Know Your Birthright in Christ
Our birthright in Christ is to be a blessing to all the families of the earth, and we can achieve this by being faithful in small matters and pouring out into the lives of others.
Zac Poonen preaches on God's desire to bless the world through us by empowering us with His Spirit to free people from Satan's grip and fears. Just like the widow in Elisha's time, when we pour out God's blessings into the lives of others, there will be more than enough to help everyone we encounter, leading to blessings in our neighborhoods. By being a blessing to others, we also receive blessings from God, fulfilling the promise of the Spirit through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
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God has given us the Spirit, so that a needy world around us can be blessed. He wants to give us power to free people from Satan's grip over their lives and from their frustrations and their fears.
When God anoints our heads with His oil, our cups WILL overflow with blessing to others. And if we keep pouring our oil into the vessels of others, we will find like the widow found (in Elisha's time - 2 Kings 4:1-7) that there is enough power and blessing in the anointing of God to help every single person who comes across our path. There wasn't a single vessel that remained unfilled with oil that day in that poor widow's house. Her whole neighbourhood was blessed through her. And our neighbourhood can be blessed in the same way too.
But we have to keep pouring out into the lives of others. That is a Divine law. If we selfishly keep God's blessing for ourselves alone, it will begin to stink like the manna did, even if our blessing came from heaven (like the manna did) in the first place. Proverbs 11:25 says that it is only the one who waters others who will himself also be watered by God.
Jesus became a curse for us on Calvary's cross so that we might receive the blessing of Abraham - the promise of the Spirit (Gal.3:13).
The blessing of Abraham is described in Genesis 12:3 as "being a blessing to all the families of the earth". This is what it means to be a servant of the new covenant : To be a blessing to EVERY family that we meet on the face of the earth. That is our birthright in Christ.
So, let us not "despise the day of small beginnings" (Zech.4:10). Maybe the Spirit will urge us to start by writing a letter of encouragement to just one person whom God lays on our hearts.
God may test our eagerness to serve Him by sending just one needy brother across our path - one hungry visitor. What will we do? Will we seek God for power to help that brother?
If we are unfaithful in such matters, we will miss everything that God has planned for us. To live under the anointing constantly, we must be faithful in the smallest of matters. It is through small actions that all mighty ministries begin. That is how the rivers of living water (that Jesus spoke of) began to flow from the sanctuary. It began as a trickle, but later on became a mighty river (See Ezek.47:1,9).
May God help us all to be faithful in the little things.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Anointing of God
- A. God's desire to bless a needy world
- B. The power to free people from Satan's grip
- II. The Principle of Overflow
- A. When God anoints us, our cups will overflow
- B. Pouring oil into others' vessels
- III. The Law of Giving
- A. We must keep pouring out into others' lives
- B. Selfishness will cause the blessing to stink
- IV. Our Birthright in Christ
- A. To be a blessing to all families of the earth
- B. Being a servant of the new covenant
Key Quotes
“When God anoints our heads with His oil, our cups WILL overflow with blessing to others.” — Zac Poonen
“It is only the one who waters others who will himself also be watered by God.” — Zac Poonen
“To live under the anointing constantly, we must be faithful in the smallest of matters.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We must be faithful in small matters to live under the anointing constantly.
- We should pour out into the lives of others, as it is a Divine law that we will be watered by God if we water others.
- Our birthright in Christ is to be a blessing to all the families of the earth, and we can achieve this by being a servant of the new covenant.