Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith Message podcast
from St. Augustine, FL.
Now enjoy this message. Has he been good to us?
Has he been faithful? Hallelujah.
And so this morning I want to talk to you about Kingdom
Oneness. Kingdom Oneness.
You know, it seems like you know, through pastor and and
those that have been ministering lately that God is trying to get
this body in unity for our community.
Amen. Amen.
Trying to get. Us.
Unified in all that we're doing. Because where there is unity,
there is great power, and nothing is impossible.
Nothing is impossible. You know, we can look at this
with the Tower of Babel. What were they were building a
tower to heaven to reach God. And the Lord said, God said that
it seemed as if nothing would be impossible for them, because.
They were unified. Amen.
So unified that he had to disrupt or bring confusion to
their language, 'cause they were all speaking the same thing,
Come on. Unified on the same vision and
purpose. And what did they do?
They were able to accomplish a great and mighty feat that he
had to come down because they were doing it obviously not to,
you know, honor God, but they wanted to build a heaven to be
with him. Amen.
So Kingdom oneness, what am I talking about with this?
Actually out of Ephesians chapter 4 and verses one through
7 it says this. Therefore, the prisoner of the
Lord beseech you to Walt, worthy of the calling with which you
were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with
long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, say, bearing
with one another in love. The first thing we're going to
have to recognize that if we are going to have oneness, if we are
going to be unified for the Kingdom of God, we have to
recognize we're going to have to bear with one another in love.
Amen. We are going to have to walk in
love with one another, us brothers and sisters in Christ.
We're going to have to bear with one another.
That means we're just going to have to bear some things right
that you think, man, I shouldn't have to be burying this with
that person or that person. But guess what?
He says. We can bear.
With them, as long as we are operating in the love of God and
his love is agape. Amen.
So he says, bearing with one another in love, say one
another, one another, one another.
You know today is communion Sunday.
And, you know, communion has to do with the fact that we are in
union with Christ. But to be in union with Christ
means that we are in union in the body with one another.
We are a part of one another. We are in union with one another
because we are in Him. In the body of Christ, we are in
union together. We're a part of one another.
That's why he says. We're going to see later on bear
one another's burdens. Amen.
So we're a part of one another,
say one another, one another. Verse three says this
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
So we are to endeavor right to keep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace. We are so positioned so that we
as believers are to be so unified that whenever there's
not peace, it would bother us. Right.
And this has to do with anything and everything that's going on
in the body of Christ. We must get to a place, and I
believe that, you know, we've already said that this church is
a place that's going to grow you up and mature.
You right. We are not here to feed you
elementary principals alone, but we are here to mature the church
that he's coming back for what? A church that's in his fullness
is mature, without spot or wrinkle or blemish and maturity.
For us to walk in the fullness of that, we have to recognize
that we are a part of one another.
We're in union together and we must, we must in our hearts say,
what am I going to do to continue to bring unification in
the body? I do not want to be a part
that's not going to bring unification or.
Right. Strife or division, not going to
be it. I'm going to be a person that's
going to be a peacemaker. Amen.
In every situation, in every circumstance that I encounter
with each other. We're going to make sure that
we're going to be peacemakers. So that we can what protect the
bond of unity, right? Because this is important.
This is important because I'm going to tell you what God has
anchor faith doing in this community.
The devil doesn't like it when you start getting City Council
and people, mayors and and individuals, asking you what can
we do to change? Our whole community.
The devil doesn't like it, and So what he's going to do is try
to come in and bring division and bring people into a place of
not being unified together, of bringing distractions, of
bringing chaos and and discord, and strive to try to tear down
what the God is wanting to do in this community.
We have full open doors in this community, full open doors in
this community and communities asking us to transform their
places. This is what the Kingdom was
always supposed to be about. Amen, Hallelujah.
But I'm going to tell you the first thing the enemy wants to
do is try to come in and disrupt what God is wanting to do.
So we are to grow up, you know. Ephesians 411 through 16 says
this, that he gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors, teachers for the what? The quipping of the Saints for
the work of service, Say work of service work.
Of service Say it again. Work of service.
Say it again. Work of service.
Why is he equipping a body of believers for the work of
service? That means there's something
that he wants us to do to serve. Yes, and it's what?
Yes, a four letter word WORK which churches don't want to
hear today. Say work of service, say it
again, work of service, say it again, work of service.
Amen. We are called for the work of
service. To the building up of the body
of Christ until we all attain to the unity of faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God. To a what a mature man.
A mature man understands that this is about the work of
service for the Kingdom of God. An infant or a babe in Christ or
a carnal Christian doesn't want and doesn't recognize that this
is about a work of service and doesn't want to work, doesn't
want to serve in any capacity, OK?
Say Amen. Amen.
And then he goes on to say this to the measure of the stature
which belongs to the fullness of Christ, say the fullness of
Christ. So he expects the body to mature
and grow into a place of the fullness of Christ.
And the fullness of Christ is going to function and flow when
there's unity. When there's unity, right, The
fullness of Christ. What does that mean?
That everybody is going to be in his proper fit, proper working,
proper place, proper assignment, doing what God has called them
to do for the building up of the church.
Say the building up at the church.
See, everybody you know has a problem with wanting to serve in
the church. They don't mind doing all these
other community outreaches and out.
But listen, our number one purpose as a believer is to
build up the body of Christ, which has a work of service.
So every time we come in to do something that God has assigned
us to do in the body with serving internally, what are we
doing? We are help building up the body
of Christ. We're actually helping mature
people. Listen, if we were not here as a
church, if the parking lot wasn't here, if the greeters
weren't here, if the worship team wasn't here, if those that
were serving and children's weren't here.
Marissa, you have only been coming, what, a year and a half?
Guess what? She wouldn't be able to grow in
the knowledge of the Lord if there wasn't a body here to
bring her in to greet her. Come on to help her and assist
her. What are you doing?
You're helping her grow. Have you grown?
Since you've been here. And she told me she just LED a
Muslim to the Lord. Glory to God.
So if there was no body, if there was no one in the work of
service for the building up, you are building her life up so that
she can grow up spiritually and mature.
And if we weren't here to do that, guess what?
Nobody would be growing and maturing and the church would
not be built up. Hallelujah.
So all those that think, oh, we don't have to serve, we just
need to love. The Lord is not biblical.
It's not biblical. Amen.
He lets us know what. It is the work of service for
the building up of the body of Christ.
Amen, so that we can all grow. And when we all grow, what
happens as a result of us doing this?
We will no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves
and carried about by every wind and doctrine, by the trickery of
men, by the craftiness and deceitful scheming of Instagram.
Profits and Facebook teachers. The church that tell you they
just want too much from you. The church you don't have to go
to church. They just want too much from
you. Listen, this is you think I
don't hear all the bogus stuff that goes on.
I mean, it's ridiculous when the scripture clearly identifies
what it is saying. Amen.
But if you don't submit to a pastor of a local body church,
you will be tricked, you will be deceived, and you will listen to
anything like a bird flying around with its mouth open,
letting anything. Just drop in glory so it says in
verse 15. But speaking the truth in love,
that's what I am doing. Amen.
Speaking the truth in love. You know people don't understand
even today what speaking the truth is in love, because if you
speak something opposite of what someone wants to hear.
Then, oh, you don't. You're not walking in love or
oh, you're judging or oh. But because I love people, I
want to speak the truth so that they don't follow the.
The lies of the enemy. Because this, the word of God,
is absolute truth. Everything else is a lie.
The Word of God is absolute truth, and everything else is a
lie. So speaking the truth in love,
we are to grow up into all aspects unto Him who is the
head, Even cries from whom? The whole body say the body is
being fitted and held together by every joint supply according
to the proper working of each individual part.
Causes what? The growth of the body.
So again, he's letting us know when every individual is jointed
and fitted in its proper working and doing what it is that God
has assigned and equipped for them to do in the body.
What does it do? It builds its IT helps growth
happen in the body and builds it up in love.
In love, when we're all doing what it is that God is asking of
us to do in serving the work of service to the Church.
Amen. Ephesians.
Chapter 218 through 22. It says I'm just laying a
foundation because I can't wait to get to the rest of my
scriptures. For through him we both have our
access in one spirit to the Father.
See that? So then you are no longer
strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the
Saints. And are of God's household.
If you don't want to participate in what God is doing in the
household, you alienate yourself.
You become an alien. You actually become a stranger.
Some of these that you don't see but once a year, well, you're a
stranger to me, right? Right and.
Then right. Or those that alienate
themselves, and he's letting us know we're not supposed to be
aliens any longer, or strangers any longer, because we've been
brought into. The body of Christ, which is the
household of God, the family of God.
And so we need one another. Say we need one another.
We need. One another it says, being built
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ
Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole
building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in
the Lord in whom you also are being built together into a
dwelling of God in the Spirit, say I'm being built.
Together I'm being. Built together.
You're being built together with Christ, and if you are in
Christ, you are in His body. One spirit, 1 faith.
Come on, one body. You cannot say that you, you
know, don't need the household of God or the family of God when
someone actually leaves the family.
What do you usually call that? Rebellious.
Like a teenager going. I'm gonna.
I'm. I'm leaving.
I'm moving out. Yep.
You call that rebellious spirit, don't you?
Come on. Amen.
Just think about it. So what is he saying?
We are. Being built together, fitted
together, growing into a holy temple in the Lord and who you
also are being built together in a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
So again this is letting us know that we are being built in
Christ. One Spirit, 1 body, one faith.
One spirit, 1 body, one faith. Look at Romans chapter 12 and
verses four and five. It says for as we have many
members in one body but all the members do not have the same
function so we be many are one body in Christ.
Say one body in Christ one. Body is Christ.
And listen and individually, members of one another say one
another. We are members of one another.
Say one another, we're going to. Say this all morning long one
another Very good. I didn't even have to prompt
you. We're going to say it because
I'm telling you, it is time that we recognize that we are a part
of what God is building. Come on his body.
To so recognize that we are so necessary, each and every one of
us, and that we are a part of one another.
And listen, When you hurt, we all hurt.
Isn't that what he says? When one hurts, we all hurt.
Listen, I'm telling you, we have to take up this cause of
unification in the body, especially in this House.
I don't care what's happening everywhere else, but in this
House, we need to be 1. That means we're not going to
back by. We're not going to talk about
one another. We're not going to have odd
against one another. We're not going to hold grudges
against one another. Come on.
Because we are a part of each other.
Hallelujah. We're members of one another.
First Corinthians chapter 10. Just in speaking in communion,
verses 16 through 17, it says is not the cup of blessing which we
bless a sharing in the blood of Christ.
Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ,
since there is one bread? We, who are many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one bread.
You see that? He's letting us know.
Listen, we are one body and we are all in Christ.
Those that are born again, those who have called on the name of
the Lord, those who have confessed Jesus Christ as their
Lord. We are one in the body, we're
one body. We are one body.
Every individual. Every working different part,
but we are one, and we all partake of His blood and the
blessing of that. Amen. 1st Corinthians 10 four
says this. And we all drank the same
spiritual drink, For there were drinking from a spiritual rock
which followed them, and the rock was Christ.
Hallelujah. I'm all into Christ.
Come on. I've drank his blood and eat his
body. Come on, because I am one with
him. Amen.
And I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it
is the power unto salvation. Hallelujah.
Glory to God. Glory to God.
So I don't care what everybody thinks, right?
Everybody wants to think what they want to think.
So be it, and they'll go to hell for it.
Amen. Come on, we've got to get to a
place where we know what we believe, who we believe in, and
that we are unashamed to completely sell out to the body
of Christ. I'm sold out to this body, to
the body of Christ the. Household of God that He's
placed me in Hallelujah and I'll die.
I will die standing on the word of God and in the love of God
for each and everyone of you because I fight for you in
prayer and you don't pray for those you don't love.
So moving on, Charles Spurgeon said.
This says Satan always hates Christian fellowship.
It is his policy to keep Christians apart.
Anything which can divide Saints from one another, say one
another. He delights in it.
He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse that than
we do. Yeah.
That is called godly. When we have fellowship with
God, we are literally in communion with Him.
We are in intercourse with the Father, with the body of Christ,
and we are to be that same with you.
And the devil don't want us to have true intimacy with one
another, become vulnerable with one another.
To love one another, see them in their faults but still love them
and walk them through it. Listen to what there's going on
in their hearts and still saying but God, but God can't come
through. If you would just stand on the
word, this marriage don't have to end.
If you would just stand on the word.
Come on, being loving people enough to speak the truth and
walk them through it, because we're a part of one another.
And when what hurts, we all hurt.
So he attaches far more importance to God, the
intercourse. That's what we then we do.
Since union is strength, being unified has strength.
There's strength and unity. We know the Scripture A3 corded
strand cannot be easily broken, and that's why he doesn't want
you to actually have true fellowship and vulnerability and
intimacy with one another. And I understand why.
Because some people become critical because they aren't
doing the word some. People want to voice their
opinions because they're not doing the word, but that does
not negate the fact that he says we need it and we must have it
if we are going to actually properly grow and mature and
develop and have true unity, so. He said since union is strength,
he does his best to promote separation.
He does his best to promote separation.
Now let's move on. Ephesians Chapter 4 and verse 25
says, therefore laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one
of you with his neighbors, for we are members of Speak.
Truth. To your neighbors.
This is not your neighbors down the road, though you may need to
if the Lord leads you to. But this is talking about our
neighbor. We are neighbors, we are in the
household of God. We are family.
But He relates it to a neighbor. And we are to speak the truth to
one another because we're members of one another.
That means you're going to hear people say some things maybe you
didn't want to hear at the moment, but because they love
you, right? They're going to speak the truth
to you. Because they love you, they're
going to share with you a few things, right?
Speak the truth to each one of you.
Amen. Now look at Hebrews.
This is really the scripture that I had from the very
beginning that the Lord gave me and all these others were laying
the foundation. This was my original text.
I just got this text, Hebrews 10/24 and 25.
I'm going to read it out of the amplified.
It says, And let us consider and give attentive, give attentive,
continuous care to the watching over one another, to the
watching over one another. He's letting us know that we
should be watching over one another and being attentive to
it, watching over one another, the King, James says,
Stimulating one another, right says this continuous care to the
watching over of one another, studying how we may stir up or
stimulate and excite to love and helpful deeds and notable
activities. You see that?
Let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to
the watching over of one another and studying how we may stir you
up, one translation says. Stimulate you right to good
works and love that, King James says.
Have you thought about that? We're so focused on our lives,
just trying to maintain, keeping our watching over our own
family, our own kids. But yet, he says we're
responsible for one another, that we should be attentive and
watching over one another to make sure that we're stimulating
and stirring one another up for good works, good deeds, noble
activities and love. Oh, why they always asking us to
do something, watching over one another.
We all had. This is not just the pastor's
assignment. This is our assignment, as the
body of being a part of one another, that we ought to be
encouraging one another, stimulating one another,
watching over one another, making sure you're doing those
works that he has asked us to do, stirring you up.
To the to love and good deeds you see that?
Got quiet. Amen.
It got quiet, Hebrews said. It say one, another one.
Another. Say we're responsible for one
another. We're responsible.
For one another. Because we are a part of one
another. Because we are a part of one.
Another. And so it's our assignments to
making sure that one another is following and doing the things
that God has asked them to do, and stirring people up and
encouraging people to do those things.
Amen. And of course he goes on into
verse 25, and I was really just focusing on 24.
But 25's good 'cause it's all in connection, so we might as well
read it. Not forsaking or neglecting the
assembling of ourselves together as believers, as is the habit of
some people, but admonishing, warning, urging, and encouraging
one another. And all the more faithfully as
you see the day approaching, say one another.
We're responsible for one another.
We're responsible for another. We're a part of one another, one
another. And I should be just as
concerned about your spiritual walk and your spiritual life,
just as a regular believer as my own.
As a regular believer. Amen.
John 1517 says this. It says this.
I command you that you love. Say it every time.
Now I'm just going to let the Bible speak for itself because
there was 150 scriptures in the New Testament about us being a
part of one another, 150 scriptures in the New Testament.
And of course John lets us know a million times that we're to
love one another and we're commanded to love one another.
And this is not our fantasy of what love is.
This is actually agape love, and agape love loves selflessly,
right? Does it keep a record of thanks?
No. But how many of us think evil of
one another? Think they're out to get you?
Or they said something wrong to you.
And come on. So he says we're commanded that
you love one another. Romans 12/10/11.
How about this one being devoted to one another and brotherly
love, Give preference to one another and honor.
Wow. Give preference to one another.
And honor. I would prefer you before
myself. And guess what that relays?
Honor. Honor.
Honor devoted to one another. Are we devoted to one another,
or do we just blow people off? And then do we like them?
You know, when they do for us. But then you don't want to speak
to them for months at a time until you need something else.
Or when they got on your last nerve so you don't associate
with them anymore. And then you go find another
friend. Come on, don't think this isn't
happening. I.
Know it is. We're the watchers of your soul,
right? Right.
Being devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Give preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in
diligence, fervent in spirit in serving the.
Lord. Again, serving the Lord.
We should have a fervent spirit. In serving the Lord, we should
be passionate about whatever it is that God needs us to do for
the household of God to build. Up the body of Christ.
I should have a passion and be diligent and not lazy or lagging
behind. Wow.
Ephesians 521. Y'all, just look at the word.
It's just the word talking to you this morning.
Be subject to one another in the fear of the Lord.
Be subject to one another. You know what that means?
That means because you're in the body of Christ and you say
you're a believer, then you should be subject to me.
Not just me because I'm a pastor, but as another believer.
Being subject to the fact to where if I'm encouraging you in
the word or something's going on in your life that maybe not
lining up in the word I'm, you should be subject to be able to
receive the word that would be spoken to you concerning that
situation. You should want somebody to love
you enough to say hey. What about what the word says
here? Maybe you can make a little
adjustment there and it might help the situation.
Is there anything wrong with that?
Not when you don't want to not be submitted to one another.
There is, because we know people have a submission problem.
And who do you think you are trying to tell?
Why do we take that attitude with one another?
Who do you think you are? You think you're better than me?
I've been in this church longer than you.
You think I don't hear those things?
People say those things. How immature.
It shows you that there's some
maturing and growth that needs to be developed.
And actually one another is supposed to help iron sharpen
iron, which will help build you in some areas.
Instead of getting offended about things, you ought to say,
OK, let me think about that. Let me pray about that Is this
happening and and do I act like this all the time?
And do I respond this way all the time?
And is there something I should change about myself that would
help me look more like Christ? Come on and imitate him and who
he is better and and I don't want to do anything that would
dishonor him or put a bad taste in somebody else's mouth.
Wow, What is so difficult about that?
Galatians 62 says bear one another's burdens and thereby
fulfill the law of Christ. So when we help bear one
another's burdens, when we come up underneath a brother and
sister in Christ that may be going through something and say,
hey, how can we help? We're helping bear them up in a
hard situation. And when we do that?
It says we fulfill the law. What of Christ?
When we do that? When we pick up and undergird
and help bear somebody that's going through a hard time.
Hallelujah. Because.
It's not just about us, but the Western Church in the United
States of America has turned the Church into the great.
I am so we're to bear one another's burdens, and when we
do that, it fulfills the law of Christ.
Philippians 2-3 do nothing from selfish or empty conceit, but
with humility of mind. Regard one another as more
important than yourself. Regard one another more
important than yourself. That means we have to put off
selfishness. We're gonna regard you more than
what it means that I'm going through You don't know the
struggles I'm going through, but I'm gonna regard I'm not even
gonna. It doesn't even matter what I'm
going through, 'cause I'm gonna put you first and what you're
going through, and your need and your trial or your situation,
I'm going to regard you more important than me and my problem
and my situation. And I can guarantee you, if we
would start operating in that arena, Come on, things that you
are going through will change on a dime because you are operating
in the law of love. But as long as you keep poor on
me and my problems and you don't know what I'm going through,
well, maybe you ought to let us in on what you going through,
'cause maybe I can give you a word for you that will help
bring you through the problem. Yes, bear your burden with me so
I can help gird you up instead of you just staying pitiful and
pathetic because you don't want nobody to help you.
Good. Word.
Come on, I mean, this is the word of God.
It's the word of God. And you just read it for what it
says. 1st Thessalonians 511 Therefore, comfort each other
and edify one another. Say one another.
I'm to comfort you. I'm to edify you.
And let me tell you, you're the way you want to be edified, may
not want be the way the Lord wants to edify you.
So we got to be edified in how the Lord wants to edify us.
Oh, well, you didn't edify me. I didn't feel like you lifted me
up in that situation. Well, that's your problem, not
my problem. When I did what the Lord said
and gave you the word of God, your problem.
Say it's your problem, not my problem.
What does? This do it helps grow us, it
helps mature us, it helps equip us and makes us stronger in.
Different things that we may be going through.
So where to comfort you, where to edify you, right.
But again, that edification is to come from the Lord and how he
uses you to bring it, you know? I know.
There's some people that don't come and want to get comfort
from me and that's OK. But those who do, I can
guarantee you they own the other side.
Some of you want to just have comfort from somebody that's
going to, you know, be more pitiful with you.
And you know, there are the gifts of love and and mercy.
And and I've said I don't have that gift of mercy, but I do
love you. And I can guarantee you you will
win if you listen to me. It's guaranteed.
Guaranteed because it will always be backed by the word of
God. And when the word of God comes,
it will never fail, Never fail, because He's faithful.
Amen. Hallelujah, Ephesians 432.
It says Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each
other. I can be tenderhearted when I
need to be tenderhearted. I can be kind because the fruit
of the spirit that is in me. Come on.
And we have to recognize that that not everything you're going
through you need kindness to. Show up.
That's right, when the devil's getting ready to kill you and
destroy you and beat you down, you need somebody to be able to
get up in there and fight for you and not whine and cry with
you and not, you know, sweat with you with these tears and
cry all over you. You need somebody to get up in
there and snatch you up out of your situation and say listen
here, so every situation determines what's needed at the
time, but we still. Are to be kind to one another,
tenderhearted and forgiving one another?
We have to ask ourselves, are we tenderhearted with one another
or do we have walls up with one another?
Amen. Are we hard towards?
One another, it's a good question to ask ourselves,
because if there's hardness there towards people, then this
is something you need to make an adjustment about, because that
is not going to bring unity. That's right, period.
It's not going to bring unity. It's not going to bring oneness
to the body of Christ that he's looking for.
If you've got walls built up with people right now, look at
14 Romans 1419, it says. So then pursue the things which
make for peace and the building up of one another.
You see that? Pursue the things that make
peace and the building up for one another.
So we are to pursue it. We are to make every effort
we're to pursue. Building people up and to bring
peace in the situation with one another.
So what are we doing if we know there's something going on with
individuals in the body of Christ, you know?
What we should do, the mature thing would be to do is to go to
that individual because the scripture.
Actually says if you have something against someone, go to
them in private. Then you would go to them and
say, you know what? I just feel like there's a wall
here with us and I don't want it there.
And you know what? They don't have to think that
there's a wall, and maybe they don't think there's a wall, but
you've got the wall, so you get it right and say I'm just going
to bring peace. Right, right.
Hey, I don't have a problem with you.
I didn't know you had a problem with me.
Well, that's good. Good.
Then everything's great and we can walk in peace and love each
other and not have an issue. See what I'm saying?
How easy that is. And, and you know what?
The Scripture says? We ought to pursue that.
We ought to pursue it to make sure that there's nothing there
between any of us, because we're a part of.
One another, and we are to help build up one another.
Romans 15-5 How about this? Now may the God who gives
perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind
with one another, according to Christ of the.
Same mind. So our thinking has to all get
in alignment with the word of God.
How about that? Because he actually says we have
the mind of Christ when we get born again, but he lets us know
that we all should have the same mind with one another according
to Christ, so you don't get to hold on to your opinions of the
word if it doesn't. Line up to the word.
And this is how we get into the same mind, the same thinking.
What does the scripture says 111 way we can say it is.
We are what? Like minded.
We believe the same things. We function the same way.
We speak the same way. That's why it should be hard for
people to come in here and start speaking against someone else.
Because you ought to know. We don't think that we don't
speak that way. We don't talk that way.
We don't act that way towards one another.
You see that? OK, Romans 15, Seven.
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ always accepted
us to. The.
Glory of God, accept one another.
Now that is not what the world calls acceptance, right?
We honor one another because you are a human being, and we accept
one another because we're in the body of Christ.
But that don't mean I have to accept behavior.
You see that? Because I'm not going to accept
just any old behavior. We're all one in Christ, so we
should only be wanting to demonstrate the behavior that
the Word of God says. Right.
So Romans 1413, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather
determine this not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in
a brother's way. How many of us have put a
stumbling block in a brother's way?
You see that we're not to judge one another, we're not to put a
stumbling block in any path of anybody's way.
You see that he takes this very seriously, that what we do on a
day in and day out out basis and how we interact with the body of
Christ and with one another is extremely important to God and
to unity of the household of faith.
Extremely important. James 411 Do not speak against
one another. Do not speak against one
another. Brethren talking to the body to
believers, he who speaks against a brother or judges his brother
speaks against the law, and the judges the law.
But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but
judge of it. So do not speak against one
another. What does that mean?
I'm not going to go. Around and speak against you to
other people on what I think about you and your situation and
like I'm judging your situation like well, if I was them I would
be doing. This or if I was them, I don't
know why they're doing that. That's bringing your judgment to
the situation that is speaking against your brother or your
sister. That's going through a
situation, No, especially you should be you.
Nobody else should even be concerned about what somebody
else is going on in their life. If you have information about a
situation, and certainly you shouldn't be judging it because
you have no idea. All.
The information, that's right, that's.
Right, so do. Not speak against one another,
James, 59, says. Do not grumble against one
another. Well, I tried to do something
with them and they just did this to me.
And you know, I'm never going to ask them to do anything for me
again, and you shouldn't either because they don't ever do what
they say they're going to do. And you know, this person, they
just crumbling, complaining about them being critical, a
critical spirit talking. I'm telling you, one of the
worst things on the face of the planet is a critical.
Spirit and it will cause a root of bitterness.
Guarantee it. If you don't deal with that
critical spirit and always picking out everybody's flaws
and talking about everybody and just so critical about how they
do this and what. They're doing here.
It will become a bitter root on the inside of you.
I don't know why they do it that way, and I don't know.
Well, why don't you go and ask them instead of having a
critical spirit that breathes nothing but cancer.
That is the truth, and you will become withered up and die on
the inside because you're always picking out everybody else,
Galatians 526 says this. Let us not become boastful,
challenging one another and envying one another.
And a lot of times, the reason why some people are so critical
is because they're envying the very thing that that person is
actually doing, or how that person is actually overcoming or
living, and God's blessing them. And you've become so envious
that your life is not living up to what you've expected God to
do for you. You become critical about
everybody else. So let us not become boastful,
challenging one another and envying one another.
Because where there is envy, there is every evil work.
The scripture says where there is envy.
There is every evil work, and when you look up that word.
I haven't even studied this, but I've studied it before, so I
know what it means when you look it up.
It means every root of wickedness, wickedness.
When you allow envy to be a part of your life, and it starts by
being critical, that's the root of it.
That's the root of it. So he lets us know we should not
envy one another, challenge one another, or become boastful.
How many more can you handle? I got six more.
Can we handle it? First Thessalonians 513.
And that you esteem them very highly in love because of their
work. Live in peace with one another,
which we have said before, live in peace with one another.
You should be being a peacemaker as a believer.
Blessed are. The.
Peacemakers. It Listen, time is too short to
have so much stuff going on that is not even important.
If we would just recognize the love of God and that we would
honor him, honor one another in the body of Christ, listen to
me. I'm telling you, we should just
live at peace. That don't mean we let.
We don't hold people accountable.
I'm not talking about those scenarios, but all the little
bitty things we should just say, I don't even listen.
How do you I mean? How are you?
Even expecting to live in peace, if you are always problematic
with everybody else's business, I got enough to be concerned
about and focused on. I don't need to be concerned
about everybody else's pettily little stuff that will bring you
no Peace of Mind. So we're to live at peace.
With one another first, Thessalonians 515 see that no
one repays another with evil for evil, but always seeks after
that which is good for one another and for.
All people? Wow.
Have we as the body of Christ gotten to this place that we
would care so much more and always seek after the best of
others, all people? Or are we still so self?
Consumed that we're not even thinking about how our lives
effects one another. Romans 1514.
And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that
you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with the
knowledge, and able to also admonish one another.
We should be so filled up with the word of God that we
recognize. We then should admonish other
people, to live by the Word, to walk by the Word, to be built up
in the word, to share with people what's going on.
Listen, this stuff is important and I'm telling you, as he says
in Hebrews 25, as the day draws. Near And are we living in the
last days as it is drawing near and you're seeing the chaos in
the world and everything that's going on in the world, you ought
to be thankful that you would have a household of God
somewhere you can come home to. And what do you do when you go
home? You feel safe.
You feel secure. You feel like everybody's got
your back. They're going to tell you the
truth, but they're with you. They're for you.
Come on. Whereas we can't trust not one
person in this world, and I don't care even if you say
they're good. I've known a lot of good.
People that hurt good Christian believers.
Well, and I've I've, I've seen the other spectrum too.
But it's because we don't mature.
I'm going to tell you, people in the world should not be loving
their spouses better than the men of God in this house.
Hallelujah. People in this world should not
have better marriages than our marriages in this House.
People in this world should not have better children being
raised than we have in this House.
He came to give us a better quality of living, a better
quality of life, and everything about our lives should be a
better quality in it than the things of this world.
Amen. I should not hear Christian
girls saying, well, I don't want to marry a man like him because
look what he did to his wife and he was in the church.
Do you know how many times I've heard that shame on us that they
think they can find some good guy out here better than a
better man in here because of the way they've seen men treat
their wives in here and vice versa?
You women think these guys out here are so much better than
your guy, I would say. Well, they go taste and see and
see. They'll destroy your life and
sell everything from you and sell you out to the next woman
that walks across their face, because that is a lie.
Of the enemy. It's a lie from straight pit of
hell that you're listening to and entertaining.
Nobody does it better than God and when you do it right.
It's right. I'm hearing this mess.
Oh, I'd much rather date somebody outside the church,
'cause they're just this, this and this and that.
Give me a break. Scripture says you're unequally
yoked. So what about that?
Think they going to go marry somebody that's not even born?
Again. Come on, think about it.
It's a lie from the pit of hell. Just because people failed
doesn't mean God has failed to His word and his standard.
No. People make a decision not to
live the word and be sold out completely.
And that's why things are still going on in people's lives as
believers. Because they're not submitted to
God. They're not truly submitted to
the word. That's just the bottom line,
Galatians 513. For we were all called to
freedom. Brethren, only do not turn your
freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love.
Here we go. Serve one another, serve one
another. Is that our?
Heart. How can I serve you?
Is that your heart When you're coming in, when you're going,
when you're living your life and a sister from church calls you
and ask a question or something, Is your heart to be there, to
serve them in any capacity? Are you thinking about you and
what you have going on? You.
See. So simple, but so profound.
And if we are the body of Christ, that is actually going
to be in a position to mature and grow and build up and walk
in the fullness that God has for us.
We have to get this, and we have to pursue it and make it our
passion that I am going to so care for others more than
myself, that in whatever capacity I can build this church
up, I'm going to do it. That should be our heart.
And do you know what? There is nothing wrong with
someone asking that of you, because it's God asking that of
you. It's God asking that of you.
It is not me, and it's not pastor, and it's not the
overseer of Nautilus Junior. And it's no, it's God.
It is God himself asking that of you to serve his body, to help
build his body up in whatever capacity that is not about you.
It's about what can I do to help Marissa grow.
What can I do to help so and so grow and mature and come to walk
in the gifts with Abby. What can I do come on to help
Antonio raise up to be a man of God.
What can I do to serve you? That should be our heart in
whatever capacity. Whatever we can do first, Peter.
And we're closing first Peter for 8:00 and 11:00 above all.
Above all, keep fervent in your love for.
So our love I should be so fervent about the love that I
have for you. Just as fervent as the love that
I have for my own family, my own children, my aunt, whatever my
love for. You should be.
Fervent your love for one another.
Do you actually love anybody else in this body?
Fervently. You see what I'm saying?
It's. Not this.
The Scripture is not the Scripture burning within our
hearts. Is this not the word of God
speaking for itself, speaking for itself?
That I'm telling you that if we're going to do all that God
needs to do through this body, we are going to have to take up
this call to be fervently loving one another?
And because love covers a multitude of sins, verse 9.
Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
How about that without complaining?
Oh, I got to go do that. They asked me to do that.
That's a complaint. I got to go do that.
I got to go serve over there. How about I?
Get to I get to serve the body of Christ.
I get to help someone come into the Kingdom of God.
I get to help somebody grow and hear the word of God for the
first time, maybe that they ever heard it.
I get to without complaint as each one has received a special
gift, employ it in serving one another.
God gave every one of us a gift. And you know what that gift is
to? Serve one another.
To serve one another. To serve one another.
And he says, employ it. You know what that means.
Put it to work. I'm going to employ it.
I'm going to put it to work. I'm going to serve one another,
and I'm going to do it without complaining, without
compromising what's coming out of my mouth.
I'm not going to show up to where I'm serving and have an
opinion about, well, why did we have to do it this way and why
do we have to do it that way? Well, you do it because that's
the way we do it. What does it matter?
Is it changing people's lives? See that employ it, and serving
one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God?
So saving grace was not just for you to get saved.
Sit in a religious service so that one day when you die, you
get to go to heaven. Know the manifold grace of God
included serving grace, Grace to be able to serve and to do the
work of service of what God has asked us to do, to employ it for
the building up of the body of Christ.
James 516 And if I would have known this, I would have had
this happen today says confess your sins to one another.
Confess your sins to one another.
How about that one? Now, we're not talking about
Catholic going to the Father, Father, I've sinned.
But that means if something's going on and you know that
you're not in a right spot and you need help to get out, you
should be comfortable enough to go to one another and confess
that sin so that they that we could pray for you, so that
people can pray for you so that you can overcome it, not
thinking that Well. If I tell them they're going to
tell everybody in the church and they're going to judge me, that
is a lie from the pit of hell. And that's what the enemy wants,
For you to be isolated, all alone, and to not overcome that
sin. Actually, you see that.
Confess your sin to one another. Pray for one another so that you
can be healed. Some people have even sickness
in their body because they've got sin that they've not dealt
with. And if you're not coming to the
altar, what are you doing? Go to somebody that can help
you. Go to somebody that can help
you. And the last scripture I'm going
to read, which is which I what I wish we would have done today,
but we're going to do communion. And it's just the same in John
1314 it says this. If I then the Lord and the
Teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's
feet. Thank you so much for listening
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