Don't Be a Nimrod in 2026 | KizQuest Pastor Nolan Carpenter

It feels good in the house of the Lord this Wednesday evening. If you feel the Holy Ghost here, would you say amen? >> Amen. We'll go quickly into the word of the Lord this uh this evening and we'll be turning to Genesis chapter 10 verse number verse number eight. So good to be in the house of the Lord with everyone tonight. What a tremendous crowd. Not only being a Wednesday night but being new year New Year's Eve service. What a tremendous crowd we have here tonight. Thank you for honoring God uh this evening uh by honoring him closing out this year. And uh I know my goals tonight is to have you home before the ball drops at midnight. That would be a good goal. And uh some of you are nervously laughing right now. You don't know if I'm serious or not, which makes me really happy. Uh but we'll go quickly into the word of the Lord this evening. Genesis chapter 10 verse number 8. It says, "And Kush begat Nimrod, he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord, and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Eric and Akad and Kelna, and in the land of Shinar. Out of the land went forth Asher, and builded Nineveh, and the city of Rahabath and Kala, and resin between Nineveh and Kala, the same is a great city. Next chapter verse number one, Genesis 11 and verse number one says, "And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and dwelt there. And they said one to another, go to let us make brick and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone and slime they had for mortar. And they said, "Go too. Let us make us a city and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." I'll save my title for just a moment. But before we're seated tonight, I want to echo the words of pastor. For some time now, our pastoral team has felt that 2026, God is going to do something great in. And tonight I want to echo his words. You can't help but know we've been praying and we've been sewing and now it's time for God to send the rain. And I believe in 20126 that God is going to do something great of because of what we've done because of our prayer because we are seeking the face of God. And I believe that the Lord is going to do something great. If you believe that, before you're seated, would you clap your hands all across this room tonight? Hallelujah. We love you, Jesus. anoint the word tonight. You may be seated in the house of the Lord. Of course, pastor tonight already mentioned that tomorrow will start a new journey for some people. And for some people, it's their it's their worst nightmares. When this new journey that we like to call New Year's resolutions will start tomorrow for 20 and 26. Is there anybody here tonight that you already have your new New Year's resolution and you've already been putting it into practice? Not everybody at once. All right. Well, some of us New Year's resolutions hopefully are decided tonight and go into practice tomorrow. And uh this is the time period that avid gym goers and lovers hate because everybody and their mother is going to Planet Fitness starting tomorrow. And u you know for people who go to the gym often um you know as well as I do that uh by midFebruary a lot of those New Year's resolutions have been long forgotten about. And u and that that is very true. It says there's a study that 85% of New Year's resolutions fail by the middle of February. And here are some not exact uh titles that people will uh proclaim on social media, but top 10 resolutions include uh to exercise more. 25% of people say that in 2026 they will be more of an exercise uh a more of a mover. in 2026. Um, another one is the second most popular is to be happier or to focus on to focus on happiness. That's 23%. Eat healthier uh is 22%. Save money uh is down slightly from last year, but that's 21%. Improve physical health 21%. Lose weight uh seems to be the common the common thing through uh the first six resolutions. That's 17 to to 31%. Improve mental health. That's always important. That's 16%. Uh and then it keeps going on. Spend time with friends and family more. And some of you that's why you have mental health problems, but that's another subject for another time. And uh we won't get into that at the moment. Uh learning something new and reading more. That's 15%. Matter of fact, that's what Flannry and I's u uh resolution is for 2026 to to read more. And uh and then finally rounding out the top 10 is is is to pray more or to focus on faith. And that's only 15% of people. And my resolution along with reading more um for 2026 is the title of my sermon tonight. And if you don't have one, by the showing of hands earlier, it sounds like everybody needs one. Uh, I would glad be glad for you to join uh this journey with me in 2026. And here's my title. Don't be a nimrod in 2026. All right. Turn to your neighbor. This is a good opportunity, guys. Turn to your neighbor and say, "Don't be a Nimrod in 2026." Sister Gable, it's finally it's time to see you say something back to your husband. All right? And uh that that's your comeback. Don't be a nimrod. And uh that's not being mean. That's just quoting the preacher tonight. Don't be a merod in 2026. Before we get to this man and all his failures, um we must first go back and set the stage of why why Nimrod came about. We know that the world um was becoming more evil every day. It was uh evil upon evil. men of uh of seducers. They they they renown they were renowned men. They they were worse and worse, the scripture says. And and um the Lord found himself a man by the name of Noah. And Noah would be the opportunity to be saved through the judgment that was soon to come. the the judgment uh of the close of the dispensation of conscience would would would we know uh to that that that dispensation would be finished by the judgment of the flood. And God found himself a man by the name of Noah to build an ark uh that would sustain whosoever would just simply get in the boat. And God spoke to Noah and said, "Make thee an ark of gopherwood, and runes shalt thou make in in the ark, and shall pitch it within and without pitch." Now, this pitch is um scripture kind of hints to it. It's a it's a slime like substance. And whenever pitch is used, um this slime like substance, it it seems to have success. And we see it was successful uh in Noah in the ark, the Sunday school story that we all know and love. With this substance, it was with it was able to withstand the waters. This substance would allow the boat to float in the midst of judgment. And then we move forward to life after the flood. In Genesis chapter nine, it says, "And God blessed Noah and his sons and said unto them, here's the rule for you, be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth." Then God goes on to to to how they ought to have dominion and and and and everything else that goes along for the next uh six verses. And then he says in verse seven, if you didn't get it the first time, here you go again. and you be ye fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply therein. So we see that God called Noah and his family to scatter the earth and to replenish the earth. And the Bible says that Noah, and I know this might be elementary for some, but I I I I really feel like we could get to a place where we all need to realize we don't want to be a Nimrod in 2026. The Bible says that Noah had three sons, Ham, Sham, and Japheth. The Bible says verse number six, uh uh of uh uh verse number six says, "And the sons of Ham, Kush and Mazarim, and Foot and Canaan, and the sons of Kesh, Siba, Havalah." We'll go on and on and on. And then we'll see in verse number eight, it says, "Kush begat Nimrod, and he began to be a mighty one in the earth." And then we see the scripture go from listing the genealogies of of the sons of Noah to now it switches in our opening our opening uh text. it switches to the accomplishments of Nimrod. And once it lists the accomplishments of from Nineveh, from Nineveh to Babel, which we know is Babylon, to all these different places that were great cities. Then it goes back into verse 13. It goes back to more genealogy. It says and and Misreum begat Lam and all all the the people that Misreum begat. Through the opening text tonight, the genealogy is very clear. The line for Ham, it goes through the sons of Noah. Then it gets to the line for Ham and his sons, but it makes a side note at this man named Nimrod. We go from from genealogy to now the only thing Nimrod has to offer is so-called great accomplishments. >> I'll say it again so we get it because we're going to fast forward here in just a moment. But the lineage, it goes from Noah and his sons, then it it it comes to Kush and how he begat Nimrod. It seems to flow. And then when we get to Nimrod, it goes from genealogies to accomplishments or so-called accomplishments. Nimrod represents several things. One thing to note tonight, most importantly about Nimrod is he is someone who represents a person who is very selfish. That's the first thing I don't want to be in 2026. I don't want to be a Nimrod. I don't want to be selfish. have come to ask us on this New Year's Eve service. Are we more more concerned in 2026 with personal accomplishments? Or are we concerned about leaving an eternal legacy? >> Because throughout scripture, it's legacy upon legacy. But we get to a man who he thinks everything's about him. And then we switch to accomplishments. I want to tell us tonight that there is no greater accomplishment than leaving e an eternal legacy for someone to follow and someone to buy in. Yes, you can have all the accomplishments in the world, but the greatest accomplishment we can ever have is to have a family that's in the genealogy of living for God. A family that has an accomplishment that comes to church, honors the midweek by coming to the house of God, honors prayer. That's the greatest accomplishments >> we could ever have. That's a great legacy to leave behind. And I truly feel I felt this in prayer, Dad. I felt this in prayer so strong today that what God is going to do in 2026, yes, he's going to bring accomplishments of the church, but most importantly, he's going to give us a legacy to leave behind. I believe it started with our with our sun up to sun down prayer. I believe that has marked this church as a legacy to go forth. I believe that something's going to happen and something is going to be set in motion that leaves a legacy. >> Do you want to leave a legacy tonight? >> I don't want just accomplishments like Nimrod. I I I want to leave a a legacy. I don't care personally what I accomplish and I want to accomplish a lot. I I think we all should strive for that. But the greatest accomplishment is to leave a legacy behind of kids and children living for God. Or maybe parents, you didn't accomplish that. The best thing is for you to always provide for them a place to come back home. The greatest thing for prodigal children is not to see parents be down and out, but the fa the the greatest thing for prodigal children to see is their parents faithfully serving the Lord. Why is that? because you're leaving a legacy, an opportunity for those prodals in 2026 to come back home because you didn't give up. You didn't think it was an accomplishment to have a child live for God. No, no, no. You thought it was greater to have a legacy that one day they could come back, >> come back home. >> Nimrod is a man who is is selfish. He's prideful and he's rebellious. Now, husband, the next time you get selfish, don't be surprised if your wife calls you a Nimrod. Yeah, Flannry, don't use that on me. Come against the man of God. No, I'm just kidding. Genesis Genesis 11 and verse number one tells us the story that Mark's Mark's uh Nimrod even though it doesn't mention his name in this chapter we can see through tradition we can see through historians commentaries and even how how there is there is one scripture that comes to mind that it mentions that it was the land it was the land of Nimrod. is exactly where this text takes place in Genesis 11 and verse number one. And the whole earth was one of one language and of one speech. And it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and dwelt there. And they said one to another, go to let us make brick and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone and slime. That substance found in Noah and the ark. The Bible calls it pitch in Noah in the ark. In this text, it calls it slime. And these are two different Hebrew words. I don't have time to get into this tonight. I just ask that you would trust me. And the only difference between these two Hebrew words was how they are applied. One, the Hebrew word for pitch in in in the story of Noah in the ark means to completely cover. All right, completely cover. And this word for slime means to apply. I don't know if that uh is going to preach well tonight, but I think it might. That you have to completely cover yourself with what God wants you. This is not something that's half-hearted. This is not something that you can have one foot in and one foot out. If you want to survive judgment, it's a good idea to completely apply, completely cover your life, your family's boat that's going to get you through judgment. It'd be a good idea, I feel the Holy Ghost in this place, for us to cover it with what God wants us to cover it with inward holiness and outward holiness will get us through the judgment. Not just a little dab here and there, not just a little application here, but pitch within, pitch without, and slime. Same substance here with Nimrod in the Tower of Babel. And Nimrod is is rebellious. Instead of going and scattering, he stops and builds. And they had a great invention in that day. They had an invention that has never been seen before. It's a high-tech object called a brick. And but Nimrod through stories of his father or stories of his grandfather Ham or possibly, we don't know, but possibly stories through greatgrandfather Noah. He heard of how a slimelike substance called pitch would keep the water out if a flood would ever come again. And according to Josephus the historian, Nimrod not only built a tower out of defiance, out of rebellion, but Nimrod built a tower out of fear of another flood. So they attempted to make an escape from possible future judgment by making a floodproof tower. Would somebody hear me tonight with the word of the Lord? You will never escape judgment unless you completely obey the word of God. Because if you're Nimrod, you would know if you knew the word of God and followed the word of God, you would know that God promised to never flood the earth again. But he makes a waterproof tower. Nimrod and not in the Tower of Babel had all the right ingredients for success. All the right ingredients. They had unity as God would see when he looked down from heaven. They had unity. They are one. They are one language. They had workers. They had brick. They had slime. But one ingredient that was added that caused its destruction was the ingredient called pride. >> And in 2026, I don't want to be a nimrod. I don't want any pride to ruin my life. Because it's not about accomplishments with pride. It's about humility that leaves a legacy for children to fall in. And I don't want any pride. Can't you hear? Can't you hear, old Nimrod? We We We have the ingredients that that old grandfather Noah had. >> We had that that ingredient that made that boat waterproof. Nothing Nothing will stop us. It's a It's a slime like substance that old grandfather Noah had that h hel held the waters back from from infiltrating that boat. I can hear old Noah say, or I can hear old Nimrod say, excuse me, even God can't bring this tower down. >> Pride. >> Pride. >> Pride. >> The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18, you know it, pride goeth before destruction and a hotty spirit before a fall. Proverbs would be a book of of full of just pure wisdom. Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." I don't care how much we think we have judgment proofed our lives. If our lives are found in pride, we will always have a right to worry about judgment. I'm going to say that one more time. If our lives are founded in pride, if we have any ounce of pride in our lives, I don't care how much judgment you think you can escape. The Bible is true that pride goeth it before destruction. It's not might, it's not maybe, but pride always leads to destruction. I've seen pride ruin a lot of families. I've seen pride uh ruin a lot of marriages. And I've seen pride when somebody even makes a fall. And I've seen pride keep them down. That that they they are too prideful to admit that that they've made a mistake, but pride shows up in a lot of ways. And in 2026, if God really wants to do what I feel like he wants to do, we're going to have to get rid of a thing called pride. It's humility that will get the Holy Ghost to move. It's humility that says, "I don't have it all together. It's not my own accomplishments that gets the Holy Ghost moving. It's not our building. It's not our choir. But it's our humility that says, "God, if you don't move, if you don't operate, God, we can do nothing by ourselves." >> Pride Pride could show up in a lot of ways. Pride Pride can show up when when you you feel like you can't be corrected. Only pride cometh contention. >> But with the well advised is wisdom. Pride is it. Pride when it enters someone's heart, you can't be >> corrected. >> You cannot correct them. You can't tell them there's a better way. And that just tells that tells everybody around you that that you're a know-it-all. >> That when you die, all knowledge will cease to exist. I feel Job speaking up tonight to old Nimrod. These these these six things the Lord hate in Proverbs 166 and 16. Day seven are an abomination unto him. What's so what's so profound that it's an abomination unto the Lord? What do you hate, God? >> A simple next verse tells us >> a proud look. >> A proud look when people come to church and I'm preaching to the choir. This is nobody here tonight. These nimrods didn't show up to church tonight. All right? So, I'm not preaching anybody here. Okay? But the last thing a guest needs to see is a proud look when they come to the house of God. >> They don't need to see our nose stuck up in the air. And I know it's not anybody here tonight. So don't nobody get offended. I'm preaching at Nimrod tonight. Nimrod looks to somebody and holds their nose up like they're better than them. And then that they're so much to sew that if their nose is so high if it came rain they would flood and drown. That's how high Nimrod's nose is. But I'm talking about somebody that won't be a nimrod in 2026 that will greet somebody and tell them that it's good to have them at the house of the Lord or somebody that would say, "Hey, I know where you're at. I've been exactly where you're at. I had the struggles that you had, but by the grace of God, I am brought by a legacy." A legacy. Uh you may be seen. I was reading something the other day, Dad. I was reading something that and I start try to start my New Year's uh eve resolutions early. I'm not a reader. I hate to read. Matter of fact, give me an audio book and we'll call it a day. That would I would that would just be would be awesome. I was reading this book and it talks about the Pharisees and how there's different levels of Phariseism. There's eight I think there was eight Pharisees. And what cracked me up was the Pharisees looked to uh the Messiah to be like the ultimate Pharisee. And that's what they thought he was going to be. This super judgmental guy that come down and ruled and they're Pharisees and they have a board of Pharisees and then the top Pharisee was the Messiah, which we know that Jesus Christ was everything but that. All right? He was completely opposite of that. But it it it cracked me up because it says that in the eight different types of Pharisees, there was one called the wounded Pharisee. The wounded Pharisee. What's a wounded Pharisee? Well, it gives us a description. It was a Pharisee that had bandages all around their head, all around. I mean, literally, they the the the the picture that it paints is it's bloody. Their clothes are bloody. And it talks about a wounded Pharisee and how they got these wounds was not trying to look at everybody else's sin and unrighteousness that they had their heads up trying not to look at all the dirty sin that was in the world. They had their heads up and when they begin to walk, they would hit things and they would fall over on the ground and wound themselves. That's that that's a wounded Pharisee. You would see them all bandaged up with their heads in the h heads up in the sky, their eyes in the sky, not willing to look at the the unrighteousness and the filthiness and the unholiness of all the sinners around them. And they would produce wounds all over their body that they had to bandage up. And I want to tell us that's exactly what the church looks like when we have our nose so high that we're not willing to look at people in the eye. And if we look at them in the eye, we might see that they're hurting. If we look at him in the eye, we might see that they're struggling. I'm so thankful he didn't stop the the ultimate Pharisee, Jesus Christ himself. I'm thankful that he didn't look at he didn't have his eyes above the woman that was caught in the act of adultery, but he was willing to look at her eyes. And when he seen her eyes, he saw that she was hurting. when she when he saw her eyes, she he saw that she could be restored. >> I don't want to be a wounded Pharisee. I don't I don't want to be a a a Pharisee that has wounds and and and I just don't want to be an Nimrod. It's pride. It's pride. You might have everything right, but let pride set in and it will all be destroyed >> because you can never mix the right ingredients of things that work and mix pride in. If pride's ever mixed in the successful ingredients, it will always end in destruction. Always >> pride. Pride. I I have several memories of of childhood and I have several great memories and um you know, you sit around with some pastor's kids. They talk start talking about the worst thing that's ever happened to them. And then when it's your turn to say what happened to them that was terrible in the church about some saint. I don't have any stories. I don't have any stories. All right? And I think that's a um and I'm not lying either just so you like me. All right. Uh Papadotti always would say, you know, I got to love you, but I don't got to like you. All right. Well, I I want you to like me, too. Okay. Not lying, but there's one there's one story that and it doesn't have to do with any saint of God. It actually has to do with two Nimrods. Um, shoe fits. Um, and I I'll tell you I'll tell you how my dad tells stories so you don't think about it. It was not here at this church. It was at an event. All right? It was at an event. And where this event took place, as dad would say, it's between here and Vietnam. And when this uh this event took place was sometime between Pearl Harbor and 911. Some some that stretch right that stretch right there. But I I remember one of my vivid memories of two Nimrods at church was one of those services where everything was going crazy. Everybody's worshiping and praising God. And uh it it reminded me a lot tonight when when people began to run and all those things and it was a packedin service and there was there was hardly any room to move but the the little space we did have people would take it and begin to run. And and um I remember I could I I I know exactly who I was around. I was I was in a group um with Tyler and Alex Gil, Sister Samantha's uh brothers. Um and then uh I was in a group with with Jesse our um and we were praising God. We were worshiping God. And were we young and dumb? Absolutely. But was our worship sincere? Yes. And so we I remember I remember us locking arms. I remember our putting our head uh our our our arms over each other's shoulders. And I remember Tyler Tyler Gil. He got to huckabucking. His head started going like this. And I was trying I I was the super spiritual one. I open my eyes to see what in the world was going on because we were like swaying back and forth like this. And uh it was so sincere. I I remember it vividly. And I was about here, not here at this church, but just an example. I was I was right here of this whole group, me, Tyler, and Alex and uh and Jesse our we were worshiping. I can't remember how old we are, but it was like my my attention was turned back towards the uh the platform and lo and behold, I saw two nimrods when I was not so spiritual. Open up my eyes. Why? My body was convulsing back and forth. And I looked through and I saw these two nimrods and they begin to laugh at what was going on in the group that I was a part of. They begin to laugh one another. They begin to hit I I remember vividly one nimrod hit the other nimrod with his elbow and kind of went like this and they begin to laugh at the group of kids. Now I don't say this with joy in my heart. I do not say I'm not trying to brag, hey, I'm super spiritual. I had my eyes open during praise and worship while everybody else was going crazy around me. >> But those two Nimrods don't serve the Lord anymore. >> Because there's something about pride. >> There's something about pride when it gets in the way of praise and worship. I wonder if them two Nimrods, I hate to be so so just mean tonight, but I wonder if they had their eyes closed and they were worshiping God, would the story be any different? I I I wonder if the story would be any different if they didn't have any pride in their heart when they would say, "Hey, the Lord's moving right now." And if four kids can worship God, surely me and Brother Nimrod can worship God here on the platform. I wonder if the story if you have any pride in your heart. It's hard to praise God. A moment ago when the the the spirit began to move. If you had trouble lifting your voice and and trouble lifting your hands and and trouble jumping up and down for joy, what is that? That's called pride. And God's not pleased with pride. He can't move through pride. But let somebody have a a humble heart that knows that if it had not been for the Lord that was on my side, if it had not been for the Lord that showed me grace and mercy, I have something to praise him for. I I pray I pray for brother brother Nimrod and brother Nimrod Jr. Pray for him. It's pride. >> And you know why I pray for them? Until they get the pride out of their heart, they're going to be the same way. >> But let 2026 be a year of humility. I believe God's going to do so much in this church. But as long as we stay humble, as long as we say it's not of us and our ability and our ideas, but it's only by the spirit of the Lord. It's only by teaching Bible studies. It's only by growth only come true growth only comes when the word is open and souls begin to multiply and disciples are added. That's the only true code that matters. And in that growth, there is no room for pride. There is no room for somebody to get the big head. Yes, we want to win souls. Yes, we want to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish. But as long as there's no pride, pride. Genesis 11 and3 says, "And they said to one another, go let us make bricks, burn them thoroughly." Verse four tells us, "Go, let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach into heaven." Look at their purpose for for building a tower to reach into heaven. They had their own abilities to reach into the throne of glory and reach into heaven. Let us make us a name lest we be scattered. Nimrod wanted three things. three things in his kingdom. He wanted to build himself a city, build himself a tower to reach into heaven, and make himself a name. It's all about Nimrod. And no wonder the scripture lists the genealogies of Nim of Kush to Nimrod and then it goes to his accomplishments and not his legacy. Because when it's all about you, it's really hard. I'm figuring this out ever so slowly. My wife would would would wish to God that I'd figure this out quickly. When you're a father, you really can't be a good father if you're selfish. Can't be a good father if it's all about you all the time. And I've come to tell us that's why Nimrod didn't have anything to pass down. Why? Because there was nothing to pass down. You really can't pass down accomplishments. You can pass down a legacy. >> You can't pass down a social status or a a job title, but you sure can pass down a legacy. I want to tell you that accomplishments will fade when when when God comes back, but a legacy will live on forever. I'm challenging every mom and dad. I'm asking you what you're going to build in 2026. Don't let it be an accomplishment for your family, but let it be a legacy that will live on way past you when you're dead and gone and you're buried and all the flowers have faded and all the phone calls have stopped. Let your kids hang on to a legacy that will bring them through every try and time. Let your par let your kids have a legacy that they can hold on to. A legacy. So the Lord comes down and scatters their language. They might have all the right ingredients, all the right things, all the right ingredients that made other people successful, other families successful and great. You have all the right things, all the right business models, all the right ideas, the all the right work ethic, but you will always have a different result when you have the wrong motive. That's exactly what Nimrod had. Had everything that for success. He was built for success. He had every idea. Even the Lord said, "Hey, we got to go down. We've got to go down and stop this. The people are one. They're they're they're great. They're they're they're many by being one. They can accomplish whatever they put their mind to." But when you have the wrong motive, Nimrod, that's what led to your destruction. And so verse eight, so the Lord scattered them abroad from fence upon the face of the earth, and they left off to build the city. We see in the beginning, it was the original will of God for them to be scattered, for them to be fruitful and replenish the earth. And just like the Lord never changes, the Lord always gets his way. That's exactly what happened in the life of a prideful Nimrod. God got his way. But the next chapter, vers chapter 12, we're introduced to a man by the name of Abram. And this is what the call to Abram's life was in Genesis 12 and verse number one. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kind. I need somebody who's going to obey me from my father's house and to a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation. I will bless thee. I will make thy name great. That sounds a whole lot like our previous chapter with what Nimrod was trying to accomplish. I will bless them that bless thee. I will curse him that cursseeth thee. and in thee all shall all families of the earth be blessed. We see in chapter 11, I'm trying to go very quickly because I believe the Lord's going to move. Pastor's going to pray for us over in the altar. We're going to have a good time. But chapter 11 is the plans of a selfish man, a selfish, prideful man. But chapter 12 is about the plans of God and what happens when you're obedient to the word of God. God told Abram, "If you obey me, if you put me first above everything else, your your comfort, your your family, what you call normal, I will make you a great nation. I will make you a name that is great." Two stories. Two stories. But the the success of both hinged on a word called motive. Nimrod wanted three things. He wanted a city, a tower that reached into heaven, and a great name. And here's why I don't want to be a Nimrod. Because everything he wanted to accomplish through his own doing, God accomplished through a man named Abram by only what God could give him. Now, follow me now here just for a moment. I know the hour is getting late. I've got three hours till the ball could drop. So, we're we're doing just we're just doing fine. Let's talk about that city that Abraham got. Just like Nimrod wanted a city that was great, build him a city. Here's the city that obedience brought to Abraham. Hebrews tells us about a man who follows God, who puts him first, who is called to be a blessing. And here's his city. Hebrews 11 and 8 11 and verse number eight. by faith when he was called to go out into a place which he should have to receive for an inheritance, obeyed and he went out, not knowing whether he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise. Here's the city Nimrod wanted a great city but found a God found a man that was willing to be obedient. And here's the city that Abraham got. For he looked for a city which have foundations whose builder and maker is God. Why is that so important? Because I'm not going to be focused on what is temporal. I'm not a nimrod. I'm only focused on building what is eternal. I'm focused on things above and not in this world. Your prayer life is something that's eternal. Your dedication to the house of God is a legacy that will be eternal. Don't focus Nimrod on things that moth and rust doth corrupt where thieves do break in or steal. >> Lay up yourselves treasures upon earth >> where nothing can happen to things >> that are eternal. The Bible says, "Set your affection on things above and not on things on this earth." I'm not saying don't make money. God knows we all need money and we need more money. God knows it. I'm not saying don't try to gain as much as you can. I can hear the critics. I can hear the nimrods now. But greatness is not determined with how much you got. >> Eternal greatness is determined by how much you give. >> How much you're willing to give to something. And I know it's the church. I'm not asking for an offering, but I'm asking to consider it. Because when you give to the church, something happens. There's an exchange that something temple in your hands go to something eternal in God's hands. I wonder what we're building on the other side of eternity. When we give to missions, every soul that's going to meet us there, you know what that is? That's eternal things. That's things my mind cannot comprehend because I live in the temporary. But oh, when we get to the other side, I'm going to see everything that I built up in glory, every soul that I talked to, every message that I I studied for, it's eternal. It's eternal. Not temporal. It's It's a city that builder, it's got a sure foundation, >> and the builder is God. That's the city I want to build >> in 2026. >> We have to focus on a kingdom that is eternal. And when we build God's kingdom, God will build your kingdom. >> That's right. >> When Abram began to build God's kingdom by obedience, God flipped the script and built him a kingdom. Abram never heard of him. Oh, father Abraham. Oh, I've heard of him. Because God begins to build your kingdom, not when you're focused on your own doing. Let's talk going very quickly. Let's talk about this tower. A tower whose top would reach heaven. Nimrod tried to to build his way to be like God or let's give him the benefit of the doubt. He wanted to reach God. Wanted to communicate with God. But Nimrod concerned about things that could be seen for miles upon miles. Oh, you see that? That's what Nimrod That's what Nimrod built. Abraham, Abram, what tower did God give you that would reach into the heavens? It wasn't a tower that can be seen, but it was an altar that could be felt because in Genesis Genesis 12, I feel the Holy Ghost in this house tonight. And Abram passed through the land to the place of Sheckchum and into the plain of Mariah. And the Canaanites dwelt there there in the land. And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said, "Unto thy seed will I give this land. That's your legacy. I'm going to give you a legacy because you're obedient." And there builded he an altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him. Abram did not build a tower that you could see, but he could he would build an altar that would affect generations following. It was an altar that made it didn't reach the heavens, but even better, heaven came down to earth because Abram built an altar. And I want to tell us it's not about our accomplishments that we can build in this new year, but it's about the altar in our homes that we can build that will cause a legacy to take place and a legacy to be born from the altars that we build. A tower will not save you when life falls apart. >> Your personal accomplishments will not do anything for you when everything goes to squat. The altar will be there for you >> when judgment comes. They thought they could build a tower to escape judgment. But the only way you can escape judgment is Abraham perfect. No. But the only way you can escape judgment is to have an altar present. An altar passed by. It's not a tower that's going to protect you from a flood. But it's even something better than that. It's an altar that's going to protect you when sin comes in and when temptation comes in. It's the altar that Abraham built that lasted through generations. I don't have time to tell you, but I'll give you a little hint about what I was going to tell you. It's going to I'll just give you a little hint. It's it's it's years generations follow. Generations follow and Joshua comes to the end of days and he just declares that last sermon he's come to ask everybody. He brings him to a land called Sheckchum. Commentators believe it's the exact same spot that Abraham because he mentions Abraham in his text. He's preaching to him. He says, "Hey, I need to know whose side are you on? Choose you this day. Who you're going to serve?" It was right next to an altar of a man that built that tower. It wasn't high, but it was a tower that was low that reached into heaven. It was just an earshot. They say maybe you could see the old altar, the old the old memorial that they set up where Abraham, their father, father Abraham, built that altar. It was an altar of dedication for Abraham and it was an altar of dedication for Joshua and the people following. Accomplishments and towers will not get us what we need, but a altar. If we build an altar, that's where it'll get us through generations, generations. What are we building tonight? What are we building tonight? Where you build, what you build, and why you build is important. where I'm going to build where I'm going to build. It's not a place where God tells me to move. It's a it's a place where in obedience to God, that's where I'm going to build. What you build, not a tower, not accomplishments, not by your own doing, building an altar. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to build something because it's tradition. I'm going to build I'm going to build something because it's dedication through sacrifice. That's what Abraham, that's what Abram did. Why you build Nimrod built this tower to make himself great and to make himself known. The list goes on and on tonight of great people. Some have went on to be with the Lord. And I'm talking about great people that have come to this church, faithfully served God through this church. talking about great people. >> Well, what what dignitaries did we have? What what what what person that reached a millionaire status did we have come through the pews and now have gone on to sing glory? No, I'm not talking about any of that. Now, some of them might have been and I had no clue. I'm talking about somebody great by the name of Kenneth and Karen Kirby. >> That's right. >> Who gave sacrificially when we needed money to finish a building that God spoke to us to build. >> I'm talking about sacrificial giving. that his overtime would be what he gave to the house of the Lord. What about James Stevens, a great man? What what did he do? What is it? The fact that he was he served on a department of the Secret Service that he had the the president of the United States in his scope protecting him? No, that wasn't his greatest accomplishment. James Stevens greatest accomplishment, what makes him a great man, is he took on early retirement so he could give to the work of God. He paid his tithe a year in advance so we could buy a sound system so that the gospel could be preached and it could be heard. >> Talking about a great man. >> What about Troy and Ruby Prophet that gave years upon years ago gave sacrificially so the concrete could be poured in the old church. And I want to tell you that offerings never die. And here's how I know that Troy and Ruby prophet had a great granddaughter-in-law that was baptized in Jesus' name this past Sunday night. You can't tell me when you give to the work of God that you get an eternal reward. That young lady Taylor Clayr was filled with a gift of the Holy Ghost a week before that. You can't tell me when you give to God that God doesn't forget. No, no, no. The Bible says that the offerings and the the alms have made a memorial before him. It never it never dies. You you remain standing with me. Another name that comes to mind, he's been sick in his body. But what he did will live on for generations. >> Randy newcomer gave because he was tired of seeing that wood in the front of the church where that beautiful glass now sits. He gave to pay to cover that rotten wood. He paid. And now Randy, newcomer, is sick in his body. And I pray that God heals him. But what he gave will live on from generations to generations. Every person that drives by William Blood Drive will see the offering of a man that they'll never know his name, but they'll know what he gave. They know that he was willing to give to something that was eternal. When you give, God makes your name great. So I've come to ask us good people. This is some self-reflection. I know I'm five minutes past 9. some self-reflection. What am I building in 2026? >> What are my goals in 2026? It's got to be something that leaves a legacy. >> We're concerned about our kingdom. It's going to fail. >> You can never be a self-made man to make it. No, that's the judgment will come. >> All your accomplishments will be wiped away. >> Give me an Abram. God changed his name to Abraham. And what's funny about this is when you build God's kingdom, God begins to build your kingdom and builds your name. Now listen to this. It's the last thing I'll say. I'll let you go. Abram was his name was changed to Abraham. And God called him something that he wasn't. When God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, which means Abram, which means father of multitudes, father of a great nation. This was at the time he didn't have any great to his name. All he had was a mistake. But God chose because somebody walked in obedience. God chose to change his name to something that he would become. So, I've come to ask us today, whatever you're searching for, if you'll begin to walk in the obedience of God and give to him like never before, I'm not talking about something so degrading to God, and that's your money. Talking about your time, talking about your priorities, and when you give that to God, God will begin to do things in your life that you'll never imagine. Church family, could we gather at the altars for just a moment? Pastor's going to come. He's going to close us out in prayer. And could you come? Would you lift our voices right now and let's ask God right now some self-reflection? What are we going to build in this new year? I I I refuse to have pride in my life. I refuse to have pride rule my life. God, I want to be humble. Lord, I I recognize, God, I'm not the husband if I don't have the Holy Ghost. I'm not the husband I should be if I don't have you moving in my life. I'm not raising the family that I should if I don't have you moving in my life. God, I don't want to be a nimrod that thinks I've got it all together. I don't want to be a nimrod, but yes, I'm great in accomplishments, but awful in legacy. I have nothing else to leave down. I have nothing else to pass on, but God, make me an Abram that even though I might fail, I might fall. I'm still walking in obedience. And you choose to meet me at an altar over and over again if I walk with you, God. Come on. That's it. Families, could we lift our voices right now? Pastors coming right now. Could we lift our our voices and ask ourselves, God, what am I going to build for you in this new year? What legacy am I going to leave for you in this new year? >> Oh, would you just push in just a little closer around the altar? So, we get everybody up around the altar tonight. Would you just push in a little closer? Oh, I praise you, God. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Glory to your name, God. Glory to your name. Come on, let's worship him tonight. Let's leave behind a legacy of worship. Let's leave behind a legacy of worship. Fathers, tonight, if you've got your children here, let's leave behind a legacy of worship. Oh, let our children see us up around the altar. Mother, if you've got your children here tonight, you've got grandchildren here tonight. Oh, may they see you up around the altar right now. Oh, may they see you praising God right now. Oh, it's the little things that make big impact. It's the little things that make a lasting impression. It's the little things that make a lasting impression. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Oh, glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. Lord, I love you tonight. Lord, I love you tonight. I love you tonight. I love you tonight. God, I love you tonight. God, I do. >> Lord, I love you tonight, God.