God's Desires: Establishing, Anointing, Sealing, and Guaranteeing Us
Summary
### Summary
Today, we delved into 2 Corinthians 1:21, which reveals four profound desires God has for each of us. We began by reading the verse together: "It is God who establishes us in Christ and has anointed us and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." From this single verse, we unpacked four key aspects of God's will for our lives.
First, God desires to establish us. The word "establish" means to strengthen and confirm. I illustrated this with the image of a newborn deer or giraffe, wobbly and weak, struggling to stand. Similarly, our lives can often feel unstable and fragile. God's desire is to move us from this state of weakness to one of strength—emotionally, spiritually, in our marriages, finances, and vocations. The church plays a crucial role in this process, serving as a vehicle through which God strengthens and establishes us. I shared a story about a firefighter who had seen the worst of humanity and became bitter and angry. His transformation began when he invited God into his life, illustrating how God can establish us even in the most challenging circumstances.
Second, God wants to anoint us. Anointing is often misunderstood as something mystical or reserved for a select few. However, it is much more practical and accessible. Anointing means being appointed by God for a specific task. In the Old Testament, kings and priests were anointed for their roles. In the New Testament, all believers are anointed because we all have a divine assignment. I emphasized that anointing is not about special favor but about stepping into the role God has called us to fulfill. Whether it's a teacher preparing a lesson or a volunteer helping in the community, each of us has an anointing to carry out our God-given tasks.
Third, God wants to put His seal on us. In ancient times, a seal represented authority and ownership. When a king sealed a document, it carried his authority and could not be revoked. Similarly, God seals us with His Holy Spirit, signifying that we belong to Him and are under His authority. This seal gives us security and confidence in our relationship with God. I referenced the story of Esther and King Xerxes to illustrate the power and irrevocability of a seal. Just as the king's seal saved the Jewish people, God's seal on us ensures our salvation and security in Him.
Finally, God gives us His Spirit as a guarantee. The Holy Spirit is described as a down payment or a guarantee of our future inheritance. This means that the Spirit's presence in our lives assures us of the promises God has made. The Holy Spirit not only empowers us but also provides a sense of security and assurance. I read from Ephesians 1, where Paul explains that the Holy Spirit is a guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it. This guarantee is a profound reminder of God's commitment to us and His promises for our future.
In conclusion, we prayed together, asking God to help us cooperate with His desires for our lives. We opened our hands as a sign of surrender, inviting God to establish, anoint, seal, and fill us with His Spirit. We acknowledged that while God offers these gifts, it is up to us to accept and walk in them. We prayed for strength, anointing, security, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Desire to Establish Us: God wants to move us from a position of weakness to one of strength. This includes emotional, spiritual, and relational strength. The church serves as a vehicle for this transformation, helping us become strong in various aspects of our lives. Are we allowing God to establish us through the church and His Word? [01:31]
2. Understanding Anointing: Anointing is not about mystical experiences or special favor. It is about being appointed by God for a specific task. Every believer has an anointing because we all have a divine assignment. When we step into our God-given roles, we experience His help and favor. [07:23]
3. The Significance of God's Seal: God's seal on us signifies His authority and ownership. Just as a king's seal on a document carried authority, God's seal on us ensures our security and salvation. This seal gives us confidence and assurance in our relationship with God, knowing that we belong to Him. [16:07]
4. The Holy Spirit as a Guarantee: The Holy Spirit is described as a down payment or guarantee of our future inheritance. This means that the Spirit's presence in our lives assures us of God's promises. The Holy Spirit empowers us and provides a sense of security and assurance, reminding us of God's commitment to us. [21:29]
5. Walking in Our Anointing: God has picked each of us for a specific assignment. Just as athletes are excited when they are drafted into a team, we should be excited about God's call on our lives. Embracing our anointing means recognizing and fulfilling the divine assignment God has given us, whether in ministry, work, or daily life. [14:20]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:31] - God's Desire to Establish Us
[07:23] - Understanding Anointing
[16:07] - The Significance of God's Seal
[21:29] - The Holy Spirit as a Guarantee
[14:20] - Walking in Our Anointing
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- 2 Corinthians 1:21
- Ephesians 1:13-14
- Luke 4:18
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the four key aspects of God's will for our lives as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 1:21? [0:00]
2. How does the sermon describe the process of God establishing us? What imagery is used to illustrate this? [01:31]
3. What does the term "anointing" mean according to the sermon, and how is it different from common misconceptions? [07:23]
4. What is the significance of God's seal on us, and how is it illustrated through the story of Esther and King Xerxes? [16:07]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the church serve as a vehicle for God to establish us in various aspects of our lives? [01:31]
2. In what ways can understanding anointing as an appointment for a specific task change our perspective on our daily roles and responsibilities? [07:23]
3. How does the concept of God's seal provide security and confidence in our relationship with Him? [16:07]
4. What does it mean for the Holy Spirit to be a guarantee of our future inheritance, and how does this assurance impact our daily lives? [21:29]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt emotionally or spiritually weak. How did you seek God's strength, and how can you allow the church to help establish you in these areas? [01:31]
2. Identify a specific task or role in your life where you feel God has anointed you. How can you step more fully into this divine assignment this week? [07:23]
3. Think about a situation where you felt insecure in your faith. How can the understanding of God's seal on you provide reassurance and confidence in that situation? [16:07]
4. The Holy Spirit is described as a guarantee of our inheritance. How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of the Holy Spirit's presence in your daily life? [21:29]
5. Are there areas in your life where you have been hesitant to respond to God's call? What steps can you take to embrace and walk in the anointing God has for you? [14:20]
6. How can you practically support others in your small group or church community to recognize and walk in their anointing? [12:12]
7. Reflect on the story of the firefighter who experienced transformation through inviting God into his life. How can you invite God into challenging areas of your life for transformation? [04:25]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Desire to Establish Us
God wants to move us from a position of weakness to one of strength. This includes emotional, spiritual, and relational strength. The church serves as a vehicle for this transformation, helping us become strong in various aspects of our lives. Are we allowing God to establish us through the church and His Word? [01:31]
"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (1 Peter 5:10, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel wobbly and weak? How can you invite God to establish you in these areas through prayer, Scripture, and community support?
Day 2: Understanding Anointing
Anointing is not about mystical experiences or special favor. It is about being appointed by God for a specific task. Every believer has an anointing because we all have a divine assignment. When we step into our God-given roles, we experience His help and favor. [07:23]
"But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge." (1 John 2:20, ESV)
Reflection: What specific task or role do you feel God has appointed you to? How can you step into this role with confidence, knowing that you are anointed for it?
Day 3: The Significance of God's Seal
God's seal on us signifies His authority and ownership. Just as a king's seal on a document carried authority, God's seal on us ensures our security and salvation. This seal gives us confidence and assurance in our relationship with God, knowing that we belong to Him. [16:07]
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit." (Ephesians 1:13, ESV)
Reflection: How does knowing that you are sealed by God change the way you view your relationship with Him? What steps can you take to live more confidently in this assurance?
Day 4: The Holy Spirit as a Guarantee
The Holy Spirit is described as a down payment or guarantee of our future inheritance. This means that the Spirit's presence in our lives assures us of God's promises. The Holy Spirit empowers us and provides a sense of security and assurance, reminding us of God's commitment to us. [21:29]
"And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the Holy Spirit as a guarantee in your life? How can you lean more into the Spirit's presence for empowerment and assurance?
Day 5: Walking in Our Anointing
God has picked each of us for a specific assignment. Just as athletes are excited when they are drafted into a team, we should be excited about God's call on our lives. Embracing our anointing means recognizing and fulfilling the divine assignment God has given us, whether in ministry, work, or daily life. [14:20]
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific way you can embrace and walk in your anointing today? How can you celebrate and be excited about the unique role God has given you?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "God's desire is to move us from a position in our lives of weakness, from a position of being fragile, to a position of being strong. Strong, get ready for this, strong emotionally. Can I hear an amen? Strong emotionally. Strong, strong spiritually. Strong in our marriages. Strong in our finances. And strong in our calling, my vocation, the sense of what I'm called to do. God's desire is to establish us." [01:31]
2. "It wasn't until I invited God into my life that things began to change. And I said, well, tell me about that. And he said, well, I'm used to going to church. I go to church. But it wasn't just the attending a church that called to change. Really, what happened? He said, well, it happened during jujitsu. I said, jujitsu? If you put a gun to my head, I never would have thought that. He said, but the only way I thought to get this anger out and frustration, this stuff in my heart was to wrestle." [04:25]
3. "The anointing, the help and favor of God is offered to anyone who will humble themselves and step into the thing that God's called them to do. Are you here? I'm going to do the assignment that God's called me to, to do. So when you think anointing, think this word, appointment." [09:07]
4. "What happens when God Almighty is ringing your number? Hello. I've got an assignment. I've picked you and I want you to play. Not to watch. I want you to play on my team. How do we respond? Well, you say, Pastor Charlie, I don't, we probably don't respond the way we should just as simply because we don't understand. Son, daughter, I have something for you. I want to give you a purpose and I want you to lean into that anointing, that thing that I've called you to do." [14:20]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Now, the Word says, and Paul says, that when we come to Christ, we have a deposit of the Spirit of God on the inside of us, and it is a, it's a what? I will come back for my own. Are you here? A lot? I will come back for my own. My Spirit living on the inside of is that guarantee. So, Lord, whether you come back, and I'm still alive, I'm yours, or if I die before that happens, I'm still yours. I have your Spirit as a guarantee." [25:25]
2. "God wants to put his spirit on the inside of us. Now, the spirit, Spirit, the Holy Spirit is many things. We could talk every Sunday. This is one of the great things about the Christian faith is because in Christ, God not only forgives us of our sins, we have peace with God, gives us peace with ourselves, gives us peace in our relationship. It's amazing. But on top of all of that, He gives us His Spirit to live on the inside of us. That's amazing." [21:29]
3. "So, what does it mean? What does it mean that God wants to put his seal on us? It means God wants us to live secure in him. Confident, assured in the knowledge of him in Christ. Come on, say in Christ. In Christ, whatever the circumstances, if I'm sealed in God through Christ, I do not have to be. It's been sealed. I'm sealed. Come on, are you here? I'm sealed in him." [19:37]
4. "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has appointed me, he has anointed me to do some things. I'm going to speak good news to people who've had bad news. I'm going to help open people's minds, open the eyes of the blind, set the oppressed free, and proclaim that this is the acceptable year of God's favor. And when you see that word year, by the way, every person who stands up in Jesus' name and teaches, God's, we're still living under the seal of God." [10:45]
5. "God just doesn't want to establish us to establish us. He has something that he's called us to do. Jesus name, help us to hear what you're saying. So God wants to anoint us. What are we saying in your notes? We're saying, when you hear the word anointing, we're saying that God has picked me. Come on, let's say that together. Come on. God has picked me and wants to give me a job. That means an assignment where I'm serving him. It's the recognition that God, you've got an assignment for me." [12:12]
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Jun 02, 2024. Do you have any questions about it?