Brother Neil, at the beginning of our service, read to us the first seven verses of the fourth chapter of the book of Joshua. I'd like to read just a couple of other verses, if I could. First Samuel, chapter seven, verse 12. Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mispi and Shin. And he called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, hitherto the Lord helped us hitherto as the Lord helped us and then Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 2 Moses speaking to the people of God he said thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these 40 years in the wilderness to humble thee and to prove thee and to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep His commandments or not. Of course, the first seven verses of Joshua 4 deal with the crossing of the tune of Israel into the land of Canaan through the Jordan River. And having crossed there, God led Joshua to have 12 men gather 12 stones from the Jordan. and to bring those stones and to set them up as a monument. And he tells them, tells Joshua and tells the people why he does this. He says, do this so that the children later, when they ask about it, what do these stones mean? You can tell them what happened, what the Lord did for them. Well, we're going to talk just a few moments about the value. of the milestones, the value of the milestones. A milestone can be used, of course, on a road to mark the miles. Or a milestone is used to signify an important event, a significant event in the history of a country or the history of a person, history of a family. And we would talk about it. in light of the history of the church. 25 years is a generation. Actually, 25 years, you need to be aware of this yourself, is a third of one's life. In 25 years, a third of your life is gone. For some of us, we're past the two-thirds mark. Some of you think a third is a long time, but it won't be. You, like me, one day will realize how fast time has gone. When you have married people, I'm not saying you will do so, but I have done so. I have married them, and then I have married their children. I suspect if I live long enough, I may marry some of their grandchildren. Somebody asked, is there a value in recognizing special events like the 25th? Is there a value in the milestone? Is there a value in accomplishment? As a nation, we believe there is. As a people, we believe there is. In a sense, 25 years of marriage, just one more year, but we mark it. The neighbor said when they had their 40th, I told my husband, we're going to have a party. And all the neighborhood gathered in, first time I'd ever been there, but we were part of it. It's the 40th. And then the 50th anniversaries. As a nation, we celebrate. We have one holiday, Memorial Day, so that we can remember the price that was paid for our nation and the death of our soldiers. We celebrate the birth of our nation, probably the greatest national holiday of our year, but we recognize Milestones, we recognize these special events. The real question is, does the Bible put an emphasis upon this? Is it biblical? Is it biblical to consider the milestones? Well, I've just brought before you three passages. Deuteronomy chapter eight. Moses says, you shall remember, you shall remember. all the way the Lord led you in this wilderness that the Lord led you this way and he did so for a purpose and you shall remember this Samuel he set up a stone and he called that stone Ebenezer and that means hitherto the Lord has helped us I've loved that passage Samuel may say I don't know what's in front of us But I can tell you this, to this day, God's been faithful to this point. He's met our needs. He's been good to us. And then Joshua, let's take 12 stones. Let's just pause before the river closes. Let's get us 12 stones from the middle of that river. Let's set them up. So our children, when they ask what mean these stones, you can tell them, you can tell them what the Lord has done for you. The Passover is one of those monumental occasions. Forever in the life of the people of God, they celebrated the Passover, the day God delivered them from Egypt. There was once a year they went out and dwelt in tents for a solid week. And that was ordained of God. You say, that's a strange thing. The people of God leaving their houses and go to dwell in tents. But God was reminding them of the days of the wilderness and the days of God's dealings with them. And God did not want them to forget. In fact, we, last Sunday morning, took communion here. And we did so as a way of remembering. You say, how could we ever forget? Oh, we couldn't forget. But just the same, we have these events to help us to remember. Well, the values that come to us, the value of the milestones. I want to just mention three things to you. One is that today is a day to remember and acknowledge what God has done for us. That's the value of a day like today. A day to call to mind and to acknowledge the good hand of God. The value to the present generation. and even to the future generation, is to remember and then to acknowledge God. I think on a day like today, and I have this week, I've tried to reflect on different ones that have worshipped here with us. So many, so many have been with us, and so many have gone on to heaven. I would say that some of the best services that we've had in the 25 years in this ministry has been when we gather together. to lay to rest someone from our midst that had left us with a testimony, that had made a mark upon us, how near we have felt to God when we realized and remembered their life. And here today, I think of them. I think of those. I think of the most recent that's left us, Brother Hayes, who sat here so many years and has gone on to heaven. And we acknowledge that. We acknowledge that we've lost some battles. But thank God a day like today helps us to know that we've never been defeated. We've had some struggles. But I can tell you in your Christian life, you're going to have them. Just as sure as you're a Christian, you're going to have them. And as sure as you seek to do something for the Lord. But you can sit up like Samuel did, Here's my Ebenezer. It was after a battle that he set that up. And he said, to this point, the Lord has helped me. Yeah, we've lost many a battle. I can tell you that. I've lost them in the work. I've lost him in my own life. And many, many times, I thank the Lord for what they sang here. Young girl sang well ago, if my people, which are called by my name, how that stirred my heart. because so many times I've had to be there these 25 years because I've lost some battles and I was sorry. My heart was broken, but because of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ having lost a battle, I've not been defeated. You haven't been and thank God the work of God goes on. I know there's discouragement. I think of the work across the world. the mission work that the folks are involved in, that mission work in China, the islands are involved in. There has to have been some many discouraging times and some battles. But you can look at a day like today and say, I'm still in the battle. I've not been defeated. And it's across the world like that. You can rest assured about this. As long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Church of Jesus Christ is going to be there. And our Lord is going to be leading the way. And a day like today, we acknowledge with thanksgiving what the Lord has done for us. I think of a day like today and remembering, acknowledging. I do what I do so often in my life, and I hope that you do this in your life. Often in my life, I'll sit down and start thinking about the people. that God used in my life. I go back to the first pastor that I ever had, and he taught me to fear God. And I remember successive pastors. My father's in this room today. I can say since I've been a believer, humanly speaking, he's been the greatest motivation of my life. I've lived my life thinking I want to make my father to be pleased. One reason I never testify much about my life before Christ. I don't want my father to hear anything about what happened before Christ. I just want him to remember the life since Christ. And I can tell you, he motivates me every day of my life. And I thank God for those people that he's used in my life. And I'm going to tell you, a day like today, you need to think and thank the Lord for that person. The providence of God to bring people into your life, to bring circumstances into your life. And he brings you through those things. And when I look at a day like today, I think of these people and I think of these circumstances. And I know that whatever the Lord has done has been good and that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. I acknowledge his call. What we would call his effectual call. The call that came to our heart and the call that's come to many people's hearts in this room. In this very room in which we sat, people have passed from darkness to light, from death to life. People have been saved by the grace of God. The call has gone out. But on a day like today when we remember and acknowledge above everything else, I think of what He did for me before I ever saw this world. that Jesus Christ died upon the cross for me. He died for my sins. He was buried and rose again, and he gave me life. Jesus did that. A day like today is a day to recognize his sufferings. I appreciate Brother Glenn. He selected songs on the resurrection and the death and resurrection of Christ for a day like today, because it's triumph. It's ultimately to remember what Jesus has done for us. He is our reason for living. He is the basis of our hope. He's been so much to all of our lives. But not only that, we take time. A day like today is not only a day to remember and acknowledge, but it's a day to evaluate where we stand in relationship to where we started. When they set up a milestone, they were declaring to this point, the Lord has led us. This is what the Lord has done. And they were saying that they were where they were because the Lord had brought them there. And I say a time like this is the question and to look at and examine, where are we? And can we say that where we are is where the Lord has brought us? Do we evaluate our lives? I never forget hearing the man say, Lord, help us. And he said this while he was praying. Lord, help us to stand where we stood when we started. And I've quoted that here many times through the many years that we stood in this pulpit. Lord, help us to stand where we stood when we started. And then I'll hear the boys say it. I'm talking about the older boys. I'm never around Blake and Justin. I don't hear that. They'll say, help us to stand where we stood. when we started. Well, it's good to evaluate. I say this, and we all acknowledge that we grow in grace and knowledge, don't we? And with that is change, and we're foolish if we don't change some things. What I mean is, if you're growing, you're growing toward perfection, hopefully. And you realize there are a lot of imperfections in your thinking and in your life. I pity the person who can't change at all. expect to change. And it always amazes me when somebody will say to me, you've changed, as if it's a bad thing. Well, it can be a bad thing. But God helped us to grow. And if we're holding to something that's just a partisan view, if we're holding to something that's just a tradition and there's no reason for it, then that ought to change. But on the other side, we ought to ask ourself a question. Have we compromised? Have we given in? And that's always a danger for us who want to get along with people. You know, Christian people love people. That's the simple truth about Christian people. We love people. I've never met a sinner yet, but when I talked to him, I didn't find I loved him. I've seen someone from a distance I didn't get to know that I didn't care much for. But what I'm saying, I've been called to talk to people from almost that I'm almost involved in anything and everything. I've been brought to talk to people living in adultery, people who have a background of terrible things. I could mention them. I remember the first time that I dealt with somebody who was dying with AIDS. And you know, I was, I've got a feeling strong about that sort of stuff and probably you do too. I found myself moved toward that person. I found myself trying to love that person, trying to help that person, trying to help that person get ready to die. But on the other side, see, we love people. You love people and I love people, but that love for people, if we're not careful, we'll compromise. We want to give in. And I'm of this idea, and you may not think I am of this idea. If I can give in, I want to give in. If it's something that doesn't matter significantly, I want to give in. If getting along with you would mean, hey, I have to give in on something and isn't theological and isn't a moral compromise, my goodness. I really don't care about a lot of those things that you might think we do. And I think you're that way. I hope that you're that way. I feel that way around the house. If I can give in to the children, I'm going to give in. You say, you're going to give in to your children? I am. That's between me and their mother. You won't believe the conflict that leads to. But I'm going to give in. If I can give in. And I hope that you feel that way. As much as lies within me, I'm going to be at peace with all men. But my danger is, and my wife warns me about it and others warn me about it because I realize it, careful when you love people and you want to reach people, you don't compromise. Don't give in. It helps me to help people, for people remind me of that. And I have to examine myself and say, have I compromised? Have I given in? Has Grace Baptist Church compromised the truth as is in Christ Jesus? Have we compromised our ethics and morals and our stand? Have we compromised our view on family and rearing children? Have we compromised on the holiness of God Do people still come to this place and find out that there's a judgment day after death and there's a hell that burns with fire? And people that die without Christ are lost forever in outer darkness. Do people who come to the church living in sin, do they feel comfortable or do they feel convicted? And so we ask ourselves, are we standing where we stood when we started? Are we still in the fight? This may be sad, but it can be beneficial. It's sad because if we examine ourself and say we moved, or maybe there's somebody here, the reality of a day like today finds you backslidden. A day like today finds you a long way from where you once were. One of the sad things of a day like today is, I told you about the glory of remembering those that have died from our midst and those who have blessed us. But one of the things that I remember is the people who turned back to the world. Who were just here getting a taste of things maybe. Maybe they just had a religious spasm. I don't know what happened to them. But so sad to see people that are back there in the world. My, a day like today is to examine ourself. Are we still on that path that's onward and upward? Are we still moving toward the cross? Are we still moving toward the glory? What's happening in our life? You pray for me. I find my heart is bigger now than it has been in the past. For that, I thank God. But I also understand the danger of compromise and the danger of giving in. We don't have to give up the truth. We don't have to give up what's right to love people. In fact, if we love people, we're going to tell them the truth. And it's only the truth that sets men free. Only the truth. And the truth is like a sword that pierces and divides even the thoughts and intents of people's hearts. And the reality is, when people come to this place, the right thing is that the Word of God, with its piercing light, pierce into the innermost depth of their mind and their heart, and lead them from where they are to a place of uncomfortableness, that they may confront what is the truth about themselves and experience the glorious conversion that leads to the glorious light of Christ. May that be true. Well, we take the time to evaluate ourselves. Are we where we stood when we started? But finally, a day like today is a day to recommit ourselves to the Lord and all that he calls us to. Milestones were really about the future, and this is what you got to understand. A milestone was put there so they could remember. A milestone was put there to see, am I where God has led me? But a milestone also was to look to the future. Are we going to follow the path that's brought us to where we are? You and I have been given a sacred trust. That trust is the Bible, the truth that it teaches. It is put into my hands, but it's also put into your hands. We're not the only church preaching the truth, and we don't believe we are. And it is our business to preach against whatever is not the truth. But what I do know, regardless of how big or how small our ministry is, I have been given a sacred trust and it's my business to hand to the next generation the truth as it was handed to me. My business is to make sure that people understand Christianity when I leave this place. I like what happened in Joshua's life. You read Joshua 24 in verse 15? He says, choose you this day whom you will serve. And then he went on to say, but as for me, in my house, we're going to serve the Lord. But it doesn't stop there. Perhaps the greatest words of that whole chapter, maybe the book, is the closing words of that book, where it talks about the people that were in Joshua's days and the days of the elders that outlived Joshua. They served the Lord. That's what I want. I have a vested interest in this thing. Most of the people that sit on the third row in this place, they're my family. I'm ever aware that I preach to my children. In fact, my children, almost all the preaching they've heard in their lifetime has come from this pulpit and this preacher. I was just talking to my son this week and he's out in Colorado and Blake's out there with him, and you pray for those two guys together. They've been together most of their lives, but they're investigating churches. And Blake and Justin just was telling me about their consensus opinion about the church they've been at the last two weeks, and the compromise, and they weren't preaching the truth. And he said this, and I think he's heard it here, listen to not only what somebody's saying, but listen to what they're not saying. Listen to what they almost say, but won't say it. And I was interested in talking to him this week. He really said, I won't be going back to that church. I hope he holds to that. I've told him about another good church out there, I know. But listen, my children have grown up in this church. My only hope for that generation and their children is have we led them Have we guided them? Have we been faithful to the sacred trust that's been given to us? Most important thing, listen to me, about any church that you go to, the most important thing is what are they doing with the Bible? What are they doing with the Word of God? What's being preached? Listen to me. The Bible is the only thing that we lay our hands on that we got directly from God. This is God's Word. This has been given to us by the Holy Spirit through holy men. This pulpit is sacred in the sense we preach from it. This sanctuary is sacred in the sense it's where we meet with God. But this Bible is on a whole different level. This is the Word of God. It's been committed to us. When we come to this milestone, we recommit ourself. We recommit ourself to the truth of God's word and to what it teaches, the morals, the ethics, the life. Milestone looks to the future and it calls for us to commit ourself. And I will say to you this, and I'm near talking to you today, but listen to me. You know what this milestone tells me today? It tells me I have no reason not to trust God. I have no reason. I have every reason to trust him. Every day of my life that's brought me to this day tells me I can trust Jesus. I can trust him. He won't forsake me when I'm old. He, David said, I've been old and I've been young and now I'm old. I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed-begging bread. And so I look at this and I say, why would I doubt Him? Why would I question? What would ever make me think that He won't see me through to the end? He will. And that's what a milestone does. It makes me aware, listen to me, of the faithfulness and the goodness of God. I realized that as a father, as a husband. We passed that 30 year mark. And I just constantly, overwhelmed at how good God's been to me. I think of where he brought me from. The call of God, the leadership, providence that brought my wife into my life, the providence that's brought everything. And you think about it. You think about your family. You think about your wife. You think about your children. Think about your grandchildren. And you think about the goodness of God. You think about the faithfulness of God. And you say this, we can trust Jesus. We don't have the 12 stones from the Jordan. We don't have the Ebeneezer, but we will do what Moses said. We will remember. We will remember all the ways the Lord has led us. Where does today find you? Where does today find you spiritually? In just a few years, another 25 will pass. It's a good possibility what you do today It's going to determine where that 25 years finds you. It's going to determine where it finds your children, your grandchildren. It takes 25 years to really realize how bad a decision is. It takes 25 years to realize just how mean the devil is and how his lies are. It takes a generation. to see where the wrong decision takes you. And I'm moving upon you to look to the future on this day and make the right choice and make the right decision. And the right choice is to listen to the voice of God that calls you from your sin, if that's where it finds you, and calls you to Jesus Christ and come to Christ. The right choice If you're a believer, it's to present your body, a living sacrifice to God. Give yourself to God truly. Not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If you're discouraged, maybe you're about ready to give up in your Christian fight. I think twice about that, and I think three and four times about it. You can trust Jesus. He's going to see you through this valley. He's going to see you through this trouble. He's going to bring you to a place, as our brother sang about last week, when you can look back and you can see this goodness in your life. You young men, what you going to do with your life? 25 years, you'll be where I'm at. It'd be a little late to be making many decisions then, but you can make them today. You can start listening to God today. You commit your life to serving Christ and whatever He would do with your will, your life, whatever His will is. You see, we look back and we remember and we acknowledge, we're thankful. We examine our life. Can we say this is where the Lord has brought us to? Then we look to the future and we say, these stones represent what God has done. And we're going to always go that way where we can look back and see where in his will, his plan for our life. You'll never go wrong trusting Jesus. You can one day you'll sing the song. I don't regret a mile. Travel for the Lord. I don't regret the time. I trusted in his word. I wish the only thing I could say looking back, I said, I wish there were not so many failures in my own heart. Looking forward, I said, Lord, I don't want to fail you in the future like I have in the past. I want to tell you something. You stand at this moment in the blood of Christ and wash away your sins and your failures. And you can start again. That's what I know. And I trust that you'll give your heart and life to following Jesus all the days of your life. Could we stand together?