Sermon Tone Analysis

SCRIPTURE

OPENING

Have you ever heard the old saying, “good fences make good neighbors?”

If you’ve ever been part of a property line dispute, or witnessed one, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

It can get nasty.

I watched a video the other day where a man caught his neighbor digging under the wooden privacy fence that separated their properties with her bare hands because she believed his fence was on her property and she wanted to reclaim the dirt she felt like belonged to her.

That’s why we have to have professional land surveys and we have to set property corners so that we have a landmark to establish a legal standard that will hold up in a court of law.

That’s also why we have to have mental institutions.

MESSAGE

Introduction

In our Scripture text this morning from the book of Proverbs, the Bible warns us to “remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”

After the conquest of Canaan, God gave Joshua the job of dividing up the Promised Land between the Tribes of Israel.

In order to establish the official boundaries, landmarks were set.

These landmarks were typically stone pillars that were erected along the property boundaries.

Perhaps as individual areas were present settled, they continued to set landmarks between families within each Tribe.

So this warning in Proverbs is against treating one’s neighbor unjustly by moving the ancient landmarks to expand one’s own territory.

Someone who was trying to defraud their neighbor could move the landmark small incremental amounts over a period of time that would not be noticeable individually, but that would add up to a significant change in area.

Application

So we understand the straightforward, literal meaning of this proverb in regards to property boundaries, but there is also a spiritual meaning and application for us today.

A landmark can refer to a custom, tradition, teaching, or standard.

Our Christian faith is filled with traditions and teachings that have been passed down through the generations.

The warning for us is that we should not be too eager to move the ancient landmarks, which are the biblical teachings, standards, and traditions of the Christian faith.

We should not defend tradition simply for the sake of tradition, but neither should we destroy tradition simply for the sake of destroying it.

Fixed Eternal Principles

We need to remember that the ancient landmarks were not established for no apparent reason.

They were established intentionally and based on biblical principles, and biblical principles do not change over time.

They are fixed, eternal principles.

If we start to move the ancient landmarks of the standards of God’s Word, we shift further and further away from the established principles God intends us to follow.

The result is a man-based religious system that operates under the banner of Christianity.

Understand that this shift rarely happens all at once.

Just like the ancient landmarks we talked about that could be moved little by little over time so that no one would notice, the shift away from God’s Word occurs slowly over time so that it is barely noticeable, if at all.

Our Current Condition

I believe that, in the day we are living in today, God is trying to shake the Church and awaken us to the reality of our current position.

The Church has fallen asleep while the ancient landmarks have been moved.

The Church has learned to tolerate what was once rejected.

And our tolerance has led us to compromise.

And our compromise has brought us to acceptance of relocated landmarks that look nothing like the original biblical standards of God’s Word.

The Spirit of Jezebel

I could give you example after example of the degradation of sound biblical teaching and principles in the Church and the negative consequences.

In many cases, the Spirit of Jezebel has been allowed to run rampant in the Church.

The Spirit of Jezebel likes to take control.

So the Spirit of Jezebel will try to get close to the Pastor, or elders, or leaders in the church and gain influence over them.

And once the Spirit of Jezebel has gained influence it will then begin to exert control.

And once in control, the Spirit of Jezebel will lead the leadership and the congregation into sin, perversion, immorality, and a twisted and distorted view of God’s Word.

Good will become evil, and evil will become good.

Moving the ancient landmarks will become acceptable.

And not only acceptable, but they will be celebrated as progressive and modern and inclusive.

The Ancient Landmarks Have Been Moved

The Church has decided that it no longer needs the ancient landmarks.

They are too outdated.

Too old fashioned.

So last year.

We must move in a different direction.

And this movement says that in order for Pastors to be successful, and grow a large church, you must have a new approach.

The things we once did are no longer applicable.

Old-fashioned Holy Ghost preaching is no longer effective.

We need to incorporate the entertainment methods of the world.

In order to reach the world, we need to offer the things of the world in the Church.

People need to be entertained.

The Church needs to shy away from strong doctrinal positions.

The discussion of sin, wrath, and judgment must be minimized or eliminated so we do not offend people.

Let’s remove shepherds from the behind the pulpit and replace them with celebrity pastors.

Give us a hipster who can trend on TikTok and boost our social media presence.

We Need Strong Spiritual Leaders

Where are the John the Baptists?

Where are the Elijahs?

Where are the Pauls of today?

These were men who were not afraid to take a stand for what is right.

What happened to the ancient landmarks?

What happened to preaching heaven is real, hell is hot, eternity is long, and life is not.

We’ve replaced those who hold to the original position of the ancient landmarks with people who say nothing, do nothing, and stand for nothing.

People are filling churches but leaving unsaved, unconvicted, and unfilled.

They are entertained, but they are not changed.

They laugh, but they never weep.

Charles Spurgeon, the old famous English pastor, once preached a sermon titled, “Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats.”

That is a fitting description of the dilemma of the Church today.

What is our mission?

Is it to feed sheep or amuse goats?

That’s a funny and humorous analogy.

Some people may even find it offensive, but unfortunately it is the sad reality of the times in which we live.

We Need to Seek Out the Old Paths

We need to look for the old paths and walk in them.

But Some Say “We Will Not Walk Therein”

There are many today who are saying, we do not want to walk in the old paths.

They like where the ancient landmarks have been moved.

In fact, they don’t think they’ve been moved far enough.

They think we need to keep moving and shifting with the culture around us.

The Methods Versus the Message

There is nothing wrong with making the message relevant for a particular culture.

Paul adjusted his methods to speak to the particular audience.

For example, when he preached in Athens, he used examples from Greek philosophers and thinkers to demonstrate his points.

But Paul’s message never changed.

When Jesus spoke to fishermen, He used parables about fishing.

When he spoke to farmers, He used parables about farming.

But the overall message didn’t change.

Jesus didn’t change the message and excuse certain sins that a group of salty fishermen might be more susceptible of committing than another group just so that they would follow Him.

There is a difference between changing the method and changing the message.

Jesus gave them all the same message.

Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.

We Need to Re-Establish the Ancient Landmarks