Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. And all that we do and all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. I'm Darrell Bailey, Service for Christ. As we get into our series, The Eternal Foundation. I'm glad, can you imagine a world where the future could be predicted with absolute certainty? Where complex equations and human intellect could map out the trajectory of a time itself, like in some kind of sci-fi film that we watch on television. Well, it is a fascinating concept, isn't it? But the idea that knowledge and logic could secure the future. But what if I told you that there is a foundation for the future that goes beyond algorithms and calculations? A foundation that offers not just predictability, but certainty. an eternal foundation laid by God Himself. Well, human attempts to predict and control the future are always limited. No matter how advanced our intelligence becomes, the unforeseen circumstances always remind us of our finiteness. But in contrast, God's foundation is unshakable, eternal, and sovereign. It's not built on theories, it's not built on projections, but on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. And so, we'll explore this very divine foundation that stands beyond time, offering hope, stability, and eternal security. And so, Here we'll be talking about, in this first of the Eternal Foundation series, we'll be talking about beyond prediction. Beyond prediction. You know, while mankind seeks to understand the future, God has already secured it. His word provides certainty where human foresight fails. And so, while human innovation and intellect strive to forecast the future, there's only one foundation that stands the test of time, Jesus Christ. And I'm glad that I want to challenge you to move beyond reliance on the human understanding of all of the things of looking at your horoscope, going to some kind of a soothsayer, or looking at other things from point of views to try to move beyond all of that human understanding and build your lives upon the eternal foundation of God's word, which cannot be shaken. Are you ready to anchor your life in something greater than human predictions? Well, let's discover the security and the hope that is found only in the eternal foundations. And so, can you imagine that we look and realize that to know what tomorrow holds, to see the trajectory of the millennium laid out before us, but what if I told you earlier that we've got a foundation for a future that goes way beyond any of the usual things? So the truth is human attempts to predict the future are always limited and our understanding is so finite We listen to the words of Jesus himself take your Bibles with us to Matthew chapter 7 Matthew chapter 7 Verses 24 and 25. This scripture has been preached and preached and preached. And it is a very, very powerful scripture. But listen to the words of Jesus himself, and then we'll have a word of prayer. The word of God says out of Matthew chapter seven, starting with verse 24, therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock, and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. Are you building your life on the shifting sands of worldly predictions or on the solid rock of Jesus Christ? There's only one foundation that can stand the storms of life and lead us to an eternal future. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father. We come before you in humility and acknowledging our need for your guidance and forgiveness. And your word in 1 John 1, 9 assures us that if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But Lord, in a world obsessed with knowing the future, with predicting outcomes and charting courses, we lift our hearts to you, the only one that holds eternity in his hands. And as we consider the unshakable foundation, that you have provided in Jesus Christ. Grant us wisdom to build our lives upon it, trusting in your eternal promises. In Jesus's marvelous mighty name, we pray. Again, out of Matthew chapter 7, verses 24 and 25, I'll be talking about the title, Beyond Prediction. Beyond Prediction. You know, I was reading a story about a skyscraper, a massive skyscraper, under construction in a very bustling city. The architects and the engineers had meticulously planned every detail, using the most advanced technology to predict the stresses and to ensure stability. But during the construction, they discovered a section of bedrock that was unexpectedly weak and unstable. They had to halt everything. They had to re-engineer the foundation. They had to pour in tons of extra concrete and steel to ensure the towering structure would stand firm for generations to come. And the story highlights that even with the best human planning, a faulty foundation can jeopardize everything. Well, today, when we launch out into our series, The Eternal Foundation, I believe that we explore into the knowing of what's ahead through not human intellect and algorithms, but through what the Bible says, because we're going to get into a far more reliable eternal foundation, the one that is offered to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And so, when we look at beyond prediction, In a world that is constantly seeking certainty and trying to predict the future, listen to me, what is the one foundation that will never fail us no matter what comes our way? Well, number one, there's the futile quest for human prediction. Friends, our world is captivated by the idea of knowing what tomorrow holds. I remember years ago and I remember the television program of that newspaper show that you know tomorrow before today. I forget the title of it but he would open up and his door and he would have yesterday's newspaper today. And he knew something about the future and he knew how to predict the gambling of who would win the lottery and such forth and this. But from financial forecasts to weather predictions, we all crave certainty. But let's look and examine the limitations of human prediction. Number one, we see the uncertainty of human knowledge. Proverbs chapter 27, verse one. The word of God says, boast not thyself of tomorrow, for there knowest not what a day may bring forth. Well. Proverbs 27 emphasized by, like a lot of preachers, like even Adrian Rogers, reminds us of the inherent uncertainty of life. We simply don't have the ability to see the future with accuracy. Our plans and predictions are subject to change in an instant. And when we look at the Greek, when we look at the Hebrew, at some things, but in this particular case, the Hebrew, We read, boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not. And the word knowest in the Hebrew is yada. And it implies an intimate knowledge and understanding that we lack this comprehension of knowledge of the future. You see, we'll never know some things until we get to heaven. Think about the recent pandemic. Even the most brilliant scientists and analysis couldn't have fully predicted its impact on the world. and it illustrates the limitations of human foresight. Tony Evans probably I've heard say before, our calendar and God's calendar are not always the same, unquote. And so funny thing because many attempts at predicting what I'll have for dinner usually change about five minutes before the actual meal. And so when we look, and see the futile quest for human prediction. We see the uncertainty of human knowledge. But secondly, we see the shifting sands of worldly wisdom. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 19, he said, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness. Well, I know that I've heard Dr. James Merritt say time and time again, the difference between worldly wisdom and God's wisdom and what seems smart and insightful to us might be considered foolishness in God's eyes. Well, human predictions are often based on flawed assumptions and incomplete information. And so, when we read 1 Corinthians 3, verse 19, We see the Greek word that talks about foolishness. It says, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. And that word, the Greek word is mori, and it signifies absurdity and a lack of true value in God's eternal perspective. Consider the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s. Many experts predicted endless growth, but their worldly wisdom failed to foresee the collapse. and that shows how relying solely on human predictions can lead to disappointment. Warren Wiersbe might say in time again, and I quote, the wisdom of the world is like a vapor and it appears for a little while and then it vanishes away. Well, every one of us, when we look and realize the temporal nature of worldly wisdom, We see the fruitile quest for human prediction. We see the uncertainty of human knowledge. We see the shifting sands of worldly wisdom. But thirdly, the allure and danger of false security. And so, when we see that, Jeremiah chapter 17 verse five tells us, Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. You see, this very powerful verse of Jeremiah chapter 17, verse five, is often quoted by preachers like Mays Jackson, one of my favorites, that we're always warned against placing our ultimate trust in human systems, predictions, or even ourselves, because true security comes from the Lord. Listen again at it in Jeremiah 17, five. Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. And so, the Hebrew word out of Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 5 that talks about, he said, Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man. The word trusteth in the Hebrew is batak, which implies a very deep reliance and confidence. We're warned against placing this level of trust in anything other than God. Think about people that invest all their hopes, all their dreams in a very particular political outcome or some kind of technology trend. And when things fail, their sense of security crumbles. Well, Thalamu Orr might say sometimes, building your hope on human predictions is like building your house on sand, unquote. Christian author C.S. Lewis said one time, don't put your trust in that which is going to decay, put your trust in that which lasts forever, unquote. And so in a realm where algorithms whisper the secrets of tomorrow and equations paint vivid tapestries of the unfolding future, there's a different kind of foresight that is emerging. Forget the cold, hard logic of numbers. There exists a foundation that is imperious to the whims of time and the frailties of human calculation. And while the world chases a phantom of predictable tomorrows, There's a bedrock of eternal promises that lies waiting. A sanctuary built not on conjecture, but on the unwavering truth of a love that spans the ages. And so... What is the one foundation that will never fail us, no matter what comes our way? Well, we talked about the futile quest for human prediction, but secondly, the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ. Unlike all of the nature of human predictions, there is a foundation that is absolutely solid, completely reliable, eternally secure, Jesus Christ. Thank God, hallelujah. And so, on that unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ, we see the rock of our salvation. Psalms, chapter 62, verse six. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be moved. Boy, don't you like that old song? I shall not be, I shall not be moved. Praise God, hallelujah, you can't beat them old hymnals and songs, praise God. But Psalm 62.6 tells us that when we worship songs and all, I'm glad that it declares that the Lord as our steadfast rock, our source of salvation, he's the one that provides true stability in a changing world today. And so, in Psalm 62.6, He says, he only is my rock and my salvation. Well, the Hebrew word for rock in Psalm 62 is to serve, signifying a very strong, immovable and dependable foundation. Think of a mighty rock standing firm against the waves that's crashing against it. Jesus Christ is that rock for our lives today, providing a very secure place to stand amidst all of life's storms. The Christian songwriter Edward Moat captured it beautifully in his hymn, The Solid Rock. Oh man, I'm going to tell you something. I'm glad that each and every one of us This is what he said in the words, Edward Moat. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus's blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus's name. And on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Edward Moat, praise God, that Christian songwriter knew what he was writing, amen. Ho, ho, ho. And so, We see the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation, but secondly, the fulfillment of God's promise. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20, for all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him, amen, unto the glory of God by us. I tell you. Dr. Ken Travett would always highlight a verse that emphasized the certainty of God's promises through Jesus Christ. He said, every promise God has made is confirmed and guaranteed in him. And so, The yea of the Greek means yes or indeed, signifying the affirmation, the amen, that means to so be it, are truly indicating the certainty and the confirmation that Paul was talking about in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20. Imagine a legal document with multiple signatures and seals and guaranteeing its validity. Jesus Christ is God's ultimate guarantee that his promises of salvation and eternal life are true. They will be fulfilled, praise his holy name. And so I'm glad that we can trust the reliability of God's promises found in Christ. And so we look and we see That, the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation, the fulfillment of God's promises, but thirdly, the anchor of our souls. Hebrews chapter six, verse 19, because I'm glad that the word of God, it says, which hope we have as a anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that wherein the veil. You see, the Hebrew writer was referencing something of security, of faith, of a hope in Christ, a firm and reliable anchor for our souls that keeps us grounded and secure amidst the storms of life. And so the Greek word for anchor, is Acura, a device used to secure a ship. Our hope in Christ provides that same steadfast security for our souls for eternity, forever and ever and ever. Think of a ship caught in a violent storm. And the anchor is firmly planted on the seabed. And it keeps that ship from being tossed around and wrecked. And our hope in Jesus Christ is that anchor for our souls. Keeping us secure in God's love. Oh man, I thank God. I'm glad that my anchor holds, hallelujah. My anchor holds by Ada or Habershon. My anchor holds. You know what? Amidst all of the swirling currents of speculation, oh my goodness, and seductive allurement of calculated futures that are out there today, when we look and we realize of what is happening, of what is transpiring, we look and we see a steadfast beacon. that shines. Forget the fragile frameworks of human prediction. Here lies a foundation forged in eternity, a bedrock of unwavering truth embodied in a single name, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, praise his name. He's the cornerstone upon which all hope is built. He's the unyielding rock against which the fiercest storms will break and the anchor that secures the very essence of our being. And so, in a world constantly seeking certainty and trying to predict the future. What is the one foundation that will never fail us, no matter what comes our way? We see the futile quest for human prediction. the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ. But thirdly and closing, building our lives on this eternal foundation. Knowing about this unshakable foundation isn't enough. Listen to me. We must actively choose to build our lives upon it. Hallelujah. And so, as we build our lives on this eternal foundation, it is hearing and doing His saying. What did I start out with? Matthew chapter 7 verse 24. Listen again. And therefore whosoever, therefore whosoever, therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. I'm glad that Jesus emphasizes the importance of not just hearing his words, but also putting them into practice. And it's the active building process of the foundation itself. I'm glad I'm on the solid rock foundation. And we look and we realize that he says, therefore, whosoever here with these sayings of mine and do with them, the word do with the Greek word. Polio, meaning to perform, to practice, to carry out, it's about an obedient action. And so in our busy lives, it's easy to hear sermons. It's easy to read scripture and then go about our day without truly applying it to our own lives. But building on Christ means actively living out his teachings in our relationships, our work, and our decisions. And so, building our lives on this eternal foundation, hearing and doing his sayings, but secondly, trusting in him alone. Psalms 118 verse eight, it's better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. And this Psalmist highlights the importance of placing our ultimate trust in God, not in human predictions or systems. And so it is better to trust in the Lord. The Hebrew word for trust is chesa, meaning to take refuge in, to confide in. And our refuge and our confidence should be in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bombarded with opinions and predictions from countless sources everywhere. It's crucial to filter this through the lens of God's word and place our ultimate trust in him. And so, building our lives on this eternal foundation, amen. We see that we're hearing and doing his sayings, trusting in him alone, but thirdly, and closing, seeking his kingdom first. Matthew chapter six, verse 33, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Jesus tells us to prioritize God's kingdom and his righteousness above all else. When we do this, We are building our lives on what truly matters. Listen to me, the eternal, the eternal. Jesus tells us to prioritize. And so the Greek word, when we says in Matthew chapter six, verse 30, but seek ye first the kingdom of God, that word seek. zetio, meaning to strive for, to desire, the Greek word, earnestly, that is, our primary focus should be on God's kingdom. In a world that is focused on all of the material possession and worldly success, we need to intentionally prioritize our relationship with God and his kingdom, and this is the most secure investment that we can make. Every day I think about winning souls on the other side of the world. I don't just think about around the corner, even though that they're probably the easiest to approach, but maybe not always. I think about not only the soul that's around the corner, I think about the soul that's on the other side of the world. That's right. And the majority of what I'm doing right now is for the future of that. Friends, the world will continue to chase after fleeting predictions and uncertain futures. But we as believers in Jesus Christ have access to an unshakable foundation, a foundation built on the rock of our salvation, confirmed by the enduring Word of God, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, designed by the loving hand of our Heavenly Father. Let us choose today to build our lives not on the shifting sands of human wisdom, but on the solid and eternal foundation of Jesus Christ. I wonder what areas of your life are currently relying more on human predictions or worldly wisdom than on the promises of God. What is one step that you could take this week to shift your focus, to trust more fully in the Lord? Well, Maybe you're relying on financial forecasts instead of trusting God for provision, or worrying about social trends instead of seeking God's truth. This week you need to identify one area and commit to prayer and to seek God's guidance in that Pacific area. How can you actively hear and do the sayings of Christ in your daily life? What is one Pacific teaching of Jesus that you need to put into practice this week? Huh, maybe it's forgiving someone. Maybe it's showing kindness to an enemy or being more generous. choose one and make an effort to live it out this coming week. And so, is there anyone that is listening who realizes that they've been building their life on a shaky foundation and desires to place their trust fully in Jesus Christ, that unshakable rock that I'm talking about right now? If so, I want to invite you to come forward. And as we pray, Let's commit ourselves anew to building our lives on the eternal foundation that will never fail. You know, sometimes I try to predict what will happen, but you know what? I'm usually so wrong that my family just laughs at me. And it reminds me that if I can't even predict a movie plot that I'm watching at the end of a movie, I definitely can't predict my future. That's why I'm so grateful for the one that holds my future securely. in his hands. Will you pray with me as I close out? Would you consider getting on the solid rock, the unshakable rock of Jesus Christ? I want to pray for your salvation right now. I want to ask you to make a commitment to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and ask Him to come into your heart and life, because He can do what no one else in this world could ever do. He can save your soul from the uttermost. And I believe that with all of my heart. I wouldn't be saying it, but I thank God. Do you know for sure that if you died today, that you would go to heaven? Do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal savior? Because if Jesus Christ returned today, do you know for sure that you would go to heaven with him? Listen, God loves you and he's got a plan for your life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You see, our sins have separated us from God. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But God made man in his own image, and he gave man the ability to choose right from wrong. We choose to sin, and our sins separate us from God. But God's word also says that a sin must be paid for. for the wages of sin is death. Wages means payment, and the payment of our sin is death in hell, separation from God forever. But if we continue in our sin, we shall die without Christ and be without God forever. And so the good news is that Christ paid for our sins. and all of our sins were laid on Christ on the cross. He paid our sin debt for us. The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross and he arose from the dead and he's alive forevermore. But God committed his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You see, we must personally pray and receive Christ by faith as our savior. The Bible says, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Romans 10, 13. Listen. Will you pray and receive Christ as your savior? Lord, I know that I'm a sinner, and if I died today, I would go to heaven. Forgive my sin. Come into my life, be my savior. Help me to live for you from this day forward. I hope and pray that you know that. I know that we're all sinners. If I died today, would I not go to heaven? Listen, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. You see, new life, everlasting life begins when we receive Christ as our Savior. You can do that. Father, we thank you for the solid foundation that you provided for us in your Son, Jesus Christ. And we pray for each person that's listening, Lord, to this message, that you would grant us the wisdom to build our lives upon this eternal rock. And for those who came forward or that may be listening to this message, whether it goes international or as in the future, globally. Lord, we ask for your grace and strength as we commit to trusting in you above all else. Forgive us for the times that we placed our faith in fleeting things. Help us to anchor our souls firmly in your unfailing love and truth. And may we all stand secure on the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ now and forevermore. Amen. you