Anchored In Faithfulness

I want to talk to you today from the title of anchored in his faithfulness anchored in his faithfulness because we've been on a series in the season of anchored and the scripture that we had we began with talked about trusting in god it said I'll actually read it Rufus you can stay with me today man because I'm not gonna be up here long at all Jeremiah 17 7 says blessed is the one who trusts in the lord whose confidence is in him they will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream it does not fear when heat comes its leaves are always green it has no worry in the year of drought and never fails to bear fruit I believe God wants us today to be reminded that our confidence comes from putting our trust in the one who is faithful our confidence comes from putting our I'm gonna say that a few times our confidence comes from putting our trust in the one who is faithful our confidence comes from putting our trust in the one who is faithful our confidence our trust comes from the one who is faithful what does it mean for him to be faithful it means that he is reliable it means that he is consistent it means that everything he said he will do he will do and he has done and he will continue to do it what has you so worried this morning what has you so panicked this morning could it be that you've taken your faith out of the one who is faithful have you put your eyes on your own circumstances have you put your eyes on your problem so much and God wants to remind you today listen your anchoredness comes from the fact that he is faithful it comes from the fact that he has never failed your confidence comes from the fact that listen people people ask me sometimes like cj like like like how come you don't get like like rattled like how come you how come you don't get panicked and I need you to know it's because my faith and my confidence does not come in any of my gifts it doesn't come from my abilities it doesn't come from my strengths it doesn't come from my weaknesses it comes from my eyes are fixed on the one who has never failed I have confidence in this God who has always come through I look over my life and I look at the countless times in my life where I was scared or I was nervous or what I thought I was gonna feel and somehow God came through in ways that I didn't expect it in places that I didn't know to look and people who I thought were against me and you know what there are times when people are against you but even God can even work through that I'm talking like this this morning because I'm so encouraged I'm so encouraged this morning and I need you to be encouraged this morning

I need it it's hard not to be encouraged when you remember everything he's done it's hard for you not to be encouraged it's hard for you not to get excited how could you not be excited when you think about my life is in the hands of the man who never failed my hope is in the hands of a man who's always come through my steadiness my angriness come from a man who even when I you know when it really hits when you look over your life and you think of what an idiot you were I look back over my life I just CJ you did a lot of dumb stuff you did a lot of stuff that that you shouldn't be standing here right now CJ but even when I was faithless he was faithful everything that he said he was going to do he's done this is why when I pray and God tells me things and I hear it I walk out the room and I go tell my wife I go to my wife I like babe like babe this is what God told me and I start getting excited and it's not even seven in the morning yet say what you're so excited about because I know what he said and I know that everything he's ever said he's done so now I'm just moving different now I'm walking through the world my eyes wide open I'm just looking for it to happen I'm just looking for it God where is it you said you was going to do it I haven't seen it yet that's just mean it just hasn't come yet it doesn't mean that it's not going to happen he just hasn't done it yet everything he said he will do he's done What are you worried about? What are you afraid for? Anytime I get worried and anytime I get afraid, I notice and I said this before, it's like the check engine light in the car coming on. That's telling me I need to refocus my eyes back on the one who is faithful. You scared? Focus back on the one who is faithful. You nervous? Get your eyes back on the one who is faithful. You panic? Get your eyes back on the one who's never failed. You think you're going to die? Put your eyes back on the one who still has you here breathing today. He has never failed. I'm testifying about a God who is faithful. And if you're going to be anchored in his faithfulness I don't even want to go through the points, but it might help

somebody. If you want to be anchored in his faithfulness, Hebrew says this, and I'm just going to read Hebrews chapter 10. I'm going to just go to verse 23. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. And this is what I've been saying. For he who promised is faithful. If you're really hoping him, if you're really trusting him, would you hold on to him enough knowing that he who promised It's funny because I watch a lot of sports and this may sound like a random example unless you're like a sports person, but I watch when players come down in crunch time, NBA and you want the ball in the hands of the person who has the highest probability to make a shot. You, like back in the day when Michael Jordan was doing this thing you want the ball in Jordan's hands and if you was against Jordan and there's five seconds left on the clock and you're like, oh man, they got Mike everybody who's against him, they can't even watch the TV. He about to do it to us again. I was a Knick fan. Trust me, I know what it felt like. He about to do it to us again. Can I tell you when we talk about a God, he's shooting a hundred percent. He's never failed. He's never missed a shot ever. This is why I come up here and I'm screaming and I'm sweating already because there's so many things that I could be worried about. There are so many things you think I'm up here screaming and testifying and excited because I never

failed. No, no, no, no. It's not because I never failed. It's because despite how many times I failed. It's because despite how many times I messed up. It's because despite how many times I failed him, he has never failed. He still came through. He still loves me. He's still patient with me. He still continues to give me chance after chance after chance after chance and if he did it for me he wants to do the same thing for you. My hope is in the one who is faithful and if you want to be anchored in his faithfulness, sometimes you have to do this. The first thing is this. Remember. Remember his faithfulness. Sometimes it's hard to be anchored in his faithfulness because we get too tied up in our problems of today. When you get too worried about your problems of today, put your eyes on his victories in the past. Look at what he's done. I love Hebrews 10 when it talks about being solid in his faithfulness because in Hebrews 11 it starts talking about it says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. We are surrounded. If you go read Hebrews 11, go read it for yourself. He says look at all these people who came before you. Moses, Abraham, David, Samson. All of these people who came before you and they all faced things that looked like it was impossible and God came through for each and every one of them. He said look at them. You're surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Yesterday at prayer God just struck me for a moment. He just had me ask for all of the elders who are in the church. Everyone who is 60 years and older and they all stood up and they came to the front and they think it encouraged them. You have no idea how much it encouraged me because I look back at his faithfulness throughout the years and I'm like if he was faithful then he would be faithful now.

My hope is in one who is faithful. I remember my own stories and I'm sorry I'm yelling. get so excited. I look back over my own life and I remember the ways God came through for me I remember and I may have said this story before but I remember being in college and I got that financial aid letter from the bursar's office and they sent me and that is this may mean this may mean nothing to you but when I look back over my own life at times I thought I was gonna be done for man I was sitting in that dorm and I open up that letter I forget how much was owed you know you know everything is a lot when you ain't got it I don't remember if it was $900, $6,000, $7,000 I had zero and they sent me that letter and I was sitting in my dorm and it was one of those letters I had refused to open for a long time and then I went into my account my my school schedule account and I tried to register for classes and they blocked it so I couldn't register for classes for the upcoming semester and I'm like man I better open up this letter so I open up the letter and they were like Mr. Cody there's a hold on your account because you have a $6,000 balance that needs to be paid off and I knew I had zero and I was sitting in that that dorm room and I remember praying I'm like God I don't know what to do I can't ask my parents for it at this point I don't got this money I don't know what to do and then I remember being in that room praying and I remember God just impressing on me he said go down to the financial aid office I'm like and do what? He's like I just want you to go down to the financial aid office and I'm just sitting in my dorm I'm like go down and do what and I just kept feeling this strong sense go down to the financial aid office go down to the financial aid office I had no plan only thing I had get this because we talked about this only thing I had was a little bit of obedience to get up not knowing what in the world was gonna happen and go down to the financial aid office because he said so so I remember getting up and I'm just remember I talked about his faithfulness so I'm just looking for something to happen on my way to the financial aid office I'm like all right maybe I'll go and I'm looking on the ground is it gonna be like $6,000 on the

ground or something cuz cuz something gotta happen before I get to this financial aid office so I'm walking I'm looking every step and people I'm walking through campus people see me CJ what up man I'm kidding paying attention cuz I'm looking for $6,000 somewhere cuz faith will often make you look foolish until you reach your destination so I'm walking I'm looking and nothing I'm I got my phone in my hand I'm waiting for a call I'm like God you said come down this financial aid office I'm nothing has come through yet and I remember get to the office and I'm sitting there I'm wait I promise y'all I'm waiting for something to happen I'm like all right God you know why I'm waiting for something to happen cuz I know he who led me was faithful so when you recognize that you start looking for something to happen just cuz he said something so I'm like I'm just I'm gonna I'm waiting for checking my phone like did I get any other letters nothing so I'm waiting in line I'm like God any moment now any moment now they like next up mr. Cody I come up I'm like God I promise y'all I think I'm sweating now I was in that line like come on God come on come on come on come on come on come on so I get to the front of the line they like hey how can we help you I'm like um I got a letter said I owe about 6,000 and I can't register for classes I need something I need some assistance they like well did you ask your parents mr. Cody did you do you I'm like yeah I can't ask my parents I asked them for everything they did there's nothing else they were like well did you apply for every grant I'm like I have no more grants I could apply for they gave me everything they were like well what about any in any other you have any other relatives I'm like no no no no I don't think you know my family and I'll be good this says ain't nothing coming that way they like I'm sorry mr. Cody there's nothing we could do for you I'm looking I just sit there they said mr. Cody can we help you I said Yes, I got this letter and this letter said I owed about $6,000 and I can't register for classes. Is there anything you can do? They said, Mr. Cody, we ran through all our options. I'm sorry. Is that what we could do for you? And I just sat there.

And in my mind, I'm praying like, come on, God. Is it on my way back? Something's supposed to happen. What's happening here? They come back to me again as I sit there and I'm holding up the line. The line is behind me. I'm just looking back. I'm like, I'm sorry. They said, Mr. Cody, like, could you, can we help you? I said, I got this letter and this letter said I owed about $6,000 and I'm just trying to figure out what can happen. They said, Mr. Cody, give us a second. They go to the back and as they go to the back, in my mind, I'm like, God, it gotta happen now. I don't know how much longer I can stay here before they call security. So they come out the back. They're like, Mr. Cody, why didn't you tell us you were part of this program? To this day, I have no idea what program they was talking about. They're like, Mr. Cody, why did you tell us you were part of this program? Your $6,000 tuition bill is handled and you don't have to worry about that. The rest of your time coming to Syracuse university, you could go home. And I remember leaving like, God, that was close because I had no other plan beyond that. But you know what that did for me? There came other times in my life where I came across a moment where it looked like I had nothing. And I just began to remember that time when I was in the dorm room and God said, walk down to that office. And I remember going down to that office with no plan. My only plan was obedience. My only plan was I'm anchored in the one who's faithful. All I know that he told me to come down here and I'm looking for him to show up. And I told you this, the question of faith is never whether or not God is going to show up is will you still be standing there where he does? Will he find you still faithful when he does? You need to go back in your own life. If you're tempted to panic right now, if you find yourself in a jam right now, I promise you there are clues in your own life that you may be forgetting that you need to go back and remember what he did. Remember how he came through for you. Remember how faithful he was. I remember times when I was about to get married. The time ain't no times. I remember the time I was about to get married and we're looking at the bill. Then all of a sudden God allowed us to get 10,000. I remember there was a time and I could just go through story after story and it's like little stories. But I love that song that says there's a million little miracles and it's all a little evidence of his faithfulness.

Where in your life do you need to go back and remember? But here's the thing, when it comes to being anchored in his faithfulness, you can't just remember. Here's the next one, you got to remain. You got to remain in it because the temptation sometimes is once he does something, we get too big for our britches. We start running around and think it was all us. He's like no, no, no, I need you to remain in my faithfulness. I need you, if I began it, allow me to continue it and see it all the way through. It's not for him to do something for you to run out now and get well this is all about me because you quickly remember it had nothing to do with you to begin with. Remain. Remain in it. He who began a good work is faithful enough to complete it. Remain in his faithfulness. Where in your own life has God done something for you and you might have forgotten and you've and you've stepped outside his, you started trying to do things on your own. Me, there's times in our lives where God will allow us, I said this not too long ago, there's times in our lives where God will allow us to bump our head so we could get back in the spot we belong in. There's times in our lives where God's like, all right, I done let you run wild a little too long now, now I'm gonna allow you to fall. Not so you could die, just so I could reach out my hand and show you I'm still here for you. Just so I could show you all you have to do is look up back to me and I'm still here, I'm still faithful. I'm still faithful. We just gotta remain in his faithfulness. And the last one is this, you don't just remember, you don't just remain. I love this one, I said it like this, he calls us to run. This is what I mean when I say run, move like he's faithful. Get up and act on it. You know what I've noticed when it comes to his faithfulness? The issue is not that God doesn't move like he's faithful, we don't move like he's faithful. Some of us get so wrapped up in fear and we call it wisdom. Some of us get so wrapped up and I don't know, I don't know if I could do it, I don't know. His faithfulness should make us very bold. His faithfulness, some of us need to, I like to call it the spirit of David. When David had to go fight Goliath, I love how it says when it was time for David to go fight Goliath, he says he ran out there.

He ran out there. Why would he run to this giant and he about three feet tall? Why would he run out there? And he runs out there and this is what he says to the giant. He says, you come at me with sword and javelin, but I come at you in the name of the Lord Almighty. When you are anchored in him, you move different. Some people think being anchored, some people think as Christians, we supposed to sit back and fold our hands, twiddle our thumbs. I'm just, I'm just here. God said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I need you to get up and move like I'm faithful. I need you to walk down to that financial aid office like I'm faithful. I need you to go to that doctor's office like I'm faithful. Faith doesn't make us scared. It makes us faith to fact. It makes us face the facts, but still move forward with faith. Where in our lives do we need to move differently? You know what else gives us confidence as we do this? That's what I mentioned before. When David runs to Goliath, the people are looking at him. Saul looks at him. He said, what are you, what do you think you're going to do? David remembered what God had done when he was in the field. He said, it's the same God who rescued me from the paw of the bear and the mouth of the lion. This same God is going to help me overcome this giant. He remembered God's faithfulness from the past and it gave him the boldness and the confidence to move in the future. There are some things that God wants to do in our lives.

There are some things that he wants to fall, but it's going to require you to get up and move in confidence. It's going to require you to get up and move in boldness. It's going to require you to stop sitting back. I know this is strong. I know this is strong. I know, I know, I know. I asked him to put up with, do you got Hebrew chapter 10? Hebrews chapter 10, 38, verse 38 and 39, and, but my righteous one will live by faith. Read this. You think what I'm saying is strong. He says, I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. Why would he not take pleasure in the one who shrinks back? I'll tell you why. Because the Bible says without faith, it's impossible to please God. And if you really have faith, you would get up and move because faith is a catalyst for action. So if you're shrinking back, he said, oh, this is a sign that you don't really trust me. When you shrink back, oh, this is a sign that you don't really put, you're not really anchored in my faithfulness. So he said, I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. And this is what Paul finishes with. He said, but we do not belong to the ones who shrink back and are destroyed. This is strong. But to those who have faith and are saved, those who get up and move on his faithfulness. This is why the scripture says faith without works is dead. Some of us think it's enough to have faith in our mind, whatever that is. You get to the point where you understand faith and you like, oh, what did this fake

faith that I used to have, which is in my mind, God, yeah, I believe in you. I don't mean to make fun of anybody, but this was me. God, I believe in you. Just do it. God, I believe in you. God, I believe in you. God, I believe in you. Is it done yet? No, because you haven't got up and did anything yet. God, I believe in you. I'm just, do you trust God enough to get up and move? What would you, how would you move if you really knew that he who promises faithful? I love the, even the scripture that we read a few weeks ago, when they talked about them, the disciples, when they were fishing and they said, you know what, God, because you say so, I'll do it. This don't make no sense. We've been out here. all night. Studies would tell us to stop right now, but because you say so, because you're God, because you're my leader, because you're my master, I'll do it. I'll do it. Sometimes we just have to obey so we will see his faithfulness. Some of us have not seen his faithfulness yet or haven't recognized it yet because we are yet to obey what he told us to do. We have, we are yet, we, some of us have yet to make that phone call. Some of us have yet to fill out that application. Some of us have yet to send that text or have that tough conversation. Some of us have yet to end that relationship. Some of us have yet to, to open that letter. Some of us have yet to go down to our children's school. Some of us have yet to apologize to our spouse. Some of us have yet to give. Some of us have yet to serve.

Some of us have yet to make consistent time, get this, to get up and pray. I tell people this all the time. You know what helps me to pray? You know what encourages me as I lay down in the bed? At three in the morning, I'm like, oh, I don't want to get up. I'm like, if I don't get up, I don't get the blueprint that only comes from him. I need the blueprint. I need to know what he's saying. My very life depends on me being in communion with the father. And you know what, what makes me get up and do it? It's because I have faith that if I call out to him, he's going to answer. And because I believe that it makes me get up when I'm tired. It makes me get up when I'm anxious. It makes me get up when I'm fearful. It makes me get up when everything's going wrong. It makes me get up when I'm anxious. It makes me get up when I'm fearful. It makes me get up when everything around me telling me to stay down. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no. If I cry out to him, he is faithful and he will hear me and he will answer. So, God, here's what I'm dealing with, God. Here's what I'm struggling with, God. Here's what I need answers for, God. And time after time after time, I've seen him give me the blueprint. I've seen him give me direction. I've seen him give me a soft invitation to obey. I love how anytime I cry out to God, it always, his answer seems to always come in a form of a little instruction. A little instruction. It's as if to say, CJ, thank you for crying out to me. Thank you for telling me your needs. Thank you for telling me what you're struggling with.

Now, this is what I want you to do. You know what I love? I love it's the same blueprint that he used in his first miracle. The very first miracle Jesus ever did was turn water to wine at this wedding. At this wedding. And they looked at the issue. They seen that there was a problem. They seen that they had ran out of wine. And they go, and they're like, we need something. And then Mary tells them, Mary, Jesus's mother. She says, do whatever he tells you to do. I don't know what he's about to tell you to do. She said it as if, you know what, I've watched this kid growing up. And it's, whenever anybody in our house did whatever he told him to do, something good happened. So my advice to you is after you go to him, do whatever he tells you to do. And they, Jesus, I can, because Jesus in this story, Jesus even said, woman, why do you involve me? I mean, I just came here to celebrate the wedding. I didn't come here to do nothing. Why do you involve me? And they stand there looking at him. It's like, all right, go get the buckets. And go fill that up. And fill it to the brim. You know why some of us miss the things that God wants to do? Because we only follow what he says to do partially. When he gives instructions, he gives complete, it's, it behooves us to do everything and every part of what he told us to do. Some of us haven't seen it yet because God said call three times.

You only call once. He said, I'm waiting for you to call again. And then I'm waiting for you to call one more time after that. But God, this is stupid. Remember what I said? Faith looks foolish until you reach your destination. People will look at you crazy. Some of us haven't done it yet because people gonna look at us crazy. Some of us haven't done it yet because we, because we feel, we feel unqualified. We feel ill-equipped. And God is like, what about my word? If I called you, I've equipped you. If I called you, I've equipped you. If you're in the. Situation right now if you find yourself in a place in space right now know that God called you At that space at that time and he will equip you for what he's called you for But in order for you to see the equipping you got to get bold and move I know it's strong and i'm sorry for those like cj that was a little too strong. Could you kind of like quiet down? He who promises faithful Would you move like it Would you pray like it? Would you give like it? Would you serve like it? Would you love like it? Would you show up at work like it? I'm trying to tell you the difference That it makes when you really start moving like he's faithful My wife knows The things that I would pray about

And write down This times where even She loves me And I love her This times where God told me some wild things I was even afraid to say it That sometimes God will tell me to say things I'm like God really? I'm gonna look crazy I remember going to my wife And I'll be like babe God said this He said what? What are you talking about? That's nuts And years later We watch God do it I believe there's even some people In this room who once had faith And you've lost your faith You once believed in God You once saw him do things And God is like I want to show you I still got it I want to show you That I'm the same God yesterday today and forever Would you trust in me again? Would you move? Can we do this? If you're in this room

And you need God to come through for you again The song that we sang He'll do it again The promise still stands If you're in this room And you need God to come through for you You waiting on God to come through for you right now Do me a favor Don't hesitate Be bold Come up to the altar right now If you're in this room right now And you need God to come through for you In a special way I want you to come to the altar right now Don't hesitate Come on The promise still stands Your faithfulness Come on lift your hands and sing I'm still in your hands Fix your eyes on him This is my confidence Come on sing it out The promise still stands The promise still stands Great is your faithfulness Your faithfulness Sing I'm still in your hands Sing it to him

I'm still in your hands This is my confidence You never fail me The band is going to continue to play Keep playing that Rufus Keep playing that James Keep playing that Chad And I want you I told you when I was in my dorm room I just began to cry out to God and tell him what I need I began to let him know God this is where I'm at I didn't need special words I just needed real words Begin to tell God right now what is that you need I can't do nothing for you I'm pointing you to the one who can Begin to tell him what you need right now Right in your situation just tell him If you got to get on your knees and tell him Get on your knees and tell him God I need you God I'm dependent on you God I don't know what I'm going to do in this situation In my family, in my home, at my job With the doctor's report With the business With the relationship Come on tell him God I need you, I need the blueprint God

I need you to show me what you do Where to go, who to talk to, who to text Pray, pray, pray Come on lift it up louder Continue to play, lift it up louder Come on continue to pray, continue to pray Come on, come on Let him know what you need He will promise his faithful, he will do it again Father God we need you Father God we come to you again We ask you to do it again Show up again Show yourself faithful again Supply again Heal again Provide again Open doors again Split the Red Sea again Knock down the giant again You have done in the past, we believe that you can do it again, and you will do it again. Tear down the walls again Come on, the promise. Your promise still stands. Great is your faithfulness. Your faithfulness. Come on, I'm still in your hands. I'm still in your hands. This is my command. Never fail.

And I never will forget, God, the things that you've done. The ways that you've made. The doors that you've opened. When I was faithless, you were faithful. My hope is in Christ and in Christ alone. Some of us need to get that testimony that our hope is in Christ and in Christ alone. When you start moving in faith, people start looking at you funny. I want to encourage you. Don't let the looks of other people deter you from moving in faith. They're going to look at you funny. They're going to be like, why are you doing that? It don't make no sense, because I'm trusting in God. I'm just carrying out marching orders. That's all I'm doing here. I know it makes no sense right now, but I know faith looks foolish until I reach my destination. I'm going somewhere. I know you don't see it yet, but buckle up and sit tight, because when I see it, it's not just going to impact me. It's going to impact you. So it behooves you to let me do what I'm doing right now. It behooves you to let me keep going. Come on, because the one who did it, I love this song, he keeps on doing it. He keeps on doing it. Come on, and you keep on doing it. Because now we celebrate like he's already did it. Now we celebrate like it's already done. He keeps on doing it. God, we thank you. He keeps on doing it. I know he will. I know he will.

I know he will. Come on, and he keeps on doing it. Come on. Can we point up? Point up, point up, and he keep on, and he keep on. Just point to him. Come on, just point to him. Come on. And he keeps on doing it. Come on. He'll keep on doing it. And he keeps on doing it. Father, you keep on doing it. You keep on coming through. Come on. One more time. One more time, and he keeps on doing it. Come on, I feel faith rising even in me. It makes me bold. He keeps on doing it. He keeps on coming through. And he keeps on doing it. Thank you, God, for making a way. Can we put that scripture out one more time? Hebrews 10, 38. 38, verse 38. Verse 39, actually. We do not belong to those who shrink back. Everybody in this room who's put their faith and their hope and their trust in Christ, you do not belong to people who

shrink back. We move in boldness. We move in confidence. We move in faith. And it's not cockiness. Because some of us think it's cockiness. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's confidence in the one who's never failed. I'm sure I'm playing with a player who never missed. And so I move different. And I know you're used to failing. And I know you're used to everything falling apart. But I'm used to working with a God who keeps on doing it. So, Father God, we thank you again for your faithfulness. We pray, Lord God, that you help us to remain anchored in your faithfulness. May we never forget to wake up and pray. May we never forget to go back to the God who's always come through, who's always made a way. And we will continue to do it. In Jesus' precious and mighty name, we pray. And he keeps on doing it.