We Shall Not Be Moved

Psalm 1:1–3 NLT

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Psalm 16:8 NLT

8 I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

:  

Psalm 62:5–6 NLT

5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

Proverbs 12:3 NLT

3 Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.

Psalm 92:12–14 NLT

12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. 13 For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. 14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.

It has been a sort of a long standing joke within the church to talk about people who are stuck,

stuck in the past,

stuck in their traditions,

stuck in the old ways of doing things.

And we often joke about it and make fun of them and criticize them,

and we apply the song to them... I shall not be moved.

And the truth is there are a lot of people that are stuck, and refuse to be moved. 

And the problem comes in when a person is planted in their own way of doing things, or the old way of doing things, and they reject the new and the better, and the greater, to hold on to the old. 

This is the person who is satisfied with themselves and with everything around them, and they have no desire, and no motivation for change or for progress.

These people usually are not only satisfied to stay like they are,

where they are, but they also fight the possibility and opportunity for change and progress to come to anyone around them. 

They are like an old house in the middle of a construction zone for a freeway. 

"They demand that the freeway not come at all, or if it does come, it must go around them." 

I've known a good many of those people in my time in ministry. But if the truth be told, I know that to some degree, more or less, I have been that person. 

I have resisted change just like so many others.

But the truth is...

there is no growth without change, there is no progress without change. 

But all change is not good change. 

Change is not our incentive and motivation. 

Our incentive and motivation for change is progress...

advancement,

greater influence,

more of the glory and the power of God,

and to be a truer representation of Jesus. 

Be Planted

So what am I saying? I am saying that while we're joking about those who stubbornly resist change, and dig in their heels against all progress...

There is a flip side to that. These scriptures I have shared with you today speak of being planted... rooted, grounded, established. 

●         Trees don't have wheels, because they need to be planted, they need to be able to put down roots in good soil, and get the stability and the nutrients from the soil they're planted in. "A tree that is not planted will not grow right." 

●         Trees belong in an established place. Trees become established by being in an established place.

If I weren’t pastoring, I would immediately search to find the soil I need to be in, and plant myself under a pastor and begin to support that pastor and that body with my presence, my tithes, and my prayers.

●         A true church is not built on its entertainment value; it's built on its ability to grow people up in God. I'm going back to our first scripture; I want us to see from the Bible what a planted man or woman of God looks like.

  KJV "Blessed is the man that ... 

1. Doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly. 

2. Doesn't stand in the way of sinners. 

3. Doesn't sit in the seat of the scornful. 

4. His delight is in the law of the Lord. 

5. In his law doth he meditate day and night.

 And the result is... 

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, 

●         He will bring forth his fruit in his season.

●         His leaf also shall not wither.

●         Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

This is what David was talking about when he said,

 "I shall not be moved." 

➢         I am persuaded 

➢         I am established 

➢         I have a root system 

➢         I am connected 

➢         I have a connection with the soil 

➢         I am a producer. 

➢         I bear fruit. And then it means... 

Because I am planted, 

and because I have roots that run deep. 

I am not shaken. 

I am not fearful and fretful. 

I am not blown around anywhere and everywhere.

I know what I believe. 

I live by what I believe.  

I am persuaded,

 I shall not be moved. 

Let's declare this together, I shall not be moved. 

Just recently we had a very well known minister who publicly renounced something he had been preaching and teaching for many years. We’ve had many as a matter of fact

It was shocking. 

But I thought, that’s ok, everybody has to be persuaded in their own heart and mind about what they believe and why. 

But here is what bothered me. 

He didn't just renounce his own beliefs and practices; he attacked any one who continues to live according to what he had been teaching and preaching for 40 years or more. 

It's ok if you get more light on a subject than me, 

but don't attack me because I haven't got there yet. 

If you really have more light than me, walk in it and show me how much better it is, so I'll be willing to let go of the lesser for the greater. 

This is why I'm sharing this word with you today. 

Every single member of the body of Christ needs to be planted, and established, not just in a church, but in their faith. 

You must believe what you believe because you found it for yourself. 

You must have roots that are wrapped around the Word of God. 

You must be persuaded. 

Persuaded means convince, win over, to believe and have faith in., and to rely on by inward certainty. 

I love these men of God, and some have had a great impact on my life, but I am not casting away my confidence in the principles of Gods Word that I have found through my personal study.

 I am planted, my roots go down deep, I am persuaded, I shall not be moved.

 "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind"  

➢         If you don't believe in speaking in other tongues, that's fine, that's up to you, but don't attack me because I do. 

➢         If you don't believe in miracles, that's fine too, but don't attack me because I do. 

➢         If you don't believe in sowing your seed to get a desired harvest, that's fine, that's up to you, but don't attack me because I do. 

➢         If you don't believe that God can deliver the demon possessed and oppressed, that's up to you, but don't attack me because I do believe it. 

Pastor why are you saying these things? My friends, the reason I'm saying these things is because the winds of adversity and opposition, and criticism are blowing strong in this nation, and you are going to have to be planted. 

Every kind of false doctrine is blowing through the land today, and multitudes of people are being swept away by them. 

You need your roots to go down deep and take hold of the pure unadulterated word of God. You need to know what you believe, and you need to be fully persuaded, fully convinced, or you will be deceived.

  KJV "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." 

Ephesians 4:14 NLT

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Eph 4

Worship Team

Precious friends, Whatever these men of God/ former men of God's reasons are for his change of position concerning the Word of God are, it tells me something very important... It is saying to me... 

If one of these men who has been preaching the gospel for 40 years could feel like he was missing it, and misrepresenting the gospel, then... 

1. We need to be planted more than ever before. 

2. We need to be sure of the soil we're planted in. 

3. We need to be faithful to the place God has planted us. 

I want to be like Paul the Apostle who said... 

2 Timothy 1:12 NLT

12 That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

KJV "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

KJV "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

I am not criticizing today, I know that we can be distracted and we can get off track, and get distracted from the main thing, and sometimes we have to get recalibrated by the Word of God. 

But what I feel stirred about today is this, how many people will readjust their belief system because of one mans words? 

Dear friends, my responsibility as a pastor is to lead you to faith in Christ,

not faith in my faith. 

Precious friends,

 ●         I cannot be your Bible.

 ●         I cannot be your conscience. 

●         I cannot be the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your life. 

Do you pray? Do you read your Bible? Do you spend time worshipping God? Do you study so you can have your own foundation for your faith? 

This is going to sound a little gross but to expect me as a pastor, or anyone else to supply all your spiritual food and nourishment, is like ordering a big thick steak and expecting me to chew it up for you. 

You're supposed to grow your own teeth.

 "I shall not be moved, why?" Because I have put down roots. 

Because I am planted. 

Because I have an established place. 

Because I have a connection with the soil, I shall not be moved. 

TLB "And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day's problems; live in vital union with him. 

Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done. 

Don't let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men's thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said." 

Let me close with this one last portion of scripture.

Psalm 46:1–5 NLT

1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude 4 A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. 5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.