Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. We build not just for our own protection, but also to point the way of safety to others. You and I are going to be the voices from God. calling out to others in the last days. And for you and I, it's now time to build our lives on a solid foundation.
Yeah. Welcome to A Call to the Nation with Carter Conlon, a weekly message from Times Square Church in New York City. Today, Carter takes us to Matthew chapter 7, where we'll learn about a man who did not listen to the words of Jesus and put them into practice. the rain came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. You too may be heading in that same direction, but it's not too late.
Here's Carter as he begins today's message. Matthew chapter 7. I'm going to start there, verse 21. I'm reading from the New King James Version. Jesus said these words.
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven. I should stop there and say are there any questions at this point? Not everyone. Not everyone who goes to church. Not everyone who says, Yeah, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Not everyone. is going to enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my Father In heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord. Have we not prophesied in your name?
In other words, have we not simply agreed with the things that you said? Did I not agree with your versions as you wrote it down about the future and such like? And I even spoke it to others. Have we not cast out demons in your name? and done many wonders in your name.
And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain descended and the floods came. and the winds blew and beat on that house.
and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them. will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended. And the floods came.
And the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell. and great was its fall. And so it was when Jesus had ended these things that the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority. Not as the scribes. In other words, his word had weight, it had power.
He spoke as the one who had the ability to fulfill everything he had spoken. He didn't babble on as the scribes often did. in the synagogues in their teachings. No, His word had weight. And it's as if the people were able to acknowledge that what we've just heard has the power of eternity in it.
And perhaps many turned back and began to focus on the seriousness. of what he had just spoken. He spoke of a storm. That would ultimately test the type of spiritual life that each one of us has chosen to build.
Now, whether it's a collective storm, whether it's something that happens in this world, whether it's some kind of a catastrophic happening. or whether it's just a storm that all of us will face. You know, the reality is, everybody here in 50 years or less, you'll all be dead. Did you know that? I don't know if you're aware of that or not, but.
You'll all be in an underground six feet somewhere, or in a jar on somebody's fireplace mantle, or whatever. And you will have passed into eternity. And before you pass into eternity, there's going to be a trial because, quite often, with the finishing of life comes the pain that is associated with that, the difficulty, the diagnosis. You will have a storm someday, and it will test. what you have built.
If you built on truth, then your value system is already in another place. Your heart is already gone. Into eternity. Your whole reason for being on this earth is now for family and for those that are close to you and for those that you've. God will give you influence over in the future so you can bring them with you into an eternal Kingdom.
Jesus spoke about the worst type of foundation to build upon, which is sand. And it speaks to us as the type of person who knows what he should build. There are people here today, probably, just judging by the numbers of people in this sanctuary and listening, who have made a choice to build with something else. Other than what God says in His Word. You see, they've counted it too costly.
Sand is cheap. Cement requires a whole lot more work, or stone, or rock. A lot of effort. It's sometimes hard to carry. It can be difficult to put into the proper form.
Sand is just a commodity. It can be packed. You can make sand castles out of it. It can make things look like they have the ability to stand, even though they don't. But he counts it too costly, so he chooses to build his own version of what he thinks will stand.
I can't tell you the numbers of people I've met in my lifetime inside the Church of Jesus Christ that fall into this category. who have chosen to build what they think will stand. This kind of a house is going to be the first to go in a time of testing. They get news, and suddenly their heart is fluttering, it's fainting, they're shaky, they're nervous, they're looking to some news station to give them. Confidence and assurance about the future because they've not really been built on the rock Christ Jesus.
Jesus said these things were going to come. He said through the Apostle Peter, it's not a strange thing concerning the fiery trial that's going to come your way. And don't act like it's a strange thing. We've been forewarned. We've been foretold that nation would rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.
We were told by the Apostle Paul there would be exceeding lawlessness in the last days where men would be filled with themselves and unable to be reached with truth. They would be blasphemers, they'd be liars, they'd be backstabbers, they'd be murderers. This is what society is going to devolve into in the last days. It should not be a surprise to us that these things are going to happen all around us. The house built on the sand.
is going to be the first to go. The psalmist in Psalm 52 verses 6 and 7 It says the righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him, saying, Here is the man who did not make God his strength. but trusted in the abundance Of his riches or in his own ideas about what security is, and strengthened himself. In his wickedness, the righteous will see it. but not be partakers of it.
Now the second faulty foundation is the person who builds his foundation with mixture. Prophet Daniel. He spoke. About the last days. As were revealed to one of the foreign kings back in in his generation.
about the final kingdom in this world. In chapter 2, verse 42, it says, And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men. but will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.
And the kingdom shall not be left to other people. It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. The last kingdom. On this world will be Humankind's attempt to adhere, to come together as perhaps kingdoms have in the past, but they won't have the ability to do it. We're seeing that in our own nation right now, so bitterly divided.
Perhaps there are some ideally talking about this blending together to become one society, but you and I are seeing that iron and clay don't mix anymore. And division is going to be the order of the last day. In God's kingdom, it speaks of the kind of a person, the kind of a man. In a romantic Relationship that's just based on casual glances, convenient evenings, and frequent flirtation. versus lasting commitment.
A warning to all the women here today. If some guy is asking you out for dinner, flirting with you in the office or whatever the case and very enamored that that your affection and attention is towards him. And he takes you out for dinner and he's looking at his watch all the time and he's looking around the room and over your shoulder. He's got something else on his mind. It's not you that's on his mind.
I tell you straight out. You're wasting your time with this kind of a guy. He is not interested in commitment. He is enamored. That your focus is on him.
He finds empowerment by just knowing that he has some kind of. Relationship with you. And also He's not interested in making any lasting commitment to you. The best thing you can do is. Say enjoy your watch, enjoy your meal.
I'll see you later.
Now this this same guy This same guy attends church. But he only comes when it's convenient for him. And he makes declarations of love. I love you, Lord. And I lift my voice.
To worship you. Oh my soul. Makes declarations of love without commitment. And he loves the personal power that he feels this association with God. Gives him.
He's told from the pulpit that You are the center of God's affection and God's a tea. He likes that feeling. That's a nice feeling. But don't ask him to stay 10 minutes longer than what he expects the service time to be. You see, because he has a plan for the day, it's not really to worship God all day.
This is just a convenient relationship. You know, years and years and years ago, We used to have a lot of volunteers for our music ministry here on Tuesday night in particular and Friday night. And I remember there was a gentleman that started playing the keyboard. And it bothered, something about him just bothered me. I was never comfortable with him.
on the instrument and after a little while of being here I I decided I'd meet with him and I asked him. I said, when did you become a believer in Jesus Christ? He said, oh, I'm not. I said, really? Not a believer in Jesus Christ, so what are you doing on the keyboard on this?
On this platform, he said, well, I love music and I love the feeling I get when I'm here. Singing these kinds of spiritual songs. But you've never given your life to Jesus Christ. No. Are you intending on doing that?
Well, I'm not sure. It's been nice having you, my friend. You're not going to be on this platform anymore. touching a keyboard. You see, but that's the type of a person that will stand before God one day and say, Lord, Lord, did I not, was I not on the platform of Times Square Church for a short season?
Did I not play the keyboard? Did I not sing the songs that worship you? Did I not agree with the words of those songs? And the Lord will look at him and say, Depart from me. you who practice lawlessness.
I never knew. I found out later about this gentleman that his His life outside of the church didn't match up with his Piano playing. and songs that were here. As a matter of fact, he was quite the opposite and had a very poor reputation. among those that he worked with.
I never knew you. Matthew chapter 7 again verse 21 to 23. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Cast out demons in your name.
and done many wonders in your name. And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me. you who practice lawlessness. Now the word new carries the connotation of intimacy.
familiarity and commitment as in Marriage. I never knew you. I wasn't married to you. You you enjoyed my company. You loved speaking my name from time to time and you were enamored with the fact that my affection was upon you.
But you never could bring yourself out of just being involved in the relationship for only what you could get out of it. You were never willing to be given. For something greater than yourself, you were never able to commit yourself to me. and become part, Christ would say, of my bride on the earth. You were never intimately related to me and associated with me.
It's like the type of person who's always flitting from one person to another in relationships, but doesn't have the strength of character to ever be committed to anybody, because commitment requires a giving of oneself. It requires a yielding of one's future for something greater than just living for oneself. We sang a song today, I'm taking back what you stole from me.
Well, that's great. And that's the beginning of the relationship. But then I go out to take back what was stolen from other people. You and I are called to be given for the cause of Christ in this world. We're called to be a demonstration of who He is.
We're called to let Him govern and guide us in our speech, in our character, in our lives, and our pursuits, and our futures. We're called to allow the Holy Spirit to begin to change us from the inside out into that which Christ has destined us to be. It requires commitment. This is not available to the casual observer. It's not available to the person who watches their watch and is only willing to give a certain amount of time to God throughout the week.
No, no. Knowing God means that I am yielding my life, the rights to my life, to Him. I'm yielding my future. I'm yielding my family. I'm yielding my body.
I'm yielding my safety. I'm yielding everything that I am and have into the hands of God for the purposes of God, which ultimately is bringing the saving gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have no helper. Bringing it to the prisoner, bringing it to the spiritually blind, to the impoverished, to the bruised, to the wounded in heart. That's the call of God on the life of every believer. We're not just to sit at a table and consume unto ourselves, but we're to take what God has given us and bring it out to others around us.
In partnership. With the wand. who went to a cross and died.
so that we might have eternal life. When you get married, you take up the same goals. You take up the same pursuits, you take up, you should have a similar passion and pursuit in life, or you're not really committed to one another. But when you're committed to one another, you're going together in the same direction. And those who claim to be Christ's.
Have embraced this direction that's in God's heart. when he gave his only begotten son to be crucified so that we might have everlasting life. I thank God with all my heart. I thank God for every believer in Christ since the day. of the cross and the resurrection.
I thank God for every believer who is willing to go into an arena. Be devoured by lions tooth. I thank God for those who became burning torches. I thank God for those who went to prison. I thank God for those who suffered.
Because of them, I have eternal life today. The message came to me in Jesus Christ. I owe each one of them an amazing debt of gratitude. Because I understand the Christian life is not just a convenience. It's a relationship with the living God, entering into the purposes of God.
Embracing the strength of God, walking in the supernatural power of God, but for the reasons of God. that I choose to build my life On a rock, Christ Jesus. I choose to have my life built on the truth of God's Word. I'm not looking when I read the Bible to skirt the hard things and just embrace the soft things. You understand?
I'm looking for truth to build my life on. If God puts his finger on an aspect of my character that needs to be changed, I'm quick to go to him and say, Lord, I'm trusting, forgive me for that in my life, and I'm trusting you to change me into the man that I'm supposed to be. I'm trusting God that image to image and glory to glory, that I shall be changing by the Spirit of God within me into the man that God has destined my life to be. I trust in God that even in old age, I will still be a green tree and still bear fruit in the kingdom of God until the day I draw my last breath. I thank God that the marriage relationship with Christ becomes sweeter and sweeter as the days go by.
I thank God that I'm not looking at my watch in church. Thank God it doesn't matter. If we end up here all day, so be it. This is the kingdom of God. We are the people of God, and this is the worship of God.
The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat on that house. See, the house that Jesus is talking about is not a physical house. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the house of God, the dwelling place of God on the earth.
And the rains will beat, and the floods will come. And all kinds of evil reports will attempt to push that house over. But I have It built my life by the grace of Almighty God. On the confidence of Christ. Where he said, I will never leave you or forsake you.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper. And every tongue that rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Their righteousness is of me. God says, I have given you a cleanness in the sight of God, and no one can take that away from you.
You might fall, but I will lift you up again. I will not fail you. I will not forsake you. I am persuaded neither angels nor powers nor principality nor hills nor mountains nor valleys nor anything that comes against the church of Jesus Christ shall be able to take us away from the love of Almighty God which is ours in Christ Jesus. We build not just for our own protection.
But also to point the way. of safety to others. You and I are going to be the voices. From God. Calling out to others.
In the last days. And for you and I, it's now time to build our lives on a solid foundation. And God put my feet upon a rock. Put a new song in my mouth. Let there be such a strong confidence in me that others will see it.
And begin to fear that maybe they don't have that in their lives, and they will turn and begin to trust in God. In the middle of the storm, Let me be not just preserving myself on the rock. That you have placed under me, but let me be calling out from that rock and saying, This is the way, walk in it. This is where strength can be found in God. Oh God, open our voices, open our mouths, and have us speak in this generation to those who need help, they need hope.
The single mothers trying to raise their kids in different parts of the city, trying to work two jobs to pay the bills. The dads who don't know how they're going to get through tomorrow.
Somebody has to speak and call out to them.
Somebody has to stand in a strong place filled with the compassion of God. And say to them, this is the way, walk in it. Come, build with me. It's not too late to build your foundation. It's not too late to turn to God.
It's not too late. To begin to read His Word and begin to see that God is for you and not against you. It's not too late, my brother and my sister. This is the church's finest hour, in my opinion, on this earth. This is a time of an incredible harvest in the kingdom of God.
And I can't leave it to just a pastor. You have a passionate pastor in Tim Delina for souls, but we're not called just to be pylons in somebody else's game. You understand? We have to get on the field, every last one of us. Put on the full armor of God, stand on the rock, and get into the game.
By the grace of God. By the grace of God, whatever the Holy Spirit says to do, do that. There was a lady I met one time who heard These words And we met her later on and she said, so I prayed what I'd heard. He said, God, what do you have for me? I'm not a Bible scholar.
I'm not a powerful evangelist. What do you want me to do? And the Holy Spirit spoke to her and said, Go down to Starbucks. In the morning, order a coffee. Sit at a table and open your Bible.
That was the full instruction for her.
So she obeyed. She went down to Starbucks in her local town. She opened her Bible. We were speaking to her about this. She opened her Bible and she got a coffee and she just began to read her Bible.
After a little while, a lady came over and said, what are you doing? What are you reading? She said, well, I'm reading the Bible. Oh, really? What's in that?
What does it say? She said, Well, sit down. I'll tell you something about it.
So she started sharing scripture with her. And the lady said, Are you going to be here tomorrow? She said, Well, if you'd like me, I will. She said, Can I bring some friends? By the time we got there, she had 60 people in her women's Bible study.
Because she was built on a solid foundation and she began to understand life is not just about preserving yourself or just enjoying your privacy with your own coffee. There's somebody in that place that's searching for truth.
Somebody needs to know. that there's security and safety in God. And this is where we come in. Each one of us, just do whatever God tells you to do. And it doesn't matter if it looks ridiculous, just do it.
Whatever God tells you to do, do that. If he tells you to put on a sandwich board and walk up and down Broadway saying Jesus loves you, do it. Just do it. Whatever God tells you to do, he knows who's going to be out there and needs to see.
Now, I know exactly what's going to happen.
Somebody's going to do that. And then. And Pastor Tim says, why? You're going to say, well, Pastor Carter told us to do that. I know exactly.
It's not too late to build your foundation. And so the message. Has to always come to you and I first as the church. God, am I on the foundation of Christ? Am I in an actual relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, or do I just like going to church?
Do I like the music? Do I like the fact that God's affection is towards me? Am I like the guy in the restaurant who's not really committed to the girl? And is no intention of committing? Or have I really gone over the line?
And I said, Jesus Christ. You are now Lord of my life. You have the right to my future. You have the right to everything that I am and ever will be. And not only that, you promised to be a friend that stays closer than a brother to me.
And so, as you gave yourself to me 2,000 years ago on the cross. I now give myself to you. It's the least I can do, and it really is the least I can do. I give you my heart. I give you my full affection.
I give you my attention. I give you my future. I put it all into your hands, God. I don't want to be building a spiritual life on sand. Or mixture.
I want my life to be built on the rock. of Christ. and his truth. And one day when I stand before God, I want him to be able to look me in the eye. and say well done.
Good. and faithful. Servant. Thank you for joining us this week for A Call to the Nation with Carter Conlon from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information, log on to tsc.nyc.
That's tsc.nyc. You can count on a powerful message each week on a call to the nation with Carter Conlon.
