Anointing Messages from New Hope Assembly of God, NuMine, PA
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- Christianity
This morning, we’re learning about, and prayerfully experiencing in a new way, the anointing of God.
In the literal sense, anointing is not really anything all that interesting or exciting. To anoint is just to smear or to spread a liquid onto. We anoint our bread with butter. We anoint our dry skin with lotion. We anoint our deck with stain.
However, there is far, far more significance behind God’s anointing than just physically getting some scented oil smeared on us! In fact, Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. Messiah literally means, you may have guessed it, “anointed one.” Also, Christ is not Jesus’ last name. It’s a title which means, you may have guessed it, “anointed.” Jesus is the Anointed One! What does this mean, though?
Luke 4:14-21
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written (chapter 61):
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The ministry that Jesus did to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, raising the dead, casting out demons, feeding thousands, and so much more, He did through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
This is re-affirmed when Peter is called to a Gentile’s home to share the news about Jesus with Cornelius and a group of his relatives and close friends. Peter said:
Acts 10:37-38;44-46
37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit empowers the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives. There is a difference between the anointing and the giftings of the Holy Spirit. They work together, but they are not the same thing. Just as a car has an engine and a transmission that work together to become the drive train and to make our car move, so are the anointing and the gifting of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 11:29
God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
God freely gives us natural gifts that we were created with even before we are saved. God also freely gives us spiritual gifts after we are saved. God calls us to go into different places in order to put those gifts to use to serve others. God’s gifts and God’s call are irrevocable.
However, we can use the gifts that God gives us using our own power.
I can shift my car’s transmission into neutral and push it around everywhere on my own power or I can turn on the car’s engine and allow it to power my car’s transmission.
Too many people have been gifted by God, but do not know how to operate those gifts using the power that comes from the anointing of God. Instead,
This morning, we’re learning about, and prayerfully experiencing in a new way, the anointing of God.
In the literal sense, anointing is not really anything all that interesting or exciting. To anoint is just to smear or to spread a liquid onto. We anoint our bread with butter. We anoint our dry skin with lotion. We anoint our deck with stain.
However, there is far, far more significance behind God’s anointing than just physically getting some scented oil smeared on us! In fact, Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. Messiah literally means, you may have guessed it, “anointed one.” Also, Christ is not Jesus’ last name. It’s a title which means, you may have guessed it, “anointed.” Jesus is the Anointed One! What does this mean, though?
Luke 4:14-21
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written (chapter 61):
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The ministry that Jesus did to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, raising the dead, casting out demons, feeding thousands, and so much more, He did through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
This is re-affirmed when Peter is called to a Gentile’s home to share the news about Jesus with Cornelius and a group of his relatives and close friends. Peter said:
Acts 10:37-38;44-46
37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit empowers the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives. There is a difference between the anointing and the giftings of the Holy Spirit. They work together, but they are not the same thing. Just as a car has an engine and a transmission that work together to become the drive train and to make our car move, so are the anointing and the gifting of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 11:29
God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
God freely gives us natural gifts that we were created with even before we are saved. God also freely gives us spiritual gifts after we are saved. God calls us to go into different places in order to put those gifts to use to serve others. God’s gifts and God’s call are irrevocable.
However, we can use the gifts that God gives us using our own power.
I can shift my car’s transmission into neutral and push it around everywhere on my own power or I can turn on the car’s engine and allow it to power my car’s transmission.
Too many people have been gifted by God, but do not know how to operate those gifts using the power that comes from the anointing of God. Instead,