to accomplish? Where are the fruits of your labors?
- If you are acting upon your anointing, these questions will be easy to answer.
“Keep expecting and believing that your due season is coming. Declare that the good you have harvested in your life will manifest.”
- Germany Kent
III. PLACED HIS SEAL OF OWNERSHIP UPON ME.
Have you ever sent a letter through the Post Office and it never reached its destination?
If we want to be sure that a letter is going to arrive at the right place, we have that letter registered - the Post Office puts a seal on it, guaranteeing that they will get the letter to the person to whom it’s addressed
(God has) set his seal of ownership on us - 2 Corinthians 1:22a (NIV)
The Holy Spirit has sealed us, branded us, and marked us as His own.
- He has claimed us as His property - He owns us - the moment we gave our life to Jesus Christ we were marked for all eternity as God’s children.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit - Ephesians 1:13
In the present war in Iraq we see soldiers from the US, Britain, Iraq, and perhaps some other countries
We can identify which soldier is from what country, and even which branch of the service he is in, by the uniform that he wears.
The same is true when we see opposing teams in sports - they are marked by the color of their uniform and the logo on their clothes.]
God can look down at our world and quickly identify which people have given their lives to Him and which ones have not.
We are wearing God’s uniform when we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit.
He identifies us, and acts appropriately toward us based on the seal of ownership He has placed upon us.
God promises that we will be safely delivered into His arms when the end of all things takes place.
IV. GIVEN ME A GUARANTEE FOR THE FUTURE
I want to read you three verses that basically say the same thing.
(God has) put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:22
Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. - 2 Corinthians 5:5
When you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. - Ephesians 1:13b-14a
He has purchased us with His blood.
God has put down a deposit, guaranteeing that those of us who are in Christ will be delivered safely into His hands.
Our souls are in escrow, waiting for that final day of redemption.
- God promises us that our futures are guaranteed and the Holy Spirit who indwells us is evidence that God is going to come through on His promise to us.
- This also means that this isn’t all that we are going to receive in Christ.
- If we took all of the benefits that we have that come simply from being a Christian, that should be enough to satisfy us forever.
- But God tells us that this is just the beginning - just the first installment of what He has planned for us in the days to come.
Conclusion:
Finish the story.”
- “You are under my anointing.” - “You can now stand firm.” - “I have set you apart.” - “I have placed my seal upon you.” - “I guarantee your future.” - “All that is left is for you to recognize who you are in me, and no one can hold you back.”
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jer. 33:3