Anointed 1 John 2:20-27 Central Idea: Every believer needs the anointing of God s Spirit to minister with His strength and effectiveness! Introduction How many of you when doing something or preparing something to say to someone have ever felt like when you did it, it seemed like it wasn t you doing it. I ve had these almost out of body experiences where I could actually see myself doing something and going, Whoa! That s better than how I thought that would come out! Sometimes God uses us in powerful ways that even we didn t expect. It s in these special times of service to Him that He gives us just a bit more help, just a bit more power in our doing and speaking. Pastors around the world seek what they call the anointing, the power to preach God s Word with greater effectiveness, so that it s not me speaking, but God speaking through me. It s not my abilities, but God s Spirit doing the work that needs to be done in hearts and minds and lives. Today I want to preach about the anointing of God for service in His Kingdom. Now I have studied anything I could find on the anointing all week. A couple of you know that I have grappled with how to define it, how to explain it, and how to talk about it. For many in my studies, the anointing became this X-Factor, this thing that could not really be defined or explained. It was that intangible thing in a ministry. I have sought to define the anointing this way: The anointing is a special awareness of God s presence and power and cooperation with His Spirit for service in His Kingdom. This means that the anointing is something for every believer that helps us to do God s mission better than we can on our own. It is the nexus where the presence and power of the Holy Spirit come upon us and God can use us to perfectly do service for Him. Let s look at one of the results of the anointing this morning by reading from 1 John 2:20-27. Text 1 John 2:20-27 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 1
you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie just as it has taught you, abide in him. I. Who is anointed? A. God s servants throughout the Bible are anointed for their tasks. 1. Priests were anointed to carry out their sacrificial duties. a. We will get to what it means to be anointed to discern truth when we talk about Christians and the anointing, but first we need some background on it. b. The historical background for anointing comes out of the ancient understanding of ointments and medicines. Ancients had long since realized that certain oils and ointments could bring healing, relaxation and even strength to a human body. c. Some say that the idea for anointing came from pouring water over sheep s heads to keep the bugs from biting their ears. Some say it came from the medicinal backgrounds of healing, and still others that the Israelites got it from the Canaanites around them. d. However, when we come to God s word, we learn about the anointing before the Israelites meet the Canaanites. God has just freed them from Egypt and is setting up His nation at Mount Sinai. e. He had come down from heaven and rested upon the mountain, and while there He gives them moral and civic laws, and also a priesthood and a religion. f. Along with all of these gifts, God set aside priests to minister to the people s physical and spiritual needs. The priests were specially anointed with oil and blood to serve in the community with distinction. g. We find from Exodus 30:22-30 that God told Moses to anoint the priesthood with oil and blood so that they would be set apart, or consecrated, for the work of priests. God also had Moses anoint and consecrate objects to be used only for His purposes as well! h. Illustration: There is a beautiful illustration of God s protection and provision in giving Israel the priesthood, of the oil running down Aaron s head and beard and garments. He was drenched in the presence of God! You can find this image in Psalm 133. i. Application: So those who are anointed are set apart, separated out, and chosen by God for His special purposes and mission. This is true not just of Old Testament Priests, but of every believer in Christ, as we will see! You are set apart from this world. You live in it, but you are not like it. You are different! By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 2
2. Prophets were anointed to preach God s Word to God s people. a. Not only were the priests anointed to serve God s people through rituals, sacrifices, the teaching of God s Word, and all of their other priestly duties, but also the prophets who served God were anointed as well. b. Because the prophets spoke God s own Words, they were anointed to be in His presence and demonstrate the power of His Spirit as well. c. The vast majority of prophets anointing ceremonies are not available to us, but we would understand that they were all anointed to serve God, for prophets tended to anoint kings, and you cannot give what you don t have. d. We know of a few specific examples of the anointing of prophets in the Bible. There is the most quoted example of Isaiah telling of his anointing to preach good news and to free captives and bind up the brokenhearted from Isaiah 61. e. This passage is made famous by Jesus when He reads it as part of a proclamation of His own anointing to bring the Kingdom of God. But there are other examples. f. In the historical books, 1 Kings 19:16, a prophet and a king are anointed for service to God s people. Also, in 1 Chronicles 16:22, we have another example of prophets being anointed to serve God. g. Prophets had to be set apart as well so that they could speak to the culture of wickedness and hear God s voice. They needed to be in God s presence as well. h. There is another example of clear explanation that prophets as well as priests were anointed with oil to begin their ministry. This is found in Psalm 105:15. i. We also can learn something about the anointing in the idea that it could be tranfered from one to another. Most interestingly, Elijah gives his mantle to Elisha before he is taken up to heaven, and Elisha asks for a double-portion and receives it. j. There are other examples of this transferable power as well from places like Numbers 27:18-23. The point is that God s power and presence was only known by a few in the Old Testament, and He could transfer the anointing to others to continue the work. 3. Kings were anointed to rule with strength and authority. a. As we continue to read through the Bible, we realize that a third group of people enjoyed the anointing of God in their lives and work for Him, the kings. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 3
b. We have a clear and defined coronation ceremony for at least the first three kings of Israel in the Scriptures. Saul and David were anointed by Samuel. Solomon was also anointed king of Israel by a prophet. c. Much like the priests and prophets, the kings were anointed so that they could be set apart from the people to serve God through authority and strength. They were given His power and provision and protection to rule as His chosen servants. d. Three other observations can be made as we discuss the kings of Israel and the anointing of God. The anointing is seen by the kings as a perpetual and permanent anointing. e. So many times when David is endangered by the wicked Saul, first king of Israel, David refuses to kill him, although Saul is given into his hands by God several times. f. David is famous for saying that he will not lay a hand on God s anointed. It seems that David understood that despite Saul s wickedness and disobedience, the office of the king, at least, was still carrying God s anointing. g. The anointing seems to be viewed here as a life-long anointing for the kings, and most likely the priests and the prophets of Israel. So also for us, God s anointing may always be there but we may not sense it and tap into its power as often as we should. h. There is a possibility in Scripture that the anointing could be viewed as temporary, but I believe these examples point to the moments in which the anointing is realized by the anointed more than the anointing is temporary. i. The second observation we can make is that obedience is an absolute must for the anointing to truly work effectively through us. We can block the anointing with disobedience to God. j. When we are disobedient like Saul, God may choose someone else to anoint, which is exactly what happened for David. When Saul was disobedient, Samuel was sent to anoint David in his place. k. But there were many years between Saul s passing as king and David s starting as Israel s king. I have seen a principle that when we are disobedient, God can only work through us in spite of us, rather than with our cooperation. l. God is looking to use those who are willing and obedient in His service. He will find someone to do His will and fulfill His mission. He can work in spite of us, but His preference is to find someone who is willing! By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 4
m. The third observation we can make about the anointing is that it seemed to be used in the life of Israel s kings when someone was indeed disobedient. n. Almost all of the accounts of a king or prophet or someone being anointed had to do with either God s or humanity s discontent with the current anointed agent of God. o. Anointing seemed to be a corrective in the Bible to set a new path of obedience to God and of God s favor. Saul is a prime example, as well as Absolom, and several of the kings. p. Application: When we are not obedient to God, He will work in spite of us, but He will also want to find someone to serve Him wholeheartedly. Let us never be like Saul or Absolom! Let us always seek to do what God wants and to do it with the power of God s presence in us! B. Jesus was anointed to bring God s Kingdom into the world. 1. Jesus brings together the three offices that are anointed. a. Especially during what is called the intertestamental period, the time between Malachi and Matthew, as well as one of the major themes of the prophets, Israel began to realize that there was a special anointed one that was coming. b. When we talk about Jesus, we call Him Jesus Christ or the Messiah. What some may not realize is that Christ and Messiah are titles rather than His last name. c. In Hebrew and Greek there are two words each that are used for the most part concerning the anointing. The actual anointing process and anointing for non-religious applications were represented in the Hebrew word Suke. The Greek term was Aleifw. d. But for the rituals and the sacrifices and the anointing for consecration and service, another word was used in the languages. In Hebrew the word was Messiach, and in Greek, Chree-o. These words might look familiar to us, for they are directly related in linguistic families to Messiah and Christ. e. These words meant to splatter, to rub, or to smear or paint someone. So Jesus, whose name means The Lord saves, is also entitled the Anointed One. f. Rabbis and students of the Old Testament began to understand that there would be a special Anointed One that would come, unlike anyone else that was anointed. g. They saw room for this person to be used of God to restore His kingdom and principles to Israel, and even to be divine, or at least By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 5
divinely used like never before. They understood this Messiah to come at the end, in the eschaton. h. The Messiah would uniquely combine the anointed and concecrated offices of the prophets, the priests and the kings. Where the prophets spoke God s guiding words and the priests performed the sacrifices and the kings ruled, so the Messiah would do all three! i. Jesus would come and He would rule in the power of God the Kingdom of God as an anointed King. Jesus would come and He would be the perfect sacrifice of a better covenant as our High Priest. And Jesus would also come and He would speak the word of eternal life into our souls as God s chosen Prophet! j. Application: Jesus as God s Messiah, anointed and chosen one, has come and has been your ultimate sacrifice, to grant not only the forgiveness of sins, but also the entrance into eternal life with God. Not only this, but simultaneously, Jesus wants to rule your soul as the perfect King of all Creation and He wants to be your Lord. Jesus also speaks the words of life and encouragement and discipline into your life, so that you will know God! Jesus is our Messiah! 2. Jesus needed the Spirit s anointing to flow throughout His ministry. a. Isaiah talked about an anointing from the Lord to do the work of a prophet in Isaiah 61:1-4. When Jesus began His ministry, He quoted from Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:18-21. b. He proclaimed as a prophet that the Kingdom of God was being inaugurated through Him and His ministry. Many associate Jesus anointing with His water baptism by John the Baptist, where the Spirit came as a dove and rested upon Him. c. Immediately after that, Jesus is sent into the wilderness by God s Spirit to endure temptation from the devil and as part of the preparation for His ministry. d. There are other places that talk about the anointing and power of God being available in Jesus ministry to heal and to do effective serving for God in Acts 4:26-27 and 10:38. e. Although Jesus was fully God, He chose to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit and the anointing of God as God s chosen Suffering Servant. Jesus was the ultimate Anointed One! f. Application: We are all called to follow in Jesus footsteps and to do the same types of things that He did. In such a case, we need the same anointing and power that He knew and demonstrated. We can By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 6
only get that from the Holy Spirit! We need to learn to operate in the power and presence of God! C. Christians are anointed for wisdom and service in God s Kingdom. 1. Every believer can operate in God s anointing today. a. We are actually expected to operate in God s powerful anointing and to do the things Jesus did. There are several examples of this throughout the Gospels and Acts. b. In the Gospels, Jesus first taught the disciples, but then He released 72 disciples to do what He did. He taught them through words and action, and then set them loose to do the very things He did. And He imparted to them the same anointing! c. The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are meant to be taken as a two-volume work in which the large outline describes Jesus coming, ministry in the Spirit, death and resurrection, and then in Acts, the church as His body and an extension of His life and ministry. Jesus is not dead and His church is His visible body on earth, doing what He did by the power of the same Spirit! d. Not only these examples, but there are specific proclamations and challenges for the believer in Jesus to be just like Him in word and deed. e. The end of the Gospel of Mark, in the last section of chapter 16 calls the Christian to do the works of Jesus by His Spirit. Along with this, Jesus tells us Himself that we shall do greater works even than these. f. Application: Whether you expected it or not, just like Jesus, the Anointed One, you and I are anointed as we are saved in Christ, to do what Jesus did. The power and presence of God must be as evident in our lives as it was in Jesus life and in the lives of the apostles. Is that true for you? Are you acting out the anointing, God s presence and power, in your world today? Perhaps you need a fresh anointing, a fresh openness to God to operate in His power and presence alone! 2. Believers need the anointing because Jesus needed it. a. Just like Jesus operated in the anointing, so also we must operate in it. As God s Son, and divine Himself, Jesus could have set an impossible divine standard and example with His ministry. b. But He did not do that at all. In fact, there are times when even Jesus is surprised and where He does not know things without the help of the Holy Spirit. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 7
c. It was the regular practice of Jesus to get away from the crowds and be rejuvenated by times of solitude and times of prayer in God s presence. d. Jesus taught us a model for ministry in which we must be filled up with God s power and presence so that we can share God s power and presence to those who need Him around us. e. But if we don t get filled with Him and go out and try to minister, we will find that we run out of fuel because instead of operating in His power, we operate in our own, and we are finite. f. Instead of operating in His presence and being taught by Him how to serve and to fulfill the right need rather than the need we think people have, we operate in our own wisdom and understanding, and we might miss the actual need! g. Beyond this, the Bible tells us that we all as believers in Jesus have an anointing. First, it is inferred that we share in the long legacy of priests and kings when Peter tells us that we are a royal priesthood of God (1 Peter 2:9). h. If we are priests of God, then we are anointed and set apart to serve Him with excellence and moral fortitude. And we must demonstrate that anointing by serving Him with fervor! i. In our text today, John talked about our anointing from the Holy Spirit. This is an anointing that makes us want to be in God s Word, to know the real thing so that we can be taught by God. j. To be taught by God to withstand the wicked and false teachings of false teachers is one of the reasons we are anointed. Our anointing gives us a special connection to God s Spirit and Word, and we can more easily see counterfeits and smoke screens from false teachers! II. Why do I need the anointing? A. The anointing is for service in God s plans. 1. All who were anointed throughout history, and all believers today, are part of God s plans and mission for this world we live in. This means that we may not even realize the power and presence that dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. 2. But knowing the anointing is being aware of the power of God that rests in you to act and speak on His behalf in this world, and to represent Christ to those who need to know Him. 3. We serve God through worship, through our speech, our actions, and many other ways. One of the easiest ways to block the anointing of God in your life is to be in sin. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 8
4. Sin separates us from God, desensitizes us to His indwelling presence, gives us an apathy when it comes to holy living, and teaches us to be disobedient to God! 5. We must be very careful as believers in Christ to stay connected to the Vine, Jesus. In John 15, Jesus teaches us to rely on Him alone and to stay in constant connection with Him. 6. Having a vivid and continuous prayer life and communion with God will help us to live in and move in the power and presence of God. There are stories of monks who would go out into the deserts and people would search after them because of the power of God they demonstrated. 7. They spent time alone in His presence, untainted by the world, and came into it with something the people of the world needed. This is being salt and light. It is operating in God s presence and power, but we must first know this anointing before we can operate in it! B. The anointing is for healing in our bodies. 1. Although the anointing oil is most used in ceremonial and sacrificial situations, it was very common to anoint oneself with olive oil like we use perfumes today. 2. Olive oil had several uses throughout the Bible, and one of them was found to be helpful in the healing process. Oils and anointments tended to have healing properties. 3. It is no surprise then that oil is used to anoint the sick in the Bible several times. 2 Chronicles 28:15 records the use of anointing oil for healing. The ancients were aware of the healing properties of oil. 4. But more than this, they understood healing to come from God, and so anointing with oil became part of the clear understanding that God s Spirit was at work in divine healing. 5. We see in Luke 10:34, Mark 6:13, John 9:6 and Revelation 3:18 the disciples using anointing oil in praying for healing, as well as oil s healing properties. And this is only enhanced by Pastor james command in James 5:14-16 to use anointing oil in conjunction with prayer for a sick person s healing from God. 6. Application: So you must know that God has an anointing for the purpose of healing throughout the Scriptures. If you are sick, you should do as James calls, let the elders of our church know and we will gather and pray the prayer of faith and anoint you with oil. God will do the healing, but we will do the praying! Never be afraid to be anointed and prayed for! It s part of the wonderful gifts God blesses the believer with! C. The anointing is for protection in God s special use. By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 9
1. Many times, especially for the kings, God s anointing meant that they would be protected as they ruled for Him. When they were in battle, they trusted that He would protect and keep them. 2. So also, God s protection and His favor were seen in their being chosen for His service. Those who were anointed in the Bible enjoyed His presence and His power to serve. 3. They knew that they were favored and chosen by God for the service and acts that he wanted to do. When they were obedient to Him and didn t block the anointing, they knew they were protected from harm. 4. When we operate in God s power and presence, we know that we are being used by Him. As such, we need not fear the dangers of this life and the scorn of others, for we are favored by God. 5. And God will protect and keep us as long as we are committed to serving Him. Until we complete the part of His mission that he has given us, we will enjoy His safety and presence! Until God is done with you, you will live and serve Him! III. What happens when I am anointed? A. The anointing brings a special openness and sensitivity to God s presence. 1. One of the results of a person working under the anointing of God is that those who receive ministry from such a person will be very open to God, His gifts and His presence. 2. You will notice an unnatural receptivity to God and the things of God when you serve under the presence and power of God s anointing. You will sense that He is with you, actually feel His presence in the doing of His ordained work. 3. Illustration: There was at least one time where I was in Springfield and part of a street ministry. We went out and just cold turkey proclaimed God s message to whoever would listen. I am legally blind, and don t pick up on social cues or situations through observation like most people. I can remember as my friend and I walked up to these two guys who were essentially high and drunk, half passed out on a park bench, and I began to tell them about how they needed Jesus. My friend was getting more and more nervous. But then something extraordinary happened. He told me later that these guys, as I spoke, sat up and were attentive, and their glazed over eyes cleared, and they were receptive to the Gospel! They prayed the sinners prayer with us and it was so exciting! 4. When the anointing is in place, because it comes from the Holy Spirit, those who are affected by it are open to the things of God. The Holy Spirit always glorifies God! By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 10
Conclusion 5. Like the palpable presence of the Shekinah Glory of the Old Testament, we can feel God s presence working in and through us, and then we can see the tangible results from the anointing in others. It is an unforgettable experience when we are sensitive to the anointing! B. The anointing brings a special hunger for God and His Word. 1. When the anointing is present, it is often for the purpose of growing, perhaps leaps and bounds, in God at once. I have seen powerful things happen in special moments of anointing. 2. The anointing is also able to be a long term effect over time. God s Word does not return void in our lives. It always has an impact. Sometimes the impact is greater, in our minds, than others. 3. Those times where we seemed to grasp God s Word more easily or when a powerful teaching was being given, the anointing is most likely involved. And because of its powerful affects, we crave more of God. 4. Our hunger for God should be constant, but we are creatures of habit and we are not always hungry for God or His Word. We usually need incentive to be hungry for the things of God. 5. But when the anointing is strong in our lives, we make powerful faith steps toward a knowledge of the things of God and toward a deeper desire to know God more. C. The anointing brings a special fervor and passion for action in His Kingdom. 1. Not only does the anointing bring clarity to the preached word and to our openness to God, but there is an impulse to act upon what is learned. These powerfully impacting moments can t go to waste. 2. Many times in the power of anointing, we are impressed not just to hear and obey, but to do something about what we are learning and growing in. We are called to action, and the Spirit helps us to be faithful to respond. 3. When we have the encouragement of the Spirit, the incentive of such anointed moments of connection with God s presence and power, we have all that we need to practice what is brought to our attention. 4. Oftentimes, the paths that God makes into our soul will last for a long time in our actions and behavior. Sometimes in the moment of anointing, we are so impacted that change is constant, even when we don t feel the anointing as strongly later. 5. We can also do great things when we are tuned in to God s presence and the anointing flows with power for us to act on God s Word and character in us. We never forget the experience of the anointing in our lives! By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 11
Experiencing the anointing is a powerful moment in our lives. God anoints His Word, and He anoints those who preach the Word, those who hear the Word, and those who act on the Word. God can use us so powerfully when we are more surrendered to His presence and power. God uses us in our weakness. That is when He is strong. He teaches us in these moments. This is not as much a mystical experience as it is an energizing in ministry. God makes us more effective for a time or uses our lives in an extraordinary way. I am thankful that God anoints us to serve Him with excellence and gives us powerful experiences of His power and presence, which are for us a glimpse of what heaven will be like all the time! Action Points Prophets, priests and kings were anointed to do great things for God and to say great things for God. Have you ever felt a special anointing, a time when you realized that God was using you beyond your abilities? Are you open to God s power and presence in your life? Are you surrendered to Him to be used in whatever way He wishes? Do you experience moments of clarity in the Spirit of God as you live for Christ? Turn your thoughts, actions, and speech over to God and ask Him to use you in even greater ways. Be prepared to give up disobedience, sin in your life, and anything else that would keep God from letting His anointing be known to you! Is there something in your life that keeps you from being used of God? By My Spirit Holy Spirit Series Page 12