18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are and for what You do. Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. (Tongues.) And dear Lord, as I decrease...(tongues)...I ask that You would increase. And Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. In Jesus’ holy and blessed Name.

And the people of God said amen. You may be seated in the house of God.

Jesus spoke these anointed words. He said,

18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

An anointed person has been anointed for a reason. When we look at why Jesus was anointed, He was anointed to do something. Amen?

God will give you an assignment that is bigger than you. God will give you an assignment that requires more than this flesh. God will give you an assignment that will require His Anointing to come upon you to get the job done.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.” Why? “Because He has anointed Me. He anointed Me because I have a mission.”

You see, if you are anointed, there’s a reason why you’re anointed. If you have in your heart to be anointed, there’s a reason why you have in your heart, because you want the Anointing. God has a mission, and God has an assignment for you to complete.

There’s something bigger than you. And it’s going to require more than you to get the job done. You’re going to need divine intervention. You’re going to need someone bigger than who you are to be able to press forward and do this mission that He has called you on.

In the book of Philippians chapter four and verse thirteen, it tells us that I can do all things through Christ with strengthens me.

When we look at that word “Christ” it means in the Greek “the Anointed One.” In other words, I can do all things through the Anointed One and His Anointing that strengthens me.

You see, a lot of us, we get tired as we’re starting to do a work for the Lord. Because we don’t realize that we’re not doing it in our own strength. A lot of times we go out (glory to God) and expect something to happen. But you have got to have the Anointed One and His Anointing along the way to go with you.

He said, There’s a reason why I’m anointed.” Look at your Bibles. To preach the Gospel to the poor. He said, “Somebody has a spirit of poverty on them.” You don’t want to talk to me tonight.

You see, somebody’s going through some financial hardship. Not only (glory to God) are they going through some financial hardship. Society has put a label on them. And when society labels you (glory to God), it’s hard to get the label off, unless God intervenes. Come on. Talk to me tonight.

The Bible said that He gives me power to obtain wealth. And even that word “power” is “Anointing.” He has sent me (glory to God) to preach the power of God to the people of God, so they can come out from their poverty state. Come on and talk to me tonight. Glory, glory, glory, glory.

You see, you don’t just get the Word of God so you can get fat. You get the Word of God because it’s going to do something in you. It’s going to stir up something on the inside of you that needs to be stirred up.

He said, “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”

Look at your neighbor and say, “I refuse to be heart broken.”

Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation.” But He said, “Be of good, for I have overcome this world.”

You see, if you understand that you are an overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony... God has given you the Word. Now receive the Word. And tell the devil to get up under your feet, in the Name of Jesus.

I refuse to be broken hearted with all of this Word right here. You see, the Bible says He sent a Comforter in His Name. Come on. Talk to me. You see, when you look at the Holy Spirit, the Bible calls Him the Comforter. I will not be comfortless. But I will be comforted by the Comforter. Come on. Give God a handclap of praise tonight.

You see, when you got the Comforter on your side, you don’t have to worry about Bobby and Betty and Bill and... Do you hear what I’m saying? You don’t have to worry about the love of man when you got the love of God. Come on. Talk to me. When you got in a conditional love that’s working with you, you don’t have to worry about being brokenhearted.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me for this reason. I have an assignment to deliver those that are held captive.”

You see, the Bible says that when the praises go up, you see, the blessings come down. You see, you may be feeling captive right now. But as soon as you begin to praise God like you done lost your mind, the devil going to have to step back. The devil going to have to step away. The devil going to have to step aside in the Name of Jesus.

He’s going to open up the prison doors. And He’s going to let you out. In the Name of Jesus.

To preach deliverance to the captives. The recovering of sight to the blind.

I don’t have to walk in the dark any more. You see, He going to preach me until I see what He talking about. You see, you can see what He talking about. You don’t just have to hear it. You can see what He’s talking about.

He’ll paint a picture for you. Do you hear what I’m saying? And you can see exactly what the Word of God is trying to describe to you. He’ll paint you a picture individually just for your situation. And He’ll show you, “This is the way out.”

To preach the recovering of sight to the blind. To set at liberty them that are bruised.

The Bible says He was bruised for iniquities. Wasn’t He? The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. With His stripes we are healed.

Have you ever been bruised before? Sometimes it takes a little while for a bruise to heal, doesn’t it? But if you allow that bruise (glory to God) to receive the Word of God, then the blueness of that wound is going to bring healing through this Word.

He was anointed for a reason. You see, if you have an Anointing on your life, you’re anointed for a reason. That’s why you go through the hell you go through. Because the devil want to try to stop you from completing the mission.

Look at your neighbor and say, “I got a mission. And it will be completed.” In the Name of Jesus. Give Him a handclap of praise.

When God anoints someone, He empowers them for the task. Jesus was anointed to undo, destroy, loosen, and dissolve the works of the devil. He redeemed us from every kind of oppression, addiction, and bondage. Anything (glory to God) that Satan can try to bring your way, He’s already delivered you from it. Just receive your deliverance. Receive it.

That’s why He said, “Don’t look at me. Look at Him.” He’s the one in control. He’s the anointed one. He’s the one that has the Anointing. It’s all about Jesus.

Look at your neighbor and say, “It ain’t about no man. It’s about Jesus.”

The Old Testament, in the Old Testament we see Samuel anointed as a priest. We see David anointed as a king. We see Elijah anointed as a prophet. And we see Gideon anointed as a judge.

And in the New Testament we see John the Baptist anointed to preach repentance and to announce the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So what does this Anointing have to do with us? It has everything to do with us. Because the devil doesn’t want you to understand that you need the Anointing. You need the Anointing. You don’t need the Anointing to be on somebody else. You need the Anointing to be on you.

He’ll try. The devil will try to talk us out of the Anointing of God. He doesn’t want us living in the blessings and the power of the Anointing. He doesn’t want us to have the abundant life.

You see, Jesus said that He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. If you don’t have the Anointing, then you’re not going to have the abundant life. You’ve got to have the Anointing in your life. It’s not just there for the five-fold ministry. It’s there for the body of Christ.

The Anointing is a force used by God to do what, according to Isaiah ten and twenty-seven? It’s used to remove the burdens and destroy the yokes.

So then why are we heavy? Because we don’t understand that we need the Anointing.

You see, during that time when you’re crying out to God because something’s going on in your life... You got a situation or a circumstance that’s beyond you. You see, don’t just cry for God to release you and just take it off you. Ask God, “Give me the Anointing, Lord. It’s the burden removing, yoke destroying, Power of God. Give me the Anointing.”

If you have the Anointing on your life, then you won’t always need somebody else to be anointed. Do you hear what I’m saying?

I can go to God in prayer and lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting. And the whole atmosphere around me will begin to change. Because I’m coming before Him with clean hands and a pure heart. Standing in the hill of the Lord. Standing in the holy place. Receiving the Anointing for my situation.

You see, whatever your situation is tonight... We talked about everyone having a case. Whatever your situation or your case is tonight, it’s no match for the Anointing of God. No match. No match for the Anointing. No match.

Somebody needs to hear this. Because you been going through over and over and over and over and over again. And you done had hands laid on you ten thousand, ten thousand and one, ten thousand and two, ten thousand and three. And still yoked up.

It’s time for you to get your own Anointing. Do you hear what I’m saying? Get your own. Look at your neighbor and say, “I want my own.” Do you really? Do you really?

Guess what. It’s going to cost you everything. See, He’s not going to just give it out. It’s going to cost you something. It’s going to cost you your life.

You remember all of the disciples, every time Jesus said, “Follow Me,” they jumped up from what they were doing. And they followed Him. It was the Anointing. Do you hear what I’m saying?

You see, people are drawn to the Anointing of God. Because the Bible said that He came and dwelt among us as flesh. So it couldn’t have been His flesh drawing. It had to be the Anointing drawing.

The Anointing will cause favor to come down upon you. They won’t know why they trying to bless you. All they know is they trying to get something in your hand. And they’ll tell you, “It’s something about you. I don’t know what it is. But here. Take this.”

I know some of you all think I’m crazy. But I’m preaching Bible tonight. It’s the Anointing.

Paul said in Philippians three and ten that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.

What was the power? The Anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Anointing. That I may know Him. That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. And not only that, but the fellowship of His suffering.

You see, if you get the Anointing on your life, you going to suffer something. So Paul prayed in advance. He said, “And the fellowship of His suffering.” See, because once the Anointing is on you, you become a target for the devil. You’re a target for him. And whatever he needs to do to try to take you out, he’s going to try to take you out.

I don’t know about you, but I done almost lost my... You don’t want to talk to me. He done tried to take me out several times.

It’s the Anointing. It’s the Anointing that’s on you. That’s why he’s after you. That’s why he’s trying to destroy you. Because you got a testimony. And somebody going to get saved from your testimony.

The Anointing makes it possible for me to even be able to understand God.

In First Corinthians two and sixteen... Let’s go there. I want you to turn there. Because I want you to see this. First Corinthians chapter two and verse sixteen. And here’s what it says.

16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

It’s the Holy Spirit that knows the mind of God. You see, you have to have an Anointing to get in God’s mind. In other words, you have to have an Anointing on your life to know the will of the Father.

You see, because this natural man cannot comprehend spiritual things. So I’ve got to have an Anointing on me flowing in agreement with the Holy spirit, that I would know what the Father is saying in this hour. “What are You saying to me in this hour?” The Anointing of God will cause me to be able to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. And I am the church.

I need the Anointing. I have to have it. And once you’ve had the Anointing on your life long enough, when other things try to block your way, you going to get tired of him and push him on out the way, “Get out my way.” When it really means something to you. Because the Anointing don’t mean everything to everybody.

The Anointing is not for me to get up before you and show folk. You don’t want to talk to me. To display my talents. The Anointing is the burden removing, yoke destroying Power of God. I have an Anointing for a purpose, for a purpose.

You remember Matthew? The Bible said that he was a tax collector. And back then tax collectors, they were really sheisty. But he heard a word from the Lord when the Lord said, “Follow me.” And already he was a meticulous... Is that the right word? Book keeper.

And so therefore though he was talented in the natural, God took those talented that he had in the natural and used them for the spiritual.

You see, you may have a talent that’s in the natural. But when that Anointing meet up with what that natural talent is... Oh, you saying something then. When you use it for the glory and the purpose of Almighty God.

We have the mind of Christ, the Anointed One and His Anointing. We have the mind of the Anointed One and His Anointing. We have that mind. The Bible says let this mind be in you which was also in who? Christ Jesus.

I’m an overcomer because I don’t have my own mentality. I have His mentality, which has the Anointing flowing in it. That’s why I can’t get yoked up with burdens. Do you hear what I’m saying? That’s why this battleground stays clear. Because I let this mind be in me which was also in who? Christ Jesus, the Anointed One and His Anointing. I let the anointed mind of Christ be in me. Do you hear what I’m saying?

You and I need this Anointing. And we also need folks that are patient with us when we get this Anointing.

I remember when I first got anointed. Glory to God. Listen to what I’m saying spiritually. Went around prophesying. I be in a service. My pastor be up there. He’d be about to preach. (Tongues.) And he’d just lean back. “Okay.” He’ll just wait. Okay.” And then he’ll interpret the Word.

And after while I kept doing it so much. He said, “Brother Chris, you interpret that.”

If I had the Anointing to give it in tongues, I had the Anointing to interpret it. Do you hear what I’m saying? Because if there is not an interpreter that is around, then interpretation has to come from me.

See, we’ve got to learn about the Anointing of God. But we also need folks that are patient with us.

You know, even in your calling you may be called to be a prophet or apostle or whatever. But you got to have somebody patient with you, to help you and develop you, and to bring you on in the what? Anointing.

See, you don’t need nobody to hurt you. We got too many hurt saints with too many anointed gifts. Hallelujah, somebody. Hallelujah.

The Anointing is what we need. Our intellect has to be submitted to the Anointing of God. You see, a lot of times people don’t receive the gift of speaking in tongues, because their intellect is not submitted.

You see, this thing about the Anointing goes past your natural mind. It goes past your intellect. He’s not going to let your natural mind analyze Him. Do you hear what I’m saying?

That’s why, you know, when I know folks don’t know, you know, how the Holy Spirit is flowing, but you know, just because it don’t feel right to they natural mind... They try to go by the natural. You can’t go by the natural with this. You got to flow with the Spirit. You have to flow with the Spirit.

The Anointing will cause us to be able to look at things the way Jesus looked at them, like when He had to rebuke Peter. Peter said, “No, Lord. You’re not going to suffer all these things.”

He said, “Get thee hence behind me.”

You see, a natural man’s flesh will be like, “Oh, you my partner. You’re alright.” See, but Jesus understood what He was called to do and the Anointing that He was doing it in. And He knew who was speaking.

See, if you don’t know who’s speaking, then you can’t tell the devil from somebody’s flesh. But the Anointing will cause you to understand spiritual things.

It’s just like a lot of times when we think folks got devils. A lot of times they don’t have devils. Sometimes they just be showing out to get attention. Sometimes they’re afraid. Sometimes they’ve gone through things that, you know... Or somebody may have just told them, “You got devils.” And immediately they start to act out.

But see, the Anointing is the revealer. And will reveal to you what’s really going on. You got to have the Anointing in your life, if you’re going to make it in this Christian walk.

See, because you are here tonight because you’re called past tradition. Do you hear what I’m saying? See, you’re not here because you’re a traditional person. You’re called past tradition. You’re called past religion, being religious.

See, you’re hungry for something more. God is drawing you and He’s drawing you. Because you have a hunger and a thirst in you for something more than the same ritual, you know, of the flow of the service and the cut off of the Anointing when it’s just starting to flow. Do you understand what I’m saying?

There’s something about God. And even though the devil’s trying to bog you down in your problem, inside of you there’s a hunger for Him. There is. Don’t let the devil fool you. You not just here to get your problem solved tonight.

See, God will use the devil. The devil’s stupid when it compares to God.

There’s something in you that wants you to find out more about God. It’s not just your situation that has drawn you here. That’s why the Lord said, “Look at Me, and don’t look at him.”

The Anointing. First Corinthians eleven and verse one. Let’s go there.

1. Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

In other words, imitate me, as I imitate the Anointed One and His Anointing. But don’t imitate me if I’m not imitating Him. Hello, somebody. Don’t just follow me because mama and daddy follow me, and sister and brother were there, and grand-mama an all of them. But follow me because I’m imitating Christ, the Anointed One and His Anointing. My actions, my ways show forth who He is.

Pattern ourselves after Godly leaders that love the Lord. And not afraid to let God be God. Do you hear what I’m saying?

We need the anointing.

Go with me to Second Corinthians five. Second Corinthians five and seventeen.

17. Therefore if any man be in (who? The Anointed One and His Anointing) Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I’m a new creature altogether because of the Anointed One and His Anointing. Brand new. And when somebody or whatever tries to bring up your past, you tell them, “Uh, uh. You must be talking about somebody else. Because I done put the old man off. I’m walking in the new man.” Do you hear what I’m saying?

But you can’t do that without the Anointing of God. The old condition is passed away. And I got a fresh walk and a fresh talk.

Saints of God, don’t just come to church just to hear a sermon preached. But come with the intent to hear and to obey.

You want the Anointing in your life? Then live right. When the devil try to get you to shack up, you tell the devil to back up. Do you hear what I’m saying? The Anointing is too precious. It’s too precious.

According to Colossians three and three as far as this world is concerned, you have died. And your new real life is hidden with Christ, is hidden with the Anointed One and His Anointing. All of these Scriptures that have Christ in it are talking about the Anointing, not only the Anointing, the Anointed One and His Anointing.

You and I need the Anointing. We need it to interpret dreams, to... I mean, we need it. We need the Anointing.

Are you serious about it? Are you really, really serious about it?

How do I get the Anointing to work? The Bible tells me that I need to abide in Him. In other words, I need to make my dwelling, my habitation in Him. I have to make myself available to Him.

Look at your neighbor and say, “I’m available.”

And this is the most important thing. I must not love the world or the things that are in the world. Because the Bible says he that love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Do you hear what I’m saying?

Abide in Him. Make yourself available to Him. And love not the world. And that Anointing will operate in your life. It will operate.

See, you may be going through something in your body. And you been asking God to heal you. But you smoking cigarettes. See, God don’t move like that. Or you asking God to bless you financially. You cussing. God doesn’t move like that. He doesn’t let His Anointing operate in that vessel’s life. Do you hear what I’m saying? The Anointing is precious.

I’ve been saved now for twelve or thirteen years. Has to be thirteen. Been preaching for twelve years of my life. And I’m going to tell you, the Anointing costs you everything. It will cost you everything.

I haven’t been pastoring too long. But I been preaching for twelve years. And let me tell you something. If you’re not called, you going to find out. If you not anointed, you’re going to find out.

We need this Anointing.

Lift your hand up to Him...