045 - Anointing To Do Good #4 - Don Gossett

[00:00:00] And how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power, who went about doing good, healing all oppressed of the devil, for God is with him.

[00:00:11] I just quoted for you Acts 10 38. I hope in your own Bible you'll study this and read the qualities that enable a mighty impacting of many lives.

[00:00:23] First of all it says God himself, God the Father, anointed his son Jesus. How? With the Holy Ghost and power. To do what? To go about doing good.

[00:00:35] What was that good? Healing all oppressed of the devil. How? Because God was with him.

[00:00:42] I praise the Lord for these principles through which many of us have patterned our lives.

[00:00:47] And there have been such emphasis. I've had the delight of studying the heroes of faith whom I personally have known intimately and known how they were yielded to God.

[00:00:59] And I will share with you more information.

[00:01:02] But right now I want to tell you the account of a man named Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival.

[00:01:10] Now the great revival in Wales immediately preceded the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

[00:01:17] Many people believe the Welsh Revival broke strongholds of Satan.

[00:01:22] And through intensive prayer and unprecedented yielding to the direction of the Holy Spirit, God birthed the mighty moving of the Holy Spirit indeed.

[00:01:32] Now the name of one man in particular associated with the Welsh Revival was Evan Roberts.

[00:01:39] He was a blacksmith apprentice and a ministerial student with a Methodist background.

[00:01:46] He attended services there in Wales.

[00:01:50] And then, however, he did not go to preach for a long time.

[00:01:54] But he simply was a part of each meeting.

[00:01:57] Once Evan Roberts was there, there was always a mighty moving of God through his life.

[00:02:04] And God moved upon him to become an active part of the great visitation of the Holy Spirit.

[00:02:12] And the people would accept his leadership at once.

[00:02:15] Why?

[00:02:16] Because God used him not so much to preach or to conduct his service, but interpret what all the Holy Spirit was doing.

[00:02:23] The Welsh Revival that we've read so much about.

[00:02:27] It spread all over Wales.

[00:02:29] What was the result?

[00:02:31] Thousands of converts were made.

[00:02:33] Most churches at that time followed a formal order of service.

[00:02:37] Suddenly and spontaneously, the Welsh services began to be operated in the New Testament pattern as set forth in 1 Corinthians 14, 26.

[00:02:48] And all was done in decency and in order.

[00:02:52] Now, the dominant note of every service was the prayer and praise as I've read all about this revival.

[00:03:01] Evan Roberts began to operate in the words of knowledge.

[00:03:06] And the Lord used him in a very specific way.

[00:03:08] Now, as you read about the Welsh Revival, it was in a period of about 13 months that Evan Roberts spent hours praying.

[00:03:19] And with such intensity that one landlady where he stayed, turning him out of his place because she thought his enthusiasm and prayer was madness.

[00:03:30] Well, what I love about the account of reading all about Evan Roberts is a characteristic of his services under Roberts' direction was joy and happiness.

[00:03:43] Now, most ministers of that time associated spirituality with seriousness, even severity of countenance.

[00:03:51] But for Evan Roberts, it was simply a truth of God to let people have victory over depression and doubt.

[00:04:00] And as I've read the accounts of his life, he was continually a smiling Christian.

[00:04:07] And he would laugh as he prayed and as he ministered.

[00:04:11] It was a very delightful experience.

[00:04:13] And it was a mighty working of God.

[00:04:16] I just want to pay attention to a moment how Evan Roberts, the man whom God used to be the instrument of leading the Welsh Revival,

[00:04:26] two characteristics of his ministry, contrasting the ministers of that day with everything was so serious and severity.

[00:04:35] He simply smiled and laughed as he prayed and exhorted.

[00:04:41] And he preached victory over depression and doubt.

[00:04:44] I'm grateful that I can say to you, my beloved friend, you can have victory over depression and doubt.

[00:04:51] Yes, you can.

[00:04:52] And of course, the mighty visitation of the Holy Spirit that came as a result of what happened in the Welsh Revival

[00:04:59] became a very important factor.

[00:05:03] Mr. Roberts became the victim of persecution and criticism.

[00:05:10] Newspaper reporters would dog his footsteps and listen critically to every word.

[00:05:15] It was only the grace of God that enabled him to continue in such a public spotlight.

[00:05:21] However, the key to his own life was staying in prayer.

[00:05:25] Now, those who have written about his life say nothing was ever done in a spirit of independence.

[00:05:32] He did nothing that he had not made sure was in the will of God.

[00:05:35] And anyone who lived by the Lord could have a share in his meetings.

[00:05:39] And no matter how important, it will be God's working by the power of the Holy Spirit.

[00:05:46] As I read the accounts of the life of Evan Roberts, he was obviously an extraordinarily humble man.

[00:05:54] He never tried to personally impress himself upon anybody, either the religious or the civic leaders who came to his meetings.

[00:06:03] And ministers and missionaries from all over the world came to Wales, what they called to see the fire of God in operation.

[00:06:12] And there were so many people whose lives were changed, ministers were changed.

[00:06:17] Now we're talking about a long time ago, back in the 20th century.

[00:06:21] But I'm grateful that the same Holy Spirit's available today.

[00:06:25] And Smith Wigglesworth was one who God impacted his life through the influence of Evan Roberts.

[00:06:34] And what a delight it was to have the influence for God.

[00:06:38] That's what the Lord wants you and me to do.

[00:06:41] We are people who desire God's blessing.

[00:06:45] We're not afraid of so-called emotionalism.

[00:06:48] We believe that God wants to give us a visitation of his Holy Spirit.

[00:06:52] And I believe God wants to minister to you, my beloved friend.

[00:06:57] Now, what a great visitation of God.

[00:07:01] That became the opposition of many people.

[00:07:04] But overall, it was a wonderful working.

[00:07:07] Now, they're in Wales.

[00:07:09] That revival lasted about a year.

[00:07:13] But the impact of it lasted much longer.

[00:07:16] Evan Roberts gave himself to a ministry of almost total intercessory prayer.

[00:07:22] He faded from view partly because of ill health and partly because he felt the spotlight had been too much on one man.

[00:07:30] And he gave himself entirely to pray to meet God.

[00:07:34] And it was an unusual life that God gave to Evan Roberts to influence this world.

[00:07:41] Well, I'm talking about the fact that God can use you.

[00:07:45] And let me just take a moment to share about two other instruments in God's hand.

[00:07:52] The names of Charles Parham and William Seymour.

[00:07:56] Maybe you've never heard this story before.

[00:07:59] But as I have been a recipient of understanding of what God has done, I studied vigorously the stories of Charles Fox Parham.

[00:08:09] He was a white, Midwestern preacher and a Bible teacher.

[00:08:14] And he teamed together with a black man, William Joseph Seymour, a southern black Bible student who had been called to preach.

[00:08:24] And they were inseparable.

[00:08:26] They marked the beginning of a mighty working of God.

[00:08:30] Now, Charles Parham began his ministry in a particular denomination.

[00:08:35] And the movement of God became very outstanding.

[00:08:39] And the Spirit of God came upon those meetings in awesome power.

[00:08:43] Well, I read a great deal.

[00:08:45] And I could share with you much information about what church historians have said about William, about Charles Parham and William Seymour.

[00:08:54] And how God used them in such a great way.

[00:08:58] And just to give you an idea of the impact that he had upon others.

[00:09:03] I have a quotation from, who is it?

[00:09:07] John G. Lake.

[00:09:09] From his book, Adventures in God.

[00:09:11] He told about going to the Azusa Street Mission, where they called him Daddy Seymour.

[00:09:18] And he was known and loved by people everywhere.

[00:09:22] And John G. Lake, in this book, shares this account.

[00:09:26] I want to relate this incident because it shows the heart of Daddy Seymour and how the power of God operated.

[00:09:34] And I quote John Lake.

[00:09:36] I was in a meeting in Los Angeles on one occasion.

[00:09:38] An old black man was conducting the services.

[00:09:42] Seymour had the funniest vocabulary.

[00:09:44] But I want to tell you, there were doctors, lawyers, professors there listening to the marvelous things coming from his lips.

[00:09:52] It was not what he said in word.

[00:09:54] It was what he said from the Holy Spirit in his heart.

[00:09:57] It showed me he had more of God in his life than any man I'd ever known up to that time.

[00:10:04] It was God in him who was attracting the people.

[00:10:07] And I just want to emphasize that one statement there that John Lake said.

[00:10:12] He said, Daddy Seymour had more of God in his life than any man I've ever known.

[00:10:20] It was God in him who was attracting the people.

[00:10:23] And he then told Hal that Daddy Seymour would take authority over anything that was out of order.

[00:10:30] And he would give great emphasis on the name of Jesus Christ.

[00:10:35] And it was a wonderful result of God filling a man's soul and life that enabled others to receive from him.

[00:10:43] So I'm sharing with you some names of people.

[00:10:47] If you have not been a Bible scholar and not been one who's been a student of the word,

[00:10:52] maybe you've never heard of all these people whom I've talked about.

[00:10:56] I've shared with you about Smith Wigglesworth and about Charles Parham now and William Seymour and John Lake and Catherine Kuhlman and Maria Etter and Amy Semple McPherson.

[00:11:11] And each of these people filled their own niche in God's calling.

[00:11:15] What dramatic, wonderful, true stories they are of the power of God.

[00:11:20] And Father, I believe you're speaking to hearts of precious people who really want to make their lives count.

[00:11:27] Lord, I ask you to grant, to anoint them with the Holy Spirit and power, that they might go about doing good,

[00:11:36] might be instruments of ministry and healing to the sick and the casting out of demons in Jesus' name.

[00:11:44] Why? Because, Father, you're with them and you're with all of us.

[00:11:48] And I thank you for what you've done in past history.

[00:11:50] And I thank you for what you continue to do in Jesus' name.

[00:11:55] Now, as I continue this series, I'm going to share with you six more leaders, people whom God raised up in an awesome way.

[00:12:05] Very grateful I was enabled to travel with each of these individuals.

[00:12:11] Over a period of years, I worked with them.

[00:12:14] And the climax, of course, was my wonderful friend T.L. Osborne,

[00:12:19] the man who God used to impact my life and perhaps the most overwhelming of all.

[00:12:24] But I'll share with you these six generals of the faith, these people whom God anointed.

[00:12:29] And here's the good news.

[00:12:31] You can also be anointed.

[00:12:33] And we'll give God praise and glory.

[00:12:36] And now is that time.

[00:12:38] That time we take a praise break.

[00:12:40] We break from our fears, our anxieties, our pressures, our unmet needs.

[00:12:45] In Jesus' name.

[00:12:47] And let's praise the Lord ten times.

[00:12:49] Praise the Lord, praise the Lord.

[00:12:54] Praise the Lord.

[00:12:56] Praise the Lord.

[00:13:06] Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.