Marked
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your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's
possession - to the praise of his glory.
You were included in Christ when you “heard” the truth.
Did you ever talk to someone and you could tell they were hearing your voice but not really getting
your words? They weren’t really listening – they weren’t ‘hearing’.
I don’t know how many gospel presentations I sat through before I really heard the message.
Ro 10:17 tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Lu 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever
hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
The gospel does you no good until you ‘hear’ it. Until the word gets down into your spirit it does you
no good.
Too often the Word falls by the wayside and never takes root n our lives.
But when you truly ‘listen’ and ‘hear’ the message, then you are ‘included’ in Christ.
And when you are included, then you are ‘marked’.
you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
Ro 8:9 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any
one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
When you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into you. He lives in your spirit. He is the one
who gives you life.
a. Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to
you are spirit and life.
b. 1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
So, when we are saved, we are ‘marked’ with the spirit of God.
But that is only the beginning.
Next week, I want to go into some detail about what the Holy Spirit does in our lives.
But for now, I want to make this point – all true and effective ministry flows from the Holy Spirit of God.
Zec 4:6 “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
It is not our ability or talent that will win this world, but the Spirit of God working through us.
On the day of Pentecost, it was the Spirit of God that made the difference. 3000 were added to the
church in one service.
God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime.
Paul said this:
1Co 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but
in the power of God.”
What makes a great sermon? Is it the amount of study you put into it? Is it the passion with which it is
preached? Is it the experience of the preacher? No! All of these things are important factors, but that
is not the key. It is the anointing of the Spirit of God that makes the difference.
D.L Moody, one of the greatest preachers of the last century told of his experience with the anointing
of the Spirit in his life. He said, “My sermons were no different, but the results were vastly different.”
It was the Spirit of God that brought results.
Our dependency is not on how good we are, but how good God is.
Paul says again:
2Co 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
What are we trusting in? I am concerned that in our day and age, so many books are written about how
to grow the church, and how to do effective ministry, and how to be successful. Are we trusting in the
methods of man or in the power of God?
Ps 20:7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our
God.
I believe we need to study to show ourselves approved. I believe we need to do ministry that is
relevant to our day and age. I don’t think we need to stick with antiquated methods.
But I do believe that we need to get back to the altars, and get back to trusting God, and get back to
ministry in the Spirit.
We need miracles.
Without a move of God, nothing will happen!
Without a move of God, we are only playing church!
Without a move of God, I’m not moving!
Moses said in Exodus 33, “If your presence does not go with us, don’t send us.”
I don’t want to go anywhere God doesn’t lead.
I don’t want to do anything God doesn’t ordain.
I don’t want any results God doesn’t accomplish for us.
Without the anointing of God we are useless!
How many of you want to see the power of God in our church and in our community?
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's
possession - to the praise of his glory.
You were included in Christ when you “heard” the truth.
Did you ever talk to someone and you could tell they were hearing your voice but not really getting
your words? They weren’t really listening – they weren’t ‘hearing’.
I don’t know how many gospel presentations I sat through before I really heard the message.
Ro 10:17 tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Lu 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever
hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
The gospel does you no good until you ‘hear’ it. Until the word gets down into your spirit it does you
no good.
Too often the Word falls by the wayside and never takes root n our lives.
But when you truly ‘listen’ and ‘hear’ the message, then you are ‘included’ in Christ.
And when you are included, then you are ‘marked’.
you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
Ro 8:9 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any
one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
When you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into you. He lives in your spirit. He is the one
who gives you life.
a. Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to
you are spirit and life.
b. 1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
So, when we are saved, we are ‘marked’ with the spirit of God.
But that is only the beginning.
Next week, I want to go into some detail about what the Holy Spirit does in our lives.
But for now, I want to make this point – all true and effective ministry flows from the Holy Spirit of God.
Zec 4:6 “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
It is not our ability or talent that will win this world, but the Spirit of God working through us.
On the day of Pentecost, it was the Spirit of God that made the difference. 3000 were added to the
church in one service.
God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime.
Paul said this:
1Co 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but
in the power of God.”
What makes a great sermon? Is it the amount of study you put into it? Is it the passion with which it is
preached? Is it the experience of the preacher? No! All of these things are important factors, but that
is not the key. It is the anointing of the Spirit of God that makes the difference.
D.L Moody, one of the greatest preachers of the last century told of his experience with the anointing
of the Spirit in his life. He said, “My sermons were no different, but the results were vastly different.”
It was the Spirit of God that brought results.
Our dependency is not on how good we are, but how good God is.
Paul says again:
2Co 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
What are we trusting in? I am concerned that in our day and age, so many books are written about how
to grow the church, and how to do effective ministry, and how to be successful. Are we trusting in the
methods of man or in the power of God?
Ps 20:7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our
God.
I believe we need to study to show ourselves approved. I believe we need to do ministry that is
relevant to our day and age. I don’t think we need to stick with antiquated methods.
But I do believe that we need to get back to the altars, and get back to trusting God, and get back to
ministry in the Spirit.
We need miracles.
Without a move of God, nothing will happen!
Without a move of God, we are only playing church!
Without a move of God, I’m not moving!
Moses said in Exodus 33, “If your presence does not go with us, don’t send us.”
I don’t want to go anywhere God doesn’t lead.
I don’t want to do anything God doesn’t ordain.
I don’t want any results God doesn’t accomplish for us.
Without the anointing of God we are useless!
How many of you want to see the power of God in our church and in our community?