Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith Message podcast
from St. Augustine, FL.
Now enjoy this message. Read second Peter chapter one,
verse 12 says. Therefore I will.
Always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you
already know them and have been established in the truth which
is present with you. Verse 13 I consider it right as
long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way
of reminder. One of the most difficult tasks
that I have at the end of the year is determining what to say
at the end of the year, especially when the Lord's
telling me about next year. Because the Lord's talking.
To me about next year. I want to be able to jump over
into next year, but it's not time.
And so at that point, I'm like, OK, Lord, what am I doing until
we get there? What do we say, you know,
because when he begins to already reveal things, you get
so excited. You ready to talk about it?
OK. So, you know, as we've kind of
looked in these last few months and we're really in these last
few weeks, you know, there's some things that have been
pretty consistent that's been spoken either on a Sunday and on
a Wednesday. Now this past Sunday was, you
know, a little bit different move.
But that is intentional for things that are coming in 2024.
And if you weren't here on Sunday, you need to go online
and listen, it will drop tomorrow.
We're talking about, you know, being caught up, OK.
When the Lord comes back and the trumpet blows and we're caught
up together with the hem in the air, there are some things that
will happen there. And the Bible is very clear
about that. That's technically not been
taken into that context, even though the Scripture says it
emphatically. And I will say for those who
have studied, the point on Sunday was not to let you know
of Jesus coming in the cloud, whether it was him coming to
receive the church or him coming to put his foot down and reign
for 1000 years. The point was every time there
was a reference of cloud, you could see him.
That was the point. OK, But we'll talk more about
that on Sunday. But Pastor Marcy, you know, I
was out, you know, ministered on unity and we've talked about the
church and we've been kind of dealing with the church and
talking about things that are happening.
Pastor Angie really launched this.
And when I, we were out of the country and I said I I need you
to minister on this thought process because we know there's
a lot coming down range next year.
And so then I felt like I needed to jump in with that and
continue that thought. And then Pastor Marcy kind of
stayed in that vein as well. And then obviously Sunday I
started some preparation for next year, but tonight and I
know I'm doing it with the lesser group.
And when I say lesser, not lesser in people, but lesser in
number, we have less here tonight than we typically do on
Sunday. And this really is a Sunday
message. OK.
But the reality is, if you get it, then everyone who shows up
on Sunday will get it. If you get it, then everyone
else on Sunday. Gets it?
Because the reality is, when you start talking about vision,
vision always starts with a smaller group of people.
And it is, it is, it is given and then caught by that group to
where they sell out to it. And then that group then because
of all of them selling out to that vision, are able to
convince others to become a part of that.
Vision. So vision doesn't start with the
crowd. Vision starts with those that
are showing signs of dedication. Are you?
Hearing me, I'm going to take you back in time, back in 2003
when I knew that I was going to be moving and coming to Saint
Augustine to launch Anchor Faith Church, of which we launched the
church April 11th, 22,004 and it'll be 20 years this.
April OK, coming up when I knew that this is going to happen.
Then I began to go to a group of people, individually or the
couple. If it was husband and wife.
Pastor Mike and Angie were one of those.
In fact, Pastor Marcus was there, and Pastor Mark was there
as well. Was he not that night that we
went to? What was that breakfast place?
Denny's, Denny's or Village Inn? One of those?
I think it was Denny's, anyway. So I showed up with my little
piece of paper, because I had a piece of paper only because I
have a pastor who needs to see the vision written.
I couldn't just speak to him. But the reality is it's
scriptural and let's read that scripture real quick.
You understand it. Habakkuk, Chapter 2, verses two
and three says this. And the Lord answered me and
said record the vision and inscribe it on tablets that the
one who reads it may what may run notice, the one who reads.
It's not just to rejoice. The one who reads does not just
say, well, that's awesome. Well, that was a good read.
Well, I read it. Hope, hope, hope you do.
Well, wow, that's a great vision.
God's giving you, OK? That the one who reads it may
what run for the vision is yet for the appointed time it
hastens towards the goal. It will not fail, though it
Terry's wait for it, for it will certainly come.
It will not delay. And so I wrote my vision down
because I was when the Lord told me I was going to go and I was
going to, you know, talk to pastor about it.
And I knew I was going to let him know that I was time for me
to do what he knew I was going to do when he hired me.
And that is Pioneer Church. I said, now Lord, you know,
Pastor David, he needs to see this.
I'm not going to be able to go in there and just tell him, I
think he, I know he's going to want to see this.
So I need to know some things that are going to happen.
Because I'm Abraham. Get up and go to the place.
I'll show you. You can tell me why we're loaded
up in EU Haul on the way. OK, that's me.
I can get direction en route. Whereas Pastor David was Moses.
I need to see the plan and I owed him that because he had, he
had done so much for me in developing me as a young
minister. OK?
And so I God knew what he needed.
So God gave me some phases of the ministry, 3 phases only
actually, and I was able to articulate them.
And Joshua Clay and I cause Joshua's in our youth ministry.
He taught me Coreldraw. I used to work in graphic design
with him when it came to our youth ministry.
And from that I created a logo. No one has ever seen that.
Logo. It did not make the cut for me.
It. Was just an initial and then
later on I didn't like it. So it never made it and you'll
never see it because I don't have a copy of it and I'm not
going to explain it. It isn't worth it, all right.
With that being said, I had my logo on it.
I did have the name Anchor Faith.
That didn't change. And and then had phases, some
demographics. And I went and met with him, and
I handed that to him. Since that took place.
I went to those that had made a statement to me when I was in
Bible college. They said, you know, if you ever
start a church or, you know, let us know, we could see ourselves
doing ministry with you. Now what's crazy about that?
It was already a Holy Ghost connection because I'm not
talking anything like, hey, you know, I'm going to do this.
And this is our. I mean, I don't even have a
vision for a church. I just know I'm going to start
one one day. I knew that.
OK, so there was something on the other side.
And we went to Denny's and Marcus and Pastor Marcus and
Pastor Mark were there. And, you know, we all kind of
got together, although they technically were just hanging
out. I was, you know, mainly talking
to them. I think they were eavesdropping,
ultimately. But they were teen at, yeah.
I mean, no. I mean.
Pastor Mark was at Raima. He was first and yeah.
'Cause we left in 2003, so he'd have been in.
He'd have been first year. It's your first year.
And Pastor Mark was in his second year.
So we're talking about this thing, you know, this is where
we're at. So this is what I thought,
figured at least these people to pray for me.
At the end of the day, they'll pray for me.
And so I ended up casting Vision to them.
Pastor Marcus, we didn't really cast Vision to Pastor Mark.
We just got him out of a dead end life in Texas and Pastor
Marcus basically called him up and says what are you doing with
your life? And he said nothing, going to
church. I mean, he really wouldn't do
anything. And he says, well, why don't you
come to Florida? You know, Pastor Earl's starting
to church and we need a drummer. You graduated from Raymond.
Do something with your life. Well, I'm glad Pastor Mark
answered because now he's that Anchor Fate Church pastor for
over 11 years in one location. Now.
Amen. Ain't that amazing?
So there were some other people that I went to.
Some came to me once. They heard and said we see
ourselves there. And then when I got here, I knew
some people that had said something before went by.
And so in essence, I. Communicated the vision.
And when we started Anchor Feed Church, it was in my house.
The Lord let me know you're not going to just start this thing
in the house. Like we're adding people like we
have them Bible study. We did not have Bible studies at
our house. I had no open meeting at my
house. I had only those who had agreed
to be a part of it. So they were like my leadership
team. And all I did was cast Vision
and I would talk to them about what we were going to do and
what we're going to do. And I sold this to about a group
of maybe 11-12 at the time. That was it.
So in essence, we had something before it became popular, and
that is go plant a church with a team.
God assembled my team. OK, I didn't pull this out of a
book. I didn't get this from some
seminar. I was just being led by the
Spirit on how to do something, OK?
And I was very challenging to them.
I would let them know if you're coming, don't come because of
me. You better come because you see
yourself in the vision and that made the difference.
I remember Pastor Mike and I after they had moved and they
were working at the boys home and we were doing Saturday
morning prayer on the beach. Back in the day, we used to walk
the beach because we have a building.
You know, we were up, we were at a school, set up, teardown, and
on Saturday we were praying, walking the beach.
And I looked over at him and I said, so if you had
opportunities to leave, he said, Oh yeah, I said, aren't you glad
you knew you were called to this vision?
He said, absolutely, 'cause it's the difference.
Are you hearing me? It's the difference.
And when I talked to pastors today and let them know that my
associates been with me for 20 years and that my worship
minister has been with me longer than 20 years because we've been
in two locations, but in this location been with me the whole
time, it blows their mind. But what they miss is that I
didn't hire them. Although they're hired now, you
know, their own staff. I did not hire them.
I cast a vision of which they saw themselves in it.
And so that becomes my demand, because it's God's demand.
I said it's God's demand. Are you hearing me?
So we're going somewhere. I think we've just gotten
started. In fact, I know we have because,
well, you know, there's a prophecy concerning some things
that we'll share next year. And you know, technically you'll
see that prophecy. Just let us know that we finally
got the foundation done. Hallelujah, We'll say well and
took you 20 years to build a foundation.
Well, don't you know the longer the foundation it is, the higher
the building can. Be.
Hallelujah. And the higher the building
means the more people they can support.
Amen. Because there is an in time
harvest over into a catching away harvest and man we need to
be a part of it. Are you hearing me now?
Just to remind you this word here, record the vision, right?
Inscribing on tablets it goes. On and it says.
That the one who reads it may run another translation says the
one that may read it fluently and is to proclaim.
It. So it's not about reading and
forgetting because now we're James, you know, one where he
says you know you got to be a doer the word and not hearers
destiny. Girl, come on.
Come on, Destiny. Come on, let's give it up for
Destiny right here. Destiny have was dropping to
three pointers yesterday at the game.
Man, she was like throwing down. We won like 88 to 56 or
something like that. They dominated yesterday.
You played an awesome game. I just want to let you know that
it's awesome. If you weren't there, we missed
out. We have another one coming up on
January the 6th on a Saturday. Home game.
So let's pack it out with Anchor Faith.
Let let's go over into the guest stands because we have so many
people there. That'd be kind of pandemonium,
wouldn't it? All right.
So again, it's it's not just to read and walk away and forget.
It is the fluently know it and then proclaim it.
You should be at articulate what we're doing and the reality is
for us to be doing what God's called us to do.
There's a lot going on now we understand this vision takes
time to accomplish and and modern day church planting is
they don't want to wait. Now getting people is not is not
the goal, Discipling people is the goal.
And I'm going to give you my analogy again because they're
using Hastings. If you go to Hastings, there's a
lot of farms out there. And if you plant 10 acres with
potatoes, OK And you see the little greenery come up and
you're like, oh, there's potatoes or cabbage.
Oh, that's that's cabbage out there.
But then there's a guy's got 1000 acres and you see the
green? Oh, that's cabbage.
But if at the at harvest time, the 10 acre guy, every one of
his plants produce everyone. But you get over to the thousand
acre guy and all he produces amounts to about 5 acres.
Who was the more successful farmer?
Because farming is not about how many plants you have in the
field, is how much you harvest, and harvest is not being born
again. Harvest is when a seed dies and
what's in it comes out. Conversion is when a person gets
born again. Discipleship is when you produce
the fruits of the spirit consistently in your life and
grow up in the things of God and able to crucify the flesh.
You can have a field full of babies that will not change the
world, although they're born again.
But you get a handful of mature disciples, you'll turn the world
upside down. So the goal was never for the
church to pack it out with people.
Coliseums, concerts, football stadiums, baseball stadiums,
they all do that. Unfortunately, we're working on
the Flagler deal. We're working on that.
OK, we're packing these places out, but it's not changing
people's lives. And we can do things in
organized church again, and people are so hurt by those
things that they blame every place when the reality is God
never called us to convert people, He called us to
discipleship. So the vision of the house must
have discipleship a part of its equation.
But here's the thing, Everybody wants it quick and it doesn't
happen. Vision takes time.
So again, God gave Noah a vision to build an ark.
Took him 120 years. I'm glad he didn't quit, even
though he had a lot of people telling him he was stupid.
You're an idiot. What are you doing?
You are. This is the dumbest thing I've
ever seen a person do in my life.
Until the water. Came.
Are you hearing me? Abraham took 20 years to
conceive his covenant son, once God got involved, took 20 years
for him to conceive his covenant son, Joseph.
It took him 20-3 years to get in position, and then another eight
to maybe nine years for the dream he had as a child, as a
teenage boy to come to pass. But he never abandoned it.
Are you hearing what I'm saying? And let me just tell you how,
how fast God is and how you know God's not worried one bit.
When man fell from dominion, the Lord said I'm sending my seed.
Took him a few. 1000 years for that to happen, but he said he's
coming and did he come and did he die and did he raise and is
he any heaven? Is he coming back?
It's taking some time. But is he coming back?
He's coming back and you're not going to stop it.
The vision will come to pass. So what God has for this house
and this church, it will come to pass.
The only problem is, again, God had gave Abraham a different
vision, he said. Your people are going to go into
a nation that ultimately will make them slaves.
They're going to be there for about 400 years, but I'm going
to deliver them and bring them back to what you are on right
now, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Now, Abraham didn't even live to see the vision come to pass, but
did it come to pass? Amen.
So at the end of the day, there are things that have been spoken
out that will come to pass. Now, when Moses is actually
fulfilling that vision given to Abram, did everyone get into the
promised land flowing with milk and honey?
Nope. And they were at one time
attached to the vision. Now you got to understand, when
you get attached to a vision, there's two ways you can be
attached to it on the outside. Meaning, you're around it,
you're walking with it, but you're not actually a part of
it. And you're in awe at what's
going on. You get to on the outside, you
can see every miracle. You can see everything come to
pass. I mean, these people saw God
part the Red Sea. Give them manna, you know, give
them water. Before miracles saw this.
So when they got you to promised land, this should be easy peasy,
right? Instead, they didn't.
And the Lord says, you'll watch this vision from the outside.
So they still their clothes still didn't wear out, their
feet still didn't swell because it can't have you dragging
around when we got to walk around for 40 years till you die
out. Are you hearing me now?
How do you know if a person is in the vision or out of the
vision when they're around it? It's what are they saying?
If they're complaining, even though all these miracles are
happening, they're not in it. They're on the outside looking
in, and they they can testify with all of us.
That person got healed, That took place.
That miracle we got them. All this happened here.
But yet complaining, which means in the ultimate grand scheme of
the vision, there might be to the wayside, but it doesn't stop
the vision. I've had people tell me
personally through the years, I'm here to help you bring it to
pass, but they're not here now. That's the issue between them
and God now. Because if God had them here and
they left here, then no matter what they're doing, that fruit
is wood, hay and stubble. Say Amen anyway.
So you can't feel the vision. You have to catch the vision.
So how do you catch the vision? You have to believe what the
vision says. See yourself in it and change
your thinking to focus on it. In essence, you have to eat,
breathe and drink it. It is the forefront of your mind
and everything you do revolves around it.
I said revolves around it. The greatest vision to have is
the one that originates from God.
Just because you can't believe it doesn't make it any less
truth. Because I'm going to tell you
right now. When God.
Starts talking about doing stuff.
It will make your mind go on tilt.
You're like, what? OK, You you want us to do what?
Right. OK, you go a little like, all
right, well, I'll just believe you don't know how you're going
to do it, but I'll just stand and believe.
We'll just believe anyway. And again, I've imagined a lot
of ways this can happen. So you're either going to do it
one of these ways, I just figured it out, or you're going
to blow my mind somewhere. Either way I'm OK because I know
the vision will come to pass, Dr. Miles Monroe said this.
The greatest gift God ever gave humanity is not sight, but
vision. Sight is a function of the eyes,
but vision is a function of the heart.
And the problem is, most of the church at large has been sold.
The gospel is about leaving and going to heaven when that was
not what Jesus was selling. Jesus was communicating.
I want your destiny to change. I want your nature to change,
and I want you to have access to my Kingdom right here, right
now, and I want the world to see it.
And I'll do great exploits through all of you, because
again, Jesus did not die for the individual.
He died for this thing called the church, which includes
individuals. Are you hearing me?
He died for the body of Christ, Romans chapter 8 verse 28 says.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God. And we can't stop there, right?
OK, To those who are called according to his purpose.
So again, God's working things out for the good.
If you meet the two conditions, you love God and you're called
according to his purpose, not your purpose or not the purpose
you want God to bless, right? Because if you'll do his purpose
and doing his purpose is demonstrating you love him.
Because Jesus said how do you? How?
How do I know you love me? If you love me, you're going to
keep my word. And I said you're going to do
what I ask because I've laid down my life for you.
I've done it in obedience to my father.
I did what he asked me to do. Are you hearing me?
And as a result of that, it's giving you access to our Kingdom
for you to get in and to do the work that I've assigned for you
to do with a whole bunch of other people.
Amen, Doctor. Miles Monroe went on to say
this. It's more important to know why
you were born than to know the fact that you were born.
If you don't know your reason for existence, then you will
experiment with your life, and that is dangerous.
Now, when I've read this all these other times, it was easy
for me to jump over into natural abuses.
I mean, when you don't know why you're created, Next thing you
know, you'll experiment with sex, you'll experiment with
drugs, you'll experiment with all you know, work, career, all
kind of stuff. Then it hit me today.
It's just not that when you don't know.
Why you're born again, 'cause, he said.
If you don't know why you're born, we are born twice, and the
first birth is predicated on the second birth.
Because if you don't make the second birth, then abuses are
inevitable. Even if you're successful
according to the world's way of saying success is but once
you're you receive the second birth, the new birth, then it
will affect the first birth. But if you don't know why your
second birth is there, abuses are inevitable.
And there are many believers that are abusing the church,
abusing believers, abusing the fivefold ministry because they
don't know why they were born again.
And let me just give you an answer.
It's not to go to heaven. That's not why you were born,
why you were born again. Let me tell you another it was
not so you could escape hell. Going to heaven and escape and
and not going to hell are byproducts of the purpose you
were born. The reason you're born again is
so you can become a child of God and the Holy Ghost can come live
on the inside of you and assign you the reason you are in the
planet now and the purpose he has you here.
That's why, and most never discover it.
And the reason they never discover it, because another
issue happens. If they know the why of their
second birth, that it has something to do with purpose.
But if they don't know it's connected to the church, 'cause
there are many believers who read the word, watch it on TV,
but they function like the rest of the world.
They don't seek first the Kingdom, they don't put his
church in any priority. And after Jesus died and
ascended, Paul's writing concerning Jesus has a couple It
keeps this title, the Christ, but then he has these references
concerning him. He's the head of the church,
he's the head of the body. There's always these
connections. And again, if you say you know
who you are in Christ, then you should be actively involved in a
local body church. Helen Keller said it this way.
The the only thing worse than being blind is having sight but
no vision. When you when you know and
understand what you were born to accomplish, that is purpose.
When you can see it in your mind by faith and begin to imagine
it, that is vision. First Corinthians chapter 12
verses 14 to 21. Says this, this is the message
Bible, and then we'll jump down to verse 27, he said.
I want you to think about how all this makes more
significance. Than less, not less.
A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge,
it's all the different but similar parts arranged and
functioning. What together?
Remember, Jesus is the head of the body.
It's the body of now the minute we say body that includes you as
an individual, God. Christ laid down his life so
that the church could exist. And when the church exists, that
means people are in His Kingdom. Remember, Jesus Christ is coming
back for not you individually. And when we get this concept, we
realize this doesn't diminish your individuality.
Because again, I'm preaching you all right now and my fingers, it
is not reduced, My ears are not reduced, my eyes are not
reduced. But it's part of this, and I
need it all. And thank God my lungs are are
working right now. My heart's beating right now.
You know, my vascular system's functioning right now and my
muscular system's functioning. My nervous system and my
skeletal system, all those things you can't see.
I'm glad they're all working together, not compete with one
another. And saying when Jesus comes,
only my pinky gets to go, You know, cut me off and put me on a
shelf. So when Jesus comes, I'll go
with him, 'cause you'd be like, where's your pinky?
Well, I lost it. I'm gonna say that again.
Ah, so why does a believer think they're OK if they're
disconnected? We call when something's off us.
Lost, he says the body isn't a seeing isn't just a single part
blown up into something huge. It's all different but similar
parts arranged and functioning together.
If a foot says I'm not elegant like hand like hand embellished
with rings, I guess I don't belong to the body.
Would that make it so? If ear said I'm not beautiful
like I lipid and expressive, I don't deserve a place on the
head. Would you want to remove it from
the body? If the body was all I, how could
you hear? If all ear, how could you smell
as it is, as it is verse 16 very powerful verse as it is, we see
that God has carefully placed each part of the body right
where he wanted it, where he wanted it.
And if God wanted you at Anchor Faith Church, then you've got to
see yourself. There.
And when you see yourself there, you don't see yourself there as
this optional, like, body part that we can take off, 'cause if
you can take off a body part, then you don't have the
original. It's called a prosthetic.
So if the church isn't something you're so connected to, then in
essence you're really a prosthetic in his church.
Oh, I'm preaching better than you're shouting.
But that's fine, 'cause if you get it, then we'll all get it.
Amen. See, people think that I'm only
passionate about the church because I'm pastor.
Do you understand how easy it would be in this society to
leave all you folks and go get my little TV camera and preach
to hundreds of billions of people and and and develop a
following without having to counsel them, deal with their
flesh? I mean, if it was just about
that now I would have to mess up my doctrine because you don't
get a huge following doing truth, 'cause you're doing truth
and you're like, well, I have to be in the church.
OK. So we act like that, but that's
not the truth. The truth is I'm passionate
about it because Christ died for me and put me in it.
And then he said, you're this and who am I to argue but God
say, but I'm not that, he said, But that's what you are, That's
what I made you. That's what I ordained before
the foundation of the world. I mean, the ear can't say, man,
I want to be the big toe. You're not, you're not the big
toe, you're not. And God knows what he wants you
to be, right. All right.
Let's go on and read or I'll never get done.
Maybe I still. Won't we'll see.
Verse 8.19 But I also want you to think about how this keeps
you significant, keeps your significance from getting blown
up into self importance. For no matter how significant
you are, it is only because of what you are a part.
Of. An enormous eye or a gigantic
hand wouldn't be a body, but a monster.
And let's just say if my hand swole out of proportion, you'd
be like, what's wrong with your? Hand Oh, I got.
I just got a big hand. You'd be like that's abnormal.
Pastor Earl Yeah, but I can palm the basketball now.
It's like a golf ball in my hand.
That'd be kind of weird, wouldn't it?
If my hand was so big, a basketball was like a golf ball
in my hand, and you'd be like, what's wrong with you?
And this is what we say about believers.
Who are in church trying to be a big hand?
You're like, what's wrong with you?
That's not normal, right? Listen you We want to be normal.
We want to flow, right? We don't want something to bring
more attention than the other. All right.
I'm OK. Hallelujah.
He says. For no matter how significant
you are. It is only because of what you
are a part of verse 20. What we have is 1 body with many
parts. Each is each its proper size and
its proper place. No part is important on its own.
Can you imagine I telling hand get lost.
I don't need you or head telling foot you're fired.
Your job has been phased out. Verse 27 You are Christ body.
That's who you are. You must never forget this.
Only as you accept your part of that body does your part mean
anything. See, all vision from God is for
the bettering of humanity, thus requires multiple people to
accomplish. It if the vision you have only
includes you, it is and is independent from the Church.
It is not from God. It is not.
When I pastor, I got, I got this ministry really Well, who are
you submitted to? Where are you bringing your
supply to the local body? Because he said we are joining
him where we bring our supply and there's plenty of them out
there, right? But that's independent.
And it's not from God. Because, again, the world has
plenty of programs that help humanity, but they don't
originate from God. All vision requires people.
The vision from God will be accomplished.
Vision doesn't fail, but people may fail the.
Vision. Not everyone will.
Stay with the vision, but the vision will come to pass.
And I think for me, young coming into ministry and God dealing
with me when I say dealing with me, it just seemed like he
showed me enough in scripture that it was not problematic.
I realized if I'm the keeper of the vision, meaning I'm the one
who's spearheading what anchor Faith Church is, then at the end
of the day, if not everyone stays, I'm not going to be upset
about it because not everyone stayed with the Lord.
And if God can't keep everybody, what makes me think I can?
In fact, God had no problem with some going, and some pastors
would do better by their churches to let some go, maybe
even ask. Hallelujah.
Amen. Because if you're not building
the vision, you're killing the vision, right?
Least you're trying to. But the Lord's vision will come
to pass. What's anchor Fay Church's
vision? We ignite the city, impact the
nation, influence the world, write these verses down.
When we say we ignite the city, we come out of Luke chapter 24,
verse 32, and they said to one another, we're not our hearts
burning within us while we were, while he was speaking to us on
the road, while he was explaining the scripture to us.
And Jeremiah 2329 says, is not my word like fire, declares the
Lord. That tells me that every person
that's connected to Anchor Bay Church when they talk to people,
that it should ignite their hearts.
It should burn in them. When the you walk away, that
conversation should stay kindled in them, should stay kindled in
them. And Jesus was explaining script,
which means my assignment is to decipher you so articulate in
the Kingdom of God that you could go around talking like
Jesus did about his own Kingdom, that it would ignite the hearts
of people. That's right.
And it would stay ablaze in them for as long as the Holy Ghost is
allowing it. Or they themselves try to
quench. It.
Are you hearing me? Then our next is to impact the
nation that comes from John 1412.
Truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the
works that I do, and greater works than these he will do
because I go to the Father and Matthew 10/8, heal the sick,
cleanse the leopard, raise the dead, cast out demons freely you
have received and freely give. What we do on a local level here
should become so impactful that no matter where we go it, we
carry that. Culture with us.
I said we carry that culture with.
Us. Everywhere we go, we carry the
culture of the king. The last one is to influence the
world, it said in Acts 17 Six, the latter part are within it.
These men who have turned the world upside down, and Matthew
514, you are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden and that's who we are.
This is our assignment. This is what we are here to do
and our greatest influence is right here locally, of which we
are doing a significant job of. But but they are pull calling on
us to do more. And the assignment is so large
that it requires you to say I've got to find my fit and be
passionate about fulfilling it. Which means your job is not your
number one thought process. Although you're going to hold a
job because it's where God pays you to be an ambassador at the
workplace. Are you hearing me?
But there are other assignments that are going to come that
you've got to jump right in or say that's why he sent me here.
What's our purpose statement? It is to anchor people in the
word that they may live a life of dominion on earth through the
Kingdom by faith. That's our purpose.
So my job is to get you so anchored in the word that no
matter what storms of life come, they can't get you off.
Can't get you off. No matter what someone says to
you can't get you off. And then you'll have such
dominion you will be able to pull heaven's realm into your
realm, into this earth we're going to.
That's our purpose. Which means everything we do is
to demonstrate that our mission is to minister to people's
spirit, soul and body. So you just can't eat like you
want to and expect to remain healthy.
We're going to talk to you about it, 'cause that is the temple of
the Holy Ghost, and some of your healings are direct result of
your diet. Are you hearing me?
I remember one particular minister that I knew that was
overweight would say that, you know, one of the most disgusting
things is a person who reads the word but it's overweight.
The Who preaches the word, but it's overweight because they're
outside demonstrates that lack of self.
Control. And they themselves were.
So in essence they said they hated themselves.
And that was a true statement. But the reality is, I'm not
telling you what your perfect size is.
Everybody can carry somebody fat, you understand that.
I'm just saying you got to find out what health is for you with
your body type and be doing some exercise.
I heard one guy say if a person smoked cigarettes but worked out
every day, would last longer than someone who did not smoke
cigarettes and did not exercise. Now why do I say that?
Because God has given us the ability to strengthen this suit
for the purpose of us of finishing our assignment.
OK, obviously we've got to do with your mind.
Because if your mind don't get renewed, it don't matter that
you're born of the Spirit, because there are a lot of born
of the Spirit people who cannot control their mind or their
natural man, flesh and man, they just don't dominate.
So we have to deal with it all. Say Amen anyway.
So that's why we preach how we preach.
Amen. Hallelujah.
Now I'll just be honest with you in the realm of the body.
I am 20 lbs. Too heavy right now and you can
look at me and say no way, but you're not in my suit, number
one. Number two, you don't know how I
feel. I know how I feel. 20 lbs Less.
I'm better at that weight. I could carry this the rest of
my life, but I have the knowledge that knows I'm more
efficient there and you can't make me get it off.
And you don't even try just to let you know because y'all bring
me stuff all the time. You don't even help me.
Half of you. Hey Pastor, it's a doughnut.
Do I have to exercise self constraint or I'll have to work
out more? No one offends you.
I'm just saying, what I'm saying is I know my personal This ain't
vanity, this is I know how I flow because I've never been big
as a person. I've always been a small person
and I don't need to be big. I need to be what's right for
me. Are you hearing me?
We play. I jumped on the flag.
Football. As a sub.
And that was problematic. It's deceptive.
You know, Pastor, you're in shape.
Yeah, until I played flag football.
Wow, What happened? It's in there somewhere.
We are to establish a Word Church that would equip and
empower people to impact their community in worlds and world.
Ours is the family oriented church that facilitates the need
of every age group through church services and outreach
ministries to the community. Now guys, we do a real good job
in this house. We're doing a lot better outside
and the outside's calling us. I said they're calling us,
they're calling us, they're calling us.
And we need to be able to do something.
Our Ministry motto, and I love this.
It actually, my son Chase actually got this in his spirit
When he said it, it hit, and we've kept it since then.
And our Ministry motto is we're always advancing.
I need to actually get this trademarked.
We're always advancing, always advancing.
We're always advancing. I'm never going to get to a
place like that's enough. It's never going to happen.
And if you're waiting for us to get to a place where you can
coast, you might as well get out now.
No coasters here. We're just people full of
purpose. Amen.
I said. People full of purpose.
We see ourselves in a vision. We going to do this thing and.
Let me tell you, You're not too old to do something.
You're not too old to do something.
You're not too young to do something.
You could be too immature to do some things, and I won't let
you. That may be true, but age is not
the issue. OK?
There's plenty of things to get involved with.
All right? You need to understand then,
that true vision, Doctor Miles said.
This is also unselfish. Its purpose is to bring about
God's Kingdom on earth and turn people to him, A vision their
voice should always focus on helping.
Humanity or building up others in some way.
And I you would have to agree that anchor Faith Church does
that that we are helping humanity and also helping others
be better, be better we're here to.
Grow, develop, make us more understanding who we are in
Christ to do these things, and we need to have this as a part
of our DNA. We need to all be keepers.
Of this vision. We need to be.
Passionate about this thing. And we need to be passionate
about anything that God wants us to do and and and desires for us
to carry out in our community, our nation and the world.
Because the days coming that again the world, there are many
in the world that are looking to Christ and the best reflection
is not the personal one-on-one but it is the church unifying.
You get things happening way faster when people unify.
And why does the church not learn this?
I mean, the world is so good at bringing unity around their
causes that is not really helping anyone but themselves.
Because all world causes, although it has the ability to
help others, is only serving the one pushing it.
There are only a few things and if things haven't originated out
of the church, it will not have lasting effect.
It will not and we could take and we are to affect every
sector of society. We are not disconnected from
business, from government, from education, from, from arts and
entertainment. We're not disconnected from
family. In fact, family is not a part of
or in a list. It's not God, family.
Church that is not God. How do you separate God from
church? How does that even happen?
How can there be God? And Jesus is the head of the
church, which is his body, but yet your natural family can get
in between God and his church. How does that even happen?
It can't. You're separating the church
from God. When you say God, you have to
say church. So if you want to keep God,
family, church, then you should see my family is in God and the
church because they're together. I'm right in the middle of it
all. Not I spend time with my family
and then we go to church. Amen.
Now I'm just going to be honest with you.
For those who have that vision, their life is exceedingly
prosperous, blessed, and they always overcome every one of
their trials. I've never met a believer who is
passionate about the local body Church.
I'm not talking about pastors, although they are included in
this. Five full minutes are included.
In this. But I've seen Saints that are
passionate about the local body, church and their fit, that their
life is not always thriving and any trial they have, they always
come out. They always come out and they
come out better. I've never seen one, never.
But I have seen those that disconnect that don't put the
priority 'cause they lose their. Purpose.
And again, at the end of the day, you need to understand I'm
not here to condemn you, and I'm not condemning you.
So please don't feel like you're being condemned.
You have the power to be wherever you want to be.
Because I didn't make you come tonight, right?
You came on your own free will. Right.
You know, when I came and I didn't expect to be able to talk
to me like that, I'm not talking to you.
This is what we're talking about, the church, this talking
about, the vision, this talking about.
And again, you either find yourself really more involved
with Where God planted. You or you?
Can find yourself somewhere else.
I get it. But I'm just telling you anyone
that says that's where I am, that's where God's planted me,
and I'll give everything to that.
That person's always thriving and most of the time when
they're in conflict you'll never even know it.
You won't even know it. Are you hearing me?
What kind of church are we? We're a God honoring church.
We're a Christ centered church. We're a Bible teaching church.
We're a consecrated church. We're evangelistic church, We're
serving church, we're giving church, we're praising church.
We're a. Multi.
A national church. We're a spirit filled church,
Spirit LED church. We are an expected church.
We are a Kingdom church. That's who we are.
And let me tell you, the vision is bigger than any one of us,
yet it takes every one of us to accomplish it, because God has
not called us to do the possible, but the impossible in
2024 is a year of impossibles being possible, of impossibles
being possible, because God is shifting things He's doing.
Things. He's moving things and he's
strengthening his church. He's putting his church in the
power play. He is.
He's elevating it to such a level that when he calls it out,
listen, there's got to be a reason why.
Before, if you if you look at the different times God brought
wrath, there were always a remnant of people that he
highlighted with great power and delivered them so that all those
around that we're going to get his wrath knew those people had
been wrought in God. And he's going to do it with his
church. That the world's going to know
the most powerful thing that was on the planet was his church.
And we didn't go. We hated it.
We we persecuted it. We came after it.
And the more we try to do, it just got stronger and stronger
and stronger and stronger and now it's gone and we wish it
was. Back the question is are you
going to be planted in it in some local place.
But I can tell you for this House we going to serve this
vision and it's going to come to pass.
I said it's going to come to pass.
I I am firmly persuaded that God will give me vision beyond the
catching away. I'm becoming convinced of this.
Now you said well that's big. How are we going to accomplish
that? We have, Tom, we'll take a
seven-year break, get a battle plans and then we'll come back
because think about it, what is? The role of the Church.
Oh, thank you Jesus. Oh, please understand this.
If you have really spent time to rightly divide the truth, you'll
know that Jesus, who is the Christ, the head of the church.
What did he say? What was the message of the head
of the Church? Repent.
For the Kingdom of God is at hand.
The role of the Church is to expand this Kingdom.
That's all we're here for, and to allow people to get in.
And when the millennial reign comes, guess what it's just
about it's Kingdom expansion. With no devil on the planet,
we'll just pick right back up, expanding his Kingdom under a
whole another set of laws, another way of operation.
It's going to look a little different because Jesus will be
here with us. Amen.
So I believe I'm going to give vision beyond here and they'll
say, OK, let's go back and pick that up now and let's do this
and let's do this and let's do this.
I mean, Can you imagine? If all of a sudden all of
downtown Saint Augustine got born again, what if the next
time we went and engaged W Augustine the whole every street
from W King all the way over to Four Mile Rd. or whatever.
That one boom. All born again.
Wouldn't that be amazing? We went out to Palencia and all
those people got right with God. Are you hearing me?
Just expanding millennial reign. There's a lot going to be
happening, a lot of opportunities.
That's what we want because that's what the church does.
So when you look at yourself and say, but pastor, I'm this old,
doesn't matter. There's an assignment for you.
I hope my my ear don't fall off before I get in the grave.
Right. I hope it doesn't fall off.
What happened to your ear at 90? It fell off.
I hope that doesn't happen. Right.
It's not. Going to happen, but you.
Understand what I'm saying. You're not falling off.
You have to get into fit and do 'cause when you do that, then
that spiritual activity will help your mind.
It definitely will help your body.
Next thing you know, you'll be running.
Amen. Well, Father, we thank you for
your word tonight. We thank you.
With this group, we could stir them up with a vision because
2024 is in route. It's coming.
And Father, we're going to be ready as a church, a body
running together as one. Although we're all individuals,
we're not here to take a name for ourselves.
We're only to exalt one name and his name's Jesus and expand one
thing and that's his Kingdom. Use us God to do this.
We give you honor and glory and praise for.
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