Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re still on the *subject* of *“Paying the Price for the Anointing.”*

*I) **Last week* we had everybody *turn to* *ISA 55:1* so let’s *turn there again*.

*A) **Water* is a *representation* of the *Holy Ghost*.

*1) **If you’re thirsty* *for the anointing of the Holy Ghost,* *you must go to the WATER and BUY.

*

*(a) *But the word *“BUY”* *does not refer to* *“MONEY.”*

*But there still has to be an exchange*.

*(i) **You have to exchange 1 thing* *to get another*.

*(ii) **If you thirst for the anointing* of God *bad enough* *you’re going to give up some of your time*; it might be time *watching TV*, *spending time with* your *friends* *or* *giving up* some of your *time* that you spend *on your hobby*; *and spend it with the Lord*.

*(iii) **When you do* *you’re going to see the power of God beginning to work in your life*, in your *family*, in your *body* *and* in your *adverse situations*.

*(b) **To whatever degree you’re willing to spend time with the Lord*, on a daily basis, *is the same degree* that *the anointing will increase*.

*B) **Once you’re willing to pay the price* *(Zechariah 10:1)* *Says*, *“Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.”*

KJV

*1) **RAIN* *just as* it is *WATER* *refers to* *the Holy Ghost*.

*(a) **Zechariah says, you have to ask for it.*

*(b) **Once you’ve pressed into the things of God* *and* *spent time in His presence*, *you have to ask for the anointing*.

(*You have not, because you ask not*.)

(JAMES 4:2)

*C) **Now that you’ve asked*, you need to *stir up the anointing*.

*1) **You stir it up by giving THANKSGIVING*, *PRAISE* and *TESTIMONY*.

*(a) **You THANK Him and PRAISE him* *not only for the things that He has done*, *but also for the thinks that HE WILL DO*, *things* that *you are believing Him for*.

*2) *But by giving *TESTIMONY* *of what the Lord has done* *is also going to stir up the anointing*.

*(a) **(Psalm 77:10-11)* Says, *“And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

(11) I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”*

KJV

*(b) **By you remembering what the Lord has done for you* in the past, *stirs that boldness* *and that power on the inside*.

*What you’re doing is stirring up that anointing*.

*(i) **Be like David* *when he said*, *“I have killed the lion and the bear*, *Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? *

*(c) **Testimonies* *of what the Lord has done for you* *is going to stir up the anointing to give you victory* *in your* current *situation*.

*(i) **(Revelation 12:11)* *Says*, *“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”*

KJV

*II) *Turn with me to *MATT 17:19-20*.

*A) **From these 2 Vs* *we can see that faith* *as a lot to do with casting out demons*.

*1) **But look at* *V 21*.

*(a) **“HOWBEIT”* *or* *“BUT”* *Jesus was giving specific instructions on how to deal with this demon*.

*(i) **I don’t believe that this demon was any different than all the rest*.

*2) **1 of the most power and effective ways a believer can pay the price for the anointing* *is through FASTING and PRAYER*.

*B) **1 Thing* that *we have to remember* *is that Fasting does not move of change God*.

*1) **It moves you* *and it changes you*.

*2) **God does not benefit by you fasting.

You will*.

*(a) **But fasting alone is not enough*, *many people fast*, either *through a diet* *or* to *clean* out their *digestive system*.

*(b) **But when you put PRAYER together with your fast* *something fantastic happens*.

*The power and anointing of God begins to flow*.

*3) *Look at *Psa 69:10*

*(a) **When the word* *“CHASTEN”* *is used* in the word of God *it means* *“To give direction and to lead in the right path.”*

*(i) **Fasting helps you to find God’s direction*, *His PLAN and His path*.

*(ii) **Whenever you find God’s PLAN,* *you have the anointing of God to go with it*.

*C) **David said* *in* (*Psalm 35:13*) *“I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.*”

KJV

*1) **Remember* *we said* that *HUMILITY* *or* *the act of being HUMBLE* *is a prerequisite for the anointing*.

*2) **When you fast* *you humble your soul*, *but when you put prayer with it*, *your prayers will come back full of answers and victory*, *BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE ANOINTING*, *the power to get results*.

*III) *Turn with me to *EZRA 8:21-22*

*A) **The Jews were about to return to Jerusalem* *after* *years of exile* *in Babylon*.

*1) **When they were about to be attacked* *they could not go back to the king of Babylon* *to ask for help* *because* *Ezra assured him* *that God would take care of them*.

*(a) **What were they to do?*

*2) **Ezra proclaimed a fast*.

*3) **Look what happened* in *EZRA 8:31*

*(a) **The hand of the God*, *which is used in this V*, *is symbolic of God’s power* *and His anointing*.

*(i) **They got result* *and* *victory* *because of the power and anointing* *that came into their lives through fasting and praying*.

*B) **In the book of Joel* *the inhabitants of Judah* *were once again in trouble*.

*1) **They needed the anointing to bring victory*, *so they paid the price*.

*They brought everyone together to fast and pray*.

*2) **JOEL 2:12-13,* *15,* *18-19,* *23*

*(a) **In response to their fast God* *gave them a promise* – *RAIN*.

*(b) **Again* *RAIN is symbolic of the anointing*.

*3) **In this RAIN or ANOINTING*, *God was guaranteeing them the power to overcome the problem* that *they were facing*.

*(a) **The next 6 or 7 Vs* *describe* *how they would be blessed*, *But* I want you to *look at* *JOEL 2:25*.

*(i) **Everything would be restored to them through this anointing to get results*.

*(b) *But *what was it that triggered this victory*; *what was it that caused them to tap into this anointing?*

It was *FASTING and PRAYER*.

*C) **You probably remember* *the story of Esther* *and her uncle Mordecai*.

*1) **1 of the king’s aides named Haman* *had a plan to kill Mordecai* *and all the Jews*.

*So Esther called a fast*.

*(a) **When she went in to see the king* *she found favor in his sight*.

(That’s *part of the anointing*.)

*(b) **Not only were the Jews delivered*, *but the gallows that were intended for Mordecai* *were used to execute Haman*.

*And Mordecai was promoted*.

*2) **When the anointing of God is upon you*, *the evil things that the enemy plans against you* *will come upon them*.

*D) **Mordecai and Esther paid the price* *and* *because of it* *the anointing of God and the power of God operated in their lives*.

*1) **If you’re going through something in your life in which you need direction*, *make a quality decision to PRAY*, *FAST*, *and* *TO SEEK THE LORD*.

*(a) **When you do* *you’re guaranteed to receive the anointing* *and all the benefits that come with it*.

WOLCC Sunday, August 23, 1997