Holy Spirit Anointing

Have your Bibles with you turn with me if you would first John chapter 2. Look at verses 20 through 28 for John chapter 2 starting at verse 20. But you've been anointed by the holy one, and you have all knowledge, all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you know it because no lies of the truth, who is a liar but he denies that Jesus is the Christ.

This is the antichrist, he denies the Father and the son. No one who denies the son has the father. Whoever confesses the son has the father also let what you heard from the beginning abide in you, what you heard from the beginning abides in you than you truly will abide in the sun and the father.

This is the promise that he made us eternal life, I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you with the anointing that you have received from him abides in you and 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 is taught you about in him. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. Spray heavenly father would glorious passage we have before. Tonight we pray father as we dig into this that you would give us guidance and direction by your spirit that you might illuminate the word and help me to articulate truth, help me Lord that my lips might be kept from era and that Christ might be truly glorified in this in the sermon, then Lord that at this congregation would be edified. We thank you heavenly father for the anointing of your Holy Spirit that assures us, Lord, that we belong to you. You belong to us and that we are yours forever and ever, that we have not just life. We have eternal life got indirectness now through it will give you praise and honor and glory for it. Jesus precious, holy name we pray.

Amen. You may be seated. Two weeks ago we dealt with the tragedy of apostasy in verse 19, and John laid out an example of it for us and John had had dealt with this before because when John Walter Jesus as his own personal disciple. There was a group of people, a huge group of people that that were walking with Jesus.

I call them bandwagon jumpers and they were walking with Jesus.

They had seen him do miracles. They watched him heal people from sickness is like watching cast out demons.

They saw him do miracles they heard him preach and were absolutely mesmerized by the sermons than that, that he preached in the things that he taught and said it was just kinda a popular thing to do to follow Jesus. But then Jesus began to dig into their heart a little deeper and begin to explain to them what a covenant relationship with him was all about and they begin Jesus began to do that into two to tell them what they so terribly needed and what he said to them was this unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood. You have no part with me that Jesus was speaking in symbolic words, they are but they were highly, highly offended and then to take it further. Jesus went on to explain to them that the it. It was the sovereign grace of God that determines who was a believer and it was not and when he said that that was the straw that broke the camels back in the Scripture says that they walked away from him and walked with him no more. That event had a great great impact on the apostle John. It bothered him and it kept in his mind. I think all through his life and so when he begin to see it as a pastor in the church at Ephesus.

He he he knew what was going on and he had seen it before and said he wanted to deal with it. What is verse 19 say it says this they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us, but they went out that it might be manifest that they were not of us. John hates that Christianity is not a game to play is not call us to follow.

It is not a religion to ponder it is Christ in you the hope of glory. It's a covenant relationship with the living God.

It is life. It is Christ life in you. And John knows that. So John writes this letter with morning with passion and with hope I am and what he saying is the is he saying Christians be real. There is no place for hypocrisy.

There is no place for whining. There is no place for quitting in the kingdom of God. John has a great desire to exhort us and to encourage us and to challenge us to forge ahead. He is saying to us, don't quit, don't apostasy size don't walk away from Jesus and by the way, that's not a site job I thing a long time.

People have the idea what is coming to psych yourself up on the this is the the of movement of the sustaining grace of God.

He hugged it took the grace of God to regenerate our heart. It takes the grace of God to sanctify us. So what John is explaining to us is this that same spirit of God that regenerated your heart brought you into a relationship with God will sustain you so that you will persevere to the end no one opposed four questions to you today because John's pushing something in these verses, and what's the topic that is pushing it is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Four questions I want to share with you as we let John answer these questions.

Two weeks ago we saw that the word anointing is a Greek word Prisma and it comes from the of the word that we get Christ from Chris Doss and of the word Christ means the anointed one, and so that that word Prisma has to do with anointing anointing. Now John chapter 3 we are told that the Holy Spirit was given to Jesus without measure. Not only was he fully God.

Not only was he fully man.

Not only was he perfectly without sin. The Holy Spirit was given to him without measure.

In other words, an overabundance of the Holy Spirit of God.

To say that a person has an anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Today, probably when we use it.

We are not using the same way that John is using it here. A lot of times I'll hear people say, after a preacher has preached a very powerful message that go up to them as I while you were under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Today or they mean by that that they mean that he was preaching truth that he was speaking the word of God, that he was speaking with a passion, and with an unction that that he was an area speaking in such a way that the Scripture was being illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God, so that people could understand it. And so that people could be changed by it. Now that's a good way of saying what the anointing of the Holy Spirit is and when a person, a preacher's doing that he has been anointed with the Holy Spirit.

That's an appropriate thing to say that this also happens when when God activates a spiritual gift that is been given to you.

For example there there there may be a person who has a spiritual gift of giving, and he sees a person in the church. That's really going through a tough time financially maybe that the family don't even have enough to eat and the spirit of God speaks to his heart about the added and brings a burden about that and he goes to that person and he takes care that needed ministers to them and and and just as does a great job with it that this happens when a person has the gift of teaching and that person studies all week and labors in the word of God, and he gets up on Sunday morning to teach Sunday school and is he does that.

The people are kinda gripped by Woody saying that he is is articulate in his words with a passion and an unction and and the people are listening in their growing by an that's an anointing from the Holy Spirit, or person may have the gift of mercy, and he sees someone in the church that's hurting is lonely and goes over and he sits down beside them. He strikes up a conversation and begins to talk to him about just himself and and and begins to share with them things that might help him in his loneliness maybe invites them out to lunch.

What is a done his experience and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

God is activated. That spiritual gift in his life. And when we hear the term anointing with the spirit of these are the types of situations that we usually think about of the activation of the spiritual gift, the energizing of a believer to carry out God's will in a particular situation.

Every child of God has at least one spiritual gift so if you've been a Christian for any amount of time, then you know what I'm talking about here not talk about God giving you new revelation. That's not gonna happen.

I'm talking about the normal Christian life. God is using you in his kingdom work by moving your heart through your spiritual gift, Paul says that God gives the spiritual gifts. Severally, as he wheels so as a body of believers.

You'll find people with different gifts. We don't all have the same gifts in the church. Not everybody has the gift of teaching. Not everybody have the gift of exhortation not everybody has the gift of giving that everybody has the gift of service but God creates balance in the body. If everybody had the gift of teaching all we would care his doctrine. If that was the truth and who would be taking care of the hungry and who would beef ministering to the lonely and would be taking care of the poor.

The Lord knows what he's doing when he puts a body of believers together a body doesn't need 30 eyes and one tooth body doesn't need 10 ears and no feet. We have different gifts and sometimes we refer to those DS is being activated by anointing, but that's not the way John is using the term here is what we usually use it is not the way John is using it here when John speaks of the anointing of the Spirit is thinking of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. The anointing is the indwelling Holy Spirit in us. With that background list look at these four questions number one number one who has the anointing. Look at verse 20 I'm reading this this evening from the ESV is that you have been anointed by the holy one, and you all have knowledge, the new King James says it differently is what you have an anointing from the holy one, and you know all things both of those statements are true, but they're very different.

The King James puts emphasis on what knowledge we have the English standard version puts the emphasis on who has the knowledge, English standard version came earlier than the than the than the manuscripts that the King James version came from. And because it's earlier is closer to that to the actual writing, and I believe that the ESV year lines up better with what John is is already been teaching and in the rest of his letter.

Both statements are true, but I believe it's important to say what John is emphasizing here is emphasizing the who and now he is saying all of you Christians have the anointing and thus you all have knowledge.

I saved that this is important because their Christian groups everywhere today who flat out denied this, that their group today who claim that a person can get saved. Be a genuine believer and yet not possess the Holy Spirit. I say what will happen is this that a person will give his life to Christ and then later on he realize that he's powerless and in a subsequent experience.

He will ask the Lord to filling with the spirit and then he will be filled with the spirit and that's his anointing is that biblical no Romans chapter 8 verse nine says if anyone have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his to believe that a person can be saved and not possess the spirit of God is totally misunderstand what it means to be a Christian breaks when you were born again, God regenerated your dad spirit before you were saved, you were dead in trespasses and sins.

And when God saved you, he brought you to life and his spirit came in to you not only to bring that life to you. But in order that it might stay in you that you would persevere in the faith. This is extremely important because there are churches all over this land are teaching a lot and when they do, they mis-categorized groups of people. They say the really three groups of people are the unsaved and the Christians who don't have the Holy Spirit, then the Christians were filled with the spirit, I challenge you to back that up with Scripture. You can't do it there two groups of people on this earth and that is the saved and the lost. That is the natural man in the Christian in first Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14, Paul said the natural man receded, not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. Neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned and in that same chapter describing the saved man.

Paul said this, for I have not seen, nor ear heard north entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him these things God has revealed to us the spirit searches everything even the deeper things of God policy and the same thing. John is saying that all Christians possess the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit reveals God's truth to the ones he indwells. That is true that some Christians are much more yielded to the spirit of God than others, but if you're a Christian, you have to have possessing in your BN.

The Holy Spirit of God Christians you are not just followers of Christ, you are not abandoned to make it on your own. But if you belong to Jesus the same spirit of God that was given to Jesus without measure indwells you and lives within you. I question number two. What does John mean when he says you have no need that anyone should teach you. Verse 27 but the anointing that you received from him abides in you and 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 it is taught you abide in him.

I can't tell you how many times I've had people to shove this verse in my face when they are doing something wrong that's in biblical and I share with them from the Scripture what they are doing wrong in the essay. I don't need to know what the Bible says about it. I have the Holy Spirit that indwells me and the Holy Spirit tells me what to do and I will trust what the Holy Spirit tells me even over and above what the Scripture says I don't need anyone to teach me because I have the Holy Spirit, the Quakers and the Puritans had the struggle over 400 years ago.

The Quakers emphasize what they call the inner light that they said we have the Holy Spirit.

So we look inward and beat we were try to be sensitive to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit.

The Puritans said our hearts are desperately wicked and deceitful above all things, we can know so we are trusting in the Holy Spirit to give us illumination on the word of God. We want to trust the word of God and not trust our feelings for the Quaker everything is is experience oriented.

Everything is focused on your understanding and your perception of how God is making you feel you so so you see where the problems are created, they are usually why there was such a struggle between the Quaker and the Puritan you feel one way I feel one way in but Cephas over here feels another way prisoner live you can trust these feelings you going to trust the Puritans. I don't trust your feelings unless your feelings are winding up with what God's word says we share with you three problems that crop up in the lives of of those who would use verse 27 to say I don't need any teacher I have the Holy Spirit number one, there will invariably be a claim to to direct revelation, they will claim to get revelation just like Paul and Peter and James did Paul and Peter and and James and John when they were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write the word of God. They were under inspiration in such power that they wrote the word of God infallibly and errantly without any in any problem without any mistake without any error. And the leads, some of these people that believe the way that the Holy Spirit is is given me these these revelations and and that they say that they got it the same way that Peter, James and John had it and that when they speak they speak without error I get from visions and and and dreams and utterances that they believe are just as real and just as inspired as the apostles number two, they tend to depreciate the place and the importance and the value of Scripture Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones in his commentary of first John was dealing with this issue and he made the following observation about the people were mystically oriented in their Christian faith.

He said this, the more you emphasize the subjective state and condition. The last need is there for the objective word and that is why you always find the tendency among such people to say all these others are mechanical they are tying it down to the word.

They haven't had the subjective experience and they're always talking about something eternal you find that most mystics are not famous for reading the Scriptures regularly. Indeed, you often find something like this. They say that one versus enough for them. One verse sets me thinking so I begin to think and then things happen to me and they get this revelation, I do not read their Scripture systematically that obviously must tend to depreciate the last problem is that there is a claim often of infallibility.

If you study the movements like the Quaker movement. The Toronto Blessing movement. Some of the movements that are coming out of the faith word movement today you will find that there's usually a particular personality that is in charge and he's calling the shots ethic, and in many movements you be called an apostle and he will claim to have apostolic authority. The Catholic Church teaches that at that apostolic authority is been passed down from one generation to the next through a succession of the popes that Peter was the first pope and and that after Peter came the next Pope Roos were see that type of apostolic authority so they say and they believe today that when the Pope speaks ex cathedra, he speaks without era.

In his. His words are just as authoritative as the Bible itself. The Toronto Blessing movement, says that Paul came is there apostle and that he has the ability to speak infallibly and he gives revelations that are from God that are just as true as the Scripture and some of these revelations they believe are over and above completely different from what the Bible teaches Kenneth Copeland Kenneth Hagan in the in the faith word movement are often referred to as apostles had a man tell me one time that we needed to ditch the idea of elders and deacons in our church that we needed to go with just an apostolic ministry here as it will why would you say that Lisa will God give me revelations. I like to stand up in this church and and and share revelations and he said I think you're quenching the Spirit of God here in this church by not allowing me to do that and he would tell me I don't need.

I don't need elders or deacons to to teach me, for I have the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 220 apostle Paul stated that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. When the foundation is laid. It is not repeated just need one foundation foundation is built upon the foundation is not needed to be repeated.

What in the apostles and prophets give us they gave us the word of God and an errant infallible word of God. What is our God, what is our light, not someone's visions out someone's feelings but the word of God, that God may bring a thought or an idea to your mind that happens not saying that doesn't happen when I'm saying is this casket with the word of God casket with the word God, don't trust your feelings tested with the word of God had a guy tell me one time he's gonna marry a girl who was a professor and atheist. He was a professing Christian assume are you doing that is the Holy Spirit lead me to do that and so what you mean in this it will Holy Spirit's leading data marry this girl and I believe that I'm to be such an influence on her that once she were married, that she's gonna come to know Christ as our Lord and Savior, as I believe the Holy Spirit is guiding me and directing me to do that. I said will. That's not the Holy Spirit speak in the US that I believe it's probably a demonic spirit display.

Can you because the Holy Spirit is already said in his word that believers are not to be any local in an equally yoked with unbelievers and I said God is not to say one thing in his word and then contradicted by saying something else to your heart. That's what you have done here is you. You have confused the desire of the flesh with the leading of the Holy Spirit. Philip told me one time that the leaders of the church should not try to monitor what we do in a worship service that we should just allow anybody to get up and speaker, or do what they want to do in a service that Asa, Doug, you just need to relax and just trust God and I said well II don't have a problem at all with trusting God's that I said but I have a big problem in trusting you. I when John says that we need no one to teach us. Did he mean that Christians would know everything in the answer that is no and the very statement that John is making to us here. What is he doing he's teaching if we don't need teachers in which we would need the spiritual gift of teaching would we there, there wouldn't be instructions from the word of God concerning how to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord, and if it was true that when we got saved and receive the Holy Spirit of God that we would all know the truth perfectly, then there wouldn't be so many disagreements among Christians with their and if we need no one to teach us in why is it that Paul and Peter both said that those that are immature in the faith to be fed.

The them milk of the word and then as those that are moving up and maturing need to be fed the meat of the word I said all that, because were living in a day when the Christian church is getting further and further and further away as a whole not talk about our church, but as a whole. The church is getting away from the word of God. Christians are getting lazy. We don't want to study show are self approved in the God, a workman that need is not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We don't want to build on the foundation of the word of God that's already been laid week live in a quick fix of soundbite society as a society that cares more about feeling that it does about truth. It's an image based society is why churches are showing movies and and doing dramas instead of the preaching of the word of God today near the Bible did not say that God would save those to the foolishness of movies is a God would save those to the foolishness of preaching our foundation must be the solid rock of the word I question number three what is the truth that John says true Christians who possess the anointing of the Holy Spirit will no verse 22 through 26, who is a liar but he denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is the antichrist, he denies the Father and the son. No one in Eliza's son as a father.

Whoever confesses the son has a father, also let what you heard from the beginning abide in you, what you heard from the beginning abide in you than you too will abide in the sun and the father. This is the promise that he made us eternal life, I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you the truth that John is so fervent about is not the peripheral matters in the church. He is not saying that you're in antichrist. If you have the wrong millennial view is not saying that you are lost. If you have the wrong mode of baptism is not saying that you're going to hail if you seen one particular style of song over and above another.

He send the truth to die for, is the truth of the personhood of Jesus Christ.

He is saying you must have that down pat, you must know who Jesus is. You must know that Jesus is fully God and fully man that Jesus is born of overt born of a virgin that he lived a perfect and sinless life that he died and laid his life out on the cross for what purpose, in order that our sins might be forgiven in order that they we might experience a propitiation for the wrath of God against us has been appeased in order that we might be redeemed out of the slave market of sin and then the third day after he died. The grade could not hold a mini and he came up from the tomb, breaking the power of death is now seated at the right hand of God the father interceding for us and them that day is coming when he will come back to this earth to judge the quick and the dead who is this this is the eternal God, the second person of the Godhead. He is our only hope of salvation.

Jesus said on the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father but by me. And he who has the son has the father. That's the truth that John is saying you can't get that wrong, you must believe that one last question, what is the incentive to persevere in the faith. Verse 28 and now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink back from him in shame at his coming. What does it matter what I believe about Jesus. What is it matter if I refused to submit his Lordship and refused to repent of my sin. What is it matter if I believe the live antichrist teachers that teaches all you need to do to be saved is like a little profession of faith and that's that's all that's necessary. Here's what matters. The day is coming when Christ is going to return. He's returning to this earth and all of his glory, and there will be a time of reckoning. If you trust in him you were saved by his grace through faith. You persevered by grace through faith.

And you walk with God you lived in holiness and he reflected his glory. Then you will hear the sweetest words that is ever been spoken, well done my good and faithful servant Internet onto the joy of the Lord, you know what, no matter what you endured here on this earth, no matter how tough it was, no matter how rough it was on you when you hear those words, it will matter it will be worth it all on a close Marie D Martin Lloyd Jones comments on verse 28. He said it will these people had denied the truces John they think they're being clever. They have this mixture of philosophy and mysticism. They been trying to make us believe in a kind of phantom body and that the eternal God came upon a man and then lifting it is unreal, says John. Don't believe it.

The day is coming when you will face the fact that the God man is coming into the world, he will come again, and then you will seem if you believe that lie. You will be ashamed when you seem writing apocalypse. John said, every eye shall see him, that this truth abide in you.

If it does, that great day of his appearing will not come to you as a surprise. It will not come as a shock as a condemnation, you will not be offended or ashamed. No, you will rejoice in it you will glory in it and you will stand with confidence and look into his holy face. Verse 28 of the leave is shaken in our boots for who wants to be ashamed of their life.

When you look you see the nail prints in his hands he see the love in his eyes see the glory in his countenance who wants to be ashamed of their life at that point in time is pray. Heavenly father, we thank you and praise you for your precious word. We thank you Lord for the apostle John, who had seen apostasy and the hell of it, who hated it. With all of his being and who was constantly teaching that Christians must persevere in their faith. Heavenly father, we thank you that you have not told us that this is something that we have to do on our own that father we can understand and believe that the sovereign grace of God that justified us regenerated our hearts and brought us into the kingdom will be that same grace that will help us that we must persevere to the end help us heavenly father that we might be dependent father that our lives would bring honor and glory to you, and that all that great day when we see you face-to-face.

We will not be ashamed.

We love you Lord, thank you and praise you for your love and goodness to us and we assess prayer in your precious and holy name. Amen