Today we come to celebrate survival, longevity and victory.

Survival meaning “continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.” Longevity meaning “Long life or long existence” … and victory meaning “an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition.”

We come to give thanks to God for the holy ground on which the local church stand. For where the local church is standing today is holy ground. Those grounds have been consecrated and dedicated. The blood of Jesus covers this place we call the church and every inch of the property line. The local church is God’s house, and we are God’s people, and we are celebrating the fact that God brought us from a mighty long way; I am so glad this morning for two reasons; I am so thankful this morning and I celebrate in my spirit this morning where we have come from, what God has done; even more so what God is going to do for the church in the future.

We celebrate the universal church that spiritual organism that make up the body of Christ all over the world, every race, creed, and color that is united by way of the blood of Jesus and that makes us family. The church has something to celebrate this morning. To see how God has kept his word; to see the souls that have been saved and the difference the church had made in our lives and our community; and how what God starts, He will finish.

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in us will bring it to completion (Phi. 1:6).” Today we also remember church members over the years that was a part of the church’s journey but are not here today; the officers, ministers, missionaries; the list is long and too many to name of church members who blazed the trail before us, some in recent years that once served, supported, labored, contributed financially, and prayed for the local church, on whose shoulders we stand; community the truth of the matter is, everyday has not been like Sunday in the local church; there have been some Mondays through Saturdays; but the good has far outweighed the bad; the blessings have overshadowed the negative, we have survived!

But there’s a reason for that; we are not here by happenstance; it is not an accident that the Church is still standing after all these years; Jesus a long time ago prophetically said that the church would survive; and those that are a part of it will survive too; but not just that we would survive, but that we will thrive! But why are we still here in spite of the devil’s attempt to destroy us? how are we able to function despite the hell that every church has come through?

It is because of the rock that the church is founded on; friends, let me establish right now, that anything, anybody and any church that is built upon Christ will survive!

The church has come through the worst of times; we have come through Pearl Harbor, the Civil War, the Holocaust, the Civil Rights movement, Hurricane Florence;…demon possessed men in recent years have infiltrated the church with guns and killed people and little children right in the church in Charleston SC, Texas and other places; the church has suffered break-ins, theft; in some cases the church has been burnt down; it has come through COVID despite the losses yet it is still thriving and surviving; folk leave the church, some rob the church, and others scorn the church; some have tried to destroy the church but the church still stands; hallelujah! ‘

When the smoke has cleared the local church is still surviving; The one institution of all institutions that has stood the test of time. Jesus asked his disciples a question, who do men say that I the Son of man am?” they said, some say that you are John the Baptist who had been beheaded: some say you are, Elijah the prophet come back from the dead; others say you are Jeremiah raised up, or one of the prophets.

He then asked the disciples, who do you say I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:13-18).”

He was talking about and anticipating his death and his victory over death and about his resurrection. Community, false prophets have come on the scene against the church trying to destroy the credibility of the church; Satan has sent his demonic forces to divide and conquer the church; he’s influenced people to try and bring the church down; he tries to work within the church and destroy it from the inside out; pastors have left, walked away from the church; some have died; members have left, some have died, but the church is still standing; why? Because Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build MY church: AND the gates of hell shall NOT prevail against it.”

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I’m going to stay with the church; friends come what may, don’t leave the church; the church will survive.