Thanks for checking out the anchor Faith, Message podcast
from st. Augustine Florida.
Now, enjoy this message. Ephesians chapter 5.
I actually ministered this last Wednesday in Fort Walton Beach.
I've not ministered it here and I knew man, when I started
preaching a sermon, he preached this back at home and so now
it's a little different than what I did in Fort Walton
because I'm home and with our church.
And so we're going to show any fees in chapter 5 and verse 25
to 27. Now, I'm not here to minister on
husbands and wives. Okay, I'm here to minister on
the ladder. Of part of that verse and that
is Christ. Also loved the what, the church
and gave himself up for her now. What did he do?
Verse 26, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing
of the Water by the word that he might present to himself.
A glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing but that it should be holy and blameless.
Notice that Christ loved the church.
Okay, he gave himself for it, meaning because he died and he
He rose from the dead. He's poured out his blood on The
Mercy Seat in heaven, has forgiven every person of their
sin. If they'll repent, they can
receive that forgiveness. Okay?
That he's already done that. They have to repent when they do
then the church they come in to the family of God.
They come into the kingdom and then God places them in the body
where it pleases him will see that verse here in a minute and
what he does then is then he sanctifies and cleanses it with
The washing of the of Water by the word, which means when we
become a Believer, then he gets us under the word so that the
word can cleanse us. Meaning it can renew our mind,
change our thinking release, this new spirit, that we are now
in Christ, righteous Sanctified in the realm of the spirit, then
we caused that to happen in our minds as well.
We have to do that work and that work is we submit to the word.
We allow it to renew our mind, change our thinking.
So We release who we are now in Christ.
We live that life, we become in demonstration to the world,
what's changed on the inside of us, in our spirit.
And when we do that, then he can present to himself a glorious
church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
So, again, God is here to drive anything out that's hindrance.
Really. In our thinking, our spirit
Man's Alive unto God has made Just only God could do that but
we are threefold nature man. We are Spirit.
We have a soul and we live in a body.
It's our our mind will and emotions in our soul realm that
we have to cleanse with the washing of the water of the
word. So that we don't keep thinking,
like our old self. We don't respond like her old
self because our old self is actually dead.
Right? The old has passed away now in
the spirit, that's happened. But in the thinking that has not
happened, unless you commit yourself to the study of the
word of God, and that's what the word of God will do that way
when he shows up again and is he showing up, he's coming back for
his church when Jesus comes again in the air to catch a way
his church. This is the church.
He's coming back for Okay. Now, Jesus is serious about his
church because if you read the book of Revelation, there were
seven churches at the time that he addressed through the
Apostle, John in the Book of Revelation, the first, you know,
for chapters. But they are still types of
churches that exist today and he called them churches, but he
would say now this is what you got going on, great.
But this is my problem with you. Do you understand?
Jesus can have a Um, with the church because again here at
he's wanting not having spot or wrinkle, he's wanting them to be
holy and without blemish, are you hearing me?
And so he would tell these churches multiple ones.
You're going to need to repent. You're going to need to change
this if this doesn't change. He said I'm going to pull my
candle from you. Meaning.
You're not going to be my church.
Now you're my church now but these are my.
These are problems that I find ended in the church and you need
to fix this. If you do not fix this, then I'm
going to pull my light from his church.
So again you can't live any old way.
You want to, once you come into kingdoms what I'm saying.
Part of the reason why we're born again is so that we can
release everything that God has called us to be Hallelujah.
And so, there is a way to live behave function in the earth and
God really wants this body called his chirst to demonstrate
this to the world. And we're going to see that
tonight. 1st Corinthians 12:18. You know, it says but now God
has placed the members, each one of them in the body.
D just as he desires we said this in the past it Bears
repeating today is that listen you don't have a right to pick
your church. God picks your church for you.
And again, you know, we have tons of guests that come through
us and well we're trying it out. Well, you can try, but what you
need to do is you need to hear the Holy Ghost Right, you know?
Because a lot of people can come because again, you bring your
American American ice thinking, right?
You know, well, I like this about the church, but I don't
like that. I don't like that.
Well, I don't work in the Kingdom, that's like going to
God and say, well, I like this about you and like this about
you, but I don't like this. I like that.
I like to go to hell, but I don't like that.
I have to actually live for you every day.
Till I got to give this up. So can we compromise?
You know what the Lord says? No, he said, this is how you
function with me. You shall love me with all your
heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.
Which is the threefold nature of, man.
I want your spirit. I want your soul and I want your
body. I want all your effort.
And that's not too much to ask as he gave.
He gave all and when we give all it is much better.
I said it's much better the passion translates.
It says that this way, but God has carefully designed each
member and placed it in the body to function as he desires.
Which I like this translation about this because again, God is
placing the members every one of them.
There's not one person here that if they are born again, that God
will not personally place you Which means he knows you
individually. And here's the thing, when you
get placed in the body, where it pleases him, you your
individuality exists, but your Independence dies, Okay, there
is no such thing as being independent in the body.
There is no such thing because if being born again, is being in
the body. Well then all of us have been
born again, being born again, is just the entrance into the
kingdom, being placed in the body.
Now was function, and we all don't have the same function.
Because if you read 1st Corinthians chapter 12, it tells
us the hand and the foot are not the same, the eye in the ear or
not the same, and one can't tell the other Idol.
Needle nor can one say, because I'm not something else.
I don't need to be there, right? And moist, don't you run around
some run, run into some Christians.
Sometimes, that's a well, I, we don't have to go to church.
You know, I don't need a pastor. I mean, they're violating First
Corinthians 12. You can't say you don't need
amen. So as a result of that we did
are going to find our function in the body.
And if you do your function and I do my function, then at the
end of the day, we will all flow together.
And again Paul uses the body because even now as I'm in astir
to you, a lot of things are happening.
Right. I'm walking my knees are
working. My calves are work.
My quads are working. My hands are moving by Seth
elbow. You know my tendons ligaments
you know my heart's pumping obviously because if it wasn't
I'd be down. You know, I'm breathing my mind
is moving. My brain is functioning my
nervousness. I mean all kinds of things are
flowing right now. My digestive systems working it
and it's you know, working that I just don't have to go to the
bathroom right now but it's still in the process of doing
something. Are you hearing me?
And all these things are working together.
They're not competing against each other, they're, they're
just flowing as they're supposed to be.
So again, you know, we say, well, that's your body.
Although we can identify individual things, you know, and
doctors, they even specialize in certain parts of the body.
But again, the minute you diagnose something going on in
one part of your body without taking into account, all of your
body, you can do a misdiagnosis Are you hearing me a
misdiagnosis, you know, a lot of things that go on in your body,
physically can be a result of your stomach, or your mouth,
your gums, your teeth and you need to fix those.
And you may not even think it's you're trying to deal with a
symptom somewhere that it may be related to something else.
You know, cuz even Paul said and when it came to the body says,
if one hurts, we all hurt. It's amazing how that little toe
when you stub it at night, all of a sudden, wakes, your whole
body up and get your mouth to talk.
I mean, the mouth one gonna say anything until the toast, you
know, hit the hit the side of the bed or you hear me.
So, I find it very odd. I find it awesome.
That God loves us so much, and he knows us.
So intimately, he knows Us in great detail, but he also knows
exactly where we fit. Now, we've talked about doing
this before, although I haven't done it, but I do know that
puzzles. A lot of times are made by
manufacturers have the exact same dye that cuts out the
puzzle. And I, in the past, I've talked
about maybe getting two puzzles that the same company.
You know, it's the same cut, but then start mixing the puzzle
pieces because one can actually fit in the other because the
guys cut the same, they're there, but the pictures.
Different And you know, you can fit perfect but be the wrong
picture. You could be like doing
something somewhere thinking, man, this is my, this is
actually how I am, but you're, you're betraying a wrong picture
because you're not even supposed to be a saint there.
Now, how many of you, you know, you did puzzles?
You tried to force some things before.
Yeah. You're like surely you fit this
and when we become convinced it has to be this one, I've looked
everywhere. So we're putting it there.
You're like that. Looks like it might have a
little Gap. That's got to be it, right?
Nah, God's. Not here to force us into a
position. He's here to lock Us in where it
fits, right? And all of us, all of us are
showing the same I'm picture, right?
We're supposed to be where we're at.
So with that being said, Ephesians chapter 4 will start
one through eight. I'm going to read out the
passion translation. It says, as a prisoner of the
Lord, I plead with you to walk. Holy in a way that is suitable
to your high rank given to you in your Divine calling.
You know what your high rank is? You're an ambassador with tender
humility and quiet. Patients, always demonstrate
gentleness and generous love towards one another.
Especially towards the Those who may try your patience patience.
Be faithful to guard. The sweet harmony of the Holy
Spirit among you in the bonds of peace.
Let me stop there for a second. Now, when he says with tender
humility and quiet patients, always demonstrate gentleness in
generous, love towards others, especially towards those.
Who may try your patience, he's not talking to the world here.
He's talking about those in the body. because in the body were
all growing, You know, when we get born again, Paul calls us a
babe in Christ, both him and Peter said we need to desire the
sincere milk of the word that we may grow.
And you know what? Sometimes especially when it
comes to babies babies. Don't actually, you know, take
you into consideration a lot of times, right?
Like, you know, it's 2:00 in the morning.
Why are you crying? And I have to go pick you up
now. I don't, you know, it's time to
sleep. You should sleep all night.
But so in the body of Christ, there are things that are taking
place as people are growing. And we still need to be
extremely patient because people are having their minds renewed
and we got to believe in who they are in their spirit and
that it's just a matter of time before, they'll eventually get
that mind flipped over and we just be patient.
Are you hearing me? So be faithful to guard, the
sweet harmony of the Holy Spirit among you in the bonds of peace.
And we want to guard this guard, W Harmony Harmony is a big deal.
He said, Being one body and one Spirit just as you were called
into the same glorious. Hope of divine Desi.
So we are one body say, one body, say one spirit.
So there's a Oneness that God is looking to achieve when it comes
to his church. Let's go on.
And it says this in verse 6 and he is the perfect father who
leads us all works through us all and lives in us.
Oh, okay. And he has generously given Each
one of us Supernatural Grace, according to the size of the
gift of Christ, every one of us has Supernatural Grace, right?
This is why it says he ascended into high, Heavenly Heights,
taking his many captive ones with him and and Gifts were
given to men. So every one of us has been
given a gift from God. He's gifted us with a
supernatural Grace to function in his body.
Just as he designed you and you will never I'm just going to be
on. So you will never get to the
perfect peace in life until you attain to the place that, you
know, I'm in the body exactly where God wants me and you can't
wait to function in that capacity because when you do
that, man, everything else is just going to run you down.
I mean you cannot I mean you can buy late scripture, but it's
better to do scripture Jesus says seek first, the kingdom and
his righteousness and all these things will be what added to
you. So if you're seeking first, the
kingdom, then you're going to want to seek the King on where
he has placed you in the body and what that function is.
And then you want to be obedient to that role with all your
heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength, your
daily, your money through Friday job, should not get all Your
effort. God's Church shouldn't be second
thought to us. It should be.
What's motivating, our life. You may not be here full-time,
but you should be thinking, well, the next time service, I
know we're doing this and we got this plan, and this is going
here, and then I'm all about do because God's Place me in the
body where please just him. It's my greatest role in the
earth, okay? Verse 11, jump down there and
says any appointed some with grace, to be Apostles, and
somewhat Grace to be prophets and somewhat Grace.
Advances and some with grace, to be pastors and and some with
grace to be teachers and they're calling, that's the fivefold.
Ministry is to nurture and prepare all the holy Believers
to do their own works of ministry.
And as they do, this will this this they will enlarge and build
up the body of Christ. So when the fivefold ministry,
accepts its function to then train the Saints to do their
Function, then the whole church gets better.
It builds it up. Amen.
Then he goes on and says these Grace Ministries will function
until we all attain Oneness in the face a Oneness until we all
experience. The fullness of what is meant to
know the Son of God. And finally, we become one.
Perfect man with the full dimension of spiritual.
Here, it is maturity and fully developed in the abundance of
Christ. God never intended for you just
to get born again. Never being born again, is just
the entrance into the greatest life you can ever live on the
earth while you're separated physically from the King.
Being born again. Is what gets you entrance into
his kingdom so you can see his kingdom.
Then you should experience his kingdom and you should come
together with other brothers sisters in Christ and do a work
together. That's so amazing that even the
world will be in all And he never designed that.
We would stay immature. Let's put it this way.
God never built his church to stay at preschool.
Because the church according to the Bible is to be the pillar
and support of Truth, the world should be asking the church.
So talk to me about marriage, I don't know what that is.
Talk to me about economics, y'all know what that is talk to
me about government. You know what that is talk to me
about parenting, you know what that is.
We hold the truth of all aspects of life.
Talk to me about healing we know this because we hold the truth.
We are the truth because the holy spirit is the spirit of
Truth. Yeah.
And so we should be so passionate about true but if
you're immature, Then you're not going to be able to display.
All that we actually have he goes on and says in verse 14, he
says. And then our it, our immaturity
will end. So God.
And what never wanted us to stay immature.
We have to press on to maturity. Now we know naturally that the
body itself when a child is born because of his DNA, obviously,
if it's fed, right? Okay, it will naturally grow to
a visit call maturity, but we know a lot of people that are in
physically mature bodies that are immature mentally, right?
I mean, I remember going back to life my 20-year anniversary,
maybe as my 30-year High School reunions.
I mean, and I got the air and I've just like these people are
still out like they're in high school.
I miss, like, I went back in time, but, you know, they don't
look the same. A lot of miles on their face.
I'm like, wow, I mean, it's like saying same mentality, same way
of thinking everything, this crazy, you know, but what's,
what's even more crazy as someone to get born again and
ten twenty years later, they're still Being led by their flesh
full of trouble. The devil, beat them up all the
time. You're like wow, you didn't grow
up at all. So then our immaturity will end
and we will not be easily shaken by trouble nor LED astray by
novel teachings or by the false doctrines of deceivers who teach
clever laws. But instead will remain strong
always sincere in our love. As we express the truth, all our
Direction and Ministries will flow from Christ and lead us
deeper into him. The annoy the anointed head of
his body. The church for his body has been
formed in His image and his closely joined together and
constantly connected as one. The and every member has been
given Divine gifts to contribute to the growth of all.
And as these gifts, operate effectively throughout the whole
body, we are built up and made perfect in love, you know, as I
read this, I realized that the preaching of a personal
relationship with the Lord alone has greatly hindered.
The ultimate plan of God. As ultimately hindered, the plan
of God, that, you know, when we've reduced the Bible to, you
just need to ask people if they're born.
Again, you need to see if their get saved.
You know, let's just get them saved the minute.
We reduce all that. The Bible says to, just this one
little thought process, the door process.
How do you get in? You must be born again, okay,
and that's all. We're addressing then.
Ultimately we lose what? God, ultimately planned.
For those who did get into his kingdom while they remained in
the Earth. You know and saying well, you
know, have you made Jesus your personal savior, you know, like
our relationship with God is just personal and it and you do
have a personal relationship. I'm not it's not saying that but
if all you're thinking about is your personal relationship with
God, and not the church that he's the head of Then you are
going to be. You're basically saying I am
going to be immature, my whole existence in the Earth.
I will not grow. And again you can get them
around people like that. Like, well I you know, I asked
the Lord to come into my heart and save me which that's not in
the Bible. Come into my heart and save you,
okay. You know, there's a little
saying that comes across but God does not come in your heart and
save you. God changes your spirit, man.
He puts out the old Spirit. Puts in a new one.
Okay. He's not in your heart, right.
He Bears witness with your spirit.
You are a child of God once you confess Jesus as Lord, and
lordship is actually the right way.
Way is the right into the kingdom.
Okay. So if we don't watch out we and
we have see this takes place especially in our nation where
you know, it's just about getting somebody to do a quick
prayer. And then let them know you're
right. And at this point, doesn't
matter what you do when you die, you go to heaven and yet the
Ultimate Prize of what God and what God is coming back for.
Because again, I get it. People are saying, you know,
well, the church at the building, I get that.
It's not a bill now, because all of us could go outside and still
be the church, but you can't be the church by yourself.
You just can't happen. Now.
You can be by yourself, but you're guaranteeing your dying
because again with Jesus said I will build my church, you know,
it means of me and I've said this before, you know, here's my
iPad right? It's mine.
I'm sitting it right here still mom, but I'm over here.
It's still mine, but that's not the my Jesus is talking about
it. Here's my arm.
Now. I'm my arm is of me now.
Can I leave my arm on the pulpit without me being there?
Yes, but that means I have to sever it and it's cut off from
the blood and the minute I cut my arm and leave it there.
It's dying. Now you can maybe poke it and it
twitch or something, you know, there may be a shelf life for
them to maybe reconnect it and potentially save it.
But you know, you leave it there a few months.
We ain't resurrecting the arm outside of Supernatural power
God. It's just going with her up and
it's gonna be a little in our trophy case until the flesh
falls off and then it just turns into you know, the bone this
skeleton, right and I'm at To have Mia, you know a prosthetic
prosthetic, which was not what God intended something
artificial. Hallelujah.
So when we say that we love God and I have a personal
relationship with. Let me tell you what they had
the church is saying, get to church get together with other
believers. I have an assigned function for
you that you can't do without the rest.
Because I did not die for you to go to heaven.
I died. So I could come and live in you
and empower the world because for us, we need to understand
that the next greatest move of God is the maturing of the
church. If he says that he wants to
present himself with this church that's without spot or Wrinkle
in this be without blemish, then it means that we can attain to
it. If he sent the fivefold,
ministry to bring us to full maturity, then we can get there.
And as a pastor, you know, when I began to really seek the Lord
because he called me to be this and I began to read scripture
concerning his church and the role that I had and the function
that I had concerning the Saints, I'm like I have to make
a demand that we mature. I can't compromise the word.
This is why Paul said in the book of Acts when he was leaving
the church of Ephesus. He said I am innocent of the
blood of all men. Why could he say that he said
because I have not withheld from you the full counsel of God.
I'm gonna give you everything you need so that you can grow up
spiritually and that you can become one that you guard the
sweet harmony that comes around a group of people collected
together sharing the same Faith The Same Spirit the same vision
flowing in the same direction so that God can be glorified in a
particular location. and that's what God wants to do because
when the church unifies there's some amazing things take place.
Look what it says in Psalms 133 verses 1 through 2.
It says behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to
well to Brett for Brethren to dwell together in unity.
It is like the precious ointment poured on the head that ran down
on the beard even the beard of air and the first high priest
that came upon the collar and the skirts of His Garment
consecrating the whole body. Now who's the head of the
church? Who is the high priest Jesus?
And Jesus is the head of the church is Jesus anointed because
the oil represents the anointing and Jesus.
When he came up out of the Jordan River, God said the Holy
Spirit came upon him and the Lord father said, this is my
beloved Son in whom I wear. Well please later on.
Jesus says, he says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me for he
has anointed me and if he's anointed Jesus and guess what
you are anointed as well. Because it floats.
Oh, down from the head all the way down the body because we are
the whole body of Christ and notice when this takes place, he
says how pleasant good and pleasant is that Brethren dwell
in what Unity. Let me say it this way.
You're free from selfish ambitions.
You only want to do one thing, you want to fulfill the function
that God has placed for you in his body and how he deploys you
out in the world. Whether it's through your own
business, whether it's through another type of job way, in
family, whatever the case may be, you still come and collect
here because this causes who you are to be released so that
you're the greatest Ambassador for God.
And when we come together as God calls us to then we'll be a
greater force on the earth than we could ever be individually.
When I saw this, I began to realize something really
important. That is not in church.
Growth strategies. But it needs to be and that is
it's more important to grow Unity among the Brethren or
disciples in the church than the grow numbers without Unity.
I mean, I can't tell you how many churches in the United
States, right now. All it is is about growth
tracks. How do we get more people in?
How do we get more people then? We're not even trying to unify
the people. We have.
We're not trying to walk in unity.
We're not trying to unify be of One Faith.
One Spirit speaking and saying the same thing.
We spend more time just trying to get another unbeliever in
another unbeliever in that, we don't develop the Believers that
are there, so we have an immature church that cannot
fight the good fight of faith. Now they may be the largest
church in the community but they respond in the community like
the rest of the community when trouble hits they at the same
way, when the issue hits they at the same way when trial comes,
they act the same way, they just kind of throw a little caveat,
well, Lord, if it's your will or, you know, you know, we're
just praying the Lord and do something well.
The Lord to do is word if you walk by faith.
Amen. And God's gracious.
Don't give Me wrong, full of Mercy.
There's a lot he's doing for his church to help them along and
way more than he is in the world.
But when the church comes together and say, what does the
king saying, how does he want us to respond to this situation?
And then we were laying, say, let's do this, then we all unify
Now, tell me, what is the power of unity?
When it came to covid? Because when colon came out, the
whole world, Did the same thing. Nation.
Shut down nations are standing nations of different tongues and
tribe are two are standing 6 feet away from each other wear
masks. We never lived.
This kind of existence, never heard of the word social
distance. yeah, they unified and what kind of power was that come
on y'all know because when you didn't want to go out where your
Mast and all of a sudden, the world is looking at you like
What's wrong with you? I mean you were like, you felt
like you were a rebel. Your church is still meeting.
What's wrong with y'all? Well, it's because we didn't
unify that way. We chose to unify another way.
Because our Unity supposed to be around.
God, I'm just saying there's power in unity when Unity comes.
It brings a thing called Leverage.
Because all of a sudden power comes, when we see plenty of
people unify around causes. We see it on the news, we see
rallies, we see demonstrations, we see protests, what are they
doing? They're saying and they have the
same little, you know, worship songs, right?
They'll chant these same things in this life and in some of us
so big, they little it across Nations.
And they'll say the same things, why?
Because they're wanting their unified and unity makes people
look because the Devil Knows A house divided.
The church would be so awesome if it would just unify because
the church can say, yeah, you'd man if you only knew the baggage
that was laid up in our congregation but she wouldn't
know about it because it's under the blood.
Because we're not pulling out our old life all the time.
Talking about how and then examining our new life in light
of our old life. We're only taking our cues from
the King himself for developing a kingdom culture and we come
from every tongue every tribe Every Nation.
But yet we still follow one, king one, father, one, Holy
Spirit. When people ask us, we say well,
it is written. They we say, well, I have no
opinion in the matter. But my king says Hey, you know,
they're gonna say Well they're brainwashed.
Well are my our brain has been washed by the word.
Amen. Make no mistake about it.
Your mom has been washed with the word but you freely do that.
Hallelujah. It's the rest of the world is
brainwashed. Brain-dead actually, there's
strength in unity. Okay, what's the say in Matthew
18 18 to 20? Says, truly, I say to you,
whatever you bind on Earth, shall have been bound in heaven
and whatever you loose on Earth, shall have been loosed in
heaven. Again, I say to you that if two
of you agree on Earth about anything that they may ask, it
shall be done for them. By my father who is in heaven
for where two, or three have gathered together, in my name.
I am there in their midst. Power.
I said there's power in unity and if the church can quit
coming and coming together and say, well, you know, I love
Jesus, they love Jesus, but that's the only Unity we have.
Well, then we're not going to take that move the strength that
God intended. Look at this.
In First Corinthians chapter 1 starting in verse 10.
The passion says that this way I urge you, my brothers and
sisters for the sake of the name of our Lord, Jesus to agree, to
live in. Unity with one another and put
to rest any division that attempts to tear you apart.
Be restored as one United body living in Perfect Harmony form.
A consistence Lily, you form a consistent choreography among
yourself. Having a common perspective
which shared values. Yeah, the Lord just showed me
the body. Okay, so There's a thing called
Tan Lines. You may heard a tan lines
before? Yeah, yes.
Then we come together. We're one body, but we don't
look alike. You can't let the color your
skin divide you. Are you hear what I'm saying?
This way you can't no division among you.
So again you can't say, well, cause we're not the same color.
I mean, I can wear a shirt and and pants all the time and get
out and get some really dark arms and a net and then take off
and bebu white with real dark arms.
Are you hearing me and it's on the same body?
It's what I'm trying to say. It's on the same body.
Hey man. I mean, probably everybody in
this room is a little different color somewhere.
Yeah, I mean unless you know you're tannin all-natural
somewhere and that's fine. Are you don't tan at all?
And it's just boo everywhere. My point is that we need to say,
we're not going to let division here.
Why would we ever let the? World's divisive words?
Come into this place? Why would we take up said?
Well, that's my people. There's only two types of people
in the planet. There are those of the kingdom
of darkness and the Kingdom of Light, that's the only type of
people there are. So, when you say my people,
there's only one my people. If you're a child of God and has
two children of God and they don't look the same.
Again, we identify nationally. Well, if you're going to Define
Ashley identify with the kingdom, don't identify with
Europe. Don't identify with Asia, don't
identify with Africa, identify when he came because the king
owns the planet. Anyway and again, when they come
in, they should see us hugging and love and in saying the same
thing and none of us are talking about this past and that passed
and the way this one treated that.
We're just like, man, we love the king.
We love the king. We're gonna follow the king and
we're gonna obey the king, and we're going to move towards what
he says only and you can't break us up.
You can't divide us, she can't split us.
You can't make us come against each other.
Amen. And he's like, man.
If we could just get into this, something powerful will happen.
Let me show you what will happen.
This is so powerful, man. I want this so bad.
I want this so bad, and I think we're on the precipice.
Of potentially being this in our own County.
I mean, we may be closer than I think.
But, you know, I want us to get there.
John chapter 17. Look at this.
In verse 18. This is so good.
This is what you need to do. And then we only look at God as
a personal relationship. Like we really have no
obligation to function in the body as God pleases him.
We don't have to obligate ourselves to make sure we're
doing the vision of the place he planted us and it's not our
number one thinking. Then we will hinder this vert.
This section of scripture from happening, Jesus Christ is
talking okay, this is your king. He says, I've commissioned them.
He's now this is his prayer to his father before he goes to the
Cross. He said, I have commissioned
them to represent me just as you commissioned me to represent you
And now I dedicate myself to them as a holy sacrifice so that
they will live a fully dedicated will live as fully dedicated to
God and be made Holy by your truth.
And I do not ask only for these disciples but also for all say
oh those who will one day believe in me through their
message. Will do you believe in him
through the messages of those disciples?
Yeah. So This Is Us What's he want for
us verse 21. I pray for them all, say all to
be joined. What together as one notice?
He didn't say, I've, you know, desire that everyone would just
get saved. Because that's all that matters
is they asked me to come into their heart.
That when they die, they go to heaven.
No, he said that we would be joined together as one join
together as one even as you. And I father are joined together
as one. notice Jesus told his decide, he said, if you've seen
me, you've seen the father in essence he saying look if these
guys will join together as one, then when the community sees
that church, They'll see me. Let's go on, I pray for them to
become one with us so that the there who the, who that's the
lost and what will the Lost. Do will recognize that you sent
me. You know why?
People don't understand that God, the Father sent Jesus is
because the church has it Unified.
I mean, if all you're telling the world is.
Yeah, but listen, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save
me and so when I die, I go to heaven, but you haven't and
you're going to go to hell. But you live.
Like, I do. Yeah.
But I'm still saved. We were drinking last night.
Yeah. But you understand?
I'm saved. You cuss like I do?
Yeah but you know what God's grace is all my life different
than yours and I'm saved. What you're mad at our balls.
I mean you you said all kinds of stuff.
I'm like I mean that's how we respond.
Yeah but I'm saved. I mean we're not perfect now but
we're saved. No, the Lord's like you want to
impress the world getting Unity? getting unity in the church
because if you let the, the fivefold ministry, Build you up
and they're all come together as one no longer independent of
each other, but dependent upon each other individually.
Expressing your gifts coming together under the same covering
as God assigned. Then when you go around
marching, when you go around doing the world were recognized,
that the father has sent me. So again, you know, we stress
the independent theory of witnessing go out and tell
someone about Jesus. When Jesus stresses the unity of
the body is the greatest witnessing tool.
The world should come in here and say how can there be all
these people looking different from all these different types
of background and they love each other like this.
How in the world can these people?
How can they get how come there's not fighting?
How come there's not gossiping? How come there's not because he
we are supposed to gossip. We're not supposed to backbite.
We're not supposed to live. Unholy.
We're not supposed to lift fleshly.
We're not supposed to live by selfish ambition.
We're not supposed to we're supposed to all be functioning
with the fruits of the spirit and then the fruits of the
spirit are flowing through us all love joy peace, patience
kindness goodness gentleness and self-control.
We're just flowing in this so well doesn't matter what we look
like. We're worshipping our King
together. We're saying the same thing from
the word or standing in faith. Hey, you know we Rejoice under
trial, you know, we are full of joy when Trouble Comes our way
and they're like what is going on with this group of people.
They're not from the world. We become the greatest
witnessing tool ever. He goes on and says for the very
Glory you have given to me, I have given to them so that they
may be joined together as one and experience.
The same Unity that we enjoy you live fully in me.
Now, I live fully in them man so that they will experience
perfect. Unity.
And the world will be what convinced that you have sent me
for. They will see that.
You love each one of them with the same passionate love that
you have for me. So there's something about
coming together in unity. Developing this Unity where
again, we're preferring one another You know, we've got to
be passionate about one another. We got a rally each other's
causes champion each other's gifts.
Amen. They meant and you know what
your gift will make room for you.
I can't tell you how many times people have come in and you
know, they had their own personal agenda.
You know what to be place here doubt and I, well, you know,
you're giving him a room for you, ain't no, there's too many
people being used here. Now for that not to happen.
But there's growth and development.
All kinds of stuff takes place for us to be able to do all
that. God has called us to do.
But it says, listen, he said I'm going to give them my glory.
You know how many times people like man?
I just wish the glory of God will show up.
You know. Well you want to know how the
glory shows up. Let's look at and second
chronicles because this is where people reference this a lot of
times but you need to see what causes his glory and Jesus
already references as well. But we're going to look at a
second chronicles 5 11. To 14 says this when the priest
came forth from the holy place for all the priests who were
present had Sanctified themselves without regard to
It's and all the levitical singers, all these people in
their sons clothed, in fine, linen with symbols Harps, they
stood at the east of the altar with with them 120 priest,
blowing trumpets in unison, when the trumpets and the singers
were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to
Gloria fava, the Lord. And when they lifted up their
voice accompanied, by the trumpets and cymbals and music
instruments of music, and when they praise the Lord saying he
indeed is good for his loving, kindness is Everlasting than the
house. House, the house of the Lord was
filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to
minister because of the cloud for the glory of the Lord.
Filled the house notice they were in unison.
In unison. Unity is a big deal.
You did he first starts in the heart?
You know, because even Jesus himself, I'll use this example.
Jesus was in Peters mother-in-law's house and he was
ministering people and it was packed out so much so that
people were outside. They couldn't even all get in
her house, okay? And so, for guys hear that Jesus
is in town, they have a friend that's paralyzed, right?
And they say we're going to take you to Jesus, you going to get
healed. And so they put him on his mat
and a carry him and they get to the house and like we can't even
get in. Well, we going to do.
None of them are going to turn back.
We get to Jesus, so they said we're going to get on the roof,
ripped the roof off, a man will lower you down.
So they got on the roof started tearing a woman's roof off,
okay? And then lowered this guy and as
this guy starts coming down from the ceiling.
Jesus, look it up. Seeing him is like, wow, he said
seeing their faith, not just the guy on the mat, all of them
because these guys were committed that Jesus can heal
you. Jesus is in the room with
people. He's teaching the word.
And he says man your sins are forgiven.
The many he says that he identified the ones who were not
in unity. Because there were religious
people in there and when Jesus said that said, only God can
black. Can only God can forgive sins.
This is blasphemy, right? And then Jesus says, why do you
say in your heart? Now, he's got a word of
knowledge. And he says, why do you say in
your heart, these particular things, he said to let you know
that I have authority on Earth to forgive sins, and to heal,
because he said, which is easier, whether forgive the man
of sin, her healing So let you know, I have authority on Earth
to do both. He said, take up your mat and go
and he got stood up, took his mat and walked out of the house.
Hallelujah. My point is, is that you can be
in, in the church, even in this church and yet in your heart,
not be committed to what's going on.
You can even hear the word and and rejoice for yourself only,
but not want that to be distributed to the ones around
you. You could come and say, I want
to grow, but don't realize your growth is not just for you.
I want to grow so that I can be the best that I can be for
everyone else, because my growth is not just for me, my growth is
for my brothers and sisters, the stronger, I am the stronger, we
are, the more I walk in love the better.
We all are the more that I hear the spirit of God and letting
are led by the spirit, the better.
We all are, because it's not just about me because the
kingdom is not just about you. Yet we've sold a message that is
just about you. Yeah, Jesus didn't sell that
message. Jesus said, man, I want you
bring you into my family. I want us to get unified.
I want us to be a one mom, want to court.
Listen, there will be absolutely without a shadow of a doubt in
the end times with the new Heaven and new earth, there will
be no division. Among the household of God, not
a trace. We'll be there yet.
The Lord is allowing us to know that, even in the Earth today we
can move to a plane of maturity as a church that can unify in
such a way that the world will know.
That Jesus said was sent by the father that the world will
recognize man in that church, man, they feed each other.
They take care of each other. They rally around each other.
They don't talk bad about each other.
You can get one to talk bad about another one.
Gonna get one. I mean, they should be like,
this is a holiest group I've ever seen in my life.
And again, You Are Holy when you're living the world.
Now that doesn't mean we can't make a mistake.
We can't falter you, we can't fall down but the Bible says a
righteous man may fall down seven times but what happens he
gets up and goes we as brothers. What do we do we go and rally
around each other and say, hey, I saw you stumble, let me help
you back up. Oh, we're at around said, hey,
what do you think what you're doing right now?
How you're talking it, and pleasing to our father.
You're like, yep, you're right. I Repent man, I'm not doing
that. I mean, get back over in here.
I know what's the best thing for me.
I'm not going to get caught up in this.
I'm not going to get caught up in an offense.
I'm not going to get caught up in, bitterness.
I'm not going to have that. You know what, we're going to
stay together. This thing's bigger than me.
And when we unify in this kind of place man, I'm telling you
then the glory of God can move into this place even more so
because he's like, look at that group, look at this but my body
who's collecting upon the same place.
I mean it could take us till Jesus comes just to unify the
ones we have today. No, I want to grow, I want to
see more people come into the kingdom, but when you get into
the kingdom, you can't stay a baby because babies don't win
the fight of faith. We're going to have to develop
into ones that we can come alongside each other and you can
come just like tonight. You know, I was dealing with
some symptoms myself and I'm like, I'm not no, I'm not the
only one and I've already heard. So we might as well just help
the ones that are dealing with symptoms and let's just lay
hands on a while. Because if you're hurting, I'm
hurting now, we don't have to have that kind of call for you
to get healed. You can walk into the church and
say, Hey, listen, man, I've had some simply can't lay hands on
me. Well, yeah, I would love to lay
hands on you. We're Believers together.
We're in the body wear uniform, but I believe that God heals
just like, you believe God, heals and Men we touch and
agree. And we get more and more
complicated. So God wants us.
To mature, we are destined for maturity.
Now you got to understand, not everybody matures.
I get it. Some just want to be childish.
Paul said, when I was a child, I think thought as a child, I
acted like a child. But when I became a man, I put
away, childish, things, the only child like, you need to keep his
childlike Faith, believe God, like a child.
Whatever dad says, I do it II. Do not get intellectual on this
deal. I'm not trying to say, well,
now, the Lord, you're going to have to.
I got to figure this out. Now you said it.
That's it. I fully trust.
You got it. Even if I have no idea how
you're going to do. It doesn't matter.
I got your word now and I'm doing this thing because you
cannot fail. You never fail in your word
period. But we are stronger.
Together, then we would ever be independent.
And activate church is going to unify.
We're going to mature, we're going to continue to develop.
And then this County, this state, this nation in the world
is going to say. I don't know how they do it.
They must be from God. Thank you so much for listening
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