This message is one of the Times Square
Church Pulpit Series.
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Square Church in Manhattan, New York City.
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Are you ready for the coming of Jesus?
Turn to Matthew 24, please.
24th chapter of Matthew.
Starting to read at verse 37.
Now, you're going to need your Bibles.
Keep them on your laps.
Open at Matthew 24, and we'll keep coming
back to that through the course of the
message this morning.
Starting to read at verse 37.
Now as, but as the days of Noah
were, so shall also the coming of the
Son of Man be.
For as in the days that were before
the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage until the day that
Noah entered into the ark, and knew not
until the flood came and took them all
away, so shall also the coming of the
Son of Man be.
There shall be two in the field, one
shall be taken the other left.
Two women shall be grinding at the mill,
one shall be taken the other left.
Watch therefore, for you know not the hour
your Lord doth come.
But know this, that if the good men
of the house had known in what watch
the thief would come, he would have watched
and would not have suffered his house to
be broken up.
Therefore, be also ready, for in such an
hour as you think not the Son of
Man cometh, who then is faithful and wise
servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over
his household to give them meat in due
season.
Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when
he cometh, shall find so doing.
Verily, I send you that he shall make
him ruler of all his goods.
But, and if that evil servant shall say
in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming,
shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and
eat and drink with the drunken.
The Lord of that servant shall come in
a day when he looketh not for him,
and in an hour that he is not
aware of, shall cut him asunder and appoint
him his portion with the hypocrites.
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Heavenly Father, there is something stirring in the
hearts of your beloved, a cry that goes
out, Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.
Lord, in this church we will preach of
your coming.
We will look for your coming.
We will yearn for your coming, because we
know it's about to happen.
Lord, let this be a church in the
middle of modern Babylon that has a cry
in their heart, Come Lord Jesus.
Let us be an expectant people.
Let us be yearning and looking at all
times.
Lord, I pray for your unction anointing on
the word that you planted in my heart.
My God, that nobody leave this church today
without a new appreciation, a new expectation of
the coming of Jesus Christ at any moment.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
I got a letter from a sister in
Louisiana this past week, and she said, Pastor
Dave, last Sunday our pastor gave an opportunity
for testimonies of what God had done this
past week for the people.
His own five-year-old son stood up
and said, I had a dream last night.
Jesus came to me and said, He's coming
very soon.
You see, the Spirit of God said He'd
even speak through children to remind us of
His glorious truths.
The truth is this generation knows less about
the coming of the Lord than any past
generation.
This generation is least expectant of the coming
of the Lord.
It is seldom preached in American pulpits.
It's seldom preached anywhere on the face of
the earth today that Jesus Christ is coming
very soon.
See, we've settled in a comfortable lifestyle.
We are living in the most prosperous time
in the history of the world, they tell
us now.
And in the history of America we are
now enjoying, they tell us, the most prosperous,
most blessed time in history.
And the coming of the Lord would be
very disruptive for many people of their good
life.
And it seems even Christians today are focused
on the concept of just keep the good
times rolling on.
Very little thought about the coming of Jesus.
I've heard Christians literally mock the message of
the anytime return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Literally mock it.
The new doctrine is that He is not
coming for many thousands of years because He
is giving us time to evangelize the world
and bring Christ back as King and then
He will come at that time.
This is what is happening now.
I see this apathy.
When I was a young Christian, when I
was a boy, my father was a preacher,
my grandfather was a preacher, we had camp
meetings.
They had tents and they had some acreage
and they'd put up the tent in the
tabernacle and for two weeks, three times a
day they had services.
But almost every night there was a message
on the coming of the Lord.
We expected Him at any moment.
There was an expectancy.
I expected Jesus, all my growing up years,
I expected Jesus to come at any moment.
It was not a fear, but it was
an expectancy, even when I was a child.
Now a lot of times it was preached
through fear, but that was not the real
message.
Peter said, In the last days mockers will
come with their mockings, following after their own
lust and saying, Where is the sign of
His coming?
For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue just as they were from the
beginning of creation.
But the day of the Lord will come,
Peter said, as a thief in the night,
into which the heavens shall pass away with
a great noise and the elements shall melt
with a fervent heat.
The earth also and the works therein shall
be burned up.
Let me tell you why Jesus has not
come yet.
Let me tell you why He's so patient.
It's the same reason that He's not judged
America yet.
It's the same reason the stock market has
not collapsed as yet, as I preach today.
Because He is merciful.
He is long-suffering.
He's not willing that any should perish.
I'm amazed at His patience with America.
His long-suffering.
My long-suffering ended long ago.
My patience ended long ago.
I can't understand with all of the moral
landslide in America and all that's happening why
Jesus hasn't come and why He hasn't slapped
us for our bloodshed, for our militant homosexuality,
with our godlessness, and with now the wild
raping.
My God, how could you endure this when
I cry in my heart and yet the
Lord says very clearly, the Lord is not
slack concerning His promises, but He's long-suffering
to usward, not willing that any should perish,
but that we should all come to repentance.
We've been so grieved by the wickedness in
our age.
We've been so satiated in our minds with
all the reports of evil, the things that
are so incomprehensible, how a little 12-year
-old boy can go in with no explanation,
oh, and shoot his teacher.
All the bloodshed in our schools and the
insanity, absolute insanity, that we see all around
us.
We're satiated in our minds and we see
all of these signs.
There's something in our hearts that cries, oh
God, when will there be justice?
When will you bring them before the judgment
seat?
When will you deal with all the abortion
doctors who just absolutely suck the life out
of the womb with their machinery?
When will you deal with this absolute godlessness?
And there's something in the heart of the
Christian of such grief and such crying out,
when will you justify your holiness before this
multitude?
When will we see them kneel before the
throne?
When will we see them come to the
judgment, oh God?
But the Lord is saying, no, I don't
care who it is.
It can be an abortion doctor that has
murdered 10,000 babies just like the Jewish
doctor here in New York.
God convicted him and now he's preaching against
abortion.
Listen, my friend, God is able to heal
any manasseh who shed blood more than anyone
in history.
He is able to save to the uttermost
and the Lord is praising now that we
should not give up on anybody.
We should not give up on anyone.
We can hate their sin, but we never
hate the homosexual, we never hate the murderer,
we never hate the person.
I need more amends than that.
Right now he's not thinking of judgment, he's
thinking of mercy.
We're not to look upon the coming of
the Lord as a day of vengeance only
upon wicked sinners.
The coming of the Lord, that's not the
focus of the Christian, according to the Scripture.
The Bible warns you and me that we
have enough work on our hands to take
care of ourselves.
What manner of persons ought you to be
in all holy conduct and godliness?
Beloved, seeing that you look for such things,
be diligent that you might be found in
him in peace without spot and blameless.
You and I can sit around and we
can look for the signs of the time,
we look at Israel for signs of the
time, we look at the moral landslide and
the signs of the time, we look at
headlines and the signs of the time.
The Lord says look in your own heart
for the signs of the time.
Be sure that you're diligent, be sure that
you are keeping the word of God.
Paul said, so then every one of us
shall give an account of himself to God.
Now you can be sure that God's going
to judge the wicked.
There's no question about that.
The word of the Lord is true.
He said the books are going to be
open and every man shall be judged out
of those things written in the book.
And there's a payday coming.
There's certainly a payday coming.
And folks, you and I will not be
there gloating when they come to the judgment
and fall before his face.
We'll be so rejoicing in our own eternal
salvation and we will glorify him in his
justice and his holiness.
But God is saying to us, shall not
God avenge his own elect which cry night
and day unto him that we bear along
with them?
He said, I'll do that.
I'm going to deal with that.
But he said, nevertheless, when I come, will
I find faith in the earth?
Now that's an awful broad and frightening statement.
The Lord himself says, will I find faith
on the earth when I return, when I
come?
Here's the greatest concern the Lord has as
far as I see it.
When he comes, he's not going to be
focused on avengement.
He's going to be searching for a people
who are walking in faith to expect him.
Jesus is coming, the Bible says, for a
people who look for his appearance.
He's coming for a people who are preparing.
They're getting their robes spotless through trust and
faith and the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
They're every day waking up saying, is this
the day that the Lord comes?
They're not focused on the things of the
world.
They're not wrapped up in the things of
this world.
There's a cry in their heart birthed by
the Holy Spirit.
If there's a cry in my heart, a
hunger for the coming of the Lord, it's
not just something I've learned from childhood.
That could wear off.
But what I have in my heart about
the coming of the Lord is something that
I hear every time I go to prayer
now.
Every time I seek his face, the Lord
says, wean yourself from the things of the
world.
Don't let the things of this world take
your heart.
Look up and rejoice because your redemption is
drawing nigh.
And the closer we get to his coming,
the more he's going to waken our spirits.
The more he's going to prepare us in
a wooing and drawing through the Holy Spirit.
Though we don't know the very moment, the
day and the hour.
Jesus said of that day and hour, knoweth
no man, nor not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only.
Then Jesus said, but, but, you don't know
the time.
But he said, I'm going to describe to
you certain manners of conduct in your society.
And when you recognize these kinds of conduct,
you'll know that it's right at the door.
And he gave us a whole history.
He talks about how he judged the world
in the times of Noah when the vileness,
the wickedness was so great, he could not
endure it any further.
In Matthew 24, if you have that in
your lap, look with me at verse 38.
Sorry, at verse 38.
For as in the days that were before
the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving marriage until the day that Noah
entered in the ark and knew not until
the flood came and took them all away.
So shall also the coming of the Son
of Man be.
Now skip over to Luke, if you will,
please.
Luke, the 17th chapter.
17th chapter of Luke, starting at verse 28.
Likewise also, as it was in the days
of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they
bought, they sold, they planted, they builded.
In the same day that Lot went out
of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from
heaven and destroyed them.
Even thus shall it be in the days
when the Son of Man is revealed.
Now look at me, please.
I've not named one sin in all of
this.
There's not one sin mentioned.
It's not a sin to marry.
It's not a sin to eat and drink
appropriate liquids.
There's no sin in building, planting, getting engaged.
I've not named one sin.
And yet he says, as it was in
the days of Noah, eating, drinking, married, given
in marriage, days of Lot, buying, selling, planting,
building.
In fact, you and I are commissioned by
the Lord to tarry until He comes.
A man who doesn't provide for his own
household is worse than an infidel.
We're to prepare and save for your children.
You're to build houses for your children and
coverings and you're to provide.
You can't do that unless you're building and
planting and buying and selling.
I intend right after this meeting to go
out and eat and drink cranberry juice.
I'm going to eat and drink.
I've built, I've planted, I've sold.
That is not what the Lord is trying
to say.
He's trying to show the ordinariness, the everyday
happening.
He said it's going to be on a
just an ordinary day when nobody's expecting it.
He says, for example, in Tokyo it'll be
the middle of the night.
Here in 14 hours later from Tokyo or
so, or 15 hours, it's going to be
daylight.
He said some are going to be working
at the mill, they're going to be sleeping
on one side of the earth.
It'll be another night.
Everybody will say goodnight, see you in the
morning.
And in the day here in New York
everybody will be rushing to their jobs.
Ordinary day there'll be no warning, there'll be
no trumpet sound.
The Lord could have given us the date.
He could have told us the time and
the hour.
But you know what would have happened.
Everybody would have lived like the devil and
said, well I'm about 75, I'll repent.
Not knowing that they'd be so hard by
then, they couldn't repent.
Everybody would wait and say, there's no hurry.
No folks, the Lord didn't give us time
or date so there would be a holy
motivation.
A holy motivation, he said, to be ready
at any moment.
To be expected.
He said, I'm coming as a thief in
the night.
As it was then, it was an ordinary
day.
The sun was shining, nobody thought about the
stock market's going to give its report.
They're going to be running around, screaming on
the market floors.
It's going to be an ordinary day.
It may be raining, it may be shining,
I don't know, but there will be no
warning.
Suddenly, the scripture says, he's coming as a
thief in the night.
So shall it be in the day when
the son of man is revealed.
You see, the scripture says, because sentence against
the evil work is not executed speedily, therefore
the heart of the sons of man is
fully set in them to do evil.
You see, I've prophesied now for over 25,
almost 30 years now, about what is coming
to America.
I've prophesied it in books and cried it
everywhere until I said, Lord, I just don't
feel like crying anymore because nobody wants to
hear it.
But you see, because the judgment doesn't come
speedily, because it's not executed speedily, the hearts
of men is set on doing evil.
Oh brother, sister, it is coming, believe me,
it is coming.
Think of what's happening in our land today,
a frenzy of buying, selling, eating, drinking, building,
all of that, yes.
But even among Christian warnings of judgment and
proclamations of the coming of the Lord only
reach the deaf ear.
A Christian lady wrote to me, she was
friends of an elderly Jewish woman.
This elderly Jewish woman had evidently survived the
Holocaust, and she said to this woman who
wrote to me, she said, when I look
at America today, I see exactly what happened
just before we were railroaded to the concentration
camps.
She said, Hitler was making anti-Semitic remarks,
and nobody paid any attention.
They said it couldn't happen in Germany because
we're a powerful educated society.
It couldn't happen.
But there were warnings.
I mean, there were written warnings.
There were dire warnings from pulpits all across
Germany, newspapers.
There were warnings, and nobody paid attention.
And they were, this woman said, she remembers
the parties that lasted up to the very
night that Hitler made his proclamation against the
Jews.
Just 30 days before they were being railroaded
into those cars headed for the gas chambers.
And this woman said that the talk in
the rail cars and the talk of the
people as they were marching to the concentration
camps, they said, I can't believe it.
Just a few weeks ago, we were in
our tuxedos, and we were in our cocktail
dresses, and we were eating and drinking, and
everything was fine.
We were prosperous.
And now, what happened?
How could it have happened?
So suddenly, she said, when I think of
America, that's what I think about what it
was like in Germany at that time, when
people had been warned and warned, and they
danced the nights away, ate and were drunken,
not believing a word of it, saying the
prosperity and the good times will last forever.
But now, folks, the cry I believe is
going to be heard more and more in
the true church of Jesus Christ.
The Lord is coming.
Jesus is coming.
Get ready.
Get prepared.
He's telling us that just like in Noah's
time and Lot's time, they're going to ignore
the call.
He said, if you want to see the
sign, oh, you look around, see how my
message is being ignored.
Just look at the stupor and the hearts
and the minds and the blindness of the
people.
You want a sign?
That's your sign.
Just as in Noah, and just as then,
it was that premeditated turning off of the
message of Noah.
The premeditated turning off of the testimony of
Lot, the righteous man in the midst of
that city.
And the premeditated warning of angels, just before
the moment came.
And now we have that premeditated rejection.
Folks, I know in my heart that the
majority of Christians today that have turned off
this message at one time had it burning
in their heart that Jesus was coming.
And they have turned it off.
Absolutely turned it off.
As somebody that's sitting in this church this
morning, you have totally turned off this idea
of his coming.
You bought into a doctrine that it's thousands
of years away.
Jesus spoke of a great and sudden disappearance
of people from the earth.
Go back to Luke 17 for just a
moment.
Luke 17 chapter and let's start at verse
34.
17 chapter starting at verse 34.
I tell you in that night there'll be
two men in a bed one taken, the
other left.
Two women shall be grinding together, one shall
be taken, the other left.
Two men shall be in the field, the
one taken, the other left.
And they answered and said, Where, Lord?
In other words, where are they going?
And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body
is tethered with eagles be gathered together.
Now, folks, look at me, please.
There are a number of theologians that interpret
this that those who are taken are taken
to judgment.
They're the sinners, the wicked, being taken to
judgment.
The others remain on this earth to bring
forth the kingdom.
I disagree completely.
I disagree.
Where are they taken, the disciples asked.
He said, Wheresoever the body is, there will
the eagles be gathered together.
Christ is the head, we are his body.
We're going to be gathered together, be united
with the head.
The Bible says, They that wait upon the
Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles.
Where the eagles are gathered together.
The Lord said to Israel, I bore you
on eagle wings.
In other words, I carried you.
And he's going to carry us on eagle
wings.
The scripture says He shall send his angels.
He shall gather together his elect.
He shall gather together.
Where shall they be gathered?
They shall be gathered together from the four
winds and from one end of heaven to
the other.
Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians.
I want to nail it down so there's
no question about it in your mind from
now on.
1 Thessalonians.
Anybody tries to shake you from this truth?
1 Thessalonians starting at verse 34 chapter chapter
4 1 Thessalonians verses 16 and 18 16
and 17 through 18 For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout and
with voice of the archangel and from the
trump of God.
Doesn't that excite you?
And the dead in Christ arise first.
Then we which are alive and remain What?
Who are taken?
Who are caught up?
The righteous.
We which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air and
so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.
Glory be to God.
Folks, we're leaving town.
We're leaving town.
He said everything the scripture says about that
hour is going to happen.
We shall all be changed in a moment
in the twinkling of an eye at the
last trump for the trumpets of sound.
The dead should be raised incorruptible and we
shall all be changed.
Folks, this body that I have is going
to go into the ground or Jesus will
come and take it away but the body
that's coming up out is a new body.
The body has been resurrected when Jesus comes.
I don't know how it happens but in
a moment of time I get a new
body.
Not the corruptible body but a new body.
A new body.
Now some of you really No, I'm not
going to say that.
I need a new body.
I'm going to ask you again.
Are you really ready for the coming of
the Lord?
Are you sure you're fully prepared for that
moment that he comes suddenly?
Now most of you say absolutely Pastor Dave.
I know I'm sprinkled with the blood.
I know I'm redeemed.
I'm walking in faith.
I love the Lord.
I'm not living in sin.
I'm trusting the covenant promises of God.
Yes, I am ready.
Now I say the same thing.
Yes, I am ready.
I'm ready to go.
Jesus come quickly.
But then I read some of you folks
No way would I ever try to make
you doubt you're being prepared for the coming
of the Lord.
We're to live in faith.
But there's some things here that we need
to look at very seriously.
The Lord makes very, very clear to us.
Matthew 24 again.
I hope you're there in Matthew 24.
Therefore be ye ready.
But then he says but know this but
know this I'm looking for this scripture where
it says verse 43 verse 42 but watch
therefore for you know not what hour your
Lord doth come but know this Now folks
look at me please.
When the Lord says but know this he's
emphasizing it.
He's saying I want you ready but here's
something you've got to know.
Here's something you have to deal with.
Here's some truth I'm going to give you.
Here's some things that I'm telling you.
What has to happen if you're ready.
If you're going to be prepared my way
you've got to know this.
But know this.
And I came up against that this past
week.
And I couldn't shake it off but know
this.
Know this.
David you say you're ready but there's some
things I want you to know.
You've got to know.
Look at it.
You've read it a thousand times and you've
skipped over it but look at it.
And I want you to consider it with
me very very cautiously now.
Jesus comes forth with a description now of
those who are truly prepared with this awful
warning.
Verse 45 Verse 44.
There be also ready for in such an
hour as you think not the Son of
Man cometh.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant
whom his Lord hath made ruler over his
household to give them meat in due season.
Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when
he cometh shall find so doing.
We find here a ruler of a household.
Now look at me please.
That ruler of the household.
When we talk about this.
Paul talked about the household of faith.
He was first talking to pastors who are
rulers as scripture said over the household of
faith.
That's pastors who have a congregation.
So those to whom we preach.
He's made us rulers.
He said obey those who have the rule
over you and I'll show you further on
that that we're to honor those who have
the rule over us.
He said I'm a pastor.
I'm a ruler over a household of God
under his authority.
As a parent you are a ruler over
your household.
Every father in this house.
You have been mandated by God to be
a ruler of your household.
Every single mother.
There's no father in your house.
You have been appointed.
You have been made ruler of your house.
There's no one else.
It's you.
This is the end of side one.
You may now turn the tape.
The children.
You're responsible.
And the Lord's talking about his coming now.
And he said I'm going to bless those
rulers.
Those parents.
Those mothers.
Those fathers.
Who give their children meat in due season.
Meat is the word of God.
It is the Holy Bible.
It is the truth.
The due season is before they get hardened.
In the right time.
When it's still effective.
When they're still tender.
The Lord said and I'll tell you the
Lord is so concerned about this that he
said if you'll do this I'll make you
ruler of all my goods.
Now folks when God says I'm going to
make you ruler over all my goods.
All the wealth the Father's given me.
I'm going to make you ruler over all
of that.
He's saying that to parents.
Then you better believe that he's trying to
say something awful powerful to us.
If you will not give in to the
spirit of this age you will not let
your kids intimidate you.
We are letting our kids rule the household.
Unlimited access to the internet.
Don't ever trust anybody under 16.
Oh I trust my kids.
God help you.
We are letting our kids.
I don't want to lose my kids.
I have more parents.
I can't judge my boy and my girl
because they'll just yell and scream at me.
I'm afraid to leave house and they'll leave
home and I'll lose them.
Better they leave house.
You stand on the word and God said
I'll honor you.
You let your teenage boy run around with
a half naked hussy.
Wears nothing but outer clothes.
You let your boy you let your girl
go with boys if you haven't even interviewed.
I've been so sick in my heart from
hearing from people from all over the United
States in their pitiful letters.
The kids are 16 years old.
I got my grandson's yearbook.
He's 15.
And I looked at the signatures at the
end.
15 year old girl's writing in my grandson's
yearbook.
I hope your summer's filled with sex and
drugs and alcohol.
And all sexual innuendos filled.
And a note from a little girl.
I want to sleep with you.
15 years old.
And I said where are the parents?
Folks, when you allow your children to bring
in dirty movies, you're poisoning their meat.
You're serving poisoned meat.
You're poisoning, killing your kids.
God help that your kids should go to
hell under your watch.
That they should miss the coming of the
Lord because of our own compromise.
Lord said I made you ruler of your
house.
Let them scream.
If necessary, let them leave.
But in love and patience and kindness abide
by the living word of God.
Let this book cover your home.
My daughters will tell you when one was
18 years old and wouldn't obey what the
Lord had laid down and I had given
it to them lovingly and kindly and sat
down and prayed with them and showed them
from the scripture.
And when one of my daughters said well
I'm going to just steal the car and
run away.
I said do it and I'll have the
cops on you in 3 hours.
And she knew I meant it.
And my daughter now will hug me and
she says dad I thank you for that.
And everything you went through I have to
go through it now with my kids too.
They knew I meant it because they were
being governed by this book.
And hopefully that's the reason they're serving God
today.
Now I'm working on my grandkids.
That's right.
I look at them now and say if
you tell me you respect me as a
man of God then you go listen to
me and we sit down for hours and
talk.
Straight talk.
Like taking out that yearbook and say grandson
you tell me what that's all about.
Tell me now.
Because you know I pray for you every
day and I'm not going to let the
devil have you.
This has to do with pastors and shepherds
too.
Rulers over the household of God.
In due season.
Before they get caught up in the false
doctrines.
If I Pastor Carter and all these pastors
that are here on this platform.
My son is here.
Listen if we are not shut in with
God.
If we are not setting the example.
The scripture says obey them that have the
rule over you.
Submit yourselves for they watch for your souls.
And they must give an account that they
may do it with joy and not grief.
For that's unprofitable to you.
So pray for us.
And he says remember them that have a
rule over you.
Who has spoken unto you the word of
God.
Whose faith follow considering the end of their
conversation.
He said look at their lives.
See if they're living what they preach.
And see if they are giving you the
pure gospel.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Since we've been in this church.
Now over 13 years.
I don't know of a time that I've
stood in this pulpit.
Without bringing to this congregation a word from
the throne of God.
Having sought his face.
And having dealt with it here.
Folks I have not arrived over the past
13 years.
God has tested and tried me more than
any time in my life.
But I know one thing when we come
to this pulpit.
I have to give an account.
And I know that I have to give
an account of what I preached this morning.
I have to give an account.
And the Lord has made a promise that
when he returns he's going to gather every
faithful shepherd that have been on their face
before God.
They may not have lived perfect lives and
they've fought battles and they've won battles.
And they're still warring against the enemy and
the spiritual warfare.
But their hearts are set on God.
They've hated their sins and they've turned from
their iniquities.
And they stand before you under the covenant
promises of God.
And the scripture says when he comes he's
going to gather those shepherds together.
And he's going to make them ruler over
all that he has.
I don't know what that means.
I'd be so excited just being near him
and hugging him.
Let him do with me what he pleases.
But there's something there that I don't understand.
It's beyond my comprehension.
But he's saying to pastors stick to the
word.
You don't need all of the foolishness that's
going on today.
Stick to the word.
The living God.
It gets even more serious.
We come to a passage of scripture that's
really convicting me.
But know this.
Verse 48.
But if that evil servant shall say in
his heart my Lord delays his coming and
shall begin to smite his fellow servants to
eat and drink with the drunken.
Now listen folks.
Luke Luke makes it very clear in the
17th chapter that this is the same servant.
Same servant.
Who started out right.
Who knew in his heart the Lord was
coming at any moment.
This was the one who was giving meat
in due season.
But something happened.
It was just a change in his doctrine.
It was just a change.
One doctrinal truth changed.
He said in his heart the Lord has
delayed his coming.
He didn't preach it.
He didn't go out in the street.
It was a thought.
It was a mindset.
Something happened.
He's not coming in my time.
He said in his heart this faithful servant
was infected with a doctrinal change.
He had a change of thinking whereas he
was being prepared.
He expected his master at any time.
He was motivated to do what was right
before his master.
And now he is smiting his fellow man.
Smiting there in Greek is repeated blows.
That doesn't mean with a fist.
No, he can smite his wife at the
slightest provocation with a divorce charge.
He can go to work now and he
can curse.
He can listen to dirty stories.
He can smite on the left to lies
and try to climb over other people.
He can smite anybody living a godly life
because of because he remembers what he was.
He can gossip about preachers.
He can gossip about everybody.
He can live as he pleases because his
Lord is not coming.
My Lord, he said, isn't coming.
It wasn't the Lord he had before.
This is a new Lord, a new Christ
with a new gospel.
Forgive me for getting loud, but I am
feeling this so strong in my heart.
This is sweeping the country and the world
now.
A doctrine that he's not coming in my
time and it's created looseness in the church.
No wonder we have such foolishness in the
house of God.
Such damnable stuff coming into God's house because
people can live like the devil and say,
I'm going to heaven because they don't believe
Jesus is coming.
If you believe Jesus is coming tonight, you
wouldn't live like you live now, nor would
I.
Just a thought.
I can go to churches today that wouldn't
invite me, but should I sneak into one
of these churches and stand in a pulpit
and just stand as a prophet and preach
Jesus is coming?
I've done that a few times in my
life.
I get up, everybody smile politely, ushers would
take me out, and everybody would condescend and
say, oh no, no, not in my time,
he's not coming.
Do you think Christians would be divorcing at
the slightest provocation?
Do you believe that there would be such
wild drinking parties in the house of God?
Would you believe now that even in the
assemblies of God now and some sections of
Canada and even parts of the United States
now are asking Sunday night service to be
turned into dances?
Regular ballroom dancing to attract people.
Would they be dancing the night away if
they knew Jesus was coming?
If they really believed he was coming?
They drank with the drunken.
What's this drunkenness mean?
That's not talking about alcohol.
There's all kinds of drunkenness in the Bible.
Drunk with his fury, drunk with blood, drunk
with his spirit, drunk with but not with
wine, drunken with wormwood.
You see, the alcohol today, the sedative is
prosperity.
Prosperity.
He said what's going to happen the moment
you lose this awareness of his coming?
Once you allow that thought to dip your
heart, you're going to start smiting.
In other words, your life is going out
of control because there's no moral compass.
There's no moral motivation whatsoever and your life
is going to spin out of control.
Anything goes.
I meet Christians like that.
Anything goes.
They come to God's house here in Times
Square Church and they hear what they call
narrow preaching.
They call on all kinds of things and
they just sit there and smile.
Poor deluded people, they don't have freedom now.
They call it freedom, the new freedom, the
new charismatic freedom.
No, no, no, folks.
It's the very thing Jesus warned about.
You're going to start smiting.
You will not deal with any jealousies.
You will not deal with covetousness, envy.
You will not deal with any of these
things.
Oh, you might still hate murder and drugs
and alcohol perhaps, but you're not going to
have any control over these because you won't
want control.
You don't need control because you have it
in your mind just before it all ends.
If I see the signs of the time
and get just pretty sure that it might
happen, then I'll make it right.
Then he said eating with the drunken.
Folks, this is what God this is what
when the Lord says, now hear this, now
know this.
He said, if you won't believe that I'm
coming, if you don't prepare, you don't have
this ever before you.
Folks, I hear people say, well, I can't
serve God with fear.
I'll tell you I fear missing the coming
of the Lord.
There's a godly fear in my heart.
I don't want to be left behind.
But most of all, it's a thrill and
it's a joy to know and be with
Him face to face.
But this idea, the Lord says, you're going
to start drinking with the drunken.
This prosperity is going to get a hold
of your heart.
You're going to be so wrapped up making
money.
You're so wrapped up in the stock market.
You're going to be so wrapped up in
possessions.
Now, folks, I'm not trying to put you
on a conviction if you're about to buy
a new house.
You're about to buy a new car.
God's not interested in your car.
He doesn't care what you drive.
If you're paying your tithes and you're giving
to God and faithfully giving to the poor
and the needy, God's not going to judge
you.
Now, I'm not trying to judge you or
put you under any guilt trip.
God forbid.
But if your possessions are weighing hold of
you and you sit in the house of
God like today, right in the message of
the coming of the Lord and you're thinking
about that car, that furniture, that house, and
all the things and it's got hold of
you, consumes you, and pushes out, any thought
of the coming Lord Jesus Christ.
He said, be careful.
You wind up drinking with the drunk and
you'll get drunken with furniture, drunken with the
things of this life, building a bank account
and all of these things that are going
to grab your heart.
And then you don't want Jesus to come
because you're so wrapped up, you're so busy
doing these things to get security.
Everybody's looking for security.
Everybody.
You know, on college campuses, they say almost
the majority of those who are graduating want
to retire by the time they're 50.
They want to be millionaires by the age
of 35.
What kind of mindset is that that swept
the whole nation?
Well, folks, in the middle of all that,
the Scripture says Jesus is going to come.
For the love of money is the root
of all evil, which some coveted after.
They've erred from the faith.
They pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, man of God, flee these things
and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness.
Keep thou this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until
the tearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah.
Are you ready?
Not until you love his appearance, the Bible
says.
Henceforth, there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give unto me at that day,
but not only to me all only, but
unto all them also that love his appearing.
God Paul said, I've got a crown waiting
for me because I love his appearing.
I'm ready.
And he said, not only for me, but
for every one of you who love his
appearing.
Hallelujah.
Be patient now.
Establish your hearts for the coming of the
Lord.
Draweth nigh, James 5, 8.
None of them that look for him shall
appear the second time without sin.
I want to close by a Titus.
Go to Titus the second chapter.
With this, I close second chapter of Titus.
Will you stand?
I want those who have the King James
to read with me from chapter from verse
11 to verse 14 and verse 15.
Are you ready?
Read it right out loud in the annex
and where are you at in the house
for the grace of God that bring us
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us
that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present
world.
Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious
appearing of our great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that
he might redeem us from all iniquity and
purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of
good works.
These things speak and exhort and rebuke with
all authority that no man despise thee.
Folks, I'm looking for his appearing.
I'm loving his appearing.
The anticipation and the looking forward is hard
in this world, but not of it.
Now, believe it or love it.
I preached on the coming without trying to
work on your emotions.
People get scared into religion, get scared off
the moment the scare is gone.
It doesn't last.
I've never believed that you can scare people
into the kingdom of God.
There is a genuine fear of the Lord,
but I've just given you his precious word.
I'm asking you as parents, you've given your
children meat in due season.
Are you giving them the word?
Don't expect them to get all the word
they need here from this church or any
church.
You study this, you read it, and you
govern your house by this word.
That's what he said is necessary.
And you young couples get married or anticipating
children, set it in your mind now.
The Lord's trying to speak to you.
I think you and your host are going
to be ready for the coming of the
Lord.
Be sure you're giving meat in time.
Make sure the word of the Lord is
coming forth in your home.
Be sure you're not eating and drinking with
the drunken.
Not in this age of prosperity.
Heavenly Father, I can't make anyone in this
congregation look up or rejoice.
I can't make anybody yearn for your coming.
Holy Spirit, that's your work.
Lord Jesus, I preach your word and I'm
asking you to honor it.
Honor your word.
There are people listening to me now that
are not ready.
They are not ready for your coming.
And Jesus, you said, I'm coming in an
hour that you think not.
He said, I can come at any moment.
Lord, there's nothing hinders your coming at this
moment.
Nothing hinders the twinkling of an eye.
We shall all be changed.
Hallelujah.
Oh, Jesus, even so, come quickly.
We long for that day.
We yearn for it.
Lord, I pray for those Christians who once
had that joy.
They had that anticipation that now, Lord, it's
almost like a dead theology.
It's just like a dead doctrine.
They can hardly conceive it anymore.
God, awaken our hearts.
He said, wake up.
Wake up.
I'm coming.
Prepare.
Get ready.
Hallelujah.
For the night is far spent and the
day is at hand.
If you're here this morning, you say, Pastor
David, I have to say before a holy
God, I am not ready for His coming.
It could be that you have never yielded
your heart to Christ fully.
And some of you have really turned your
back on the Lord.
You've really turned your back on the Lord.
I don't care what kind of doctrine you
hide behind.
It's impossible according to the word of God
for you to live in sin.
To live in sin.
Knowing it's sin.
Comfortable with your sin.
And be saved.
Don't believe that.
Don't believe it at all.
I do believe that He gives you the
power of your sin if you ask Him
for it.
And I believe that in your struggle, He's
patient with you.
Yes, He is.
And I'm not one of those who believes
that every time you sin, you lose your
religion.
You lose your salvation.
No.
Not at all.
I'm talking about those who have set their
course in sin.
They have rejected the Holy Spirit's conviction.
They said, I'll live my life my way.
Can't do that and be saved.
And those who say, Pastor Dave, I don't
have that awareness.
I did.
I'm only speaking to those who did have
that awareness.
But somewhere along your busy life that has
just slipped away.
And you say, Holy Spirit, I want you
to quicken this truth to my heart.
Please don't come unless the Spirit moves you.
If the Spirit moves your heart, I want
you to come to the front.
Up in the balcony, come down the stairs.
And come down to any aisle here on
the main floor.
Just step out of your seat and come
and move in close here and I'll pray
for you.
And we'll ask the Holy Spirit to do
work for you here at this altar.
Especially those I feel so strong that there
are people here now that you were so
on fire but something's happened to you.
There's a coldness in you.
There's a lukewarmness in you.
Any time that you should not be lukewarm,
you are lukewarm at such a late date.
God help you.
God convict you.
Holy Spirit move upon you.
And in the annex, just go forward not
to the screen but between the screens and
I'll pray for you then and the pastor
will be there to give you instructions.
Heavenly Father draw those who need to be
drawn.
Convict those who need to be convicted.
Encourage those who need to be encouraged.
Lord Jesus I pray for everyone in this
building now.
No one to leave without the assurance.
I am prepared.
My robe is not bespotted with the things
of this world or the spirit of this
age.
Lord Jesus, I come.
Wherever you sit up in the balcony there
are steps on each side.
You come down in the aisle as they
sing.
Do you hear the words of that song?
Softly, tenderly.
He calls you tenderly.
He's a tender Christ.
He's a tender Savior.
He knows what your battle is.
He knows what you're going through.
If you just come to Him and lay
open your heart.
Just lay open your heart with me now.
I want you to just look up to
Him now and pray this prayer with me
now.
Jesus, I need you.
I know you're not mad at me.
I know you love me.
You said you're patient because you're not willing
that any perish.
You don't want me to perish.
You don't want me to be lost.
Thank you Jesus for loving me.
Now Jesus, forgive me.
Cleanse me.
Purge my heart of anything that's not like
you.
I trust you Jesus.
I'm coming home.
I'm coming to your heart.
Jesus, you're still good to me.
And you love me.
And I thank you for that.
Now give me power to live for Christ.
Holy Spirit, possess me.
Take full control.
Now let me pray for you.
Heavenly Father, it doesn't take long.
It's not an involved process to begin to
serve you.
Lord, you said if you come to me,
I'll in no way cast you out.
No way would I ever cast you out.
I receive you back.
Restore you.
And give back to you all that the
canker worm has eaten.
I'll restore it to you.
Now Lord Jesus, I ask you to restore
hearts and minds here today.
Lord, I don't know who these people are
that have come forward in the annex and
here in the main auditorium.
But Lord Jesus, you see every one of
them.
You know their minds and the hearts and
their lives.
Oh Holy Spirit, let this be a day
they can mark on the calendar.
That was the day.
This was the day I surrendered all to
Jesus.
I came not because I was afraid.
I came because the Holy Spirit drew me.
Christ and His love put His arms around
me and brought me to Himself.
Would you just in your own words thank
Him right now?
Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness to me.
Thank you Jesus for forgiving me and cleansing
me.
Thank you Jesus for your goodness to my
heart and my life.
Hallelujah.
Now Lord, keep those that you have drawn.
He said that you would keep us from
falling.
Now unto Him was able to keep you
from falling and present you faultless before the
throne of His glory with exceeding great joy.
We commit all of these lives into your
hands, into your keeping.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
We may where you're at for just a
moment.
Now if you're visiting here Times Square Church
today for the first time in the annex,
if you'll go to room 204, room 204
and here in the auditorium in the balcony
you go to exit 8 and 9 downstairs
here at the ancillary building.
We have a free book for you, one
of my books and a free tape, preaching
tape and some refreshments and some New Yorkers.
Just answer your questions and you'll meet people
from all over the world.
Immediately after this service, immediately after we dismiss
exits 8 and 9 here in the auditorium
and room 204 in the annex, our people
are there waiting for you right now.
Please take one of these preaching tapes.
There's no charge.
There's no sales pitch.
We just love you, want to welcome you
to New York City and to Times Square
Church.
Let's rejoice in the Lord.
I want you to turn around, shake hands
with as many as you possibly can.
Say God love you, God bless you, good
to see you.
The Lord is good.
This is the conclusion of the message.