BECAUSE (2)
Notes
Transcript
Because
61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
THE HOLY BIBLE: KING JAMES VERSION.
SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 61:1
I want to spend a few minutes on this single verse this morning. In this verse we find one of the riches
blessings of the Old Testament. If we take the proper time and care this morning we will discover a truth
that has the potential of changing our lives. I want to extract the 10th Word recorded in this verse. I want
to lift up as my thought this morning the word – “BECAUSE.”
BECAUSE ■ is define as: for the reason that; since.
Concise Oxford English dictionary
This is a critical and very important word to understand. It is a word that our children discovered at a very early age. Can I prove my point for a moment?
“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD GOD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS ANOINTED ME.”
• Isaiah lets us know “Because” is the Evidence
• Many times we as Christians can’t give the Evidence of our Hope
• Many times we as Christians can’t give the Evidence of our Salvation
• Ever ask someone in the Church if they are Saved
• Respond, I am not sure or I think so
• We have a problem with the Because or the Evidence
Isaiah knew a change had taken place in his life – and he knew this “Because.” Remember with me this is
an OT text. In this text, there is reference to the Spirit, there is a reference to CHRIST – ISAIAH SAYS, THE
SPIRIT OF THE LORD GOD IS UPON ME - so there is also a reference to the Father – all tied up in the word
“LORD”
Isaiah clearly anticipates the Because in his calling and expounds upon it in this first Verse.
• Mary understood this when she was very young and the Angel spoke to her saying the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you
• Mary you will be pregnant and not know a man, then the Angel provided her with the “Because”
• Jesus understood this at His baptism by John the Baptist when the Holy Spirit descended on Him and a
voice spoke from Heaven this is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased
• Jesus was now released for Ministry and He knew it – “Because”
• Something must take place in our life or we will be stuck with a Response instead of Evidence
Isaiah in this text was providing us with the evidence of his calling. Hundreds of years down the road, Jesus would reflect upon these same words as recorded in
ISAIAH 61:1 – SPIRIT LED – SPIRIT DIRECTED.
Now before we move on lets think about ourselves and the ministries we are involved in.
• How Spirit led and directed are we?
• Is the power of Spirit evident in our lives and in our service of Him?
• Are we relying upon the Holy Spirit in our ministries and in our life?
• Effective kingdom ministry and service is Spirit led and Spirit empowered
It is important what Isaiah identifies after the “Because” - BECAUSE THE LORD HAS ANOINTED ME. The
Anointing makes the Difference. Too many are anointed by the wrong thing today.
• We are anointed by the Bishop – instead of the Lord
• We are anointed by the Presbytery – instead of the Lord
• We are anointed by the Church Elders and leaders – instead of the Lord
• We are anointed by the Prelates – instead of the Lord
• The “Because” must be tied to the Lord
• Not tied to our Dreams
• Not tied to our Desires
• Not tied to our Wants
• Because the Lord has Anointed Me!
In this Power Packed Verse, Isaiah prophesies that those so transformed by the work of Jesus Christ will
stand out and are meant to stand out.
• We Stand Out Not to Show Off –
But Because
• We Stand Out Not to Stand and Say Look at Me –
But Because
• We Stand Out Not to Say to our Haters, How You Like Me now –
But Because
The BECAUSE in this verse talks about the TRANSFORMING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CHANGES
US. When we are transformed, we are then designed to Stand Out.
• We are to stand out as great examples of what it means to be the followers of God
• We are to stand out for the purpose of showing forth the greatness and glory of God
• We are to stand out for the purpose of showing the world that God Can an God Will Do It
Ultimately we are here reminded that we are not to be self-focused. We are to be God focused. The
transformational work of Christ in our lives shows forth God’s glory for in us Christ and the glory of God is
seen in increasing measure. Isaiah prophesies that those so transformed by the work of Jesus Christ will
stand out and are meant to stand out.
• Sad reality is most of Christianity today is “Self-Focused”
• We don’t want to attend a Church unless we hear a lot about what God is going to give us
• We want to hear about how God is going to Elevate us
• We want to hear about how Wonderful and Prosperous the Lord will make us
• That is a Self-Focused Gospel instead of God Focused
Isaiah said he was Empowered not for his own gain but to be a help to others. Our examination of the
prophesy of Jesus in this passage ought to bring us to the point of saying, I want to participate—in ways
possible for me, in the ministries that Christ had to people. We must move to the Because Caluse. Isaiah
Said it was the Because that allowed:
• Him to be led by the Spirit to lead God’s people
• Him to be set apart to Preach
• Him to Bind up the Brokenhearted
• Him to proclaim Liberty to the Captives
• Him to open the Prison to them that were Bound
Although we as Ministers have varied jobs to perform, nothing holds greater priority than the call to
Preach. Fortunate, indeed, are those churches with shepherds who recognize and accept the importance
of the CENTRALITY OF PREACHING as a means of SAVING THE LOST – NURTURING AND INSPIRING
THE SAVED – PROVIDING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AGAINST APOSTASY. Well-fed, stable, biblically
literate congregations, who are growing in Christ, are often the products of preaching which motivates
people to become involved in sharing the benefits which they are receiving.
SPIRIT ANOINTED PREACHING BEGINS WITH THE PREACHER. God does not anoint Programs – Plans –
Eloquence - Education - but people, individuals who have been prepared in cooperation with God to be
entrusted with the power of His Spirit. The power of the Spirit will not come upon preachers who are:
• Compromising their standards
• Unkind and unchristian in their homes
• Critical and negative in their outlook
• Harboring sensual and sinful desire
Too Late
“O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam. 18:33b). The sun and wind of the centuries have failed to dry the tears or still the anguish of this exceedingly sorrowful cry. Who was this distraught person? A neurotic parent? No, a king—King David!
David was the first king in history to be selected according to ability rather than birth. He was courageous. His character crowned him king. He was considerate and in many ways magnanimous. Twice he spared the life of his enemy Saul. In spite of his sins, the people of Judah loved him. David was a good ruler, a fine soldier, and a wise statesman. He did not fail as king. He failed as father. He was too involved in royal responsibilities to relate adequately to his family.
While young Absalom was on reconnaissance with his father’s troops, his long hair became entangled in the limbs of a tree, making him an easy prey for the enemy. The king was crushed by the news of his son’s death because he realized the accident could have been avoided. David’s anguish was increased by the knowledge that he had not been a worthy example.
This is a continuing and familiar pattern of busy fathers. They have a way of coming too late to the needs of their children.
Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 35). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.