Landmarks

it's an old song simply says on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground sinking sand thank you everything that has been done thus far is just led us to this point of letting us know that everything has to start with him everything has to start with him it's not my texts not what I was going to talk about but Matthew talks about two different men building a house one of them he decides to go in and build a house and he did not consider Foundation didn't consider it he didn't look at what he was working with he just started building the other one he found something solid he begins to build Story Goes that there were storms that came in life we have storms don't we the one that did not consider Foundation the scripture says that his house was washed away but that one that considered Foundation scripture said the storms came the winds blew beat up on the house you know what happens the next storm storms come winds blow beat up on the house next storm comes wind blows rains fall beats up on the house but it's not shaken a few years ago we had a storm that came through and took away our building but I'm looking here today and there's still a foundation there's still something being built oh Hallelujah would you lift your hands once again in the name of Jesus across this room hallelujah hallelujah in the name of Jesus Hallelujah I know that God is moving right now I feel him in my soul I feel him would you not lose what God's showing you right now just open up your hearts open up your minds and I want us to I want us to get ourselves in alignment with God and say God do something for me in this service feel that God's going to give us some direction in this service there's some that are here today God's going to give you some direction he's going to show you some things if you'll allow him to would you say in Jesus name God bless you you may be seated thank you Pastor for the opportunity do not take it lightly at all as a matter of fact I get anxious I get I get excited and then yeah go through that roller coaster ride told my wife I said I I got a notebook got an iPad even brought the Bible with me because you still don't got it it's just not but I do know this that God he knows what we need today a few years ago some years ago we started seeing and protests going on and I want to talk to you today and I'll go ahead and give you my title because I really feel liked it this kind of sets everything but I'm gonna I'm gonna talk to you today about landmarks I'm going to talk to you about landmarks some some years ago though we had we had uh protesters and these protesters got together and they started protesting certain landmarks I happened to look up from that time until now and I don't have all the dates correct but there was over 183 landmarks that were taken down I started looking around and started surfing the the web that and I thank God for the web how many are you thank him for well there's a lot of information there but I started looking through things that I had and there are landmarks all across the world around the world that we go to we've got the Leaning Tower of Pisa that that is found in Italy a lot of people will travel there and they'll go and be able to look at it and observe it and read about it and how many uh how many remember growing up in school doing studies on on things and objects around the world and one of those was pyramids remember the pyramids in in Egypt and and the wander thereof and and then you you've got the Statue of Liberty that we have in New York city that is one of those landmarks that how many have been to see the yeah and those are things that you go and look at and get to observe and what they really mean each and every one of these landmarks there was one that re that I was reminded of this morning and that was uh Christ the Redeemer remember that that statue that is in Brazil uh 98 feet tall or something like that just those landmarks that people go and they mean something in our life they they mean something to society they bring value to society they uh they have certain things and as I was looking through these I again I I'm going to take it a little bit old school today but I remember being in one of those closed meetings one time and I had an elder that was speaking to a group of of ministers and I remember him talking about and and when I say this you'll you'll know where I'm talking about but he was talking about the campgrounds and and he was talking just he started off the the conversation with now fellas he says underneath a pin oak tree out on the corner of the campgrounds if you'll get you a metal detector you'll find that underneath that tree there is a head of uh of an ax that is buried there he says and if you will take and go Due West uh you'll find there's metal in the ground there it was an axle off of some type of old old car or something but he was taking this round trip to landmarks and he said so if anybody gets the wandering where the end of the property is or where the corner of the property is go to that peanut pin oak tree and take a metal detector there and and he began to talk about things like that and I I was like where are you going with this bishop where are we going with this and and I I as he went on I realized that he was he was really talking to the the value of where where we were and what was going on in our lives because each and every one of us there are things that has happened in your life that left landmarks in your life there are things that has has happened and some of them were found around an altar some of those things were found where there was a stake driven in the ground and that is where that particular thing happened I can take you to the place that I receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost I know exactly where I was standing and those are things that I remember and those are things that you will remember there are landmarks that are placed in your life and each and every one of us our children I I urge you today and I I may get in some of your personal space today but I want you to understand it's with with loving heart did I do that but with your children make sure that you make those landmarks firm make sure that you have set those landmarks and say it says baby this we will not move from right here we're not going to move off of this this is where we started I I was I was thinking through the landmarks of time and all of the things that took place the Bible tells us and we find in Proverbs the 22nd chapter verse 28 you see there the scripture even tells us remove not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers have said interesting that he would say fathers right those ancient landmarks he goes on in Deuteronomy the 27th chapter verse 17. he talks about you moving landmarks of your neighbor and then job tells us in Joe's 24 and 2 he talks about removing landmarks to benefit from to take something from understand all of these things that he's mentioning he mentions his he mentions your father he mentions your neighbor and he mentions those things that you move landmarks to gain how many you know we live in a changing world we live in a changing world and you can you can uh just about YouTube anything now and you're going to find somebody that's got a religion out there that's going to you know it's really going to help you it's going to be something that you that you really like and that you're gonna you're gonna hold fast too but the truth is my question would be today is it built on Christ is it built on Christ is it built on a firm foundation there are some landmarks Now we move we move things around we've got methods we change we got things we do different we got lights thank God I don't want to sit in the dark somebody said something the other day about about having a tent and setting it up okay y'all go right ahead that that's fine and and I don't I'm not knocking that but if I've got a choice between having Church in the AC and we'll skip mosquitoes flying around I'm gonna take the AC but we've changed there are so many things about about the way that we have church and the things that's going but here here is what I want us to to zero in on today is that there are some things that never change there are foundations that are never moved there are things that we will never change about there are what we call original those things that we call original Roots those things that we call original stakes in the ground that's not moving it's not moving Hebrews the sixth chapter verse one and two we find that the scripture tells us Jesus says he he he's he's he's uh he lays foundations all through the scripture there but then in the book of Hebrews we find that that they're telling us not to don't go back to the doctors notice this it says you you've done this you've laid this Foundation you you've you've got the doctrine you've got the doctrine of Christ you've got all of these things he said to now move on to what perfection lay again no more you're not you're not going to do that we've already been there we've established that you have laid the foundation of Christ that is who we're basing it on we're not going to move it anymore we're not going to try to here's what happens and and you gotta you got to remember Brother Gibson has one of these Minds that I think in pictures you can't go back to a foundation and start visiting it every day and seeing what you can do different with it you can go and you can move a wall in the house make the kitchen bigger you can go in there and you can make a you can you can open up and make a bigger bedroom or a bigger bath or whatever it may be but you don't go back and start messing with Foundation once you start picking at Foundation what happens everything that you have built on is going to shift everything that you have established on Christ the solid rock I stand all other grounds are sinking sand if you are not built on Christ it's going to fall if you don't have it established this is it it's not moving do not touch those foundational things there are landmarks that needs not to be touched Christ went to the Cross was crucified he did that for us if there had not have been a a Calvary what would have happened to the day of Pentecost somebody think about it you start pulling things away from what you believe start dropping things along the way what happens everything starts to crumble everything starts to shatter if you didn't have a if you didn't have an acts 238 experience then don't expect any anything else to go good there would have been never been a day of Pentecost if there hadn't been a day of Pentecost it would have never been an Acts 2 38. never we you know we got people that'll say well you don't have to do all that I'm sorry but there are foundations that must stay the same there are landmarks that must stay intact there are things that cannot be moved it can't be shaken it has to stay in place folks it's important it's important that you find these these values and you find these things and you place these in your children's life maybe there's a reason why I put this here there are things that you teach your children and there's reasons why you value I'm sorry Sunday morning babe you don't feel good guess what you can get your healing today I know we got a lot of stuff going on in our world and I know there's a lot of illnesses and we don't want you bringing all that sickness in here but but I have learned over the years that there are sometimes you know we just don't feel good on Sundays and it's easy for us to just stay home there are some things that you just got to say babe you know yeah you got a headache but I know the Healer babe I know the back's hurting but but you know what we can still go to church you know it'll be hurting Monday morning too I I you know again I told you I might wait into some personal space here but there are foundations that cannot be moved there are things that you cannot move there are landmarks that are there and they're there for a reason there was a reason why the bishop said hey this here is where this is at this is where this is at and whenever things get get get fuzzy in life look go back to that to that corner over there Square it up go back over there look at that you know that that's it right there don't don't move that it's not to be moved don't mess with it a group of people says hey what what is it that I need to do to be saved men and brethren they're trying to find something solid folks this world wants something solid something that's going to be there you you look at everything around you it's wishy-washy things here there religion is that way it's here it's there tomorrow they're going to be shouting on the you know they'll be shouting around and then the next day they'll be cursing at you that's that's just the world we live in but if we can give them something solid this world needs something that is solid and I have found nothing else in this world that is greater than Jesus Christ and him crucified there's nothing else in this world that we can build on but Jesus Christ no other Foundation is straighter than him they say man what do we do what do we do how can we be safe there was something that got a hold of Peter that day and he jumped up and he said hey the first thing you need to do is is to repent of your sins there's you need to repent of your sins and then there's another thing you need to do you need to be baptized in his name there's there's Foundation to what we're talking about there are landmarks to what we're talking about here and there's some things you just don't touch I I know we we live in a day hey I'm not afraid to call it being filled with the Holy Ghost brother I was filled with the Holy Spirit I I know I know and it's okay but I don't have a problem with saying Holy Ghost that's Foundation it's it's that that was established a long time ago there was a reason Grandpa preached that there was a reason that grandma said that there was a reason why that she said don't do this don't do that there are there are things that has to be established you know why people are running here and there go in here go in there don't don't know what's going on don't don't have a clue why they're doing that is because there's nothing for them to build on there's nothing there for them to say hey I've got I've got a firm foundation and I'm building on that there was some landmarks established a long time ago and they're not they're unmovable looked up here today and again forgive me for bragging but I'm gonna brag could not help myself but to look up here and I know that I've got a daughter in Louisiana that was on the platform this morning then I had two that were standing here and and you know and no they're not perfect and if you want to notice details you can ask me later they're not perfect but they they know from what we spoke of in their lives we know they know from what we have established in our home they know that there's no other way there's no other way yeah they they may they may question every once in a while come by and question is God in it question is God in it if he's not if it's something you hadn't prayed about go let's go pray about it first there are there are things that is unmovable you don't move them they're established they're there if it had not have been for the grace of God Deuteronomy 6 and 4. somebody quote that here o Israel the Lord our God it doesn't change it does not change it stays the same no matter what what you try to say you get theologians they'll get to talking and debating and doing all of this I'm sorry I you know debates really not my thing what does it say and we can weave in and out of the scripture but you're going to always come back too there's one guy that doesn't change you find somebody and you try to build on somebody else's Doctrine go ahead I'll tell you where you're going to end up nothing changes when it comes to this we're Spirit-filled we're Holy Ghost filled people we're baptized in his name that does not change those things never change those are things that is set in stone whether it comes to Lifestyle some people you know they well Brother Gibson history yep that's okay we get to talking through Paul's writings Paul gets pretty rough you know again I'm not gonna break that down but Paul gets rough with some of his writings and it there's certain things you've got to do how many how many of you really believe that God is still on the throne today how many you believe that it still takes the Holy Ghost and filling how many of you believe that you need to be baptized in Jesus name do you still believe in The Old Rugged Cross do you still believe that he died on a cross for you and I those things never change Styles change things of life will change you know what I told somebody this morning I there used to be a day I wouldn't wear a floral tie and I kept asking what am I gonna do with that guess what I'm wearing floor tie today that's okay those types of things change well but one thing never changes it's on Christ leave those things alone folks if there's anything that I can say today those foundational things that you have established in your life but don't be swayed by those things don't don't don't be swayed by the world don't don't allow the world to come in and change things for you don't allow the world to manipulate what you believe in there there are things I I was telling my wife yesterday you know our world is and really and truly when you get to thinking about it not in the front of my Bible and and this has been here since since uh the 90s when I was in Bible School and it was it's it's a true and false questionnaire and it basically talks about how humanism has creeped into the church be amazing to you how how many how many questions you would get wrong just simply because there are so many things that we that we Overlook and we allow to just creep in just things that we just let go of there are things that we need to go back and say okay God I I've got I'm going to make sure and I'm going to affirm these things are still here the these these these landmarks are still in my life this is still there you you're going to change your life your your hairstyle all that's going to change some of it'll fall out but you're gonna you're gonna affirm that I still believe that you died on the cross Lord Jesus I still believe that that the only way to you is through repentance in Jesus name water baptism and I still believe that you've got to be filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues some people will tell you that's not even necessary anymore but I still believe that why because those things never change all the others gonna it's gonna fade away everything else is gonna is it'll it'll disappear in the come around it's just hold on to your clothes 15 20 years from now Lord Terry's you'll be wearing them same clothes again if you can get in them styles they come and go but nothing about those foundational things change that Foundation must stay the same still believe in the Rugged Cross I still believe in it I still believe that you've got to be baptized in Jesus name these are things that we hand down I wonder if we've got any we've got some Tim you're here you've got your son you've got your daughter you got grandbabies here one two three generations right there that's three generations and that's the thing is we we teach them this don't change you can change the way that you do things you can even grow an old rubber scruffy beard if you want to you can do those things but there's some things never change and we have to establish that parents if there's anything that you get out of this this morning don't let these things change young people if there's anything that you can get out of this this morning remember this these things don't change you may see things come and go in life but baptism in his name never changes the infilling of the Holy Ghost never changes Christ never changes the same yesterday today and forever is settled you don't have to don't bring it up again just like just like a Hebrew set don't don't go back and start picking at the foundation because you're gonna mess everything up stay within the book if there's anything that you can you can build on this right here is solid this is solid never changes say well I got a new revelation from it well there's a lot of things that's revealed to me but that never changed the letters didn't didn't twist around and and give you something new you may have got a revelation about something you didn't know but this didn't change this stays the same hold on to it don't let it don't Veer From the Path folks don't Veer from the path let God's word be true in your life I I would like for it to be said that if time goes on that that I'm gone and my children and their children and their children are still believing that there is still a one true Living God yeah I'm gonna do my best to make sure that they understand that too got pictures of and and of course we can do videos now I got an Ian sitting at my desk when I was pastoring he's just a little bitty fella he had his little cap on he was saying one guy that's about all he could say one guy taught him that from a young age why because I want him to know those things never change they never change I want you to Bow your heads with me right now and I I really feel this in the Holy Ghost I feel like God is trying to he's got something he wants to reveal to some of you today but there are there are there are things that's going to come and go in your life there'll be heartaches there'll be things that will literally you'll feel you can't make it through it you don't know there'll be things that that just devastate life in general there's always going to be one thing that you can always hold on to that's gonna be that no matter what I'm faced with God you will always be the same don't surrender the ownership of what your foundation is there's been a many of properties lost and I'm talking in the in in the Practical world there's been a media properties lost because somebody said hey that was my fence there foreign and so they just based it upon the fact that there was a fence there somewhere down the road there was a fence line that was moved a little bit and they lost some things there's nothing wrong with ever so often re-looking at the fact that God I don't want to lose anything along the way I don't want to lose these lines that I have in place that protects me it protects my family protects my church family and so I want to make sure that they're they're established God can you reaffirm with me that everything is still good can you read just just give me that assurance that everything's okay because there is coming a day folks that if you have moved lines and you have you've pulled it here and pulled it there that nobody knows what what is foreign that all of this that we've worked so hard to hold on to that we've had Generations come after us and just say you know Pastor Sloan said this but you know I think this is okay I think Pastor will agree with me today those things are unmovable there are there are some things that you don't move you you just don't do it don't touch it yeah your hair you can wear it a little different but those things you don't move you see those are the things that gets us through those life-changing experiences those storms of life that we sing about those things that we talk about those things that you've experienced that life blows through and all of these things happen but when you've got those landmarks there may not be able to see the ground the storm may have blown everything away and everything is shattered laying on the ground but you can walk and say okay there's there's that corner there's that one all right we've got the corners we're still established everything is good I still believe that there was a cross I still believe that he died for my sins baptism in his name still there the infilling of the Holy Ghost is still there all this other can go away and it will but as that old song said oh Christ the solid Rock I stand everything else is falling apart this is still established young people older Folk children don't don't let this shatter your world no matter what happens around you whatever this world does don't let it shatter because these things have been established and I'll promise you this as I get older I realize that I'm falling in that that Elder category you get shaky and things get to falling apart you come running to me run to your pastor I'll tell you it's going to be okay everything's gonna be all right why because again I've seen what God can do even in my own life I've seen what he can do would you stand with us I I know that you're asking questions on God why this why that why is this going on why is the world having to it's okay those things have to come to pass there are some things that just has to happen we we got scripture for that it just has to happen but what was established on the day of Pentecost it'll never change God my trust is in you would you lift your hands with us right now around this room as you lift your hands I know foreign are you thankful today for the landmarks in your life thankful today for the Assurance of the word come on thank the Lord for it beautiful thank the Lord for it I thank you Jesus holy is your name come on you got to know that you know God is still God is still God Hallelujah Jesus Hallelujah Jesus