Barry Kissell at the Evangelists Conference.
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire [a]
and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”
4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD : He said to me, “You are my Son [d] ; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me,and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will rule them with an iron scepter [f] ;you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;be warned, you rulers of the earth.11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.Blessed are all who take refuge in him 23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
” ‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[c]‘[d] 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[e] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
In 1972 first went to India, to minister with Michael Harper. He met with a missionary couple and learned from their insights before going, that helped.
Each decade we need to take a cultural check. We spend much of our time commenting on pur religious culture instead of what’s happening in the city?
Since the 60s, British culture has changed completely. Forces of secularism and Islam. We are froazen in the headlights of PC. But the time has come for us to speak.
Secularism is dominating every area of the nations life; family disintegrating, civil partnerships given same legal status as marriage. It is illegal to teach one man & woman for life in schools. Destruction of life in womb is just another choice. We experiment on embryos. It is illegal to teach that Christianity is true. Aggressively anti Christian media.
Change language and you change the world. Political correctness gags the truth. Homophobic? Racist?
Secularism has created a dysfunctional generation who cannot cope. They have had little if any exposure to the Christian faith, but fashioned by secularism. Many seek comfort in alcohol, drugs, celebrity worship etc.
What are the characterists of these kids?
Individualistic, independent, unmarried, with many unsuccessful sexual rels, unable to commit (especially men) experimenting with drugs, working for long hours. Looking for parental figures. Open to spirituial experience. Their poets are the rock stars. They are cynical about politics.
There has been a powerful invasion. Insidious. A cancer.
Militant Islam has relased demonic forces ti rise up and destroy our civilisation. Recent poll – half the nation is really worried about it. Future attacks may involve nuclear weapons.
This is the reality of the 2010 into which we are called to bring the good news.
HOW? As it has always been – this is the answer – THROUGH THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
At Antioch (Acts 11) they were seen to be anointed, and so they were called Christians = Sharers of Christ’s anointing’
How did God bring the good news? He anointed Jesus. He was filled –Luke 3:21
At his baptism, heaven was opened. The Father affirms his Son. Then he’s ANOINTED, the Holy Spirit, without measure.
And from his overflow, a limitless supply is available to us. Cf. Geysers, where the forces underneath push the waters out over a huge area – and you can get as drenched as you like. The closer you get to the centre, the wetter you get.
God poured out at Pentecost – on us! Without limit! God HAS DONE the outpouring. It’s the anointing which communicates the good news. God’s answer to the cultures need = the anointing of you and me! There’s no other plan! That we would be anointed. Not some special people, we are ALL special people! If you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit. That’s what identifies us as believers.
At his baptism, Jesus accepts his calling and identifies with sinners – like us. For the anointing to work there must be IDENTIFICATION and COMPASSION. We have the answer because we have the anointing! To what? Whatever! We need to be humble about it, but we have the answer! The more anointing we have, we can speak the answer. That’s the source of the change in the other.
What did the Holy Spirit do? Three things –
Mark says then the Holy Spirit drives Jesus into the desert
Then he anoints him to be good news for the poor
Then he urges Jesus onwards and upwards.
1) In the desert the Father showed Jesus the nature of the opposition, and how the battle will be fought & won. OUR battle is NOT against flesh and blood. There is a power behind secularism/ Islam etc. In Matthews gospel (4:3ff) we see that this was a battle for man’s free will. With Adam & Eve’s disobedience, their free will was infiltrated. But Jesus broke the power of disobedience by perfect obedience. ‘It is Written!’
Every act of disobedience was broken as Jesus became obedient- even to death on a cross. He frees himself from satan in order to free everyone! Your ministry is to set people free who have been locked in the power of secularist thinking. There’s a spiritual power holding them. Only the anointing will break that! Nothing we have by nature can set them free. As Jesus advances, the demons are now in retreat. ‘If I by the power of God cast out devils, then the kingdom of God has come.’ When we come with the word, the demons are being challenged – by the anointing. Attitude to demonic? If I am seeking to walk in the light, I will see the darkness. If it appears, deal with it NOW with authority, but don’t go looking for it.
In the desert, the anointing he’d received meant he could do miracles etc., but he used it to push back the anointing. It’s as if God were saying, “How will you use it?”
We believe the anointing is going to be coming more and more powerfully on more and more people. The question is – HOW WILL YOU USE IT?
It’s great that the Holy Spirit has moved over the recent decades. But I haven’t seen whole 7 vital churches growing and going out of that. Had thought, ‘well the Holy Spirit is moving, so loads of people will come.’ But we are going to see it – the Holy Spirit will be visible on us. People will want it, today or tomorrow – a harvest time. Everything else has been leading to this – and now it has got to go to the lost and bring them in. We must have confidence in the power of the anointing. David said, “I am weak, the anointed King.”
2) The Holy Spirit anoints Jesus to be good news to the poor. You have to be able to humbly say that. ‘The Spirit is on me!’ If not, what’s the point? Before you preach – you say and know that! And ask for more! The transforming power comes, the guilty are forgiven and reinstated, the blind see – it’s jubilee time! Freedom! The slaves debts are cancelled. We minister in that year.
3) The Holy Spirit urges Jesus onwards to fulfil his calling. When the 72 returned with rejoicing that the demons submit, Jesus said to rejoice that their names were written in heaven – but Jesus is encouraged! Encouraged and joyful by the Holy Spirit. He wanst to do that for us.SHIFT from self reliance to reliance on the Holy Spirit, from what I can plan to what he can plan. Drawing the Holy Spirit into ALL ministry situations, asking ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ Listening to the person – but In your inner heart – conversing. That’s when the key that frees the person comes. Refer everything we’re responsible for to the Holy Spirit. We are good at talking – spend more time listening to the Spirit. Just sitting and listening! You are not wasting an hour – you’re opening your whole being to him. He may not say anything, but if you are still you’ll know he’s God- (what does that mean?) you will know God better!
Keep coming back, and being dependent – again and again. Starting all over again, as if you had nothing in the first place.
Continually be asking people around us to pray for us!
God’s answer to this culture – is your anointing!
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