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My message is entitled, Pleasing God.
How many want to please God?
Boy, that is so weak.
I said, how many want to please God
in their life?
Well, it's not a complicated matter.
Chapter 1, verses 9 and 10, For this
cause we also, since the day we heard
it, do not cease to pray for you,
and to desire that ye might be filled
with the knowledge of his will, and all
wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in
the knowledge of God.
Verse 10, that ye might walk worthy of
the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God.
Father, I thank you for the Holy Spirit.
I thank you, Holy Spirit, for knowing the
mind of the Father, and your desire to
bring that word to our hearts, and change
us, and mold us, that we would truly
live our lives pleasing unto you.
Now, I acknowledge my need, and I acknowledge
your glory and your presence.
Lord, settle over this house.
Come now to this main auditorium.
Come, Lord, to the annexes, and to every
room where the gospel is heard this morning.
We yield completely to control of the Holy
Spirit.
We yield to the ministry of the Holy
Spirit.
And we glorify you in your word manifest,
in Christ and in us.
So we give you honor and praise for
your truly worthy.
You are truly worthy of our praise.
Give us the word now, we pray, and
challenge us in Christ's name.
Amen.
Jesus was baptized by John in the river
Jordan, and the Bible says, coming out of
the water, the heavens opened to him, and
he saw the Spirit of God descending like
a dove, and lighting upon him.
And lo, a voice from heaven sang, This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.
My question is this, does God still speak
those words to the seed of Christ, to
those of us who are living today?
Does the Lord ever look upon his servants
today and say, Here's a man, here's a
woman, in whom I'm well pleased.
That was God's testimony to Enoch.
The scripture says of him, By faith Enoch
was translated that he should not see death.
He was not found because God translated him.
For behold, before his translation, he had this
testimony, that he pleased God.
This was his witness, he had a witness
in him, that he pleased God.
Now I don't expect to be translated like
Enoch.
I don't expect that kind of reward.
What I do want, more than anything else
in my life, I want to have that
same witness in my soul.
I'm not talking about that day when we
stand before the judgment.
We stand before our blessed Savior, and he
says well done, and he says you have
lived your life pleasing to me.
I want to know that now, while I
still have breath, while I'm still in his
service, that God can truly say, and I
bear witness to it through the Holy Spirit,
that my life is pleasing to him.
That there is no controversy with him.
I don't have to build him something great.
I don't have to do something great.
But I have to come to this place
to understand that Jesus set the example.
That the Father said he's well pleased.
Why did the Father say that of the
Son?
What was the testimony?
Jesus himself said I do those things that
are pleasing to him.
I do those things that are pleasing to
him.
And I read that, and I said well
now, those things are surely not come to
those things because it can't be a burden.
He said my yoke is easy, my burden
is light.
So it can't be some complicated set of
rules.
It can't be something that is a burden
to me.
It has to be something of love.
Something that God shows me out of his
heart of love.
And something that I can accomplish.
Something that I can do without doing it
in the flesh.
Of course we know that the most obvious
thing is faith.
For the Bible said they that come to
him must believe that he is, and that
he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him.
And they that come to me must believe
that I am, and that I am a
rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
We're told have faith in God.
Have faith in God and believe that he
is.
And I asked well, what is that saying?
It says believe that he is a rewarder.
Now when God was speaking this to me
this past week, I looked at that word
and I've gone over it many, many times
and just skipped over it.
He is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek him.
Now when we talk about diligently seeking him,
we picture a Christian shut in with God
and tears flowing, and for hours just begging
and pleading with God, bless me or help
me, I'm in need.
And this constant seeking and crying out to
God.
Now folks, that's a wonderful thing.
But the original makes it very clear in
this passage.
He's talking about searching out the ways of
God.
Searching with diligence, with all sincerity, going to
the word of God and finding those things
that please him.
And simply doing them.
It's not spending our knees just on our
knees praying for blessings.
God has outlined, when I read that he
rewards those who go into his word, he
rewards those who spend quality time saying, I'm
going to search this word and I'm going
to find the promises.
I'm going to find the commandments and I'm
going to obey them.
I'm going to search you out.
Because you said you're a rewarder of those
who diligently seek him.
Those who diligently dig into his word to
find their path in life.
And the prophet Isaiah, I think, was the
first to describe what that word is.
He said he's a rewarder.
I would suggest that the majority in this
church, if you've been here for a number
of years, you should be at this place
that you are a seeker after God, a
diligent seeker after him.
But do you know what the reward is?
Have you dug into it?
We just skip over that.
But it's important to have this kind of
motivation in our spirit.
Isaiah, go with me, please, to Isaiah, the
40th chapter.
I want to show you the reward.
40th chapter of Isaiah, beginning of verse 27.
Now, this is the reward of those who
diligently seek the Lord.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O
Israel?
My way is hid from the Lord.
My judgment is passed over from my God.
Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard,
that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator
of the ends of the earth, fainteth not?
Neither is weary.
There's no searching of his understanding.
Here's the reward.
He giveth power to the faint.
And to them that have no might, he
increases strength.
Even the youth shall faint and be weary.
The young men shall utterly fall or fail.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings as eagles.
They shall run and not be weary.
And they shall walk and not faint.
That is the reward of those who seek
him with all their heart.
When my burden becomes so heavy, and when
I think I'm going to faint, Saint, this
is the word of God.
This is the reward of those who diligently
seek him.
When I think my battle is too much
to handle and it's over, my capacity to
even understand, when my strength weakens, and my
strength is almost gone, to them that have
no might, he increases strength.
I said, he that has no might, he
that's at the end of his wit, he
that doesn't know where to turn, he increases
strength.
That's what the word is.
And the Lord shall renew your strength.
You shall not faint.
You shall walk.
You shall go on.
And you shall not faint.
Paul said, let us not be weary in
well-doing, for in due season we shall
reap if we faint not.
And there's that big word, if, if, if,
if we faint not.
Don't worry about that if.
God's already given the promise.
And Isaiah says now, but they that wait
upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk.
They shall not faint.
The if is gone.
If you trust and believe.
Some of you are afraid of fainting in
the battle, and the struggle, and the giving
up.
And many have.
But you have to search diligently for the
word and lay hold of that.
You can take that to the gates of
heaven.
You can take that through hell.
And stand strong in the Lord.
But there are other ways, other than just
the obvious of faith itself.
There are many, many ways.
Listen to the scripture.
I want to list just three of those
things that please Him.
That is possible for every one of us.
First of all, loving one another.
Pleases God.
Loving the body of Christ.
Loving one another.
I read from 1st John 3, 22 and
3.
For whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him,
because we keep His commandments and do those
things that are pleasing in His sight.
Doing those things that are pleasing to Him
in His sight.
Well, what is the first here we mentioned?
This is His commandment.
That we shall believe in the name of
His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another
as He gave commandment.
Now, recently the Lord's been stirring my heart
about personal witnessing.
Of going out at least one day a
week.
And just go where people are.
Because you see, there were two things when
God stirred my heart that He spoke clearly
to me.
You can't do that, David.
You can't be a hypocrite about it if
you're going to stand before the people and
tell them they need to get out on
the streets and you're not doing it.
And I think that's why the majority of
churches around the world are so small.
They're shutting the four walls and they're praying
for some nebulous thing called revival.
And they're saying, oh God, just come and
sweep down.
And what they want or what they're conceiving
in their mind at least is that there's
going to be such power and some kind
of moving in the church and something they
can't explain happening and then people will just
be drawn in and they don't have to
go out.
And that's what Jesus commanded.
And I said, Lord, I'm not going to
preach that until I am doing it again
as I did when I first came to
this city 40 years ago.
Also, the scripture makes it clear that I
have no right, I have no right as
His child to go out and try to
love sinners on the street until I love
everybody in the house.
I don't have a right.
You don't have a right.
You don't have a right to witness to
anybody.
If in your heart you're holding a grudge
against a brother or sister or somebody in
your family especially.
I'm amazed that some call themselves Christians and
they don't talk to somebody that's related to
them.
They're all flesh and blood.
That is so ridiculous, so foolish, so unscriptural.
I don't know how any knowledgeable Christian sitting
here this morning, I hope God burns this
truth into your soul.
Since if you don't forgive others, I don't
forgive you.
Your sins are piling up.
We have known and believed the love that
God has for us.
You see, until you know and believe that
God loves you, you cannot truly love the
body.
You cannot love others until you're truly established
in this truth that God, in spite of
my weakness, in spite of my failures, God
loves me.
My Heavenly Father loves me.
He said, we know.
And we have known and believed the love
of God for us.
I believe it.
And that he that dwelleth in love dwelleth
in God and God in him.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought
also to love one another.
What he's saying, if you're fully committed to
the truth that God loves you, that he's
going to bring you through and you can
trust that love no matter what you're going
through.
Then he says, this enables you.
This might love for you flows through you
to others.
You can love others only as you're convinced
that you are loved of God.
Now, I can go around boasting, I love
everybody.
I have no grudge against anybody.
I love all my brothers and sisters.
But if I see one of my brothers
or sisters in need and I don't do
something about it, the love of God isn't
in me, the scripture says.
You can have the theology.
But if you don't have the practical side,
when you see one of your brothers or
sisters in need, whosoever has this world's goods,
and seeth his brother have need, and he
setteth up his vows of compassion from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in him?
My little children, let us not love in
word, neither in tongue, but in deed and
in truth.
You say, Pastor Steve, I hope I have
a giving heart.
I hope I have the kind of heart
when I see my brother and sister in
need.
But you see, we can't just talk love.
It's not a talking issue.
It's a doing matter.
It's something we do.
It's something that we ask God to do
in and through us.
He that seeth a need, and you will
not see the need, God will not open
your heart until you say, God, I want
you to use me.
Many of you can't go to a mission
field.
Many of you will never have what is
called ministry, as people conceive it to be.
But the true ministry is that God uses
you one on one.
It's Jesus at the well of Jacob and
the Samaritan woman.
It's this one-on-one love for the
body.
And surely if you can't love and meet
the need of someone in the house, how
do you expect to meet it outside?
He that seeth the need.
We talk about unity, and we say God
commands his blessing with his unity.
And folks, when we talk about unity, we're
thinking of people getting together with a big
smile and a hug, and say, brother, I
love you.
Sister, I love you.
But as God sees it, and this is
just what I feel in my soul, I
think God looks at unity a little different
than that.
It's not just a matter of getting together
and saying, I'm going to put aside all
my prejudice, I'm going to put aside my
pet doctrines, and I'm just going to love
you.
We're all going to be one in Jesus.
That is not unity.
That's just moral, expected Christian walk.
There shouldn't be any prejudice anyhow.
You see, unity in the body of Jesus
Christ is more than that.
It's someone who comes to this house and
says, I want to please God.
I want my life pleasing to Him.
Because I want to bring joy to the
heart of my Lord.
Lord Jesus, make me a channel, a vessel.
And folks, when you pray like that and
God sees your heart, and says, he that
hath this world's goods, everyone hearing me has
something of this world's goods, you will not
see it.
I'm amazed that some people who walk with
God, somehow they're attracted to the needs of
others.
Somehow they hear.
Somehow they see.
But they're not even looking for it.
It's the Lord with divine appointments, and He
just speaks the heart.
There's someone in need.
Because you see, if you have that desire,
and you really want to please the heart
of God, you're going to love your brother,
you're going to love your sister in this
manner.
You're going to ask God to give you
a spiritual eye.
Lord, I'm ready.
And when you pray that way, and you
believe that way, you're not going to have
to go searching.
You're not going to go up and say,
God told me I'm going to bring you
a word.
How about bringing him ten bucks?
Lord told me a long time ago if
I want to learn, I need to carry
money in my pocket.
And I do.
And I don't have it this morning, but
in my prayers, God, show me where it
belongs.
Show me who needs it.
And folks, when you begin to pray that
way, God will entrust to you, and when
somebody's in need, He'll bring them to you.
When God looks around and says, my brother's
sick, and I know who's going to hear.
I know who I can go to.
And when you finish one, God will show
you another.
And folks, you'll become the greatest thrill in
your life, become the greatest blessing because you're
being used.
It's not just money.
The world's goods go beyond just finances.
This is a ministry of, this is a
walk of faith where you say, oh God,
I want that unity where I can call
my brother's sister, say, can I walk with
you?
Whenever God instructs me to give any money
to somebody out of what He's provided for
me, I always close a note.
Secretary Barber's here.
And I always say, this is something God
told me to give to you, but I
want you to know it's just God saying
to you, He knows your problem, He knows
your need, and He's going to remember your
need.
And it's always pointed to Him saying, this
is God speaking through me and giving you
a message, don't worry, don't fret.
If God can move on my heart, He
can move on others and He will meet
the need.
You trust Him now.
We've got elderly people on our mailing list,
some of them in their 90s.
And to hear them, this one sister says,
I just have Social Security, but God speaks
to me and I give five here and
five here.
And she says, I keep $10 or so
for my funeral out of the check, and
I'm trying to raise enough to get buried.
Got that letter two weeks ago.
Just, bless my heart, all she talked about
was how good Jesus was and how God
was using her.
And she was just sitting there, can't talk
to anybody, can't witness, can't go anywhere, but
she can write these little checks out to
various, she's feeding children in Sudan.
Let's go to number two.
Those who hope in His mercy.
The scripture said, please, God, I'm reading Psalm
147, 10, 11.
He delighteth not in the strength of the
horse.
He takes no pleasure in the legs of
a man.
The Lord takes pleasure in them who hope
in His mercy.
Psalm 33, 17 said, A horse is a
vain thing for safety.
Neither shall he deliver anybody by his great
strength.
The horse and the leg, according to the
psalmist, has to do with human ability, human
dependence, depending on the flesh, things that I
do.
Folks, what the psalmist is saying, if you
really want to please God, you have to
put all your hope in His mercy, not
in what you can do.
We have people now think that they can
conquer their sin, they can drive out the
lust, they can drive all sin out of
their heart if they'll just fast long enough
or pray hard enough.
Folks, those are all scriptural things.
But first, you have got to believe and
hope in His mercy, that God is merciful
to me.
And if I can practice that mercifulness, if
I can absorb it and live by it,
have the knowledge of His mercy ever before
me every day, every problem I go through,
then I'm going to stand before the world,
I'll stand before anyone outside of the walls
of this church, and I'll be a testimony
of the mercy of God.
Because you see, for years I went out
in the street and preached to Nicky Cruz
and others, and drug addicts and gang members,
that God loves them.
And then go home and say, God, I
don't feel loved, I don't feel worthy.
And I could never for years appropriate that
love for myself.
But God in His mercy knew I had
a broken heart.
And He used the word and He saved
many.
But folks, you finally come to that rest
where you say, my hope is in the
mercy of God.
I was reading this week of some of
the monks who tried to whip out and
burn out the flesh and these are the
same kind of associates of Martin Luther when
he was a monk, trying to subdue the
flesh through superhuman strength, the horse and the
leg.
One monk lived for 50 years in a
subterranean cave, trying to bring his body under
subjection to the Spirit.
Other monks buried themselves up to their necks
in burning sand, hoping to burn out iniquity.
Some monks slept on bundles of thorns and
piles of broken glass.
Others bound one foot and hopped around one
foot for years until they lost the use
of the other.
One monk forced his body into a loop
of a cartwheel and stayed in that fetal
position for 10 years while others fed him.
Simon Stilitz stayed for 30 years on top
of a column and went two weeks to
stay there.
He had a post erected and chained himself
to it.
All of these torturing, self-torturing methods were
inflicted by monks trying to annihilate the lust
that was in them.
In the Middle Ages, long procession of flagellants
and I've seen videos of some of these
flagellants still today in Italy and other parts
of the country and in Spain.
The flagellants traveled from country to country, moaning
and weeping and singing sad songs of repentance,
whipping their backs with whips until they bled.
And they marched thousands to join these processions
in an effort to whip out the devil,
to whip out the evil.
A woman they called a saint, a Threlda,
believed her flesh was so evil, so dirty,
she refused to wash it.
She walked about unwashed, covered with filth, but
revered as a saint because she supposedly had
conquered her flesh by staying dirty.
Paul the Apostle said, For we through the
Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by
faith, trusting in the mercy of God.
Let everyone hearing the sound of my voice
say, Oh God, teach me how to hope.
Give me hope in the mercy of God.
Now the God of hope fill you with
joy and peace in believing that you may
abound in hope through the power of the
Holy Ghost.
Now hurry on.
Number three, The saving of one lost soul
is pleasing to the Lord.
Do you remember the story in the 15th
chapter of Luke?
In the 15th chapter of Luke, Jesus gave
a parable about a shepherd who had a
hundred sheep.
And one of these sheep went astray, was
lost.
And the Bible said, The shepherd left the
ninety and nine and went out until he
found.
He didn't give up until he found the
lost sheep.
He didn't whip the sheep.
Didn't chastise it.
Didn't say a word.
But lifted up that bruised sheep.
And the Bible said, put him, cuddled him
in his arms and rejoiced.
Bible said, there's more rejoicing.
There's great rejoicing.
More rejoicing over one lost sheep that is
found than the ninety nine that are in
the fold.
Rejoicing in the presence of all the angels.
Doesn't mean the angels were rejoicing alone.
They rejoicing and they saw the gladness of
the heart of the shepherd.
It was the joy that was in the
heart of the heavenly father.
Because one lost sheep.
One less sheep in hell.
One more sheep that gave joy to Christ
as he presented to the father.
And every soul that I went to Jesus,
I'd give into his hands so that he
can present it to the father.
And that's his greatest joy.
This is so pleasing unto the Lord, the
scripture says.
One lost sheep rejoices his heart.
I was reading a story.
I was reading.
There's a book by George Keenan.
Wrote tent life in Siberia.
He was an explorer.
And he's American friends.
Explorers went to Siberia.
Were exploring along the river.
And I believe it was two, maybe three
of those explorers, American explorers, 200 miles from
their post got lost and presumably could have
been frozen to death.
And George Keenan and two associates loaded up
their dog sleds and headed 200 miles north.
Because they believed they could find the spot
where they were last known to be.
They had a guide with them, a native
guide who knew the terrain.
And this is just bleak snow.
It was 50 below zero when they started.
And they went for days and nights, not
stopping.
Because they were trying to save their friends.
And Mr. Keenan, it's an incredible true story.
The dogs, he said, were dripping blood.
And one of his associates just fell off
onto the dog sled and fell asleep and
almost rose to death.
Had to keep waking him.
And when it was almost impossible and the
snow was, it was like a blizzard.
But at midnight, this one particular day, there
was a cry from the guard way out
in the distance.
Hello, along, hello.
And Mr. Keenan said he raced toward the
voice.
And the guide pointed in a snowbank.
There was a black pipe sticking out of
the snowbank.
And Mr. Keenan went to the pipe and
he yelled down the pipe, anybody there?
And a voice, a weak voice came back
and said, who is it?
George Keenan burrowed with his associates into the
snowbank and found these men safe and alive.
And George Keenan made this statement.
He said, when I saw them and embraced
them, I fell paralyzed with joy.
I fell, I couldn't even lift my hands
to my face.
Now, folks, he went after a friend willing
to give his life.
And I looked at that and I said,
God, I can't relate to that kind of
love.
I don't, I couldn't conceive it.
But you see, I'm remembering 40 years ago.
I was 115 pounds, skin and bone, scared
to death of cities.
And I remember that call.
And I remember the Lord breaking my heart
over lost souls.
God said, go, minister to those gangs.
And I remember walking these streets from the
black tarred roofs of Brooklyn.
I had a motor scooter.
And I would scoot over the Williamsburg Bridge
up into Spanish Harlem, 101st, 102nd.
In those days, two of the most notorious
gang infested, drug infested streets in Spanish Harlem.
And then I'd scoot back to other places
throughout Brooklyn, to the parks.
And that's where I found Nikki Cruz.
And that's where I found Sonny Argonzoni standing
under an elevated train.
Right across from the Williamsburg Bridge, two blocks,
in front of a pizza shop, waiting for
his drug pusher.
And I remember walking the streets in that
little scooter saying, Lord, lead me to the
lost.
Give me divine appointments.
And I remember walking up to Sonny.
He's looking front and left, side, saying to
himself, just waiting, breathing breathlessly for his pusher
for heroin.
I went up and I said, I want
to talk to you.
He said, well, you're a narco.
I'm not a narcotic agent.
No.
I said, this is my Bible.
Narcos don't carry Bibles.
And the Lord led me.
He said, somebody's been praying for you.
He said, oh boy, my hallelujah mother sent
you to me.
I said, I don't know your mother.
She's been praying for me for years.
And every time I walk in, she hounds
me about Jesus.
And now here you come.
One of the greatest joys in my life,
a few years ago, was to be his
guest in California under a big tent with
15,000 converted drug addicts and alcoholics and
prostitutes.
You see, it was one skinny, scared man
with just a heart that I couldn't invent.
It's something of brokenness that God himself has
to do.
But I prayed for it.
I asked God for it.
Now, this is not to condemn anybody, but
I'm telling you, New York City is now
a whitened harvest field.
More so than when I came here 40
years ago.
It's a whitened harvest field.
I will not put a guilt trip on
you.
Because God's been dealing with my own heart,
leading me.
I'm not going to, at my age, I'm
not going to walk the streets like I
did before.
But I'm going to go to certain places.
And God told me to begin with those
that I know have backslidden.
I know a young pastor who was a
drug addict, got saved, went through our program
here in New York City.
And had a wonderful church here in this
city.
And he backslid and went back to drugs.
But recently somebody gave me a word saying
that he seems to be open.
And this next week, after I've prayed through
and left it.
You see, unless the Holy Ghost comes, you
can go out and talk to as many
as you want.
Unless you believe the Holy Ghost is going
to get a hold of our heart.
No one comes to the Father except through
the Holy Spirit.
And what we need to be praying as
a church, Oh God, send the Holy Spirit
throughout all of this city and begin to
move.
And what we hear Pastor Dave saying about
happening in Brussels and Spain and around the
world.
And we hear Pastor Carter and the church
and the choir come back telling what God
is doing around the world.
You and I will have the faith to
see it done here.
We will have that faith to believe God
that he will do the impossible.
I'm going to close in just a moment.
I was listening to some reporters on the
radio and some experts, so-called experts.
And I don't know if you know it
or not, I heard what they're calling America
now, Jesus land.
They said, Jesus people are going to take
over.
There's an article in New York Times today.
I read it last night.
And they said it may take 10 years.
I'm paraphrasing, but in essence, he's saying one
of the writers said it may take 10
years until we get rid of this Jesus
stuff.
They're alarmed.
Now, folks, I'm not talking about the election.
Something is happening in this land where Jesus
says I'm not going to be put aside
anymore.
Somehow, wicked people who have no heart for
God are suddenly, what is happening?
This has nothing to do with President Bush.
It has nothing to do with anything like
this.
It's happening for months now and probably for
the last few years.
I believe the Lord is whitening the harvest,
getting it ready.
People are now, I never saw the movie
Passion.
But evidently, millions of Americans saw that and
it was about Jesus.
What does God have to do to tell
us, hey, do you get it?
I'm even using the world to wake up
my church.
Now, I tell you, I won't put a
guilt chip on you because I have to
be doing this myself.
But I'm telling you, you wouldn't be here.
You wouldn't be here.
I wouldn't be here unless there was an
obedience to call to go to the streets.
I was thinking of this last night when
children of Israel went to the Promised Land.
First thing they did, they went to Jericho,
two men to spy it out.
Where'd they go?
To a prostitute.
They went to Rahab's house.
And God had already prepared her heart.
And if you really want to start winning
souls, in your neighborhood you see a prostitute
standing on the corner.
You go to her, ladies.
And all you have to say is, can
I pray for you?
They know they're in need of prayer.
And you start praying in the name of
Jesus.
Then you can talk all you want.
You can witness and pray the Holy Spirit
open their hearts.
You see a drug addict snoozing on the
corner.
You see a drug pusher.
You don't have to be afraid to go
up to talk to a drug pusher and
say, I'm a Jesus person.
And I want to talk to you about
Jesus.
Folks, we don't have to have a training
session on how to win souls.
You win them because you've been on your
knees and God has broken your heart.
And you believe in the power of the
Holy Ghost.
He'll give you the word, she said, when
you need it.
Let's stand.
This is New York's time.
Pastor Carter and all the pastors here have
had that burden burning for a long time.
There's not a pastor in this church that
has a vision only for a foreign field.
We start in Jerusalem.
We start here.
And that's what you heard from Pastor Carter
just a few moments before I started preaching.
We have to be focused.
May God focus us on New York City
now.
Not neglecting the world, but right here now
to strengthen the tent pegs and the ropes.
Lord, this city is on your heart.
This city is...
There's something in your heart, Lord, saying, I
want to do something incredible.
I want to do something marvelous.
We're not looking to put bodies in their
seats here.
Lord, we're not looking just to fill up
any seats that might be empty.
Doesn't matter what church they go to, if
it's a Bible church anywhere in this city.
Lord, we want to see you moving.
Not just here.
Not just sermonizing.
But, oh God, that we would have something
from your heart.
You have to do it.
We can't work it up.
We don't need some special meetings.
We don't need a theme.
New York.
All we need, Jesus, is to hear your
word.
And say, I'm ready.
I want to be your servant.
I want to please you.
And this pleases you the most.
The winning of the lost.
Finding the lost sheep.
Lord, help us to find every backslider that's
been in this church and now they're outside
the walls.
Lord, bring them into your heart.
Restore them.
And use this people now to find and
win them back to you, Jesus, we pray.
Now, listen to me please.
Don't leave yet for a moment.
In the balcony here in the Manitorement.
In the annex.
I'm asking, and I prayed about this yesterday
and most of this week.
I want to make an invitation to those
who came in here this morning.
You really are not walking with Christ.
And you've known and experienced the emptiness of
that kind of life.
And there's something in you that says, I
would really like to know him in a
way in which I could please him.
And something was said in the message today
touched your heart.
I don't want anybody, please, I want no
one to come to this altar that's been
here more than four or five times.
I'm going to ask you to just stand
and pray with me.
That every backslider, everyone here, when I say
backslider, I'm somebody that has known him and
just drifted away.
It's not that you hate him, but you've
just drifted away.
Now, I'm serious about this.
Up in the balcony, you go to the
stairs on either side.
And here in the Manitorement, just step forward.
I opened this, we call this the altar.
This is an area where we meet the
Lord in confession.
I'll pray with you.
And the Holy Spirit will touch you.
You can walk out of this place changed.
We're out for your soul.
We're out to reach you for Christ.
As they start singing, and we don't sing
to create a mood.
It's the work of the Holy Spirit.
I'm going to pray again, ask the Holy
Spirit to touch you.
Please don't feel embarrassed.
You may be here for the first time.
But this whole service is arranged for you.
God, in his foresight, in his knowledge, foreknowledge,
knew you'd be here this morning.
He prepared a word for you.
And then he convicted you.
So that he can love you through to
his arms.
Heavenly Father, send the Holy Ghost mightily now.
Oh God, convict where we need to be
convicted.
And draw and woo us.
And help us to say yes.
Now folks, if only one person comes.
I know God has spoken this word.
If you have drifted away from him.
If you really have never had a true
experience with Christ.
I mean a true conversion to him.
I want you to get out of your
seat.
Boldly.
Forget the crowd, forget everyone else.
Let me pray with you.
I want you to join this.
Sister is coming right now.
Up in the balcony, just move.
And in the annex, you go, you turn
around.
And go to the lobby.
And the ushers will show you how to
get here.
Where I'm standing.
And I'll pray with you.
We'll be Lord for a miracle in your
life.
Please come and move in close.
You are mum, take your throne.
You're all I need.
Lord, you alone.
There is no way I could take it
without you.
Lord, use my life as it pleases you.
As it pleases you.
You can still come while I'm talking.
That's it.
Just make your way on down.
Look at me if you will.
Please look this way.
Previously in the service, we sang that song.
Lord, I receive your love.
Will you receive his love right now?
Will you bring every bit of condemnation, guilt
and fear that you have.
And let the love of Jesus for you
wash it and drive it out of your
heart.
Will you receive his love?
You can't go any further until you receive
his love.
You have to hope in his mercy.
Say, I thank God that he's drawing me.
I thank God.
The very fact that you came here and
walked out in front of the crowd.
Means that there's something in your heart of
hunger and desire for him.
And if this is your first time.
I want you to know that he's been
wooing you for a long time.
This just didn't happen today.
You've been thinking about it for maybe weeks
and even months.
Now the Lord has just said, today is
your day.
Will you pray this prayer with me right
out loud?
Right from your heart.
Lord Jesus.
I thank you.
For your love.
You didn't whip me.
You didn't condemn me.
You just said, come.
And so I come now.
To your love.
To your mercy.
And I ask you to forgive me.
Blot out all my fears.
All my failures.
And my sins.
I repent.
And I turn to you Jesus.
The best I know how.
Like a child.
Because I believe.
I trust you.
And now Jesus.
I put all my problems.
In your hands.
Now I'm going to pray for you.
Heavenly Father.
Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit this
morning.
We don't have to scream at you.
We don't have to beg or plead.
We just come and say, here I am.
Save me.
Here I am.
Deliver me.
Here I am.
Heal me.
Here I am.
Take my problems.
Take all my cares.
Because you said, if I cast them on
you.
You'll take care of them.
Now Jesus, open the hearts by your spirit.
Don't let anybody stand here.
And just.
Think that this is.
Something is going to pass away.
And be forgotten in the next hour.
Oh Holy Spirit.
Enter into the heart.
Would you pray this right now Lord Jesus?
Send the Holy Spirit.
I ask for the Holy Spirit.
I open my heart.
Come Holy Spirit.
Open my eyes.
Open my heart.
Give me an understanding.
And give me strength.
To go on.
Now will you thank him.
Just from your heart.
Will you just thank him.
Say Jesus, I give you thanks.
I give you praise.
If you're.
Within driving distance.
Or if you're.
Living where you can get to this church.
You're most welcome.
This is a church that you don't join.
You come because the spirit draws you.
You join Jesus.
And then you become one of us.
To help you and minister to you.
We have a Friday night.
New believers class.
And you come in the Broadway entrance.
You'll see it right on Broadway.
Almost directly behind us here.
And you go up there.
And you go to the desk.
They'll tell you what floor to go to.
And you'll find people just like yourself.
Hungry wanting to know more about the word.
Wanting to grow in Christ.
Wanting to be drawn nigh.
And if you're from another city.
You're not in the New York area.
If you really mean this.
You'll follow up.
Nobody's going to have to call you and
force you.
And ask you questions about whether you meant
it or not.
If you'll believe God.
When you walk out this door.
The Holy Ghost will go with you.
And you'll see the book of John.
Just the book of John.
Read that through.
And the Holy Spirit will open that book
to you.
And you'll see how much Jesus loves you.
And what he wants you to do.
Now Father.
I just trust that what is happening at
this altar.
Is eternal.
I trust you Lord.
That you have found people this morning.
You have drawn them.
And Lord keep them now.
That's the prayer you pray.
Your last prayer was keep them.
Father I've kept them.
Now that I'm going.
You keep them by your spirit.
Now Lord keep all of these we pray.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
This is the conclusion of the message.