Psalms 11:3
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
OPENING REMARK
I welcome you to today’s Development page. We bless the name of the Lord for keeping you alive, strong and healthy. I pray that God will perfect all that concern you, your family, ministry and the church under your care in Jesus name.
Once again, I welcome you. I am happy that we can read this time and look at something very important in your work. Let us pray together.
INTRODUCTION
Think about these words. Here, the Spirit of the Lord is leading the Psalmist to ask us what the righteous could do.
Looking at the children of Israel, there was a time they needed to think about the foundation of their temple. If the foundation of their temple be destroyed, how will the righteous come to worship?
If the foundation of their city or the walls be destroyed, the righteous would feel insecure. Enemies can come and take over their city.
As a nation, Israel had the foundation of truth, word and doctrines distilled from heaven and given to them through the lawgiver, Moses. If the foundation of their truth and teachings is destroyed, what can the righteous do? There was a time Moses went to the mount to collect from the Lord the two tablets of the law and before he came back, the foundation of worship, righteousness and truth has been destroyed. In this case, what can the righteous do?
In their land, they also have justice, when the righteous rulers rule well based on the constitution of the word of God, if the foundation of justice be destroyed, what will the righteous do?
Think about our nation here, and your nation there, or any country of the world, if the foundation of justice is destroyed, and the legal institutions are no longer effective, and the constitutions were destroyed, what will the righteous do? There will be insecurity, injustice and oppression. Everybody will be running helter-skelter because in the day and in the night, there is no security.
What I am saying in essence is that the foundation is very important as recognised by the psalmist, hence his question: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Let us come back home to our ministry, to the church, and Jesus said, “upon this rock I will build my church…” He also said anyone who hears His sayings, obeys, and believes, and acts accordingly has built his life upon the solid foundation and the storm will come beating vehemently upon the house, and it will stand. If otherwise, such one has built his spiritual house without a foundation. In that case, what can the righteous do?
Think about the foundation of our faith, the faith of our fathers delivered unto us from the fathers, if the foundation of faith is destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Think about the family, if the foundation of the family be destroyed, what can the righteous do? You know, in our ministry, and in the work He has given to us, what God is expecting on the final day is our faithfulness. If the foundation of faithfulness is destroyed, if the foundation is gone and we are just working and serving, what can the righteous do?
Have you noticed families these days? Look at the way people get married, even in the way families are run, many people do not refer to the Bible again, and the foundation of the families are destroyed. If the foundation of the family is destroyed, what can the righteous do?
You understand the Bible said, follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord. If the foundation of righteousness and holiness is destroyed, and we are still preaching and teaching, doing service up and down, what shall the righteous do?
This is what the Lord is calling us to today. He is saying we need to think about the foundation, preserve, conserve and re-enforce it so that the foundation is there and we are ensuring that the foundations kept.
Looking at your calling. What has God called you for? Think about the calling of God in your life, If the foundation of your calling be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Look at the calling and commission which God has placed in our hands, if the foundation of the commission is destroyed, what can the righteous do? Look at the ministry of the pastor and those who are watching over the flock of God, if the foundation of our ministry and service be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
When you think about people in the Bible, when they saw that the foundations are being destroyed and eroded, they did something. A righteous man like Moses came back from the mountain and he saw that while Aaron was with the people, the foundation has been destroyed, but seeing that they came out of the idolatry and pollution of Egypt, what could he do? He did something to bring back the hearts of the people to God.
Remember the time of Elijah and Ahab. The foundation has been destroyed with Baal worship having taken over the land. A man like Elijah, a prophet of fire challenged the people to stop halting between two opinions. He said if God be God, they should serve Him. He prayed until the fire of God came down and eventually, he rebuilt the foundation. We have to do something in these last days when we are expecting the coming of the Lord
and the foundation of righteousness, truth and doctrines is being destroyed.
Remember Ezra when the children of Israel came back from captivity and they were going to marry strange wives, he did something so that the foundation will be rebuilt, repaired and restored.
Remember Nehemiah who went around and investigated, then interceded and prayed asking what should be done seeing the situation of the children of Israel where the gates are burnt with fire and no proper worship. He looked at the city, temple and worship, if the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do? Nehemiah did something, that is why God is calling us today saying, we must do something.
He called Jeremiah telling him he has a calling and he must not refuse it because even before he was born, he has been sanctified and set apart so that he will pull down, throw down and root out so that he can build. When Jeremiah came, the foundation has been destroyed and as a righteous prophet, he had to do something.
In the New Testament, when Paul came, the other apostles believed in the law of Christ and circumcision, but he told them about the new covenant and that its foundation is being eroded. He did something with the team he raised around him. The question is coming to you and I today, If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The topic we are looking at tonight is PRESERVING THE FOUNDATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR A REWARDABLE MINISTRY. If our ministry and service is to be rewarded, we must preserve the foundation of righteousness, righteous worship and redemptive teaching: teaching the totality of the word of God must be preserved.
- OUR WATCHFULNESS IN RETAINING THE DIVINELY-REVEALED FOUNDATION
- The Comprehension of the Righteous Foundation.
We need to comprehend the foundation of our salvation, sanctification, and peace with God (Ephesians 2:12-15) Jesus is the foundation given to us to bring us out of the wilderness of sin into the light of the gospel of redemption and salvation. He is our peace.
How can we have peace in our hearts and towards God? Through Jesus Christ, and no other. Unfortunately, there are people who claim they are working for God but are actually working for the antichrist. They are not reckoning with Christ the Saviour, Justifier and Prince of peace who will bring peace to all. The foundation of peace and redemption is being eroded. Jesus as the mediator reconciled us to God by His death.
We need to reestablish these fundamental facts and teach them all over again and establish it in the hearts of our people (vs 20) Jesus is our very foundation (Acts 4:11-12)
1 Corinthians 3:10-12. Apostle Paul says while you are building, do not destroy the foundation which has been laid in the word of God by all the prophets of God in the Old Testament and by Apostle Paul the apostle to the gentiles in the New Testament as well as other apostles. As a master builder, pastor and overseer, wherever you are, ensure that you do not contribute to the destruction of the foundation. It is the only way through which our people can be saved and prepared for heaven.
Do not let any personality replace Christ with himself. Build something valuable in gold, silver upon the foundation, not minding if others are building with wood, hay and stubble. The end will reveal all that you have done.
- The Completeness of His Revealed Foundation. Matthew 28:18-19
Jesus is the foundation of all our strength, power, and authority. If anyone depends upon any other power: occultic power, witchcraft power, power of darkness for ministry, such one has destroyed the foundation. Jesus Christ is enough and sufficient. His is the true foundation, we cannot change any foundation He has laid.
vs 20. In order to know what Jesus commanded, we have to read through the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as what the Holy Ghost revealed in the book of Acts and epistles, as well as the Revelations. We need to know and teach the completeness of His foundation. We will not teach fables, stories, philosophy, ideas of men, but we will bring back the word of God:
“…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God
“…Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God” – all that Jesus Christ had taught.
He prayed:
“Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth”
He instructed:
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”
We need to teach all that Christ has revealed to us in His complete foundation.
“… And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”. This promise will come to pass only on the basis that we keep to the foundation and the revelation of the words of Christ. When He said to the end of the world, He meant that the foundation must not be tampered with, destroyed, blown up or replaced with any other ideology, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Hebrews 6:1. Make sure the foundation is laid, secured, preserved, intact, after which you can go on to perfection. Part of the foundation is to call sinners to repentance towards God, water and Holy Ghost baptisms, laying hands on people and sending them forth into the ministry, resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment. Some preachers can no longer talk about hell fire, the great white throne judgment because they have destroyed the foundation. All that they are running after are superficial things that are not based on the word of God.
Revelation 22:16-19. Some people say God has selected some people for salvation and will not accept more people, so they do not believe or accept that salvation is for everyone who will come, repent and believe on the Lord Jesus.
vs 18. These are days when people exalt the title of a man over the word of God. People have deviated from the word of God. People, that is, worshippers in general are fond of saying our General Superintendent, General Overseer, Leader or Prophet said this or that, and they believe it without checking up whether it is confirmed from the word of God. They exalt men above the word of God.
But the Bible tells us, if any man, regardless of his name, title or position adds to the word of God, He will add unto him the plagues in the scriptures, and if any man of a great title, position, power, popularity by whichever method take away from the word of God, and the hearts of their hearers are no more on the word of God, Almighty God is no man that can allow anyone change His word no matter who he is, rather, He shall take his part out of the book of life, out of the holy city and from the eternal blessings that are written in the book.
vs 20. It is the Lord Himself who testifies and affirms this.
vs 21. If you abide in and stay in the word, if you preserve and conserve the foundation, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
- Our Commitment to His Redemptive Foundation. Luke 6:46-49
The foundation we are talking about is not just an historic foundation, but one which is redemptive and preserving to the final redemption.
vs 46. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” The Lord can say this to you if you are a pastor, leader or preacher and you are not doing what He commanded you, and He is not the Lord of your ministry and you are not faithful to Him.
vs 47. There are some people who shout grace, grace, grace! Their grace covers every iniquity and disobedience and God is saying, He has not given anyone such grace to scatter the word of God (vs 48) He who listens to God’s word has his foundation on the solid rock.
Some pastors just preach and teach, they do not look at the foundation. Let us look at this example: If a new governor comes to take over from an old one in a state, he will look at the projects and all that has been given out and readjust, he wants to ensure that he is leading the people on a solid foundation and that he repairs and restores all that are collapsing while going in the direction of a government that is strong and solidly built upon a solid foundation.
This is exactly what you are to do when people are coming into the church, we need to ensure that they know the word of God. We must let them know that if anyone comes to all the church programmes, writes all the notes and will not do them, such one is standing on a sandy and shaky foundation.
2 Timothy 2:19. Whatever anyone does, says, ministers, prophesies, whatever lies they tell, whatever frivolity they manifest, God knows those who are His. Let everyone who say they have been called into ministry and call the name of God depart from iniquity.
- THE WORK OF THE RIGHTEOUS: REPAIRING DESTROYED AND RUINED FOUNDATION. Psalm 11:3
When a righteous man gets to a place where the foundation is destroyed, he will not throw up his hands in despair. Please, permit me to bring you back to the history of our own nation in the religious aspect. In the 1960s, we had the civil war, with people scattered here and there and crimes rising up. The churches had nowhere to stand talking of salvation, faith, healing, holiness without which no man shall see the Lord, talking of reading the Bible or applying the word of God in the lives the people, the foundation of the church was destroyed. Talking about one man, one woman (monogamy) righteousness, probity and transparency in the offices, things were down.
Then, God raised some of us up and Deeper Christian Life Ministry started with Bible study. We did not say what can we do and go hurdled into a corner, rather, we went all out, contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints. It is like a righteous ruler taking over and wanting to do what God has called him for. A repairer comes, and decides to repair, a restorer comes and says God has raised me up to restore, and I must do it. A reformer comes – look at the example of Martin Luther King when he came, the foundation of justification by faith has been destroyed but he did not throw up his hands in despair, claiming to be a Lone Ranger, but he said, the righteous must do something.
So, today, God has called you after Deeper Life came, you have a platform on which to stand, and you can go everywhere preaching the word and re-emphasizing the word of holiness and righteousness. Let a righteous man and woman rise up. As you look at history, if a righteous man does not stand up, if a repairer, restorer, reformer and revivalist does not rise up, everything will go down the drain.
Apart from the religious aspect, do you remember in America, when the blacks were downtrodden, when they had no voice or place, and they could not go to the same schools with the white, somebody rose up and said something must be done, he rose up against that foundation that was destroyed. Martin Luther King Jr and some people went with him and they kept on until things turned around and even recently, a black man became the president of America. It takes somebody who is bold, who has backbone to say I will build the scattered and destroyed foundation.
- What can the Righteous Do?
When the foundations are destroyed and people do not know anymore what is the truth and the way:
Job 17:9. The righteous will hold on his way and he that has clean hands will be stronger and stronger. If you do not hold on to righteousness, holiness and purity of life, how can you repair anything?
Isaiah 51:1-2. You have to hold on and believe in righteousness, knowing fully well that the foundation of righteousness has been destroyed. If you are the righteous one as a man, woman or youth, and you say, I will do something, you have to underline the word ‘alone’ in the text above. God called Abraham alone.
In 1973, when we started Deeper Christian Life Ministry, I had to stand alone. The church I was attending then did not agree with or understand what I was doing. Persecutions came, friends left and forsook me, my name became household mentions, everywhere they make announcements, they mention my name as the holiness, holiness man, and made jest and ridiculed me.
I stood alone. God is calling you now. If you have conviction, the righteous man to do something must be willing to stand alone and not mind the persecution, insults and assaults of anyone. God who called you will bless you. Amen.
ch 62:6-7. What will the righteous do? You will stand firmly and speak out against error, falsehood, false doctrines or anyone not standing on the truth of the word of God. Do not be friends with or compromise with those destroying the foundation. You will always take the case of our church and nation to Lord in prayer.
What will the righteous do? Are you righteous, born again? Then do something so that the foundation that has been destroyed will be raised up again.
- What will the Repairers Do?
When the foundation is destroyed, do not keep on preaching, singing, ushering, ministering, labouring. You must stop and do something, otherwise, you labour in vain. You must rise up and talk. Rise up as a repairer (Isaiah 58:12) When the Lord raised me up, I started preaching and now, we have Deeper Life Bible Church, then the Lord raised up leaders, and workers in the men, women, youth and children sections. These are the people whom God has given to me. All the people who are raised up and will take the torch and word of truth everywhere are to build the old waste places. You are to raise up the foundation of many generations. You shall be the repairer and restorer. Amen.
ch 58:1. Do not speak under your breath, as if you are not sure of what you are saying, cry aloud! Spare not! (vs 2) People go to church, go to retreats and conventions, pray, fast, seek the Lord, but have no foundation of righteousness, holiness, redemption, they are living a life with reproach and sin. They pretend to be righteous, but forsook the ordinances, they like seeking God but they will not do what He commands.
Nehemiah 1:4-6. Nehemiah investigated about the state of things back home, He interceded and then left the lucrative job he was doing and came home to repair the walls of Jerusalem. You must give up something to sacrifice to be a repairer, reformer and restorer. You need to be ready to do what others are not willing to do for you to be able to repair the broken foundation.
After investigating, Nehemiah called people to help him by assigning work to them, kept at the work, not minding several distractions from detractors. He challenged the oppressors and made them promise to stop oppressing and cheating the people. Even when he was told to hide, he did not, saying someone such as himself must not hide. He brought out the word of God and read to the hearing of the people and they cried, and repented. In the final chapter, when some people were not living right and compromising, he adjusted everything and restored the standard of the worship of God. This is what God is calling us to.
- What must Restorers Do?
God has called you and I and He wants us to be restorers and reformers (Hebrews 8:5) What must restorers do? Go back to the pattern given to us by God and emphasized by Christ, the apostles and the prophets. Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone, the restorers must go back to this and ensure that they build and establish all things according to the pattern shown to them.
Apostle Paul had preached to and was surprised at the Galatians when he saw them shifting and replacing the foundation. He did not allow them any chance to shift the foundation further. We must allow anyone to remove the foundation of justification by faith, of holiness, and just preaching good, good things. He corrected them in love but firmly that they must do away with the leaven of sin and unrighteousness. He restored the fallen ones in love, and lived a life of crucifixion with Christ. This is what they did when they had the restoration.
2 Chronicles 19:4-5. Earlier, Jehoshaphat had gone to battle with Ahab in an unequal yoke. He went to the battle with him and almost died there. When he came back and realized his error, he decided to bring the people he has misled back to righteousness and rebuild the foundations that have been broken.
vs 6. He commanded the judges to be fair in their judgments because God is not a respecter of persons. I marvel today at church leaders who talk as if they are the final authority, above the law and even above God. That is a dangerous state to be in. The Lord wants us to return to the truth and revelation of the word of His word.
- THE WILLINGNESS TO REINFORCE AND DEFEND THE RESTORED FOUNDATION. Psalm 11:4; Daniel 11:32
The righteous must be willing to reinforce the foundation when it is restored.
How does a minister, pastor, shepherd, founder, overseer gets to destroy the foundation and the work of God? When people of the world flatter and appreciate us to the point that we let our guards down, corrupt the covenant and allow the foundation to be destroyed. It is a bait! Those who have been corrupted by flattery will also do same to others, lifting them high to the point that they will not be able to correct them when they go into error. God will help you to remain strong, you will not be among those destroying the foundations.
Ephesians 6:10. If you are going to be a repairer and restorer, you must not be afraid to speak against unrighteousness, compromise, you must be strong in your might, and backbone. If there is a time to stand, it is now.
- Declare the Doctrines of Full Redemption. 1 Timothy 4:6
In your preaching, do you preach salvation, and being new creatures in Christ? Do you mention holiness, believing the word and not compromising? Put the brethren, church and believers in remembrance always, do not say they know it already. “Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” – remind all around you: your spouse, children, workers, members, etc.
vs 15. Meditate on everything you are hearing today about the foundation being destroyed, displaced, ruined and corrupted. Everything you are hearing about becoming a righteous and uncorrupted soldier of the cross, a repairer, reformer and restorer. Meditate on all that is happening in our nation and continent and what the word of God is saying about them. Do not come to the pulpit half heartedly, shallow, almost sleeping and dozing, or in fear that you cannot stand or maintain sound doctrine. Give yourself wholly and entirely to the word of God.
vs 16. Take heed to thyself. Do not go after compromisers, do not support or befriend false prophets or those who are not obeying the word of God. Follow the doctrines of full redemption and continue in them.
- Develop the Disciples for Further Reinforcements. 2 Timothy 2:2
You cannot do the work alone, you have to commit the work into the hands of faithful men who are courageous and bold. Do not change the word: Jesus only is our message. Commit things to people who are faithful and standing, who will not look at people’s faces before saying what they are supposed to say, not the ones shifting here and there. Do not waste your life on unfaithful people.
Exodus 18:19-20. Do not get involved with anything that will not allow the people to be closer to God, living, or standing for God. Give them work to do (vs 21) For someone to remain in ministry, he must be able and capable, strong, have backbone, and have the ability to think well and analyze situations, men and women with ability.
If I do not have physical ability or strength and cannot read my Bible well, and I have eye problem even with glasses on, or I am weak physically, and I am not able bodied, and I find it difficult to step aside for someone younger to do the work better, if I do not do this and I keep the church in bondage, that is selfish, sinful and not right. It means I have put the work of God at risk because of my selfishness.
The Israelites were in their millions and Jethro, Moses’s father in law counseled him to appoint Overseers to be rulers over thousands, hundreds and fifties to assist in the work with supervision coming from Moses. This is how to do the work in the church today with proper supervision from the top leadership.
1 Samuel 8:11-12
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
In asking for a king, God told the Israelites how the king will operate as seen in the text above. All the various appointments the king will make will be solely for himself, and not for God.
Some preachers, pastors, overseers that are supposed to organize and arrange to get people who will be faithful to God, will appoint leaders here and there to serve themselves. Saul appointed three thousand men as soldiers, not to fight the battle of the Lord, but to help him pursue after David his enemy. All he wanted to do became personal. This is what the Lord is telling us to not do. You know it is for self once you see anyone doing everything to his own advantage and not towards the progress of the work of God, when they open shops, farms all for personal purpose, instead of developing and raising people up to help and establish the wok of God, as Moses, David and Paul did.
- Demonstrate the Devotion of Former Reformers
Martin Luther was a reformer who rose up to fight against the dogmas of the religion of those days. Through him, the Protestant Church was formed. Though by now, some of them have deviated into error, yet God is telling us to remember the devotion of this former reformer.
John Wesley stood firmly preaching the word of God. He went up and down and established once again the doctrines of holiness and sanctification.
You remember Charles G. Finney who also rose up, preaching and emphasizing on salvation, sanctification and Holy Ghost baptism.
Our time has come and God will help us to emphasize the truth of the word of God which He has called us unto. Amen.
Jude vs 3
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Give all your heart, strength, ability, the last strength and drop of blood in you to the work of God. Do not say you are keeping yourself or watching this or that. If you are not diligent, that means you are not able, you might as well give the chance to younger reformers and visionary people who will be able to stand up and work harder and better.
We should teach and emphasize all that the Lord has delivered unto us, the totality of the word of God that will help the people to conversion and reconciliation with God, to embrace the power of God, words that lead people to holy and righteous living, the power in the Holy Ghost, holding on to the word of God, not allowing a jot or title to fall to the ground.
The Lord is calling you today as a righteous and holy man and woman because the foundation is being eroded. The Lord is calling you as a reformer and restorer to come with strength and energy, consecration and devotion. You cannot say you do not see people taking the back seat and the coldness and lukewarmness in the church, but you can tell the Lord tonight that you are here and available.
Pray and tell the Lord, here I come. Re-examine your consecration of righteousness and holiness starting from your personal life and ministry to your local church, region, state and nation where you are ministering. Is the foundation of faith and devotion still there? Are you still faithful? Pray for yourself.
