Understanding the Anointing pt 12
I’m going to continue on the subject of the anointing of God. I think that next week we’re going to get into a different subject. For the last few weeks we’ve been focusing on “How we can walk and flow in the anointing of God.” When we do we’re going to see many miraculous miracles happen in our lives. We’re going to see bad situations turn into victory. We’re going to see sickness turn into healing. We’re going to see lack turn into abundance.
I) For the last 2 weeks or so we’ve taken up “The Fruit of the spirit.” GAL 5:22-23
A) We’ve seen the strong relationship between the fruit of the spirit and the Anointing.
1) Both, working separately and together, give us the ability to win.
2) No trouble, tribulation, or circumstance can overcome you if you are walking in the anointing and in the fruit of the spirit.
(a) Once you have the Fruit of the spirit working in your life, NO HATE, DEPRESSION, INSECURITY, WAVERING, VIOLENCE, EVIL, DOUBT, OR PRIDE will prevail against you.
(b) The fruit of the spirit guarantees victory.
(c) You may not see their power to bring you victory immediately, but once you’ve paid the price and made the choice to walk in them, you will not lose.
B) Nothing in God’s Word has been placed there randomly or haphazardly.
1) There is an importance to the way that God has placed things in His Word.
(a) The fruit of the spirit has been placed there in that order for a reason.
(b) (GAL 5) has them listed “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith or faithfulness, meekness, and temperance.”
2) The 1st one listed here is “LOVE.” Without it, “JOY” will not work.
(a) Without “JOY” “PEACE” will not work.
(b) Without “PEACE” “LONGSUFFERING or PATIENCE” will not work.
(c) Without “PATIENCE” “GENTLENESS” will not work.
(d) Without “GENTLENESS” “GOODNESS” will not work.
(e) Without “GOODNESS” “FAITHFULNESS” will not work and so on.
3) But notice that without the fruit of LOVE, none of them will work.
(a) Love is the key to operating in all the rest of the fruit of the spirit.
(b) Paul essentially says the same thing in (1COR)
4) Look at 1COR 13:13 (Charity – Love)
(a) We know the importance of FAITH and HOPE, but Paul says that LOVE is bigger and more important than the both of them are.
C) Like the anointing, love gives you the ability to win against all odds.
1) It literally never fails. (1COR 13:8)
(a) Why? Because God never fails and “God is love.” (1JOHN 4:8)
(b) Love is consistent and diligent in accomplishing what you need accomplished in your life.
(i) It will not stop working until it has given you the victory.
2) It even gives power to your faith.
(a) (Galatians 5:6) Says, “Faith worketh by love.”
(b) In (Mark 11:23) Jesus said, “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” KJV
(i) Since love never fails, when you speak to the MOUNTAINS in your life with faith in your heart, and that faith is powered by the force of love, those mountains must move.
(ii) Love makes your faith unstoppable.
(c) Really that’s pretty easy to understand.
(d) Look at 1JOHN 4:18
(i) 1 of the biggest hindrances to FAITH is FEAR.
(ii) But according to this V “Perfect love cast out all fear.”
(e) Love stops those fears that would hinder your faith from working.
(i) Love gives the power to your faith, making it unstoppable.
(ii) Love will give you the victory.
D) Turn with me to JOHN 14:15
1) Jesus plainly tells us that we demonstrate real love for Him when we obey Him and His Word.
(a) 1 of the best way to show our love for God is by doing His Word.
(b) (1 John 2:5) Says, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” KJV
2) When you put these 2 truths together. (1) Perfect love casts out all fear and (2) the love of God is perfected in us when we keep His Word.
(a) It clearly tells us that OUR LOVE IS MADE PERFECT WHEN WE DO HIS WORD, and IT’S THAT PERFECT LOVE THAT CAUSES ALL FEAR TO GO, ENABLING FAITH TO WORK.
(i) That’s why (1COR 13:8) Says, “Love never fails.”
(ii) Love is a force that cannot be stopped.
II) Yet, keeping His Word is only 1 side of the coin of love. The flip side involves developing an intimate love relationship with God.
A) Turn with me to MATT 22:36-38
1) If you want the power of God and the anointing of God in your life, you’re going to have to develop a love relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the HS.
(a) We talked about paying the price for the anointing. Part of paying the price only comes through loving fellowship with the Father.
2) Sometimes people miss it in their fellowship with the Father.
(a) They have fellowship with the Father for the wrong reason.
(i) Many times people fellowship with the Father just to get the power and the anointing in their life. But God wants to have that love relationship with us.
B) Turn to PRO 18:24
1) Jesus is a friend to all believers that sticks closer than a brother.
(a) He is the 1 that is with us always and that will never leave us.
(i) We need to be spending that quality time with Him because we love Him. When we do the power and the anointing will be there.
(b) But if our only reason for coming to God is to get the power or anointing we’re on dangerous ground.
C) MATT 7:22-23
1) Many times people mistakenly think that they can express their love to the Father solely through their good works. And that is 1 way, but it should not be the only way.
2) Did you notice what Jesus said to those people that cast out devils, and prophesied in His name?
(a) He said, “I never KNEW you: depart from me.”
3) The word “KNEW” in V 23 means, “To know by experience.”
(a) It is the same meaning when we use the phrase; “I have come to know them well.”
(b) In (Genesis 4:1) It says, “And Adam knew Eve his wife.”
(i) That doesn’t mean that Adam got acquainted with Eve. It means that there was intimacy between them.
(ii) God wants to have an intimate relationship and fellowship with you.
III) Turn to PHIL 3:10
A) Again that word “KNOW” means “To have an intimate relationship.”
1) It was Paul’s desire to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a greater way.
2) But notice something else that Paul says here. (PHIL 3 10) “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection.”
(a) When you get to know Him through intimate fellowship, you’re going to know His power and His anointing.
(b) The more your spend time with someone, the more you become like them.
(i) When you spend time with the Lord you’re going to pick up His characteristics. That means you’re going to become more like Him and you’ll pick up His power and His anointing.
B) The power and the anointing of God are not just for preacher, and it is not just for a select few.
1) It’s God’s desire that you operate in the anointing.
(a) He wants you clothed you with His Power and His ability.
(b) It’s His ability that will give you the power to get results.
2) He wants to bring glory to His name by empowering you to walk in victory over the enemy.
C) But the question is “how much do you want the anointing?”
1) WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO TO GET THE ANOINTING?
2) I hope your answer is, “WHATEVER IT TAKES!”
WOLCC Sunday, September 14, 1997