Music: Endless Desert by Steven Beddall

Anchor Church (anchorchurchcsra.com)

“Who’s Your King? The Right Response”

“A stir begins as soon as Christ is born. He has not spoken a word; he

Jesus->The Word became flesh-> was born.

King Herod The Great:

He was wealthy, politically gifted, intensely loyal, an excellent

1. Curiosity-> (1-2)

Illustration: Cultivating Curiosity

Curiosity is all about a posture to learn!

They were OPEN. There was an assumption that there is more to learn.

2. Indifference (3-6)

3. Hostility (3, 7-8)

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with

3. Joyful Worship (9-11)

-Gold-KING

-Frankincense-WORSHIP

-Myrrh-Death/Burial

The best rescues come from heroes that are willing to meet those who are perishing in the middle of the mess.

Jesus came and met us in our mess

The infinite became finite.

The invisible became visible.

The Creator entered creation.

Doctrine of the Incarnation: What's the big deal with Jesus taking on flesh?

1. His Union: The Word became flesh...

2. His Presence. And dwelt among us...

3. His Glory. We observed his glory...

4. His Origin. The glory as the one and only Son from the father...

5. His Essence. Full of Grace and Truth

Jesus was an expected gift that people have been looking forward to for all of human history, all the way back to Abraham!

God is always on time. He fulfills His promises. He is never late. He is always faithful.

Jesus was SENT and BORN to REDEEM so we would RECEIVE.

“The Time” is the promise, the anticipation, the prophecies that everyone has been hearing about. Generations upon generations of hearing prophets announcing about this king, this prophet, this high priest…

But then 400 years of no prophets (people chosen by God to speak for God)No prophecies (message from God), yet they still anticipate.The page that separates the Old and New Testament is the 400 years.

And in the silence, God was working something to completion. And God sent his Son.

Let’s read 2 Samuel. This is Nathan, a prophet, talking to King David.

The Son of Man must be born as a man, to live under the law, in order to fulfill the covenant God established with man.

Let’s read another prophecy, and remember, a prophecy is a message from God announced from a prophet to the people of Israel.

=Our direct connection and being in the family of God"

The incident at the Garden of Eden showed that we THINK we know what we WANT instead of God KNOWING what we NEED.

This is a key issue Paul was bringing up in his letter to the Galatian Church.

It is not the Law AND Jesus that saves you. It is Jesus and ONLY Jesus.

Jesus paid our price, He REDEEMED us, on the cross to SET US FREE.

We have been purchased by Jesus. Not to make us slaves but to adopt us as sons.

Guest pastor Dustin Driggers from Impact Church

Impact Community Church – Know, Grow, Show (impactharlem.org)

Anchor Church (anchorchurchcsra.com)

"Growing Pains"

The church encounters discomforts as we grow and change.

There's no such thing as a problem-free church

Systems/Problems: the mark of a growing and healthy church isn't the absence of problems, but the presence of effective systems to solve those problems.

If a church (or other organization) didn't have any problems, I would question if there is actually a purpose within that organization.

Our bodies are made this way by God with systems to address, external problems and internal problems that arise. This is a powerful picture of what happens within the life of a church.

The beauty of the local church is a diversity of methodology within how we address challenges that arise.

We cannot grow and accomplish the mission and vision that God has given us apart from a church full of servant leaders.

One problem was the apostles were losing the ability to accomplish there primary responsibilities, because they were filling a need destined for somebody else to take care of.

It's not that serving tables was beneath the apostles. Not every part of the body does the same thing and shouldn't do the same thing.

As a church family, 3 applications will help use continue to grow.

The hardest work in our world is the spiritual work of advancing the Kingdom of God.

-We have an enemy, Satan, the devil, and legions of demons in opposition to God and His Children. He wants to seek, kill, and destroy everyone and everything God has created.

-We have our own flesh that gets in the way: Our fears, insecurities, anxieties, and selfishness.

-We have others around us who oppose the truth of God, and who war against it, (as we all have at one point or another).

**The Witness Warrior Displays 3 Gospel Realities In Their Battle

1. Freedom: Brought Out To Bring Others In(17-24)

Rise Up Opposition. *A sign you are doing the Lord’s work!

Jealousy A key part of the enemy’s “playbook” -> Jealousy always misses the point, inflates self and selfish agenda above all else, and works to destroy others instead of build them up!

Parallel Gospel v. 19-20 . BROUGHT OUT to BRING OTHERS.

Set Free to Set Others Free.

2. Resilience: Advancing Despite Adversity (25-32)

Illustration: Wind Up Toy Car

-Wind Up toy Pressure/Tension applied propels them forward!

Connect to 25 -> Pressure applied (JAIL) -> Spring Back To The Start-> STANDING. TEACHING. LOVING (God & Others).

Key Characteristic Of Witness Warriors: Resiliency. Toughness. Tenacity. Advancing Despite Adversity.

GOSPEL REALITY: Jesus was Resilient.

Jesus was the most resilient man who ever lived. Tempted, tried, beaten, mocked, scorned, scourged, nailed to a cross, died, BUT RISEN.

We only complete the mission because of Jesus’ completion of His.

3. Guarantee: Clinging to God’s Unstoppable Plan. (33-42)

Theudas Hundreds of Followers Persecution Fire Put Out (Illustration). Coals moved to separate places, fire quickly grows cold.

Judas the Gallilean-> died followers dispersed. -> again…fire died out.

Guarantee #1: For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail; 

boulé: counsel

Original Word: βουλή, ῆς, ἡ

Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine

Transliteration: boulé

Phonetic Spelling: (boo-lay')

Definition: counsel

Usage: counsel, deliberate wisdom, decree.

HELPS Word-studies

1012 boulḗ – properly, a resolved plan, used particularly of the immutable aspect of God's plan – purposefully arranging all physical circumstances, which guarantees every scene of life works to His eternal purpose.

Guarantee #2: 39 but if it (the “boule”) is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 

**The Guarantee Of A Mission Accomplished:

We cling to a Guarantee-> God will accomplish His Will.

Closing: The Difference Maker (BREATH OF GOD).

Difference of the early church? Jesus died and WAS RAISED. Ascended to heaven Sent The Promised Spirit Pneuma -> AIR IN MOTION.

(πνεῦμα‎‎, Lat. spiritus) is connected etymologically with πνέω‎‎, breathe or blow, and has a basic meaning of 'air in motion', or 'breath' as something necessary to life.

With Christianity The coals did NOT spread apart (they were together) and had the BREATH OF GOD moving in and through them, and they BLAZED BRIGHTLY.

This result: Scattering this kind of fire, creates a WILDFIRE. And that’s exactly what we have seen throughout the history of the church.

This is the life of a Witness Warrior: The Battle of The Normal Christian Life. -> FREEDOM RESILIENCY GUARANTEE.

Sermon notes will be added later

“The Strength Of A Unified Church”
Acts 4:32-37

99.9% of your DNA is shared with all other humans.
At the core of who we are created to be, we have a lot in common.
Yet we are so unique and different. In the .1%, there is what makes you, YOU.
In the church we have this same beautiful situation: Commonality—not Congruence. Unity, but
not uniformity.

The strength of the Church is found in 4 different ways in Acts 4:32-37.
1. The Church Of One Heart & Mind (32)
THE GREAT SHIFT: A Shift From Seeing Possessions As “Mine,” to seeing them as
“God’s” to be stewarded.
**PEOPLE OVER POSSESSIONS.
How can I steward my possessions to bless others?

**Different interests, personalities, gifts, talents, and belongings→ but the SAME
LOVE for God & Others.

2. The Church Of Great Power & Grace (33)
A. Great Power

B. Great Grace

3. The Church Of Meeting Each Other’s Needs (34-35)
-The church is an organism, not merely an organization.
-There are organizational components to a church (systems, processes, culture,
marketing, etc.) BUT...It is an organism because the membership is spiritually alive. The
church is the body of Christ. Jesus lives, and He has sent the Spirit into our hearts, and
we pour out the grace and truth of Jesus to our world as we live our lives on mission.
-Key Doctrine: Ecclesiology-> Permanence of the Church
*Don’t miss→ They took such good care of each other, there wasn’t a needy
person among them.

-Cultural/Historical Context: -> Unique Situation. Many from different lands after
the Pentecost event didn’t have permanent homes or access to many needed
resources (some of them very basic needs for survival).
- Not a one-time event, and not all at the same time. “From time to time” this would
happen.
- Even though the situation was unique in this context, the heart is still central to all
believers: Generosity.
- Every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17a).
- Biblical Generosity Must Be Voluntary

4. The Church Of Encouragers (Sold Out To Sacrifice)---(36-37)

GOSPEL PRESENTATION/INVITATION: Barnabas→ Jesus
A. sold a field he owned-> Gave up what was his
B. brought the money-> Brought his righteousness.
C. and laid it at the apostles’ feet. -> Laid it all down for those who didn’t earn it.
(Encouragement––Selflessness—Generosity—Sacrifice)