THE COMFORTER (Part 5)
Memory Verse: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of
talk but of power.” (I Cor. 4:20.
NIV.)
LESSON
FOCUS
We shall focus on the gateways to the
anointing of the Holy Spirit. We shall also look at the people who are
qualified for it and the effects of the anointing.
LESSON
INTRODUCTION
The Scriptures teach us that God is
desirous of maintaining an ongoing intimate relationship with His people, not
tainted with any type of sin. Think of,
o
God calling on Adam, “Where are you?” Gen.3:9.
o
God asking Cain, “Where is your
brother?” Gen. 4:9.
o
God bringing David to the point of
conviction and repentance following his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of
her husband Uriah. 2 Sam. 11:26-27; 12:
1-14.
o
Peter’s denials of the Lord and his
repentance, Luke 22: 54-62, and the
Lord’s readiness to re-instate him, John
21:15-19.
All of these examples show us God’s
keenness to endow His own with His presence as we maintain a close walk with
Him, untainted by sin. As the story we
read in Luke 10:1-19 shows, He wants
us to be fit to be sent on His assignments, to go and pull down Satan’s kingdom
and set prisoners free. The task He has (see
Luke 10:18-19) can be performed
successfully only by those anointed by the Holy Spirit.
LESSON
OUTLINE 1: THE GATE TO ANOINTING
What
are the gateways to anointing?
1. Thirst.
o
The Psalmist thirsted for the
anointing. Ps. 42:1-2.
o
So did Paul. Phil. 3:10.
Or didn’t Paul know the Lord by
this time? What was he longing for?
o
Moses showed a continuous craving for
God, and His desire was met. Exod. 33:14-23.
2. Realisation of personal
emptiness.
o
Even the Son of God had to be anointed
with the Holy Spirit before He could preach the Gospel or set free those bound
by Satan. Luke 4:18-21. “The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power”, I Cor. 4:20, and that power comes from
the anointing by the Holy Spirit, and not through any human abilities we may
possess or capabilities we may develop.
LESSON
OUTLINE 2: WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO BE ANOINTED & WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?
The
following people are qualified to be anointed:
o
Unworthy people, e.g. King Saul, I Sam. 10:9-12, noting particularly Who
did what to Saul in vs. 9 &10.
o
The foolish, weak, lowly and despised
by the world’s standards, I Cor.
1:26-29.
o
The humble: people who humble
themselves before God, I Pet. 5:6,
and who acknowledge they are no-bodies on their own before God, Ex. 3:11-12; 4:10-12.
The
effects of anointing include:
o
It changes one into a new person, e.g.
Saul in I Sam. 10:6.
o
It quickens a man, or brings him to
life, Isa: 61:1-3.
o
It provides a simple solution to a
difficult problem, Matth. 17:14-21.
o
It makes fasting easier, Ex. 24:15-18.
SUMMARY. If you are qualified for anointing, why not thirst for
it, in full acknowledgement of your personal emptiness?