Are You God's Anointed?

The title today, Are You God's Anointed? Are You God's Anointed? How much do you know about the oil of anointment? And how much do you know about what it represents? God gave Moses specific instructions on how to make the anointing oil. So let's read that in Exodus 30 verse 22. This is about everybody that's here today at one time or another has probably been anointed.

And so let's talk about that for a moment. How the anointing oil was made and what it symbolized and some of the background about it. In Exodus chapter 30 and verse 22. Exodus 30 verse 22. More were the eternals spoken to Moses, saying, Take you also unto you three spices of pure myrrh, five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon, half as so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus, two hundred and fifty shekels, and of cassia, five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil of olive and hen.

And you shall make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound, after the art of the apothecary. It shall be to you a holy anointing oil. There are other places in the Bible that also talk about the making of that anointing oil. Anointing oil is symbolic of God's Holy Spirit. So men and even objects were anointed at times to set them apart for service to God.

Holy things have God's active presence within them or upon them. For example, Moses, when he looked up and he saw the burning bush, there's a voice that said, Moses, take off your shoes because the ground upon which you stand is holy ground. It meant that God's active presence was on that ground. Sacred things point to a higher reality. We're seeing sacred hymns pointing to God in a higher reality. Holy things have God's active presence within them. Let's note now Exodus 40 in verse 13. With this an anointing oil, the people that God had chosen and God had chosen the family of Aaron to serve as priest.

And notice in Exodus 40, let's look at verse 13, and you shall put upon Aaron the holy garments and anoint him and sanctify him that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with coats, and you shall anoint them as you did anoint their father. So in things that had to do with service unto God and setting them apart, they were anointed.

And we continue here in verse 15, and they shall minister unto me in the priest's office, for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. Thus did Moses according to all that the Lord had commanded him. Not only were the priests anointed and set apart, but even the utensils that were used in the temple service at that time it was a tabernacle service also were set apart for that particular purpose of being used in service to God.

Look at verse 9. And you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shall hallow it and all the vessels thereof, and it shall be holy. And you shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar, and shall be an altar most holy. And you shall anoint the labor and his foot and sanctify it.

And of course we already talked about anointing Aaron and his sons. Let's note now the Hebrew word that is translated as anoint or anointed. Now the anointing oil, of course, is a noun and it's mischa. But now we're talking about the anadverb of the anointed one. Let's go to Psalm chapter 2. In Psalm 2 and verse 1 we'll start here. And this theme of the anointed one or his anointed will be following through to much of the sermon here today in Psalm chapter 2 and verse 1.

Why do the nations rage? And of course these first six verses here in Psalm 2 present to a large degree where the world is today as you turn on your television sets in the morning and you see all the various things are going on in the world and if you read the newspaper the same kind of thing. Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the eternal and against his anointed saying. And the main reason they're doing this, they don't want to be ruled by God in Christ.

They're saying, let us break their bands asunder, cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sword as pleasure.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. In this next verse you even see the a prophecy that Jesus Christ would be begotten even in the Old Testament. Mrs. Eliot talked about Mr. Armstrong coming to understand the family of God that we're begotten sons and daughters in the family of God today. Verse 7, I will declare this decree, the Lord has said unto me, you art my son, the eternal has said unto me, you art my son. So here is the prediction of the Messiah. You aren't my son, this day have I begotten you.

And the Hebrew word for begotten there is yalad. It is the reciprocal of the Greek in the New Testament of Gadao. Now we go back to verse 2 once again, and we look at this word here in verse 2. The kings of the earth set themselves and against and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed.

This word anointed is mashiach. Mashiach is the Hebrew word for Messiah. It is the word that is translated into English as Messiah. So you see here even the prophecy of the anointed one, the Messiah, is contained here, the anointed one. And places in the Old Testament it says his anointed and also in the New Testament, but of course it's in Greek the anointed one.

So it literally means the anointed one. The Hebrew word mashiach corresponds to the Greek word kristos, which is translated Christ in the New Testament. Now let's go to Acts chapter 4 and verse 25, and we'll see in the New Testament, following up the fulfillment of the prediction that Messiah would come in Acts chapter 4 and verse 25.

Acts 4 verse 25, You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham and your seed shall all the kindreds, all the kindred of the earth be blessed unto you first God having raised up his son Jesus and sent him and sent him to bless you and turning away every one of them from his iniquities.

Now continuing, I read from chapter 3 there. Now we're going to chapter 4 and verse 25. In chapter 4 and verse 25, Who by the mouth of your servant David has said, Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? I quote from Psalm 2 and verse 2. The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the eternal and against his Christ. And that word is Christos. It is the Greek equivalent to Mashiach. It is the Messiah, his anointed one. So in the New Testament, the anointed one is spoken of as translated as Christ. We'll note that in Matthew 16 and verse 16.

Matthew 16 verse 16. So when you see Christ, the name Christ of the New Testament, that is the New Testament equivalent to the Old Testament, Mashiach, and it means Messiah, his anointed or the the anointed one. In Matthew 16 and verse 16. Matthew 16 16 and Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the Christos, the anointed one, the son of the living God. So we even have a town in Texas named after Christos Corpus Christi, which literally means corpus is the Greek word for body.

It literally means Corpus Christi, literally means the body of Christ. So when you see that word Christ in the New Testament, once again it means the anointed one. The phrase also, his Christ in the New Testament is the same as saying his anointed one. We look at that in Revelation 11 and verse 15.

Revelation 11 verse 15.

In Revelation 11 and verse 15 we'll see his, the wording will be his Christ, which means his anointed one. Revelation 11 and verse 15, and the seventh angel sounded, there were great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his anointed one, of his Christ Christos, and he shall reign forever and ever. Look across the page in 12, chapter 12 and verse 10. I heard a loud voice saying from heaven, now has come salvation strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his anointed one, his Christos, the Messiah, for the accuser of the brethren is cast down who accuses them before God day and night.

In the Old Testament, as we have seen, the priest and those who served with him, like Aaron and his sons, and even the tabernacle and the utensils were anointed with oil, the anointing oil. But in the New Testament, what is the anointing? Remember the title of the sermon is, Are You One of God's Anointed?

So we go to Acts 10 and verse 38, and we'll see that the anointing of Jesus Christ as the Messiah was not done with oil, and it's not done with us either, as we shall see as we become anointed ones. And our destiny, of course, is to be glorious, radiant spirit beings at the resurrection. In Acts 10 and verse 38, quickly, a bit of the background, in Acts 10, Peter was up on the rooftop praying, had this vision of clean and unclean. He was told to rise and to eat the unclean, and he said, No, my Lord, I've never eaten the unclean. He came to understand that the voice that was speaking to him was speaking of humans and not animals, called no man unclean. And at the same time, there was Cornelius coming to seek Peter out to come to his house and baptize them. So when Cornelius comes, Peter goes with them and comes to their house, and we see this when Peter begins to speak. It's a very important verse. Let's read 37. Just read into it from one verse. That word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, that is the word, the gospel of the kingdom of God, how God anointed Jesus Christ, how God anointed Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. See, when we are baptized, man can baptize you in water, but only God can baptize you with his Holy Spirit, and God anoints us with his Holy Spirit, as it were.

And we become anointed ones, as we shall see a little later.

From birth, Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit. We go now to John chapter 3 and verse 31.

From birth, Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit. John 3 and verse 31.

And John 3 and verse 31, he that comes from above as above all, of course Jesus Christ came from above. He that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He that comes from heaven is above all. And what he has seen and heard that he testifies, and no man receives his testimony. That word testimony in the Greek is materia. It means record witness testimony. So Jesus Christ came to receive his testimony. Jesus Christ came to reveal the Father, what he was like, and what it means to become a member of the family of God, what is necessary. After Jesus Christ was baptized, he went out after his temptation, and what did he do? He was preaching the kingdom of God. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. And what he has seen and heard that he testifies, and no man receives his testimony.

He that has received his testimony, his record, his witness, has sent him to his seal that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure to him. So God gives not the Spirit by measure to him. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Jesus Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit, had the Holy Spirit without measure. He was the Son of God. He was God in the flesh. He had a great mission. Look at the prophecy of this mission back in Isaiah 61 and verse 1. Then we'll show in the New Testament how it was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. So in Isaiah 61 and verse 1, Isaiah 61 and verse 1, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. See, this is a prophecy. This is a messianic prophecy that Jesus Christ would come on the scene, the Messiah, the anointed one, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Eternal and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn. Now we go quickly to Luke chapter 4 and verse 18. Luke 4 and verse 18, and we'll see Jesus Christ fulfilling this very prophecy. Of course, one of the great proofs of the Bible, and the veracity, the truth of the Bible is fulfilled prophecy. It is undeniable, it's irrefutable, it is there, these things prophesied many years in advance. In Luke chapter 4 and verse 18, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me. See, it's quoting from Isaiah 61 and verse 1.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted.

And of course, to heal the broken heart, how many lonely broken hearts are they all over the world? And as we know, the second leading cause of death among young people is suicide, and suicide is increasing even among the elderly.

As far as the working class of people, you know the number one working class. Some have said, well, it vacillates between ministers, lawyers, and doctors, but farmers are among the leading ones committing suicide. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to preach deliverance to the captives. Of course, you can look at this from two perspectives. One is physically, but the main intent here is spiritually and recovering of the sight of the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised. It says in John 8, I believe it's verse 34, that it says that if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, he gave it again to the minister, and sat down, and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. So here we see the prophecy from Isaiah being fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Now we want to go to Hebrews chapter 12. On the way to Hebrews chapter 12, I will be telling you this, that Jesus Christ is the leader, the captain, the forerunner of our salvation. You know, we call Jesus Christ oftentimes our elder brother. Why? Because Jesus Christ was begotten of the Spirit. Now, the great difference here is that he had the Spirit without measure, had it from birth, and he was the Son of God.

He was the only begotten, the only one uniquely begotten in that way, born of a virgin.

And so Jesus Christ was the forerunner, the captain, the leader of our salvation.

Now, the King James translation, when we get to the verse, says that he's the author of our salvation. That word author there doesn't mean it's our kegos. It means the leader, the captain.

See, God the Father and Jesus Christ together, even before anything was created, the spiritual realm or the physical realm, they worked out this great plan of salvation as we shall see. So, Hebrews 12 and verse 1, of course, chapter 11 of Hebrews catalogues all those great men and women who had gone before men and women of faith, wherefore, seeing also your accomplishments about what's so great a cloud of witnesses, those that mentioned there in chapter 11, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which has so easily beset us. Let us run with patience. The race is set before us. You know, it says in Luke that in your patience possess you your souls. Looking unto Jesus, the archaea coast, looking unto Jesus, the author, the captain, the leader, and finisher, and the word finisher here, teleotes. Teleotes means the perfecter, the one that through whom we can go on to perfection. Looking to Jesus, the captain, the leader, the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him. What was the joy that was set before him? He was going to go through a terrible ordeal, beating and being crucified, nailed to the stake, and all of that goes with that. See, the joy that was set before him was to see you and I. In his mind's eye, he saw us in the kingdom of God, the leader, the forerunner that went before, who for the joy that was set before him endured the stake, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Because the next verse, we have not resisted sin under blood. You know, in Gethsemane, Jesus Christ, sweated as it were, great drops of blood.

Now, how do we become the anointed ones? It is through repentance and faith in the sacrifice of Christ. Now, we go to Acts 2.38, which everyone is familiar with. Acts 2.38, that on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was sent and Peter preached his great inspired sermon, they were pricked in their hearts, they were moved, they were convicted, and they said in verse 37, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then in Acts 2 and verse 38, Peter said unto them, repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, of course, there is a condition. It is a gift, but there is a condition to the gift. That is, you have to repent and exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ. Now, we go to Romans 5, a little more detail with regard to what was involved in us being justified so that we were become eligible to become anointed ones. That is, to receive God's Spirit, His anointing, His baptism, the baptism from above, which no man can do. In Romans chapter 5 and verse 6, For when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for righteous men will one die, yet prevent for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commences love toward us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

See, God and Christ didn't play standoff. If you'll be good to me, I'll be good to you.

They had already ordained this great plan of salvation before the foundation of the world.

In some translations it says, from the foundation of the world, but it was before anything was created, because all things were created through Jesus Christ.

Nine, verse nine, much more than being now justified by His blood, life is in the blood, His life essence, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God. No longer enemies reconciled, but we were reconciled, set at one with God. By the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Then God views us as we come up out of the baptismal waters as sinless with the old man and the old way buried. We were crucified with Christ as Paul writes, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but the Son of Man who loved me and gave Himself for me.

So then we are eligible to receive the anointing, that is, the Spirit of God.

The believers, those who have repented, have exercised faith, have been baptized, have received the laying on of hands, are now eligible to become God's anointant.

We'll read a verse that says almost exactly that. We'll go now to 2 Corinthians chapter 1.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 1, remember the title is, Are You One of Gods Anointed?

In 2 Corinthians chapter 1 in verse, I think we'll start in 19. 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 19, For the sight of God, Jesus Christ, the anointed one, who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him was yes. In other words, they were not wishy-washy, they were not double-minded, they were wholehearted. For all the promises of God, all the promises of God, in him are yes, and in him amen, which means jay verily. Under the glory of God by us, now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God.

God the Father, if you have God's Spirit, he put it in you. This says it.

He that hath anointed us is God, who also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit, in our hearts.

So that's how we become one of the anointed ones. Begotten believers are God's anointed.

They have received the earnest of the Spirit.

The Apostle John, let's go to 1 John 2 now. I think we'll start in verse 20. 1 John 2, 20.

Here we shall see this reciprocal relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ quite clearly, that both had to fulfill their roles perfectly in bringing to fruition the plan of salvation so that we could become God's anointed. In 1 John 2, in verse 20, 1 John 2, 20. But you have an unction. This word unction is an interesting word.

The word unction in Greek is charisma. It is the word. It comes from Charis. Charis is a Greek word for grace. We talk about charismatic leaders. He has a lot of charisma that people seem to be attracted to this person, and they really enjoy being around him or her. So it comes from that. It literally means smearing in or rubbing in. You have an unction, a smearing, a rubbing in of the Spirit. You have an unction, charisma from the Holy.

The Greek manuscript doesn't have one in it. Of course, both God the Father and Jesus Christ are holy. But you have an unction, a rubbing in, a charisma from the Holy, and you know all things.

Now this word know is not a good translation here. It has to do with that you understand things. No one, no human being knows all things. And so it is often translated as know, but it also can be translated having to do with to understand. He goes on to say, I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ?

He is antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. Now this is very important. Who so denies the Son the same has not no Father. So you can't have one without the other. There is that reciprocal relationship. But he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. So what have you heard from the beginning? You've heard the truth and you have received the charisma, the smearing, the rubbing in of the Spirit.

If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, and of course you can commit the unpardonable sin, and you can become one of not one of God's anointed. Having been one of God's anointed, you can become not one of God's anointed.

Let therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son and in the Father.

And this is a promise that he has promised us the eternal life.

As we have come to the point now in our society that life is so cheap, and one of the great things that has to be overcome, especially among youth in which basically nihilism, which literally means nothingness, is taught. And life is so cheap with the video games and all of the things that go with it, and all of the things that you hear in the media. Eternal life. If you don't care, then so be it. If you don't care, there's really no hope. You have to care. You have to desire. You have to want it. Now, why were you created? You were created to become a member of the family of God, and at resurrection to be a spirit being in the kingdom of God. Anything short of that means your life is a failure. Now, that's pretty sobering, but the Bible is to those who seek honor, glory, immortality. That's what Paul writes in Romans. These things have a written under you concerning them that seduce you, but the anointing which you have received. Remember what we read from 2 Corinthians 1, 21-22, that you have received this anointing, this down payment of the Spirit. If you have received of Him the anointing, and it abides in you, you need not teach you. You don't need a teacher or someone teaching you, but as the same anointing teaches you all things and is truth and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him. So the key to maintaining the anointing is to abide in Him, and you cannot abide in Him if you don't communicate with Him and respond to Him.

Now let's see a great prophecy in Isaiah chapter 45. We'll probably come back here again.

One of the things that, yes, we did talk about and I did talk about in the recent council meeting of sermons being more focused and in some cases shorter so that we really try to get as much into a sermon as we can in a shorter length of time. See, if the sermon giver is not enthusiastic, energetic, and has a lot of filler material, your mind is lazy. My mind is lazy as it is. Well, I may be taking a trip on a Riviera, and you're reading in Genesis.

Let's see, what did I say? I said Psalm 45. In Psalm 45, Psalm 45 is really a, it's like a coronation psalm or hymn.

My heart is indicting a good matter. The psalmist here is writing in the first 10 or 11 verses about the Messiah, and it's about him just as he's about to get married to the church.

My heart is indicting a good matter. I speak of things which I have made touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. You aren't fairer than the children of men.

Grace is poured upon your lips, divine favor. Therefore, God has blessed you forever.

Gird your sword upon your thigh, almost mighty, with the glory in your majesty, and in your majesty, ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness.

And your right hand shall teach you terrible things.

These arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies. And we read from Psalm 2 how God is going to strike the enemies of Messiah, whereby the people fall under you. Of course, you know it says in Psalm 110 verse 1 that the Lord said unto my Lord, the Yahweh said unto my Adonai, Sit you on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.

Verse 6, Your throne. This is a prophecy. We'll turn to Hebrews 1 in just a second and show this being fulfilled. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore, God, your God hath anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows. All your garments smell of myrrh and loaves and cassia out of the ivory palaces whereby they have made you glad. King's daughters were among your honorable women. Upon your right hand did stand the queen and gold of Oprah. The king's daughter shall incline the ear. Forget also your own people in your father's house. So shall the king greatly desire your beauty. Now speaking of the church, for he is your eternal and worship you him. Now let's see this in the New Testament, the application that is made. We go to Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1. We'll start in verses 6. But again, when he brings in the first begotten in the world, and we talked about Jesus Christ being begotten and us being begotten, and let all the angels of God worship him, and of the angels, he said, who makes his angel spirits and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the sun, he said, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. But unto the sun, he said, your throne, O God, is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness, is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity, lawlessness.

Therefore, God, even your God hath anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.

And you, eternal in the beginning, have laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. So God, as you'll see in verses 1 and 2 there, verse 2 especially, that God created all things through Jesus Christ.

Now, one of the things, of course, we read the Bible and so much of it we're told to praise God and to love God, but at the same time there is a reciprocal relationship between God and the church. And God loves the church. How much did God love the church? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son? That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now look at Zechariah chapter 2.

Let's read 1 firstly. Let's read Zechariah 1 in verse 16 first. Zechariah. Zepheniah, Haggai, Zechariah. Zechariah 1 in verse 16.

Therefore thus says the Eternal, I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house shall be built in, it says, the Eternal of Hosts, and a line shall be stretched upon it upon Jerusalem.

Cry yet, saying, Thus says the Lord of Hosts. My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad. The Eternal shall comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem. Now many times in recent years here I've talked about Zion symbolizing the church. Of course, there is the literal physical place, Zion and the environs of Jerusalem, but hold your place there. Look at Hebrews 12 quickly.

Hebrews 12. Once again, what does Paul do in the book of Hebrews? He compares and contrasts the elements of the Old Covenant with the elements of the New Covenant. In Hebrews 12, verse 20, For they could not endure that which was commanded, that description of Mount Sinai, and the verses above. And if so much as a beast touched the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart. Why? Because God's presence was upon it, and they were not holy.

And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. But you are come unto Mount Zion, not to the literal physical place, but you are come to Mount Zion in the spiritual sense, and unto the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. Now back to Zechariah, and you look at chapter 2. In Zechariah chapter 2, verse 16, not 2. Verse 10, Zechariah 2. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Eternal. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of you. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me unto you, who sent him, the Lord of hosts. And the Lord shall inherit Jerusalem, his portion in the Holy Land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the Eternal, for he is raised up out of his holy habitation. See, God loves the gates of Zion more than the gates of Jerusalem. The gates of Zion is really the apple of his eye. God so loved the church that he gave his only begotten Son. The only begotten Son so loved us for the joy that was set before him that he gave all he could give. He gave his life. God and Christ have had a love affair with the church. Hear me out. Have had a love affair with the church. This great plan from time past and eternity. Let's look at those scriptures. Now, we've already quoted John 3, 16, for God so loved the world. Now, we want to look at John 17. John 17 records the prayer that Jesus gave the night that he was betrayed. Where Judas pointed him out to the religious leaders and he was arrested and then the trial ensued. But I want to focus on this one verse in this prayer. John 17 verse 24. Father, I will that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me this part for you love me before the foundation of the world. So, how old is the plan of salvation? Now, we look at Matthew 25 and verse 34.

Matthew 25 and verse 34.

We see that in these verses that the plan for the family of God and the church of God goes way back before the physical creation and even before the spiritual creation of the angelic realm. So, in Matthew now, Matthew 25 and verse 34. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. God knew that he was going to do this before the foundation of the world, and Christ knew that. They both knew that they had to play these reciprocal roles. Now, we go to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1, which will say something somewhat similar to what we've just read in 1 Peter chapter 1 beginning again in verse 17. 1 Peter 1 verse 17.

And if you call on the father, who without respect of persons, judges according to every man's work, past the time of your sojourning, here in fear, reverence, all respect, God gave us life. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb slain, without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained, the Greek word there is progenosco. It means before time began, who verily was foreordained before time began, before the foundation of the world was made manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. So God and Christ have had a love affair with the church through the ages, even before the spiritual creation.

Just think about it. At a time in which nothing existed, they planned this out. Now, at this time, look at 2 Corinthians 11, here is our state at the present time.

We are, and hopefully each one of us is, his anointed one. Are you one of God's anointed?

If so, then here is your state in relationship to Messiah, the anointed one.

In 2 Corinthians 11, 1, Would to God you would bear with me a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you, I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. God is a jealous God. What does that mean? That you have to serve him, and you place no greater affection on anything or anyone than you do him. So at this time, we are in the engagement period, I guess you would say. We're being espoused to Christ. We're in the begotten stage.

And Jesus Christ eventually is going to marry this one that he's espoused to. The Song of Solomon. We haven't been to the Song of Solomon in a couple of days.

So let's turn there. Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, something like that.

The Song of Solomon, time after time, it talks about my spouse, and it talks about how beautiful she really is. We're just going to read a couple of just highlight verses. I encourage you to read especially chapters four and five. This is the Song of Solomon chapter four verse one. Behold your fair, my love. Behold your fair, and have dove's eyes within your locks. Your hair is a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead.

Then it talks about her teeth. Then it talks about her lips. It talks about her neck. We'll skip verse five. Verse seven, you're all fair, my love. There is no spot in you. And it goes on.

Verse nine, you've ravaged my heart, my sister, my spouse. And chapter five has a similar language to it.

Now we go back to Psalm 45. Psalm 45, the first part we read describing the groom.

See, there's a great marriage ceremony that's going to take place, and it's going to be the anointed one. He's going to marry his bride. We're his spouse to him right now. Now the first 11 verses or so of Psalm 45, it described him. Now we're going to, similar to what we just read here from the Song of Solomon, read about the bride.

Verse 11, so shall the king greatly desire your beauty, for he is your eternal and worship you him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift. You bring gifts to wedding ceremonies. Even the rich among the people shall entreat your favor. The king's daughter's all glorious within.

Her clothing is of wrought gold. Now there's a thing that you have to have on to attend this wedding supper of the Lamb, which we'll read in just a moment. And of course, that is a red and fine white linen, which is the righteousness of the saints. But continuing here, of course, gold symbolizes the highest form of character. She shall be brought unto the king and raiment of needlework. The virgins, her companions that follow her, the bridesmaids, shall be brought unto you with gladness, rejoicing. Shall they be brought, they shall enter into the king's palace. Instead of your father shall be your children, whom you may make princes in all the earth.

And I know we used to have sermons at the feast, in which we would talk about, yeah, in the kingdom of God, maybe we'll be able to teach those children who were never called, or those children who died before the age of accountability. And what a wonderful time that will be. You know, my parents were a part of the great generation, and I would so love to be able to teach them in the kingdom of God. Now, brethren, we are living in very trebleous times. There are deceptive times on the one hand, seems like all things continuous from the beginning. But on the other hand, you'd have to be a fool and have your head buried in the sand, not to recognize that this world is a different world. It's even... how much has it changed just in this past year? It's incredible how much it's changed in this past year. Now, the great warning to us is given in Matthew 25 and the parable of the Ten Virgins. We have read this, I'm sure you've read it many times. Let's just talk about it for just a minute. See, the Ten Virgins. At midnight, the bridegroom knocked on the door. The Ten Virgins, all ten, got up to meet the bridegroom, the anointed one. Five had oil in their lamps and five had the oil going out. The five that had the oil going out tried to borrow from those that had the oil in their lamps. But it says not so. You have to go and get this yourself. See, no one can can anoint you with the Holy Spirit except God the Father. And we have read how you become the anointed one, and after you how you have to remain faithful to the Father who begets you and to Jesus Christ, the one who redeemed you. And so they went, the five foolish virgins, went to buy the oil.

See, it appears that there are all ten going to church. There are all ten have lamps.

Five wise, five foolish. So, in due time, the five foolish came back, and what did they find?

They found that the door was shut. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And so, we see very clearly that we have to do more than just be in church attendance.

We can't be content to be Laodiceans, even though the world as we have known it and have known it and the way it is now, it's crumbling before our feet, and we are in the lull before the storm. I've been in many storms from hurricanes in South Mississippi to tornadoes in South Mississippi and in Texas, and oftentimes it gets very dark and quiet.

And then suddenly comes the mighty rushing of wind and the end.

As the old saying goes, you ain't seen nothing yet. So now is the time to shake off the dust, to wake up, make your calling and election sure.

Now is the time to gird up the loins of your faith.

And as Peter writes in 1 Peter 1 verses 14, 15, and 16, it says, Be you holy, for I am holy.

God's active presence within you. So God has given you and me his anointing.

Remember the title, Are you one of God's anointed?

As we have seen, he's giving you the earnest of the Spirit. So what are we doing with it?

So we're going to close now with this warning in Hebrews 12.

We read part of Hebrews 12, both front and middle, but here the last part of Hebrews 12. The first part talks about Jesus Christ, the forerunner.

Then we read about, you've come to Zion, General Assembly of the Church of the Firstborn.

But now Paul turns to this warning to all of us.

In Hebrews 12, we left off with 23, and we'll read 24 to the end. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, that's where we have come.

We have come to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, the anointed one.

And to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escape not who refuse him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven.

Whose voice then shook the earth, and now he is promised saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made.

That those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved.

Let us have grace, wherewith we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire.

So what is the bottom line? Be on fire for God and the truth, or become his consuming fire.

So are you one of God's anointed? We all need to ask ourselves that question.