This message is one of the Times Square
Church pulpit series.
It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times
Square Church in Manhattan, New York City.
Other tapes are available by writing WORLDCHALLENGE PO
BOX 260 LINDALE, TEXAS 75771 or calling 903
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to Friend.
Nothing can be built but upon that foundation
and call itself the Church of Jesus Christ.
And the Apostle Paul, I'm going to share
this morning, gives a solemn exhortation that we're
to be careful how we build on that
foundation.
Not only the ministers, but everyone who ministers
or has any kind of an influence over
anyone else's life must be careful how we
build upon that foundation.
Now, I know this morning that you understand
the principle that the Holy Spirit doesn't see
the way men see.
Men would look like Samuel and come upon
the sons of David and say, surely this
one must be the king.
But God doesn't see that way.
He looks upon the heart.
And even in a church, the Holy Spirit
begins to look sometimes and He sees things
that are resident in the very bowels, the
very inward workings of some of the people.
And He will send a warning, that's what
He was doing through the Apostle Paul, lest
any of these things that we're going to
hear about today should develop in any of
our lives and thus spoil the work that
God has called us to do in building
upon that foundation.
The work can be spoiled corporately as well
as it can be spoiled individually.
I'm going to ask you to ask the
Holy Spirit this morning to give you hearing
ears, each one of us in this house,
that this word would have an eternal weight.
Because God is building a house here in
Times Square Church.
He is building a house for His honor
and for His glory.
And He won't share that glory with any
man.
He won't share it with any woman.
No person will share the glory of Christ.
He alone will be glorified.
And He is looking for a people, a
people that will honor Him and glorify Him,
that He can manifest His presence in and
through.
Christ is our only foundation.
The title of my message this morning is,
Everyone's work will be tried by fire.
Everyone's work.
1 Corinthians chapter 3, if you'll turn there
as I pray.
Now Lord, we're turning to your word today.
And Jesus, I thank you today for the
privilege of standing upon the foundation of what
you have accomplished on Calvary.
What you did in the garden tomb.
What you did after you rose from the
dead.
What you accomplished in the early church.
Lord, we stand today on that foundation.
Of the apostles, prophets, Christ Jesus being the
chief cornerstone.
Lord, I ask once again for the unction
and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, let it not be my voice.
Let it not be my thoughts.
But let it be your voice that's heard
today in your thoughts.
Lord, that are implanted in the hearts and
minds.
As you open your word.
As you give revelation of truth.
You said you shall know the truth.
The truth shall set you free.
Lord, set us free from all captivity of
the flesh.
Lord, even spiritual things that appear to have
some value.
But yet in your sight they're of no
value whatsoever.
God, give us understanding.
Give us discernment.
For our own hearts and for our own
lives and as a church body.
Lord, I ask none other thing.
But that this church will glorify you until
the day you return.
And even in the midst of the fires
we would be a people found.
Praising you and glorifying you.
Walking in sovereign divine strength that can only
come from the Holy Spirit of Almighty God.
Lord, thank you Father.
I want to be as an oracle of
God today.
Lord, let me glorify you.
I ask that the people's eyes be taken
off of any vessel.
Lord, that they would look to you and
listen to you and hear you.
Grant to me the privilege of standing behind
the cross and disappearing.
That you may be seen and heard.
Lord, I thank you for this.
Father, I thank you for the freedom.
I thank you that truth will find its
lodging place today.
In the mighty and holy name of Jesus.
Amen and Amen.
1 Corinthians chapter 3 beginning at verse 1.
Every one's work will be tried by fire.
And I brethren could not speak unto you
as spiritual but as unto carnal.
Even as unto babes in Christ.
I fed you with milk and not with
beef.
For hitherto you were not able to bear
it.
And neither yet now are you able.
For you are yet carnal.
For whereas there is among you envying and
strife and divisions.
Are you not carnal and walk as men?
For while one saith I am of Paul.
And another I am of Apollos.
Are you not carnal?
Who then is Paul?
And who then is Apollos?
But ministers by whom you believed.
Even as the Lord gave to every man.
I have planted Apollos water.
But God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that plants anything.
Neither he that watereth.
But God that giveth the increase.
Now he that planteth and he that watereth
are one.
And every man shall receive his own reward
according to his own labor.
For we are laborers together with God.
You are God's husbandry.
Ye are God's building.
According to the grace of God which is
given unto me.
As a wise master builder.
I have laid the foundation.
And another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he
buildeth thereupon.
For other foundation can no man lay than
that that is laid.
Which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.
Every man's work shall be made manifest.
For the day shall declare it because it
shall be revealed by fire.
And the fire shall try every man's work
of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he has
built thereupon he shall receive a reward.
If any man's work shall be burned he
shall suffer loss.
But he himself shall be saved.
Yet so as by fire.
Now since the time of Christ.
The powers of darkness have come with a
ferocious assault.
Against the unity of the local church body.
The devil knows that on the day of
Pentecost.
There were some key factors among the early
church.
Factors which he must undermine and oppose today.
Lest a new generation should lay hold of
the fullness of God's presence.
And power as this early church did.
The devil will do everything he can.
To divert, to destroy, to take away the
focus of the people.
To cause disunity in the body.
He will even bring in things that appear
to be spiritual.
To cause there to be divisions in the
body.
Because he knows that when the people come
together with one accord.
And they are gathered with one purpose.
He knows the damage that is done to
the kingdom of darkness.
He remembers clearly the day of Pentecost.
When the Holy Ghost came like fire upon
those 120 people gathered in that upper room.
And they stood and because of the purity
and presence of Christ on their lives.
People were gathered of all nations and kindreds.
And they said, what meaneth this?
When they saw the spirit of God upon
these people.
He remembered the day that Peter who a
fore time was full of fear.
And running from what his own bravery and
his own bravado.
Remembers Peter standing under the unction of the
Holy Ghost.
And speaking that first day of Pentecost message.
That brought the convicting power of the Holy
Spirit.
Into the hearts of 3000 people.
Who were pricked in their heart and said,
men and brethren.
What must we do?
We have crucified the Lord of Glory.
There are some key factors that were evident.
In this first church gathering on the day
of Pentecost.
Firstly they were all aware of their own
weaknesses.
They had an awareness that each in his
or her own way.
Had failed the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even the strongest among them had forsaken him
in his hour of need.
No one in their midst was looking to
either himself or to others for strength.
Before Christ was arrested in Gethsemane.
We remember Peter making that brave boast.
Though others forsake you I'll not forsake you.
I'll die for you.
The scripture says the other 11 likewise said
the same thing.
But he knew that in themselves there was
no strength.
They didn't know it yet but they were
about to find out.
That the only source of strength they were
ever going to have.
Was that inward working of the spirit of
Almighty God within them.
They were gathered together and they knew they
were weak.
Their eyes were not on flesh.
No man among them dared rise up and
say follow me I'll be your leader.
Because every one of them had forsaken him.
They'd all fled.
They were all weak and they knew they
were weak.
And secondly they were all praying.
Acts 1 14 says these all continued with
one accord in prayer and supplication.
They were praying because they had been given
a promise.
And their hope for the future was in
God.
And in God alone fulfilling this promise.
And folks we would be wise to understand
today that our hope for the future is
not in men.
It's not in women.
Our hope for the future is solely in
the promises of God.
He has given us exceeding great and precious
promises.
And if by faith we can understand that
we can't fulfill these promises in our own
strength.
There's no one among us strong enough to
fulfill the promises of God.
If we will get our eyes off of
men and off of flesh.
And get our eyes on to the only
one who can fulfill those promises.
With hearts of faith coming before him.
Saying Lord if anything is going to happen
God it's going to be you.
If my life is going to change you're
going to change it.
If I'm going to amount to anything it's
going to be because you have come upon
my life.
And you are breathing and moving through my
life.
And you are going to cause your plan
and purpose to be fulfilled through me.
He had given these people a promise in
Acts chapter 1 and verse 8.
He said you shall receive power after that
the Holy Ghost has come upon you.
You shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem and in Judea.
And in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts
of the earth.
They knew they couldn't be witnesses.
They didn't have the strength.
But they had a promise.
I thank God with all my heart for
the promises of God.
For I know this day I am absolutely
nothing in myself.
Like Paul said I am convinced that in
me that is in my flesh dwelleth no
good thing.
I want to do the things of God
but I don't find within my own self
the ability to perform those things Paul said
that I want to do.
Thanks be to God though through Jesus Christ
my Lord.
Through whom I am crucified unto the world
and the world is crucified unto me.
Christ is our power.
Christ is our wisdom.
Christ is everything that we have and are.
Their focus was on Christ and Christ alone.
The resurrection was fresh in their minds.
He had been raised from the dead by
the power of God.
And the promise that He gave them was
that the same power would come upon them.
And make them living testimonies.
And their faith in Him, their faith in
the promises of God was now their hope.
They were with one accord and they were
all in one place.
There was no agenda in that upper room
but to obey God.
Every man, every woman who was there were
there because they had been told to tarry
until you be endued with power from on
high.
There was no agenda, there was no plan.
There was indeed a sense among them that
they were all in this together.
Their lives were surrendered to Him and to
His purposes for them.
The cross was fresh, the cost was fresh
of following Christ.
Every man knew he needed the others that
were around him but most importantly they needed
God.
They needed the presence and power of God.
And their lives were surrendered to Him and
to His purposes.
Brethren, this was the beginnings of the church
of Jesus Christ.
This is the church which is built on
the foundation of Christ and of Christ alone.
And Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 3
and verse 11, For other foundation can no
man lay than that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ.
Now not many years later, the Apostle Paul
is addressing now one of his missionary churches
in Corinth.
And he's addressing this church about, among other
things, like there are several things he talks
about in his letters to the church in
Corinth.
But among other things, he's addressing the church
about an issue of division that has come
into them, which Paul says identifies these believers
as both immature and carnal.
In chapter 3, verse 1, he says, I,
brethren, could not speak unto you as unto
spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto
babes in Christ.
Now Paul is saying there are some things
that God has given me that I desire
to give to you.
But you can't hear them yet.
He said, because there's something in you that
has kept you in a state of immaturity.
Now Paul is about to speak to them
about what the state is that causes their
ears to be closed to the deeper things
of God.
He says in verse 3, he says, For
you are yet carnal, for whereas there is
among you envy and strife and divisions.
Are you not carnal and walk as men?
Now some divisions in the church of Jesus
Christ are blatantly evil.
We have seen cases of divisions along the
lines of race and social class and things
of such nature, which have no foundation in
truth, they have no foundation in God.
Divisions because of unforgiveness and bitterness, because some
people might be different than others.
Paul, in writing to Titus, in Titus chapter
1, verses 12 and 13, says, One of
themselves, he said, even a prophet of their
own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil
beasts, slow bellies.
This witness is true, and Paul says to
Titus, Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may
be sound in the faith.
Paul's writing to Titus about a division that's
come because there's a prophet of sorts who's
risen up and is using his office to
cast down another culture, another class of people.
Also the apostle James, in the book of
James, talks about another division that can come
into the church.
A division of class.
He says, If it comes in a man
in nice clothing and obviously well-to-do
financially, and you say to that man, Here,
have a wonderful seat, have the best seat
in the house.
And another man comes in, in poor clothing
and in vile raiment, and you say to
that man, Here, sit on the floor, sit
on my footstool.
He said, in effect, if you start to
give partiality to people that you believe can
give back to you in a financial sense,
and you start to distinguish between classes in
the house of God, he said, Have you
not become judges with evil thoughts?
And so God, through James, takes a strong
stand against all these types of division that
can find a place in the house of
God.
Now I thank God with all of my
heart that these divisions are not here in
Times Square Church.
If you will look around you, you will
begin to see, and I hope that there's
nobody here who's divided by race.
I hope that that finally has gotten out
of your heart, and begin to realize that
in Christ Jesus there's no color distinction, there's
no class distinction, there's no distinction by gender,
there's no distinction, we are all one new
man in Christ Jesus.
And I thank God that this is a
very, very unique church body because there are
over 103 different cultures represented in one church
body.
And we don't find, coming into this church,
little pockets of people in different corners, but
everybody is all mixed together, worshiping God.
And that is wonderful because it's a foretaste
of what it's going to be like in
heaven.
An absolute foretaste.
And I thank God with all my heart.
I thank God that a poor man can
come into Times Square Church and sit anywhere
he wants to sit.
And a rich man can come in and
there's no guarantees he's even going to get
a seat in this place.
I thank God for that with all of
my heart.
But there are some other divisions that can
come into the house of God.
And some of these may even have an
appearance of spirituality.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 10,
Paul says it this way, Now I beseech
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same
thing, that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be perfectly joined together in
the same mind and in the same judgment.
For it has been declared unto me of
you, my brethren, by them which are of
the household of Clo, that there are contentions
among you.
Now this I say, that every one of
you saith, Now here's the division.
I am of Paul, and I of Apollos,
and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of
Paul?
And here's what had begun to happen in
this Corinthian church.
Paul the Apostle had come in, and he
had established this church on a solid and
firm foundation, the foundation of Jesus Christ.
And there were some who said, My allegiance
is to Paul.
He's an apostle, he's a founder, and he's
a godly man.
And then Apollos now, a little later on,
arises on the scene, and Apollos is a
mighty teacher of the Word of God.
Apollos was an orator, a powerful speaker who
could dig into the Word and prove beyond
any doubt that Jesus was the Christ, the
Son of God.
And there were some who began to annex
themselves, in a sense, to Apollos, and say,
I follow the teacher.
And another, Cephas, or Peter.
Peter was a marvelous exhorter.
You'll look in the writings of Peter, and
because Peter had known weakness, and he had
begun to understand the strength of Christ, because
he had been a broken man, Peter became
a tremendous exhorter in the body of Jesus
Christ.
You'll find the underpinnings of the writings of
Peter are the perseverance of faith through trial,
and understanding the faithfulness of God.
And many were ministered to by the messages
of Peter, and so they said, well, we
are of Cephas.
We are of Peter's disciples.
And others said, we are of Christ's.
Now this is twofold, because as you read
the book of Corinthians, you begin to understand
there were those who became a law unto
themselves.
They tried to pull away from the teachings
of Paul, and they said, we don't need
any ruler over us.
We don't need any leaders.
We are of Christ, and of Christ alone.
This was an independent, it was a rebellious
spirit.
There are some commentators say that this is
what Paul was in effect referring to.
The other possibility is that there was a
fourth class of people who simply said, we
are of Christ.
They acknowledged the leadership.
The Bible says that we are to give
honor to whom honor is due.
But we are not to place our confidence
in men.
We are not to put our confidence in
the arm of flesh.
We are not to create distinctions in the
body.
And those, there were others perhaps who just
said, we acknowledge leadership, but we have chosen
to set our affections upon Christ.
Now Paul here is addressing the fact that
people were beginning to focus on what others
were doing, and they had begun to identify
with, and to glory in men.
Now this is the point that I want
to make today, and I want you to
listen.
And I believe the Holy Spirit has put
this on my heart, as a way of
admonishing this church body, lest we should ever
fall into the snare of the enemy.
There is an incredible danger, when any church
begins to carnally focus on personalities.
There is an incredible danger.
Proverbs chapter 23 verse 7 says it this
way, For as he thinketh in his heart,
so is he.
Divisions which begin as personality focus, if they're
unchecked, will spread throughout the body, and begin
to become part of the very corporate fabric
of the church.
You need to hear me, if you've ever
heard me in your life, you need to
hear me this morning.
Divisions, I'm going to read it again, as
the Holy Spirit gave me, which begin as
personality focus, if unchecked, will spread throughout the
body, and begin to become part of the
corporate fabric of the church.
When people begin to focus on people, you
begin to come into the church and say,
well, I am of Paul, I'm of Apollos,
I'm of Cephas, I'm of Christ.
When a personality focus begins to come into
the church, into the hearts of the people,
because the focus has shifted from Christ, ever
so subtly, and people are now beginning to
focus on speakers, and on men or women
that God is using for His honor and
glory.
Because they're focusing now on flesh, and they're
not focusing on Christ, a desire to be
seen will come into the body.
It will become the norm in the body,
because as the body thinks, they will become.
There will be a desire to be seen,
get into the heart of those who are
in every facet of ministry throughout the church.
People will no longer be content just to
disappear, and to let Christ flow through them
and use them.
But as they have focused on personalities, you
see, they have a wrong focus.
And because they have focused on personalities, that
will find a root in their heart, and
in whatever ministry God gives to them, they
will begin to desire also to be seen
by men.
Personal ambition will rise, and it will begin
to flourish in the body.
And competition, rather than cooperation, will arise among
many ministries of the church.
As the church thinks, so it will become.
Now in 1 Corinthians, again, chapter 3 and
verse 5, Paul tries to redirect the focus
of the church.
In chapter 3, verse 5, 1 Corinthians, Paul
says, Who then is Paul, and who is
Apollos?
But ministers by whom ye believed, even as
the Lord gave to every man.
Verse 6, he says, I have planted, Apollos
watered, but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth anything,
and neither he that watereth, but God that
giveth the increase.
Paul is saying to this church, we are
absolutely nothing.
God calls and places in the body as
the Holy Spirit directs, as He wishes.
He places people severally in the body.
It's not because one man is any better
than another man, or one woman is any
better than another woman.
We are all nothing before God.
We are all weak before God.
You take the Holy Spirit out of anybody's
life that is being used by God, and
we are absolutely the same as any other
man without God in society.
It is not Paul he's saying, I'm nothing
of myself.
It's not Apollos.
We are called by God, and we speak
as the oracles of God.
And one plants, and another waters.
Each one of us have a different function,
a different calling in the body.
Paul was an apostle.
Apollos was a teacher.
Peter was an exhorter.
He said, in effect, we have all a
different function, but we are nothing in ourselves.
It is Christ.
It is Christ alone who is everything.
We can speak, and we can preach, but
nothing would take root if the Holy Spirit
wasn't involved in it.
If God wasn't here, our words would just
simply fall over the edge of the pulpit
to the floor.
There would be no ability even for you
to hear.
There would be no growth.
Because it's Christ.
It's Christ alone that causes His church to
grow.
And it's the church that's built on this
understanding, on this foundation, that will grow, that
will flourish, that will bring honor and glory
to His name, because their focus will not
be on men and women.
Their focus will be on Him and Him
alone.
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God.
In verse 8, he says, Now he that
plants, and he that waters are one.
And every man shall receive his own reward
according to his own labor.
For we are laborers together with God.
You are God's husbandry.
You are God's building.
Paul is saying, folks, we're a team.
We're working together with God.
We're working together with God that His purposes
might be accomplished in you and through you.
You are His building.
You are what God is doing.
We're not what God is doing.
You are what God is doing.
And we are working together with God to
see Christ formed in you.
To see Christ alive in you.
To see you grow into maturity.
To see your heart expand and your ears
and eyes be opened.
That you can begin to receive the deeper
things of God that can only come to
those whose focus is away from flesh and
on Christ and Christ alone.
Without Christ, there'd be no workers in the
church.
Without Christ, there'd be no wisdom.
Without Christ, there'd be no power.
Without Christ, there would be no eternal plan.
Just the schemes and devices of the hearts
and minds of men.
Paul says in verse 10, he says, According
to the grace of God which is given
to me as a wise master builder, I
have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon.
But let every man take heed how he
builds thereon.
For other foundation can no man lay than
that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Paul's saying to this church in Corinth, God
has given me the wisdom to lay the
foundation of this church.
And I have laid the foundation, Paul says,
on Jesus Christ.
That is the only foundation.
And Paul says, now let every man take
heed, let every man who follows take heed
how he builds on that foundation.
If any man build upon this foundation, verse
12, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stauble,
every man's work shall be made manifest.
The day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire.
And the fire will try every man's work
of what sort it is.
And Paul was saying every one of us
one day are going to stand before God.
And what we have done in the name
of the Lord, the purity of Jesus will
touch it.
It will be examined by the pureness of
Christ.
And everything that had flesh attached to it
will burn.
It may have been magnificent in the sight
of man, but if it didn't have the
pureness of Christ attached to it, it will
burn.
And it will have been of no avail
whatsoever to the kingdom of God.
He says, if any man builds on this
foundation, gold.
Now, in the book of 2 Chronicles chapter
3, if you want to turn there with
me just for a moment.
In the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles chapter 3.
Also keep a marker please in 1 Corinthians
3.
If any man builds gold on this foundation.
Now this chapter in the Old Testament tells
us about when Solomon began to build the
temple of the Lord.
In verse 4 it talks about one aspect
of the building of that temple.
And the porch that was in the front
of the house, the length of it was
according to the breadth of the house.
20 cubits and the height was 120.
And he overlaid it within with pure gold.
Now I want you to just take notice
of the word gold.
This is the end of side 1.
Gold on this foundation.
And so we're seeing the beginning of this
house that Solomon is building.
And it's overlaid with gold, pure gold.
Can you imagine how that must have shone?
And the greater house he sealed with fir
tree, which he overlaid again with fine gold.
And set thereupon palm trees and chains.
Verse 6, he garnished the house with precious
stones for beauty.
And the gold was gold of parvaim.
He overlaid also the house, the beams, the
posts.
And the walls thereof and the doors thereof
with gold.
And grave cherubims on the walls.
And he made the most holy house.
The length thereof was according to the breadth
of the house, 20 cubits.
And the breadth thereof 20 cubits.
And he overlaid it again with fine gold.
Amounting to 600 talents.
And the weight of the nails was 50
shekels of gold.
And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
And the most holy house, he made two
cherubims of image work.
And overlaid them with gold.
Now, Paul's saying if any man builds on
this foundation of gold.
If you and I would have been there
and had the opportunity to walk into Solomon's
temple.
The presence of the gold would have been
virtually overwhelming.
Gold was covering virtually everything.
The glory, the brilliance of that gold.
And that's what gold is known for.
It's shining, it's glory, it's brilliance.
The work that God gives you to do.
Or me to do.
May appear glorious.
And it may be a work which is
highly visible before all.
There are workers in gold, in a sense,
in the church of Jesus Christ today.
In effect, that means when the people come
in.
This is perhaps the first thing that they
see.
Or perhaps it occupies very much of their
mind and their attention.
Somebody that God has raised.
A visible work in the house of God.
But this work will be tried like every
other work.
Jeremiah, the prophet.
The Lord was speaking to him in chapter
5 about Israel.
And he talked about workers that had arisen
up in Israel.
And he said they shine.
In other words, the people come in and
they look at these workers and they say.
Oh, what a presence of God.
What an anointing.
What a glory.
What a glow.
But the Lord said to Jeremiah.
But they overpass the deeds of the wicked.
And they don't judge the needs of the
fathers and the widows in their midst.
He says, shall I not visit for these
things?
In other words, they may shine.
But there's a flaw in their work.
And folks, even if God raises you.
He could raise anybody in this building.
And uses your life in a very visible,
a highly visible way.
Make sure that you are building your ministry
on that one solid foundation.
If you're going to ask for anything.
Ask for the heart of John the Baptist.
That Christ may appear on the scene.
And that you may decrease and he may
increase within your life.
Be prepared to disappear that Christ may appear.
It's a dangerous thing to be given a
public ministry.
For there are many men and women that
have risen up.
Especially in the western world in the last
say 2, 3, 4, 5 decades.
They've risen up.
And God has used them in a marvelous
way.
But they have taken the glory upon themselves.
The shift was subtle.
They began to let the people look to
them.
And didn't redirect their focus to Christ.
Or they may have given a token finger
in the air type thing.
When the people would applaud them.
But in their heart they began to wallow
in the glory.
That belongs to God and God alone.
God says in effect if I use you.
If I give you a public ministry.
Remember that only what's hidden in me.
Only what has the purity of Christ attached
to it will stand.
When I put the testing of my truth
to it one day.
When you stand before my throne.
Paul says if any man builds silver on
this foundation.
Psalm chapter 12 verse 6 said the words
of the Lord are pure words.
As silver tried in a furnace of earth
purified seven times.
If you're a teacher.
If you teach others.
Be careful that you teach Christ.
I speak to every teacher in this body.
From Sunday school teachers to kindergarten teachers.
To nursery workers.
To those with new believers.
To everyone around you.
If you teach be sure to teach Christ.
And don't draw to yourself.
Folks those who come in who are new
to Christ.
They will be impressed by the knowledge.
Perhaps that God alone has given you.
Of the scriptures.
And sad to say many teachers fall into
a trap.
And so do their students fall.
Because they will allow the people to be
drawn to them.
And to their knowledge.
If you teach.
Teach Christ.
Don't draw to yourself.
You see what happens when.
If we allow people to be drawn to
us.
Something gets hold of the heart.
And when Jesus came.
He spoke to those who were teachers.
The Pharisees and the scribes.
In Matthew 23.
This is the issue of heart that gets
into the people.
He said you love the uppermost rooms at
feasts.
And the chief seats in the synagogues.
And greetings in the markets.
In other words you love public recognition.
And to be called of men.
Rabbi.
Or teacher.
Teacher.
If there's anybody here today.
And that's getting in your heart.
You need to run to this altar.
You need to ask God get that out
of my heart.
Get out of my heart the desire to
be seen.
That's the beginning of spiritual death.
That's the beginning of the shutting of the
ears.
The closing of the eyes.
That becoming again a babe in Christ.
As Paul speaks about to the Corinthians.
He says I want to speak to you.
Meet.
But you can't hear it.
Because this thing is still in your heart.
If anyone builds precious stones.
First Peter chapter 2 verse 5.
The apostle Peter says.
You also as lively stones.
Are build up a spiritual house.
A holy priesthood.
To offer up spiritual sacrifices.
Acceptable to God.
By Jesus Christ.
Those who have influence in the lives of
young and new believers.
Especially.
These precious stones that we gather out of
the mountains.
And bring to be formed in the house
of God.
Be careful to build them on Christ.
And don't let them be drawn to you.
Don't.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking.
You have to become their spiritual source.
That you have to become their life.
Point them to the only one.
Point them to the prayer closet.
You know why?
When people get into trouble.
They get on the phone.
And they phone everybody.
Because they've never been.
They've never somehow understood the principle of the
prayer closet.
They've never come to the knowledge.
They're still yet carnal.
They're still babes.
That's why they call flesh looking for help.
Instead of going into the prayer closet.
And calling on the one.
Who's able to raise them from the dead.
Who's able to give them every promise.
That has ever been made in this book
to them.
Hallelujah Lamb of God.
If any man builds wood.
On this foundation.
Now when Solomon's temple was being constructed.
In the book of 1 Kings chapter 6.
The scripture says.
The cedar of the house.
Within was carved with knobs and open flowers.
And all was cedar.
And there was no stone seen.
And he carved all the walls of the
house.
Round about with carved figures of cherubim.
And palm trees and open flowers.
Within and without.
God was building a temple.
And part of the building of that temple.
Was to call skilled craftsmen in.
That he had given giftings to.
And they were able to carve.
Marvelous carvings.
With palm trees and flowers.
And cherubims.
And they carved these things out of wood.
Inside of the temple.
The house of God.
They were skilled and gifted workers.
Remember.
Those who operate in the gifts of the
spirit.
These are given.
These gifts of God.
Are given to glorify Christ.
And to edify the body.
If God gives you a gift.
Do not use this gift to draw attention
to yourself.
If we were to go farther.
Into the book of Corinthians.
We see a chapter talking about the giftings.
Of the spirit.
And oft times.
I've inquired of the Lord.
Because I see in the Bible.
No reason why the giftings that are listed
there.
Should not be in full operation.
In the church of Jesus Christ today.
There are gifts of healing.
There are workings of miracles.
There are discerning of spirits.
There are tongues.
Interpretations of tongues.
There are words of knowledge.
Words of wisdom.
And I felt as I was praying.
That the Lord spoke to my heart very
very clearly.
That in times past.
He had given these gifts unto men and
women.
In the body.
But because the focus of many of the
people.
Was still on flesh.
He's had to withhold.
Many of these things that he wants to
do.
In his church.
Because the moment somebody.
In this body.
Let's say it was you.
That God gave you the ability to lay
hands.
On the sick and they would all recover.
They would be healed.
There is a gift of healing.
That's one of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit.
Can you honestly say in your heart today.
I would not allow people to be drawn
to me.
I would not be raised up in pride.
Folks over the years.
God has given these gifts to many.
But sad to say by and large.
They have created cult like followings.
Around themselves.
They've taken the gifts of God.
And used it for financial gain.
And made a circus out of the things
of God.
And brought disgrace to the name of Christ.
And we wonder today.
Oh Lord why?
Why are your giftings not working in full
operation like they did?
And I believe that God is saying.
If I can find a people.
Who are built on a solid foundation.
If I can find a people who are
dead to themselves.
And who are not looking to flesh.
If I can find a man.
If I can find some women.
If I can find a people.
Who will not draw to themselves.
I will work in power.
In the midst of my church.
And the former glory will be.
The latter glory will be greater than the
former.
He's looking again to a people.
Western society is a man focused society.
We elect officials to office.
Right straight out of jail in some cases.
Proven immoral.
Proven corrupt.
And they get elected to office because of
their personality.
An entire society that's become man focused.
God forbid.
That that should be found in the house
of Jesus Christ.
In the temple of almighty God.
I believe that the Lord wants to work.
In a way that we've never dreamt before.
But for God to work that way in
our midst.
Our eyes have got to be off of
men.
They've got to be off of women.
They've got to be off of personality.
They've got to be off of flesh.
Our lives have got to be built on
the one only true foundation.
That is Jesus Christ.
And Christ alone.
If any man builds hay on this foundation.
1 Kings 5 verse 15 says, Solomon had
three score and ten thousand that bear burdens
and four score thousand hewers in the mountains.
These are the workers.
If any man builds hay on this.
These are the people who labor.
Are not seen in many respects.
But they labor in the house of God.
And for the kingdom of God.
Their labor is not seen.
But God is saying, I see your labor.
And everything you do, do it for me.
And do it for me alone.
Don't do it for the praise nor the
admiration of men.
Pastor David and I and others come every
Sunday.
And we preach at this pulpit.
And it's full of fingerprints.
And we spit all over it.
And we make a mess of it by
the time Sunday is done.
And somebody in this church.
Because every time I come back to it.
It's polished and it's clean.
Somebody comes and cleans this pulpit.
I don't know who it is.
And I hope I never know.
But God knows who you are.
You come into the sanctuary.
I'm sure when nobody is here.
Everything is empty.
The big lights are off.
Nothing can be seen.
And you're all alone.
You walk in with your cloth.
And you clean it.
And you do it as unto the Lord.
I tell you.
You have a reward in heaven if you
will do it as unto God.
If any man builds stubble.
On this foundation.
Now stubble speaks to my heart.
Of the little things that men fail to
notice.
The little works.
Everybody runs in and everybody is looking for
the gold.
And they're looking for the silver.
The precious stones.
But there are works of stubble in the
house of God.
Little things.
That people fail to notice.
But Jesus never fails to notice them.
Men were coming into the temple.
And casting in of a tremendous abundance into
the treasury.
And in walks a little widow.
She just has a few coins.
And she puts it into the treasury.
And walks out.
Most people would not have even noticed her.
Just a stubble work in a sense.
To men in the house of God.
And she walks in and walks out.
But Jesus took notice of what she had
done.
And he said to the men that were
gathered around him.
She has done more.
Than everybody else.
Has done in putting this into the treasury.
Because she put everything she had into it.
And folks that's a key.
It's whatever God gives us to do.
We don't do it for men.
We get our focus off of flesh.
We don't do it for recognition.
We do it for him.
And we do it for him alone.
Trusting that he will notice the little things.
Men may never notice.
The pastor may pass you by.
For the rest of your life in this
church.
And never notice what you do.
But Jesus Christ notices.
And in 1 Corinthians chapter 3.
He says.
Every man's work shall be made manifest.
The day shall declare it.
It shall be revealed by fire.
And the fire shall try every man's work
of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide.
Which he has built thereon.
He shall receive a reward.
If it abides.
Now here's a wonderful truth.
If you can hear it today.
In Matthew chapter 19 verse 30.
Just listen to these words.
Jesus said.
But many that are first shall be last.
And the last shall be first.
There are many who had highly visible positions.
In the church of Jesus Christ.
All throughout the land.
And throughout history.
But if it was not pure.
Before God.
One day it will be touched.
With the fire of God.
The purity of Christ will touch it.
And there will be so little left.
Some will have nothing left.
But yet the scripture says.
They will be saved.
Yet as by fire.
And yet here comes this double worker.
Didn't have much to do.
That was of any significance to man.
But did it faithfully.
And did it as unto the Lord.
Eyes away from flesh.
But just did it as unto God.
And the Lord looks down.
And shall not.
The judge of all the earth do right.
And says well done.
Well done.
You see folks.
It's not how much we do.
It's that we do what God has asked
us to do.
And we do it for him.
And we do it for him alone.
And he says well done.
And I can see half of the church.
Looking at some of the grandmothers.
And the little old ladies that nobody else
notices.
And the little old men.
What did he do?
I never noticed him doing anything.
And the Lord looks down with this great
big smile.
And says well done.
You will rule five cities with me.
And yet somebody who may have had a
high position.
But allowed the focus of men to be
drawn to them.
Everything will be burnt.
It will all be gone.
And the Lord will say.
You're saved.
Yet as by fire.
If we should cry for anything here in
Times Square Church.
We should ask God to test our works
today in his presence.
Firstly was what we do.
Was it birthed in Christ?
Is it something that God spoke to our
heart?
Or something that we wanted to do?
Can we honestly say it's not my will.
But it's the will of God.
For my life to do this.
That he's given me to do.
Was it birthed in Christ?
Was it dedicated to Christ?
You remember Hannah coming into the temple and
praying.
Oh God.
Give me something.
Birth something within my life.
And Lord I will bring it back to
you.
I will dedicate it to your honor and
to your glory.
Have you dedicated your ministry.
Whatever it is.
Have you dedicated it to Christ.
For his honor and his glory alone.
If you truly said Lord.
Just don't let people look at me.
Turn their eyes from me.
And what I do.
May it be just for you.
And for you alone.
Was the chief focus of your ministry.
The honor of Christ.
Strictly to bring honor to him.
And not to yourself.
John 5.44 is speaking to the Pharisees.
Who were blind.
And he said to them.
How can you believe.
Which receive honor one of another.
And seek not the honor that comes from
God only.
In other words.
He was saying here you are.
And what you do.
You are doing it for the praise of
men.
Because your eyes are focused on men.
And he said because of this.
How can you believe.
How can you believe because of this thing.
That has come into your heart.
Did our ministry turn the affections of others.
Towards Christ.
Paul says.
In Colossians 3.1 If you be risen
with Christ.
Seek those things which are above.
Where Christ sits on the right hand of
God.
Set your affections on things above.
And not on things of the earth.
And lastly.
Did it cause others to trust.
And to worship him.
And him alone.
Acts chapter 3.
Peter and John.
Had just raised up the lame man.
And they were walking into the temple.
And the lame man was clinging on to
them.
The people turned.
And began to look at them.
As if they were something special and holy.
And when Peter saw it.
He answered the people.
And said you men of Israel.
Why marvel you at this.
Or why do you look so earnestly on
us.
As though by our own power or holiness.
We had made this man to walk.
You see that is why God could use
them.
Because they were deferring from themselves.
Verse 13.
Acts 3.
He says the God of Abraham and of
Isaac and of Jacob.
The God of our fathers.
Has glorified his son Jesus.
Why do you look on us.
Peter is saying we are weak.
We have nothing in ourselves to offer you.
We can only bring you to the one
who can heal you.
And who can raise you up.
Look away from us.
You see that in the book of Acts
later on.
When the apostle Paul lands in a certain
place.
On his missionary journey.
And the people want to worship him.
And want to declare him to be a
God.
And he runs out and says no.
Don't do this thing.
We are turning you from this thing.
And turning your eyes and your focus.
To the one true and the living God.
The cry of my heart is Lord.
Purify my heart.
Purify my focus.
Purify the ministry that you have given to
me.
For one day I know I will stand
before you.
And only that which is pure is going
to remain.
I am not interested in dead works.
And I don't care for the praise of
man.
Only that Christ would be honored and glorified.
That he would be lifted up.
There are some here today.
That with truth.
You would have to say Lord.
I have focused on men.
I know that I have heard from God.
I have been sick for two weeks.
But God has been speaking to me.
There are some in this body.
That I have begun to let that.
In your conversation.
It has given you away.
And the Holy Spirit knows.
And in your conversations after it is all
over.
There are some here saying I am of
Paul.
Some I am of Apollos.
No I am of Cephas.
I am of Christ.
And Paul says because of these things.
If you allow this to take root in
your heart.
You cannot receive the meat.
That I want to give to you.
It cannot be given to those.
Whose focus is on men.
It can only be given to those.
Whose focus is on Christ.
Folks.
Here in Times Square Church.
Pastor David and I are doing everything in
our power.
To turn your focus away from the ministers.
And to turn your focus to Christ.
That is why we don't announce.
And we won't be announcing speakers anymore.
We don't want you to come.
Because of personalities.
We want you to come because of Jesus
Christ.
And of him alone.
You will have to trust.
That the Holy Spirit speaks to us.
And we will not allow men or women
in this pulpit.
Who will not bring you a word from
God.
But if you've come into the house.
And you sit down in your seat.
And all of a sudden you're wondering who's
going to be speaking.
And all of a sudden.
Somebody's introduced that you know.
Or somebody's introduced that you don't know.
And they come and stand in this pulpit.
And there's a sinking in your heart.
And you say oh I wish it would
have been Apollos.
You see what you're saying is I am
of Apollos.
Your focus is shifted.
God can take the least esteemed.
In this church body.
And set him or her in this pulpit.
And give you a blazing word right from
his throne.
We don't look to men or women.
We don't look to flesh.
We look to Christ.
We look to the indwelling power of the
Holy Spirit.
Who touches and gives that living word.
And God does not want your focus on
men or women.
Our focus is to be on Christ.
And I challenge you today.
If this thing has gotten in your heart.
If you have begun in your conversation.
To say oh I wish he would speak.
Or I wish she would speak.
I wish this person was here.
I wish that person was here.
Could I challenge you today.
To come and acknowledge that before God and
repent.
There's no other way I can put it.
Repent.
And say Lord this is wrong.
Because in doing this thing.
I am going to cut myself off from
the revelation.
That you want to give me.
As a member of your church.
I will allow carnality.
To be sown within my life.
And my focus.
Even the ministry God that you give me.
Is going to become self centered.
Because I have a wrong perspective.
And a wrong focus.
I've focused on men.
And subsequently I've begun.
To desire people's attention.
To be focused on me.
See that's what happens.
When you focus on men.
As surely as he thinketh in his heart.
So is he.
As surely as you begin to focus on
men.
You will eventually desire that men's focus be
upon you.
The only thing I can say.
That you could pray today.
If that applies to your life.
Is God drive this from my heart.
And let only the purity of Jesus be
found.
In all that I am.
In everything that I do.
The Lord is building a church.
That church is being built.
On one foundation.
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
This is the conclusion of the tape.