ANOINTED AS ANTIOCH

The Gospel had come to the Gentiles. The power of the Holy Spirit led to breakthrough in the city of Antioch. In his book, “The Case for Antioch,” by Jeff Iorg, he presents the first characteristic of a transformational church as being spiritual power, using Antioch as the model, (pp. 42-59, Kindle edition). He points out that “three specific references to the Holy Spirit,” are stated in Acts 11:24, 28, and 13:2-4.  I would say that the Spirit’s work is summarized in Acts 11:21 with this: “the hand of the Lord was with them.”

The church was birthed at Pentecost by the coming of the Spirit in life-giving power. The book of Acts is not so much the Acts of the Apostles, as it is the Acts of the Holy Spirit (using the Apostles, of course). Then, as the church followed the Spirit’s direction and experienced the Spirit’s dynamic, we see a global move of God unleashed that has changed the course of history for eternity!

The reality is that, “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down,” as the old hymn says—calling us to pray as the people of God for such a Divine encounter. If the hand of the Lord is not with us, then ZERO of eternal significance will be accomplished. Maybe we get kudos here and are recognized in the denominational press, but Jesus said, “for without  Me you can do NOTHING,” (John 15:5b, emphasis added).

Our world does not need what human hands can accomplish in the energy of the flesh. All that will transform lives is a church where the hand of the Lord is at work in the power of the Spirit!  Certainly, He will work through us—we are the Body of Christ—but it will not be by human ability, but heavenly anointing that life-giving and life-changing results are seen. Let us seek with all our heart that in our preaching of the Word, our assembling for worship, and our going out in witness to be anointed as Antioch.

THE ISSUE OF OUR IMPOTENCE

Often, we may feel that we preach without productivity. Despite attempting to be faithful, we do not find ourselves fruitful. The issue is not with God. Hear what Spurgeon said on this matter:

           “Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened?” Cannot He prepare your heart and tongue? No, the Spirit of the Lord is not straitened. Still is that promise our delight “My grace is sufficient for thee.” It is a joy to become weak that we may say with the apostle, “When I am weak then am I strong.” Behold, the, strength of the Lord is gloriously revealed, revealed to perfection in our weakness. Come, ye feeble workers, ye fainting laborers, come and rejoice in the unstraitened Spirit. Come you that seem to plough the rock and till the sand, come and lay hold of this fact, that the Spirit of the Lord is omnipotent. No rock will remain unbroken when He wields the hammer, no metal will be unmelted when He is the fire. Still will our Lord put His Spirit within us and gird us with His power, according to His promise, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” 

           But some have said, “Yes, but then, see how few the conversions are nowadays! We have many places of worship badly attended; we have others where there are scarcely any conversions from the beginning of the year to the end of it.”  This is all granted, and granted with great regret; but “is the Spirit of the Lord straitened: are these His doings?” Cannot we find some other reason far more near the truth? If there are no conversions we cannot fall back upon the Spirit of God and blame Him. Has Christ been preached? Has faith been exercised? The preacher must take his share of blame; the church with which he is connected must also inquire whether there has been that measure of prayer for a blessing on the word that there ought to have been. Christians must begin to look into their own hearts to find the reason for defeat. If the work of God be hindered in our midst, may there not be some secret sin with us which hinders the operation of the Spirit of God? May He not be compelled by the very holiness of His character to refuse to work with an unholy or an unbelieving people? Have ye never read, “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief”? May not unbelief be turning a fruitful land into barrenness? The Spirit Himself is not straitened in His power; but our sin has made Him hide Himself from us. The want of conversions is not His doing: we have not gone forth in His strength. We shake off with detestation the least trace of a thought that should lay any blame to the Spirit of the Most High. Unto us be shame and confusion of face as at this day. (Spurgeon, Service and Honor, pp. 35-37, Kindle edition)

Preacher, let us humble ourselves before the Lord and cry out for His power to attend our ministry!  Church member, if your pastor’s preaching lacks potency, it does not help to talk to fellow Christian’s about him but talk to God about Him and seek the Lord’s anointing upon him. You may find a new preacher with a new power in the same body and with the same voice—now energized with Divine unction.

The issue of impotence is not God. The problem is with us—our prayerlessness, our self-sufficiency, our lack of holiness. The good news is that God now calls us to repentance and reliance on Him that will bring real results of eternal significance. We may have what Jim Cymbala titled his book, “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire,” with Pentecostal power!

THE PROMISE OF POWERFUL PREACHING

 

There is a puny, pitiful, punchless, powerless preaching that is pointless!  It is tragic and worthless. Concerning this, Paul spoke of God, “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬‬). “Letter” preaching may be “by the Book.”  That is, the content is Biblically based and doctrinally sound—as it should be—yet, is dry and deadening to the hearer. Old Vance Havner said, “You can be straight as a gun barrel theologically, and empty as one spiritually.”  It is the Spirit who gives life. He is the promised power in our preaching. Remember how in the vision of a valley of dry, dead bones, Ezekiel was told to preach to them—and this we must. But, it was when the Word of God was accompanied by the Wind of God—that same Divine Breath of Pentecost—coming into them, that they had life, (cf. Ezek.37:1-14). 

With this in mind, consider the promise of our Lord in Mark 13:11. “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”  (Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬‬). In the context, where the preacher is arrested and will be indicted before a judge for preaching the Gospel, he will have no library, no Bible, no occasion of sermon preparation. Yet, there is no need to fear, for the Spirit will give the right message—an anointed one—in such an occasion. This does not mean under normal circumstances that we should not study and prepare, instead trusting spontaneity in proclamation. Should such need arise, God will provide. Yet, if we can prepare, we must. Do not be like the old boy that said, “Sometimes I preach from notes and sometimes I just talk out of my head.”  That is apparent from some sermons you hear! God does not bless laziness.  Study and have something to say.

Yet, there must not be reliance on preparation in your study, but dependence on the Spirit. He is the One who breathes life into dead bones. Preaching “by the letter,” is deadening. It may induce nodding heads of agreement as to content, but then leads to nodding  heads of slumber. It is promised, “the Spirit gives life.”  God’s man can claim the promise of the Lord not just when summoned from a prison, but when standing in a pulpit: “But whether is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” 

How does this happen?  I heard Stephen Olford say years ago, that there must be “emptiness, prayerfulness, and yielded-ness.”

There must be emptiness. God does not fill a man with His Spirit that is  full of himself. A glass cannot be filled with milk, if even a quarter of it is full of lemonade.  You must empty the glass and then you can fill it. Spiritually, this demands our repentance. We confess our sin and claim God’s forgiveness.  We head to the cross and die to all that we are in order to live in all He is.

There must be prayerfulness. James said, “Yet you do not have because you do not ask,” (4:2d). We must pray in faith, asking God to fill us. It is His will to do so, for He has commanded, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,”. (Eph. 5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬‬). 

There must be yielded-ness. This is the surrendered life of utter dependence on the Spirit of God. As being filled with wine means one is under the control of alcohol, so being filled with the Spirit demands we be under the mastery of God. When I stand to preach, I need to be gloriously intoxicated with God!  As alcohol will impact every dimension of my life—how I think, see, speak, feel, and walk, thus the one who is filled with the Spirit will find his mind directed by Scripture, his vision focused on eternity, his mouth declaring transformative truth, his heart full of love, and his walk aligned with the Word.

This is the promise of powerful preaching!  May the Lord bless us with preachers on this Lord’s Day who stand and speak in the anointing of God’s Spirit!

THE PERSON GOD CHOOSES

“For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7b)

It is a fact that the better looking you are, the greater your chances of opportunity to be successful.  According to an article from Business Insider, “Studies have shown that attractive people are usually hired sooner, get promotions more quickly, and are paid more than their less-attractive coworkers.”  One has to deliver results, but the door is opened wider for those with appealing features of face and form.

That is not how God chooses the person He uses, however.  If that were true, then the first King of Israel would have been the greatest king, for Saul was Hollywood handsome.  Scripture tells us that the people were eager to select him as their ruler for he towered over them.  Sadly, his physical stature was not matched by his spiritual development—and with God that is what matters.  Saul was disqualified from service because of his sinfulness, while David was chosen as, “a man after God’s own heart,” (1 Sam.13:14).

God would speak to His messenger, Samuel, who in turn would set David aside for divine service.  God still does this. When He called me to preach, He did not speak to me in an audible voice, nor send an angel down with a word from heaven.  Rather, as I listened to His men faithfully proclaim His Word, my heart was opened to His call.  Are you listening?

Who would have thought that a shepherd boy would be a king?  Seven sons of Jesse were summoned, yet none were chosen.  In fact, when Samuel saw the eldest coming, he was impressed with his features and thought Eliab must be the one.  That would have been the same mistake which elected the current failed leader, Saul.  Here is the spiritual principle:

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  ‎But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.  (1 Cor.1:26-29)

I never cease to be amazed that God would call me to shepherd His flock—few would have seemed less qualified—but, when He chooses and uses one like me, then He receives all the glory.

The Spirit of God departed from Saul and rested on David.  David’s anointing with oil was an outward representation of an inward reality.  Spiritual work demands spiritual power.  The work of God cannot be accomplished by human ingenuity and ability—not natural talent, but supernatural strength is required.

Are you a person God can use?  Devote your heart fully to Him.  Wherever you are and whatever you do, seek to please Him and labor for the Lord.  Others may ignore you.  God knows where you are and He can get you where you need to be.  We do not have to promote ourselves.  A sovereign God selects us.  It is not our ability, but our availability that God is looking for—to anoint with His Spirit and appoint to His service.  The key question is, “Do I have a heart for God?”