Anointed Church

            This week, Pastor Chris taught from Romans 15 with a word on how we as the Church are anointed and equipped for Kingdom work. God desires for all people to be saved and what a privilege that He uses us to share the Good News and make disciples. God has empowered us to live on mission in every day through His Holy Spirit and His unfailing love.

Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)

6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

“Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without the wind, branches without sap, and like coals without fire, we are useless.”—Charles Spurgeon

Empowered for Mission

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

John 14:16 (ESV)

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

  • Paraklete: advocate, comforter, enlightener, assistant, counselor, reminder. 

Beneficial results of the work of the Holy Spirit: 

  • More effectiveness in witness and ministry. 
  • Effective proclamation of the gospel.
  • Power for victory over sin. 
  • Power for victory over Satan and demonic forces.
  • Wide distribution of gifts for ministry. 
  • Power to preach and do miracles confirming the message. 

Empowered to Love

Romans 15:14–15 (ESV)

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 

1 John 4:7–10 (ESV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Empowered to Minister

Romans 15:16 (ESV)

16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Followers of Jesus are to live as priests before God.

  • Represent God to this world. 
  • Serve as priests by proclaiming God’s goodness and love. 
  • Pray to God on behalf of others. 
  • Worship God through life. 
  • Make sacrificial decisions that honor others. 

Romans 15:17-18 (ESV)

17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 

Empowered to Pioneer

Romans 15:19 (ESV)

19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 

  • Signs: miracles that teach a spiritual truth. 
  • Wonders: miracles that shake our presuppositions and force us to listen to something new.

Acts 4:30 (ESV)

30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Acts 5:12 (ESV)

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.

Acts 6:8 (ESV)

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Acts 14:3 (ESV)

3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

1 Corinthians 12:9–10, 28 (ESV)

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

Cessationism vs Continuationism

  • Cessationism – The early Church had some extra spiritual-gifts (miracles, healing, prophecy, tongues) until the New Testament writings were completed.  
  • Continuationism – The supernatural sign gifts continue to operate on earth until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth.

Romans 15:20–21 (ESV)

20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

Romans 8:16 (ESV)

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Discussion Questions:

  1. Pastor Chris shared that the Holy Spirit is the Paraklete (assistant, enlightener, counselor). How does this influence the way you live as a missionary in your daily life?
  2. God is still doing signs and wonders today! How does this challenge or change your willingness to partner with God in reaching our city?
  3. We are equipped to be good counselors of biblical matters. How does this impact the way you interact with other Christians?

Application Questions:

  1. Loving others in our strength does not work! We need the Lord to fill us with the Holy Spirit. This week, ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit.
  2. 1 Peter 2:9 calls us a royal priesthood. Priests stand in the dark places and contend for God’s will to come into impossible situation. Is there a specific way God is asking you to act as a priest?

Join us for an in-person service at City Central Church in Tacoma, WA
Sundays at 9am + 10:30am + 12pm