The Anointing | I'm Still With You

Devotional

Day 1: Oil in the Hair: Marked for Divine Assignment

When Samuel anointed David, the oil symbolized more than a ritual—it carried the weight of God’s presence commissioning an ordinary shepherd for extraordinary purpose. This tangible act reminds us that God still marks His people today, setting them apart not for personal glory but for service that transcends human ability. The anointing isn’t about perfection but about partnership with the Spirit. Like oil seeping into David’s skin, God’s calling saturates every part of our identity. What if your most “ordinary” moments are being prepared for divine assignments? [03:43]

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. (1 Samuel 16:13, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you dismissed a sense of divine purpose as mere coincidence? How might God’s anointing be inviting you to lean into His strength rather than your own resume?

Day 2: Clothed with Power, Not Your Own Strength

Jesus told His disciples to wait for “power from on high”—a humbling admission that even resurrected Messiah-followers couldn’t rely on their own spiritual resumes. This clothing metaphor reveals the anointing as both covering and catalyst: it hides our inadequacy while propelling us into God-sized work. The disciples’ 50-day wait between resurrection and Pentecost mirrors our need to trade self-sufficiency for Spirit-dependence. True power begins when we stop pretending we can dress ourselves. [10:59]

I am going to send you what my Father has promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49, ESV)

Reflection: What current challenge makes you most aware of your limitations? How might waiting on God’s power transform your approach rather than rushing ahead?

Day 3: Burying the One Talent of Anointing

The servant with one talent didn’t reject his gift—he underestimated it. Similarly, we often bury our anointings, believing they’re too small to matter or too risky to invest. Yet God measures impact by faithfulness, not volume. The Spirit’s “easy functioning” through our gifts (like Asher praying for a drive-thru customer) often looks unremarkable until its cumulative effect is seen. What buried anointing might be waiting for you to dig it up and put it into circulation? [19:12]

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. (Matthew 25:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: What “small” act of service or gift have you undervalued? How could stewarding it daily create ripple effects in your community?

Day 4: Saul’s Side-Eye: When Jealousy Eclipses Anointing

Saul’s downward spiral began when he “kept a close eye on David”—a warning that comparison corrodes calling. Jealousy shifts our gaze from the Anointer to other anointees, making us spectators rather than participants. Like Saul clutching his crown, we protect our turf while missing our true assignment. The antidote? Worship that celebrates others’ anointings as proof of God’s multifaceted creativity, not competition for His favor. [26:54]

Saul kept a close eye on David from that day forward. (1 Samuel 18:9, ESV)

Reflection: Whose anointing have you resented or envied? How might celebrating their gifts free you to fully inhabit yours?

Day 5: Altar Open, Anointing Fresh

The sermon’s closing altar call wasn’t about dramatic moments but daily surrender—a recognition that anointing requires ongoing refilling. Like Peter needing restoration after denial, we all need fresh oil when weariness, sin, or distraction dull our edge. This altar isn’t confined to a stage; it’s any place we yield our “I’ll handle it” for “clothe me again.” What if today’s prayer for fresh anointing unlocks tomorrow’s impossible assignment? [34:01]

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels spiritually dry or stagnant? What would it look like to approach God as an open altar rather than a last resort?

Sermon Summary

The anointing shows up in Scripture as God marking a person for service to God. Exodus crowns priests and kings with oil, and 1 Samuel 16 pictures oil running into David’s hair and skin as a sign that the Spirit has come upon him for a specific assignment. Acts 10 then makes the staggering claim that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and that Jesus went around doing good and breaking the devil’s grip because God was with him. The text ties Jesus’ impact not to natural talent but to supernatural anointing. Christ is not a last name but a title. Messiah means the anointed one. The Spirit raises Jesus from the dead, and that same Spirit-filled anointing defines his kingship forever.

Luke 24 announces the promise for disciples: stay put until clothed with power from on high. Pentecost lands that promise. The anointed one anoints his people. 2 Corinthians 1 says God anoints, seals, and deposits the Spirit in the heart, so identity and mission run together. The Spirit resides in the believer, witnesses sonship, and empowers assignment. Romans 12 then calls for sober judgment. The body has many members with different functions. Every Christian receives grace-gifts, but no one receives all gifts. A limited anointing is not a lesser anointing. God does not hand out insignificant callings. A limited anointing means real contribution and real dependence, so the church stops playing small and stops pretending to be everything.

Peter urges each person to use whatever gift received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s multi-colored grace. Anointing is for others, not an end in itself. The Spirit can be grieved, and pride and jealousy are repeat offenders. Pride creeps in when fruit convinces a person that talent sustains what only the Spirit started. God opposes that, and the hand lifts. Jealousy stares at someone else’s lane like Saul watching David and forfeits the grace given. Confession opens the door to restoration and a fresh anointing. No person can take away what God confers, but anointing will be contested. Attack often aims to pull a disciple off assignment, as even Peter once tried with Jesus. The call is to stay where God has anointed, receive fresh power, and step off the sidelines into the work God actually marked out.

Key Takeaways

1. The anointed one anoints his people [12:38] Jesus receives the Spirit and shares that power for God’s work. Identity and mission come bundled, so the disciple is sealed and also sent. Anointing is not a private badge but a public empowerment. The church lives from gifted dependence, not gifted independence. [12:38]
2. Anointing is limited yet significant [18:25] God assigns real lanes and does not waste callings. A limited measure protects the body’s design and frees the disciple from jealousy and pretense. Receiving limits becomes the doorway to fruitfulness, because grace concentrates rather than diffuses. Others need that gift, and that person needs theirs. [18:25]
3. Pride and jealousy quench anointing [24:05] Pride forgets where the story started and tries to run on yesterday’s oil. Jealousy shifts the gaze from God to rivals and trades calling for comparison. Both grieve the Spirit and shrink capacity. Honest confession reopens space for the hand of God to rest on a life. [24:05]
4. Anointing invites attack, remember assignment [28:58] Opposition often rises precisely where grace is flowing. The enemy aims to distract and dislodge, sometimes through well-meaning voices. Remembering the assignment reframes the battle and steadies the soul. God’s anointing does not remove conflict, but it guarantees usefulness within it. [28:58]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:08] - Extraordinary impact and anointing
[03:43] - Old Testament anointing patterns
[06:37] - Jesus anointed with Spirit and power
[08:30] - Messiah means the anointed one
[10:59] - Clothed with power from on high
[12:38] - The anointed one anoints the church
[14:19] - One body, different gifts
[15:34] - No sidelines in the kingdom
[18:25] - No insignificant anointings
[20:23] - What anointing looks like in practice
[21:54] - Use your gift to serve others
[24:05] - Pride and jealousy grieve the Spirit
[28:58] - Anointing brings attack, hold assignment
[34:01] - Prayer for fresh anointing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 10:36-38 (ESV)
“You know the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

Romans 12:3-8 (ESV)
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”

1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV)
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

Observation Questions

According to Acts 10:38, what two things did God anoint Jesus with, and what specific actions did Jesus accomplish as a result?
In Romans 12:4-5, how does Paul describe the relationship between believers in the body of Christ? What analogy does he use?
What does 1 Peter 4:10 emphasize about the purpose of spiritual gifts? How does it connect to stewardship?

Interpretation Questions

Why might the author of Acts 10:38 specifically highlight Jesus’ anointing with the Holy Spirit and power as the source of His actions, rather than His divine nature alone?
Romans 12:3 warns against thinking “more highly than one ought.” How might overestimating or underestimating one’s God-given role harm the church community?
How does the instruction in 1 Peter 4:10-11 challenge the idea that spiritual gifts are primarily for personal fulfillment or recognition?

Application Questions

The anointing is described as “limited yet significant” [18:25]. What practical step could you take this week to lean into your specific gifts rather than comparing them to others’?
Pride and jealousy are called “repeat offenders” that quench the Spirit [24:05]. When have you felt tempted to take credit for God’s work in your life or resent someone else’s calling? How can confession and humility reset your focus?
“Anointing invites attack” [28:58]. Where in your life (e.g., relationships, work, ministry) have you experienced resistance or discouragement when trying to live out your calling? How can you “steady your soul” in those areas?
1 Peter 4:10 says gifts are for serving others. What is one tangible way you could use your unique abilities to meet a need in your community, family, or church this month?
The sermon warns against “playing small” [16:23]. What fear or lie might be holding you back from fully stepping into what God has anointed you to do? How can you confront that with truth?

Sermon Clips

65s

“Do you know that we have an enemy who wants to destroy what God wants to accomplish through our lives? Do you know that do you know that he'll use other humans to do it? I mean, it's kind of odd to think about probably the worst name anyone ever got called by Jesus was Peter. Remember this? Wild. Right? What was it? Satan. Satan. Get behind me Satan. I'll you're gonna I'm gonna build the church through your leadership and I'll give why in the world would Jesus say to Peter, get behind me Satan? Because maliciously, but Peter was trying to get Jesus off of his anointed mission. And I'm just here to tell you, if you live out the anointing God's given you long enough, you need to know that that's going to be contested.”

66s

“And if I could just confess real openly to you, when I become aware of that, you know what the temptation is for me? Just shooting straight. I start thinking of all my friends around the world who would let me come work on their teams. Doing it in real time. Not really. I'm like, wow, God. That would be that'd be easier. And if God leads me there, sure. But I don't want to be on a team in a suburb without his anointing on me. I wanna be in a place for as long as he has me doing what he's anointed me to do. Because if God's anointed me, you you can't take that away. And if God's anointed you, I can't take that away.”

30s

“For starters, Jesus is letting you know and his disciples know in this moment, God keeps his promises. Ever been let down by a human? Don't point at the human that's letting you down right now. Just say, yes. We have. And so sometimes we bring our history of human relationships and disappointment and doubt into our relationship with God. And I just want you to know that God's not like a human. We have a promise making God and a promise keeping God. Amen?”

41s

“The Holy Spirit does not come fill believers so that we can sit on the sidelines of the kingdom. Let me say that again. The Holy Spirit does not fill you and I so that we can sit on the sidelines in the kingdom, but sometimes it feels easier to sit on the sidelines, doesn't it? Just me? Like, anybody else, like like, let somebody else go do it. No. No. No. If you have a relationship with Jesus, you have the spirit of God in you, which means you are called to participate in the mission of God as you've been anointed and appointed and assigned and called and purposed by God. And I hope that brings encouragement to you, not discouragement.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Epic Church San Francisco This sermon · AI assistant

What does anointing fundamentally mean?

How does the Holy Spirit empower believers?

Which attitudes grieve the Holy Spirit's anointing?

The Anointing | I'm Still With You | Ben Pilgreen