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About David Wilkerson David Wilkerson was the Founding Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. He was called to New York in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade. In 1987, David Wilkerson returned to “the crossroads of the world” to establish Times Square Church. As a pastor of the church, he faithfully led this congregation, delivering powerful biblical messages that encourage righteous living and complete reliance on God. David Wilkerson had a strong burden to encourage and strengthen pastors throughout the world. From 1999 to 2008, he traveled around the globe holding conferences for Christian ministers. Posted with written permission of Time Square Church Copyright © 2016 Times Square Church, 1657 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019, USA. T: (212) 541-6300 F: (212) 541-6415 About Ahava Jerusalem The website and the Social Media Channels are a Christian host for devotionals, sermons, and videos with a focus on Jesus Christ and His Word so that the Church may be built up. MISSION: that Christ is formed in you (Gal 4:19) and that you may be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Ro 12:2) so that you may grow to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:13) Like 👍 & Subscribe – @Ahava Jerusalem today to stay updated. #fyp #forgiveness #salvation #light #heaven #time #Youtube #Google #Internet #home #family #parents #children #sermon #JesusChrist #God #Father #HolySpirit #Faith #Hope #Love #God #Jesus #Christian #Future #people #ahavajerusalem #Truth #Bible #Peace #HolySpirit #World #Word #Love #Grace #joy #future #grace #amazing #best #live #life #bestsermons #home #family #parents #children #sermon #JesusChrist #God #Faith #Hope #Love #sermon #God #Jesus #Christian #Future #people #ahavajerusalem #Truth #Bible #Peace #Kingdom #HolySpirit #JesusChrist #God #Holy Spirit #Bible #Word #Love #Grace

I want to talk to you this morning about

his

church I want to talk to you about the

True Church of Jesus Christ what is the

True Church of Jesus Christ we hope

after today you’ll have no questions on

this matter I don’t have all the answers

but I have enough to convince you I

think what I believe to be the Living

Church of Jesus Christ heavenly father I

thank you this morning for the love of

Jesus for your manifest Lord in our

presence in our midst Lord without you

we have no church we have no meeting we

have no Gathering and I pray Lord that

you open my understanding so that I can

present to this people your heart and

your mind on this matter Lord Jesus

Quicken me Lord you gave this to me in

prayer I didn’t get it from a book I got

it Lord from your heart and I pray Lord

that you Minister life through what I

speak this morning open up our eyes to

the meaning of your church let us

examine our hearts this morning to see

if we are really members of your body in

Jesus name I pray

amen now Jesus said the Gates of Hell

shall not Prevail against my

church he also said that no weapon

formed against it should Prosper but you

look around now and you see that the

gates of hell are prospering they’re

prospering against many churches the man

churches I call them they are prevailing

the weapons of the enemy are prevailing

and the word Prevail there means to

overpower to defeat and you see that in

a church that is really not ackowledge

by God as his own

church the church by no means is a

denomination now denominations were

caused when certain groups of Christians

gathered around a pet Doctrine the

Baptist gather gaed around the

calvinistic doctrine of eternal security

the Pentecostals gathered around the

doctrine of an infilling of the Holy

Ghost with the evidence of speaking in

tongues the Seventh Day Adventist

gathered around a Doctrine about the

seventh day Sab or the Sabbath being

Saturday you find uh the wesle Methodist

gathered around the doctor of entire

sanctification and on and on and on

until there were divisions because

people gathered around not the not the

person of Jesus Christ as much as the

doctrine and they got they gathered

around those doctrines and then they

begin to split up and reform there’s

Reform movement after Reform movement

after Reform movement having to do with

people gathering around the doctrine and

so you have 50 kinds of Baptists now

you’ve got a 100 kinds of Pentecostals

you’ve got all kinds of charismatic and

non- denominational churches by the

multiplied thousands and division

everywhere you look this was never God’s

idea from the

beginning entire denominations now have

been overpowered by the weapons of Satan

the Gates of Hell prevailed against

entire denominations where pastors no

longer believe the Bible to be the

inherent word of God they no longer

believe in the Virgin birth they don’t

believe in a heaven or a hell they they

call evil good and good evil this is

being overpowered what else can you call

it but the Gates of Hell prevailing when

the seminaries of many of these

denominations have uh teachers and

professors there who do everything to

demean the gospel everything to

discredit the miracles of Jesus Christ

to take away his godhead and hellbent

professors that are hellbent in

destroying what little faith that our

young people have left if that is not

being overpowered by the enemy I don’t

know what it is

but you see God has discounted all of

that that man calls church it’s never

been a part of his church really not

been his it’s been man’s but it’s never

been his he doesn’t acknowledge it in

his eyes it doesn’t even exist that

which is highly esteemed among men is an

Abomination to God

absolutely God has never acknowledged it

as his own church but I also believe

that many Christians are misinformed

about the meaning of the church they

really don’t understand what the Church

of Jesus Christ is and I say that

because of the way we measure the

success of the church today we have mega

churches we’ve got super churches we’ve

got fastest growing churches and we look

at these beautiful multi-million dollar

buildings we look at the wonderful 30 40

50 acre campuses and we see churches

packed with thousands and we say God

must be there that must be God’s Church

look their finances they have money in

the bank they have multitudes coming

that must be a very successful Church

Jesus must be at work in that

church but folks I’m so glad to inform

you that that is not God’s measure of

success you can have multiplied

thousands in church you can have a

burdening budget you can have all of

these things and Jesus not be in the

building Jesus not even acknowledge it

that is his highly esteemed among man

very successful popular accepted but

abomination in the eyes of

God a minister friend of mine recently

uh told told me he was filling out his

application for uh every year you you

fill out uh a form to continue your

ordination he was filling out his form

and suddenly it hit him like a sword in

his heart he said there’s nothing on

this application at all that has to do

with a spiritual measurement the

questions were like this how many are

attending your Sunday school how many

attend Sunday night how many do you have

in your prayer meeting how many Boy

Scouts do you have in your in your boys

program how many women attend your

women’s auxiliary and uh give us the

percentage of increase in your numbers

and in your finances what’s the per

capita giving for each person there was

not one spiritual question in the whole

uh

application he said you know I could

have been a repeate and filled out this

question still keep my ordination

because there’s no measure of my

spiritual there wasn’t a question about

how I was doing with the Lord anything

about my burden for the Lord nothing

about my morals nothing about my family

or my vision nothing at all and and

that’s typical of almost every

denomination he said there was nothing

spiritual about it all he said I was I

was suddenly shocked at how far we’ve

gone from understanding the True Church

of Jesus

Christ it’s an amazing thing now let me

tell you what I believe constitutes his

church this is what I believe

constitutes his church and there are

required features that distinguish his

church from every other thing that is

called church folks before you leave

this service this morning I hope you

understand what the Church of Jesus

Christ is we have the pattern in the

20th chapter of John go to John the 20th

chapter if you will

please quickly 20th chapter of

John going to start reading at Verse

18 this is the first Gathering of the

church that Jesus is going to build now

folks remember that Moses built a house

Moses had a church and the Bible said he

was faithful in his house but the Bible

the Lord goes on to

say Jesus said I will build my

house the Church of Jesus Christ did not

exist until after his resurrection and

he said I will build my house the

scriptures about Christ as a son over

his own house he he said I will build it

and he’s starting to build it right here

you’re going to see the first meeting of

the Church of Jesus Christ you’re going

to see all the features that should be

in what is called his church they’re all

in this first meeting remember these are

a living stones he’s building a church

and this is the foundation these are the

foundation stones in this first

meeting Verse 18 Mary Magdalene came and

told the disciples that she had seen the

Lord and that he had spoken these things

unto her then the same day evening being

the first day of the week when the doors

were shut where the disciples were

assembled for fear of the Jews came

Jesus and stood in the midst and saith

unto them peace unto to you when he had

so said he showed them his hands in his

side then were the disciples glad when

they saw the Lord then said Jesus to

them again peace be unto you as my

father sent me even so send I you when

he had said this he breathed on them and

saith unto them receive ye the Holy

Ghost who so whosoever sins you remit

they remitted unto them and whosoever

sins you retain they are retained now

look this way if you will please he’s

building his church and all the features

of the church from now Jesus comes

you’ll find it right here and I want to

go over with you as simply as I know how

in this first

Gathering you

have the making and the birth of the

True Church of Jesus Christ and first of

all his church is comprised of

individual believers who have a special

love relationship with Jesus Christ

every single one of these who are

gathered here have their own special

revelation of Christ he’s revealed

himself individually to them and every

one of them are devoted they have given

up careers he is not just first in their

life he’s everything in their life the

Church of Jesus Christ is comprised of

individuals who are wholly given to

Christ he has become their life he’s not

a part of that he is their life he’s the

focus he’s the center now that’s where

the church begins it’s comprised of

individuals holy given to him with their

own revelation of who he is with their

own Hearts burning for the word of

God now let’s consider those that are

gathered in this meeting one of the

accounts by John it says there were 11

Luke’s Luke implies that there were many

many more in this first meeting no doubt

Nicodemus uh no doubt the rich man just

uh Joseph of arme the Bible makes it

clear that the two disciples at emus

were there remember they had their own

Revelation they were so devoted to him

and they had a revelation because Jesus

appeared to them and opened up the

scriptures regarding himself Peter was

there to whom the Lord had shown

himself they had all had some kind of

Revelation of him they had seen the

empty tombe there was a revelation of

the resurrection power of Jesus Christ

every one of them Mary of Bethany was

part there Lazarus they’re all together

and every one of these the thing that

identifies them that individually they

had their own experience with him they

had their own revelation of Jesus they

didn’t get it from somebody else it was

their own and Mary Magdalene comes

knocking on the door and she said I’ve

seen him and this Gathering was not a

pastor up there trying to reveal Christ

to a

congregation that’s not the church the

church says that every member of that

congregation came down with Revelation

their own experience with Christ they

saw him they talked to him they had the

word burning in their hearts and so at

this first meeting it is not Peter

standing up admonishing them about what

they he had seen of Christ it’s first of

all the woman who Jesus had cast Seven

Devils out of probably a prostitute at

one time and and she is the one that’s

say Pastor I saw him I talked to

him the two disciples unknown disciples

I believe many of the 70 chosen

disciples were there Jesus said out were

also in the meeting and they were all

excited every one of were telling what

they saw and heard of

Jesus this was an excited

group they came to church not to hear

about Christ they had heard of Christ

they brought Christ with

them this is the Church of Jesus Christ

individuals who have had their own

experience their own revelation of the

reality own intimacy with Jesus Christ

the

Lord

hallelujah

now what a wonder that in the midst of

apostasy

rejection of Christ and every all offers

of his grace that’s right in the middle

of Jerusalem in the middle of the

darkness in the middle of the rejection

of Christ the lord had a body totally

devoted to him and folks I’m telling you

even now in this day of gross darkness

in this day when Christ is being

rejected when they’re trying to throw

him out of our society and out of our

courts they don’t even want his name

mentioned thank God around the world

even in in the communist countries all

over the world Jesus has a body he has a

devoted people of individuals their own

revelation of Christ

the church is alive and well

Hallelujah now listen to me closely it

is this devotion this personal

individual devotion of Jesus Christ

which is the bond of the body of

Christ I I travel and when I go to

another country and I walk a street and

and I don’t understand the language and

somebody will will say hello thinking I

must look like an American so they give

me a little bit of their American

language and I understand they’ll be

speaking English said where you from I

from New York New

York yes and and I’m a pastor there oh

you’re a Christian

yes uh what church time I’ve heard of

that praise I’m a charismatic just like

you and and and you said well you met

the body of Christ you met another no no

no no not necessarily because it only

takes about 10 minutes before you find

out where that man’s heart is that man’s

heart he’s talking about his exotic

vacation he’s talking about everything

but Jesus the devotion is not there and

sudden you pull back and say I’m not one

with this man you can go to Japan and

you can walk around and you find a

little prayer group and there they’re

they’re praising the Lord and you walk

in I found the church I found the body

these people love Jesus but then the

pastor gets up and you know he’s not

been alone with God there’s no devotion

It’s All Flesh and sudden you know you

thought you found the church it wasn’t

the church at all it wasn’t there

because the bond is not there folks you

meet the church anywhere on Earth where

you find an individual that is totally

devoted to Jesus Christ if they are

you’ll know it very quickly and shortly

and the bond will be

there we he talk about the church being

united let let let let’s unite the

church let’s everybody get together

folks you don’t have to it’s already

together it’s all in Christ he’s the

head rear of the body it is has always

been together it’s never been

[Applause]

divided

never if you if Jesus could come and and

take you on a flying carpet trip over

the the America around the world you see

Jesus show me the church and he would

take you into the atmosphere so to speak

and and and you look at the he takes you

to hover over a great church of 5,000

people and say Lord show me your church

and he said all right he said see the

woman over here and see this one over

here and he’ll pick up maybe 10 or 12 so

that’s my church these are my devoted

ones but Lord what about those thousands

there that are singing love songs to you

he said my heart they don’t have a heart

for me they I am I am just a word to

them it’s just deed it’s just word and

it’s not indeed they don’t love the

truth they don’t spend any time with me

that are not my church they don’t have

the devoted

heart I wonder how many of you we could

point out this

morning and say to his Angelic host see

that sister see that brother see there’s

one over here this one over here look

how hungry they are for me I’ve been

teach teaching them speaking them to the

years and they’re still

hungry they give me precious time they

give me quality time my heart I am not

just something laying easy on the back

roads of their

mind I am the center of their life I am

everything to them this is my

[Applause]

church

Hallelujah

secondly his church is comprised of

devoted individual Believers whose

greatest joy is to assemble with others

who share that

devotion it’s called the body of Christ

Christ they don’t have to be warned for

sake not to suming yourselves together

as the manner of some

is because there is something of the

holy spirit that draws every devoted

believer to the

body now let me say this clear and

simply but right to the point listen to

it please the church is not complete

without the corporate

expression because God reveals himself

Christ reveals himself in the corporate

body in ways he cannot reveal himself

individually to you or to

me for example the gifts how how how do

you operate the gifts on

yourself what about the love of God that

shed abroad not just on me but abroad

what about the joy and excitement of

watching your brothers and sisters grow

in the Lord and in their growth you get

Faith and

Hope there’s a shared Revelation in the

assembly everyone that was gathered in

this first meeting though they had their

own private glorious revelation of who

Jesus is they had seen him they talked

to him they’ve been with him three years

but now they’re gathered together and

they’re going to experience a special

man estation of Jesus that could not

have come individually to them now keep

in mind that just a few days before

these disciples had fled from his

presence at the first sign of

danger they all forsook him and fled but

now fearlessly they meet in a

clandestine fashion

because they are taking literally now

something the Holy Spirit has reminded

them that Jesus said to them Jesus said

where two or three are gathered together

in my name there am I in the

midst now folks they didn’t take that as

a promise but as a consequence now

listen closely please God’s been

speaking so clearly in my heart this it

was not just a promise that’s a

consequence he he said if if you will

meet in my name and you know what needs

to meet in his name let everyone who

names the name of Jesus depart from

iniquity it means these have departed

from iniquity they’re not living in sin

wholly devoted to Jesus Christ and

they’re meeting in his name and the Lord

said you meet under those conditions and

there I am doesn’t say I will come

doesn’t say you have to fast or pray or

beg or plead and wait till I come that

is the consequence of you coming in

divine order the consequence of it the

result of it is that I’m

there and they thought well if he said

that two or three we better get together

because we want him to appear we want to

see him

again so it was they assembled together

they shut the door and it was just as

they were told Jesus came and stood in

their midst verse 19 Jesus came and

stood in their midst folks there is no

church it is not a church unless Jesus

is standing in the midst of it unless

there is a manifestation of his presence

if in every service Jesus is not there

it’s not the church they’re not meeting

in his name

properly you you say well brother can’t

we enjoy his presence alone as

individuals why do I need the church I a

lot of people say I just worship alone

just me and

Jesus well he does manifest his presence

to those that are set in with him the

scripture says he that hath my

Commandments and keepeth them he it is

that loveth me and I will love them and

manif EST myself to him as as an indiv

I’ll manifest myself to you because you

see sometimes there is an imposed

isolation look at Paul in in prison he

he has isolation imposed upon him and

say with John and Olive patmas isolation

is imposed upon him sometimes you’re

sick and by yourself it’s imposed upon

you that’s a different thing because in

those conditions when it’s impos

isolation is imposed upon you by

condition

or forces outside your control then the

Lord reveals himself in a very unique

way that’s where Paul got his Revelation

for the church and same with John and

alip patmas what a revelation of Jesus

when John said I sawm standing among the

candlesticks it it was in an isolation

along with the Lord that’s only when

it’s imposed when it’s beyond your

power but folks when you just stand home

watching

TV there’s no imposed isolation upon

you you you you are drawing away from

the very source of the glory of the

Lord but you see there’s a reason why

Jesus manifest himself to us I want you

to listen to this

please Jesus comes to manifest himself

to us that we may have life and his

power his very life is energy it is

power but life is given for a purpose

and that’s that we may be useful to him

useful to the

body the Bible said and the life was

light you can have power without any

knowledge of how to use it that’s the

light the life became the light in other

words he doesn’t give you power just

just to spin and waste it let me give

you an example you take a 200 wat 200

amp diesel

fired

generator now you put diesel in it you

start it up it’s got 200 amps of power

it’s got energy it’s got

life and it as long as you give it it’s

individual source of energy if you keep

pouring the diesel in it it’ll it’ll

keep turning it’ll keep putting out

energy but it’s of no

use it’s not hooked up to any

need

it’s just wasting its

energy but then you look at the house

and the house has no energy it has no

light the lights aren’t working the

stove is not working there’s no heat and

you hook it up you hook the generator up

and

suddenly the lights go

on now the generator is

useful you say I’m along with Jesus I’m

getting Revelation I’m getting power

from the Lord I’m getting life but I’m

telling you if you’re not hooked up to

the body of Christ if you’re not a part

of the body of Jesus Christ you will

that generator that’s wasting its

energy you have to be

connected pick up this week’s Life

Magazine the November issue and you’ll

see uh incredible

sight there’s a a man’s arm and forearm

laying disconnected on the operating

table it’s a 13-hour operation that was

accomplished by a businessman named

Clint 1989 in in an accident with a

chainsaw he severed his

arm and now after two after this time

the

doctors uh severed the arm of a brain

dead

man and they are trans they’re now

hooking this arm to this man and it’s a

13-hour operation now that arm is there

it’s still got blood in it and they

they’ve got a pump there and it’s got

probably a 13 to 16h hour

lifespan but it’s got to be hooked up

the arm is there but the fingers are not

moving there are no nerves it’s an arm

it’s got blood in it but it’s

useless but they hooked him up for the

this is the second operation of its kind

and they connected the

arm and yesterday I was listening to the

radio and said that it’s been successful

that he feels the nerves and fingers are

moving now the arm is what it’s

useful you see if you’re not connected

to the body I don’t care how much

Revelation you get I don’t care much

time you spend alone you are severed

from the

body and you’re going to have to have

your e can be hooked up to some

artificial kind of

life and you’re of no use you’re going

to lay on on that operating table that’s

a hand it’s got blood in it it’s got a

form of life but it’s no good to anybody

it’s

usess folks that’s what the body of

Jesus Christ we are arm of his arm we

are bone of his bone we are flesh of his

flesh we are connected to the

head you can only get that in a

corporate experience of the

assembly reaching together worshiping

together in

him

are you beginning to understand

it now let’s go a step further it’s not

enough just to be quickened by the

presence of Jesus is not

enough to be

just doing

things being useful you that usefulness

has to be subject to his

will if if you know you can you can be

hooked up to the arm but you still have

to get your dire from the head and in

this meeting I want you to notice this

Jesus comes in and the first thing is

peace and that’s what you get first of

all when the body of Jesus Christ when

devoted people get together to Worship

the Lord as the body the first thing you

get is the overflowing of the Peace of

Christ the peace of God folks I get that

every time I walk into this church I sit

down there peace Hallelujah absolute

peace

but folks he can give you

peace and you not value it or not have

an expression of it and not know it in

its fullness and you don’t get that

until you see the fullness of the body

I’ll show it to you in just a minute how

you not only are given the gift of peace

from Christ but you have to have that

peace flowing in and through you and

I’ll show you in a few minutes how

that’ll

happen but you see

Jesus after he gives peace he said as I

was sent to the world so send I you and

this is the first instruction they get

and this is instruction you get in the

corporate body of Jesus

Christ Lord said you know that I escaped

you saw me escaping to prayer I you you

saw me leave you and go to the mountains

you saw that I prayed I was getting my

instructions from the heavenly father he

said I did not operate on human

compassion remember the man that came to

him and said

Master uh mediate between me and my

brother help cause him get my brother to

share his inheritance rightly with me

and Jesus said man who made me your

divider or your

lawyer and what he’s saying I don’t do

anything except what my father tells me

that was human need Jesus had compassion

on the me on the man but he never

allowed his compassion to get him out of

the parameters of the will of

God and when you do that when the

presence of Jesus is not in a church

where people are not praying over

everything and get the direction from

the spirit of the Living God then you

find men running around trying to change

the world in their own energy they sweat

they get tired and everybody’s worn out

saying is this all there is to

it Jesus didn’t move in the realm of

human compassion though he was moved

with compassion everywhere he went he

did not operate in the realm of human

compassion and folks the Church of Jesus

Christ that starts only picking and

demonstrating folks when the movie

opened up or the play opened up here

Corpus Christie on Tuesday night this

church got a hold of God that is just

six blocks from here and that’s the play

where Jesus is called a homo Jesus is

depicted as a homosexual and in the play

he plants a kiss on Judas his

lover and he has an affair with all his

12 disciples a homo sexual

Affair and folks we prayed in this

church we sought God because our weapons

are not CL But Mighty through God into

pulling down his

strongholds then after the service I

went over there and there were about

2,000 demonstrators there were there

were there were statues of Virgin Mary

there were all kinds of placards and and

and people were there and and you know

there was I said to a brother was with

me I said you know that 15 minutes of

prayer at Times Square Church accomplish

more against this they all the

demonstrating here tonight by the

hundreds I’m not putting that down but

the church does not move in human

compassion it moves through the

direction of Jesus Christ

[Applause]

himself

and he said to these gathered in at

first meeting as I was sent so send I

you total dependence total

dependence

Hallelujah the church does not operate

independent it does not go out just to

meet human need because it’s

there it operates in the

parameters the guidance of the Holy

Spirit Spirit

Hallelujah you can be

useful but not subjected to the will of

God has to be total subjection to his

will Hallelujah now

thirdly in his church the holy spirit is

always at work changing people’s

hearts conforming them convicting them

and conforming them to the nature of the

one they’re devoted to in other words if

Jesus is not there there’s no work of

the holy spirit in changing lives nobody

is really changed without the Manifest

presence of Jesus in the

midst Jesus came into the midst and he

breathed on them and a very special work

of the Holy Spirit was suddenly

announced now folks I want you to fashen

your seat belts cuz I’m going to take

you on a little trip here I’m going to

show you the heart of the

church Jesus stands in the

midst and in the 20th chapter verse 22

when he said this he breathed on them

and saith unto them receive ye the Holy

Ghost how many see that receive ye the

Holy

Ghost folks look at me please he’s now

building his church he’s laying the

foundation there’s got to be a special

breathing of the holy spirit for them to

accomplish something they can’t

accomplish in their flesh and what he’s

really saying look I’m going to be

sending you out I’m going to be sending

you out in the world and you are going

to be mocked and you are going to be

scoffed as my

Witnesses you’re you’re devoted to me

you want to do my will yes but you’re

going to be persecuted misunderstood and

beaten and stoned and you’re going to be

called all kinds of names as the off

scaring of the world your flesh will

want to retaliate you’re going to want

to fight back you want to defend

yourself he said even your brothers and

sisters those who are supposed to be

religious those are supposed to be

devoted those are supposed to be

brothers and sisters in me he said

they’re going to hurt you they’re going

to wound you you’re going to have people

trample over you and he said I’m I’m

going to breathe on you now with an

expression of the Holy Ghost you’re

going to need because because what I’m

going to ask of you now you can’t do it

in human

strength you’re going to need the

breathing of the Holy

Spirit he said I’m going to ask you to

do

something that is absolutely impossible

and folks this is the real heart this is

the real manifestation of the Church of

Jesus Christ this is what the witness is

this is you shall receive power after

that the Holy Ghost comes upon you you

know when I was a young PR preacher

almost all my young preacher friends

were just like me Lord give me the power

I go in hospitals and raise a dead I

want the power that I lay hands on every

sick person I’m going to go to the

hospital and clear it

out and all we we’ve had evangelist

advertise men of power and that power

was zapping people that power was all

all kinds of demonstrations that’s

supposed to be power no no no no no

he shall be Witnesses after that youve

received the power of the Holy Ghost

folks what is the

witness Jesus makes it very clear

there’s a scripture here that most of us

have just skipped over because we’re

afraid to face it we don’t understand it

it’s in verse 22 and I want you toce

verse 23 is or verse 23 is hooked to 22

you go from 22 and that’s a continuation

of verse 22 receive ye the Holy Ghost

whosoever sins ye remit they remitted

unto them and whosoever sins you retain

they’re

retained do you see it are you ready to

face it you want to know what that means

you know of course only God can forgive

sins you know there has to be repentance

in faith so that’s beyond your ability

in mind now the Catholic church is

taking that literally is is is to mean

that the priest in the confession booth

has the power to remit

Sins Not

So Not So at

all the remitting of the sin referred to

is the sin against you it’s the sin

against me it’s my brother my sister or

any enemy who comes against me and

defiles me or tries to tear me down

mocks me ridicules me hurts me he said

whosoever sins he’s talking about

forgiveness Jesus wants to be manifested

he wants to be told by him he wants the

whole world to know that there are

witnesses to his loving forgiving power

who is always ready to forgive folks you

can go out in the street corner and you

can yell all the scriptures you

want you can call that fire you can call

that the Holy Ghost call it anything you

want you can stand and have a healing

line and thousands of people be touched

but if you’ve got a grudge in your heart

and you’re not remitting somebody sin

against you you have no

power this is God’s call to release the

sin of the brother or sister who sinned

against you and the Lord is saying now

they’ll answer for their sin against me

they’ll answer for all the sins against

Grace but on this one issue the sin

against you you must release it you

minute folks Jesus set the example on

the cross

father forgive them for they don’t know

what they do he’s saying father no

matter what they have to answer for for

their own personal sins or sins against

you or Grace on this one matter against

me I release them and on the Judgment

Day now one of those Sinners not one of

those soldiers not one of those priests

will answer for that

because the father said I’ll remit

it now there are times that you can’t

remit because when somebody sins and the

church has said it’s told commanded to

take elders and speak to that individual

and then if they won’t listen bring them

to the church and if those people who

set are not being reconciled there is no

repentance even though the love of

Christ is shown them the scriptures

given to them then the you can’t you

can’t release that

remember Stephen being stoned he said

father lay not this to their charge he’s

saying I remit the sins of these all

that are stoning me now what about those

that have stoned

you the Church of Jesus Christ is a

house where there’s no Vengeance it’s a

house where there every

devoted child of Jesus

Christ has released from their heart

from The Book of Life or rather from the

book of sins in heaven they have asked

God to release those

sins folks when God began to deal with

me on this last few weeks he’s had me on

my knees naming everybody that I felt

has hurt me in my lifetime everyone

who’s ever harmed me everyone who’s

trampled on me everyone said anything

about me I’ve had to say Jesus I forgive

them I I remit their sins Father in

heaven now you clean it I release

them and when I release them he released

me and that’s when you know the peace of

[Applause]

[Music]

God the house of Jesus Christ is a house

of people who have forgiven everybody

there’s no grudge there’s no sign of

Vengeance there’s no hurt left some of

you here now have not released somebody

who’s hurt you somebody in your family a

former husband a former wife somebody

has hurt you and you’re not releasing

you’re holding it you’re full of

it that’s not the

church that’s not his

body

when the Holy Ghost is at work in the

church he’s doing just what he’ll do

just what he’s doing now by his loving

power he will show

you the sin of

unforgiveness if you’re going to have

the power of the Holy Ghost and I there

there there’s an evangelist God bless

his heart he he he he has healing lines

and

rather well known

and boy boy does he preach but he writes

me the vicious letters hateful

letters I had to release him I love the

man I pray for him I have nothing but

love for that man but you see if I let

that get in my spirit I lose the peace

that Jesus gave me he said he breathe

peace on me and I can’t enjoy it because

I got this in my heart folks if you you

can have peace all over you given by God

and gifted by the Holy Ghost not enjoy a

bit of it because of what’s in your

Heart The Church of Jesus Christ is a

church that has remitted the

sins I don’t care if on the job your

boss has cursed you I don’t care what

happens on your job and all those around

you you love them and not only forgive

them pray for them and the only way you

can love your enemies is to be praying

for

them

now give you a

do you see how important it is to have

the presence of Jesus in the

house let me let me wrap this up for you

why would you ever stay in a place where

Jesus wasn’t

there why would you go to a

house where he doesn’t show

up well there’s no breathing of the Holy

Spirit

Paul tells us that the Church of man not

the Church of Jesus Christ but the

Church of man the church where there’s

no manifestation of the presence of

Jesus is a house of vain

babblings there’s meaningless worship

empty words and he said oh Timothy avoid

profane and vain babblings stay away

from

it Paul the scripture says that when you

put leav in l it leavens the whole lump

and if there is leav whether there’s not

the presence of the Lord there is leaven

and you say I want to go there I I know

it’s not I’m not getting fed and I know

the presence of the Lord is really not

there but I’ve got to go to

church be careful you’re not

leavened in that

lump furthermore Paul goes a step

further he said about these vain babies

they lead to an increase in

ungodliness you’ll find that in 2

Timothy 2:16

because if you sit under a Ministry that

is not saturated with the presence of

Jesus not according to the mind of God

you’re going to have error and that is

going to lead you to ungodliness you’re

going to allow things in your life you

never thought you would allow because

you don’t know but it’s been dripped

into your spirit and it’s changing

you now folks I I’m not trying this is

not a commercial with Times Square

Church because we don’t have any seats

left folks it’s more serious than

that Paul said very clearly if a man

therefore Purge himself from these he

shall be a vessel unto honor Sanctified

useful to the master and prepared for

every good work that word Purge right

there the only time it’s used as it is

is to remove yourself remove yourself

from this Spirit remove yourself from

that kind of thing remove

yourself folks I have hundreds of

thousands on my mailing list as I’ve

told you probably the number one

complaint of all the Christians are

write to us they say Pastor I can’t find

a church where I feel the presence of

the Lord my church is

dead what am I going to do you might be

in a place where you you say I can’t

find a church that’s that’s uh really

right folks if if you’re going to a

church that is spiritually de and you

know Jesus is not there the spirit of

the Lord is not at work there’s no

breathing of his

life get out of it get out of it leave

it it’s that simple Paul makes it C I’m

on good scriptural ground he said purge

yourself of this so that you can be

useful Sanctified vessel meet for the

Master’s use he said isolate yourself

from that foolishness but then you say

well where am I going to find it let me

let me give you something the Holy

Spirit gave me just last

night the Same Spirit that’s moving on

you making you disgusted with the death

that you see the Same Spirit that’s

awaking you saying I want more I need

more I’m hungry I’m thirsty I want to

grow in the Lord I want to be in an

atmosphere where the presence of the

Lord is real The Same Spirit that’s

doing that in you he never does it in an

isolated form he does that wherever he’s

working on one he’s got to work on two

or three more and The Same Spirit that’s

working on you the Lord told me is

working on people around you and if you

would just seek him with all your heart

and pray diligently about this say Lord

lead me to that two or three that are

sealing like I do and being moved on the

spirit like I Am Lord Jesus Lead me to

them and he will let you be brought

miraculously to that body because if

you’re devoted to him he’s going to

bring you to the others who are devoted

to him you’re going to find the body

he’ll bring the body to you and you to

the body and that may be only two or

three get together get some of our tapes

if you want for the preaching you can

worship and pray you don’t need a

preacher I’m not against having pastors

or I wouldn’t be

one but what are you going to be do when

you’re stuck up some place in Alaska in

a little

village so Jesus surely there somebody

and God may send one maybe

two wonderful fellowship and prayer is

talking about

Jesus somebody told me recently that

they were sitting around a dining room

table and suddenly everybody just

started talking about Jesus and it was

such they they said it was church it was

church Jesus came right to the table

because they were they were talking

about him and and they they were there

for an hour just talking about Jesus and

suddenly they realized one person told

me I was in

church that is the

church

Hallelujah I hope you understand a

little

better the

meaning of the Church of Jesus Christ

will you stand

please

Hallelujah does the word of God warm

your

heart did our hearts not burn in

us if you love his word it’ll burn in

your heart

Hallelujah now I’m going to talk to you

in closing about your Devotion to

Jesus

during

worship I took a Peak at the

congregation couple times out the side

of my

eye I got an eye looks this way and can

see this

way I knew I was going to speak this

about the church and I I I said

Lord I can see what you mean I was

looking at over some of you standing In

Worship You just

if some of you never even opened I know

you love the Lord but you never opened

your

mouth and I don’t know how I know and

you can still waters run deep and I know

that you there are times that I pray and

I never open my mouth sometimes for a

whole hour alone with the

Lord but there’s not that excitement

about Jesus there’s not that passion and

that

hunger there not that reaching forward

to his

heart and and you’ve been satisfied to

say well he knows I love

him I’m not looking for some outward

expression of that

love but I’m saying if if you’re totally

devoted to Jesus

Christ you will never want to be out

away from the body the assembly the

Gathering of God’s people when I see see

people coming on a Sunday morning I

don’t see them any time again in the

week I can’t and now your job may be one

thing where it requires you to be there

and you can’t be here but if you’re a

Sunday morning

Christian I couldn’t Mark you in any way

shape or form as a

devoted follower of

Jesus that’s not

devotion because if you’re truly devoted

there’s so something of the spirit of

God in you that draws you to the

body and the sign that your personal

devotion is waning is when your

corporate devotion is waning when you no

longer attend the house of

God now folks in this church every

meeting here there’s something of the

presence of the Lord the Lord ever since

we’ve been here it’s been a marvelous

thing and I look forward to that I know

Pastor

Carter has a balce in his walk on his

way to church he can hardly wait to get

here same with the rest of all of our

pastors there’s an

excitement sometimes I I do like some I

see you running here I mean literally

running there plenty of seats but you’re

still

running they’re excited about

Jesus it’s not that you’re just saying

well I just want to live a clean life

and I want to get to heaven if security

is all you want you’ve missed the whole

point I thank God for my security in

Christ but I want to know

him

Hallelujah if your heart’s cold this

morning he said Brother David Pastor DAV

I I couldn’t honestly admit this morning

that I’m wholly devoted to Jesus Christ

some of you don’t even know him some of

you have walked away from him some of

you have drifted from him there are some

of you here in the annex watching on the

screen and some of you in this man

Auditorium you had such a devotion Lord

you are so on fire for him you loved him

you sought him with all of your heart

you’re so excited about

him now it’s kind of a drudgery isn’t it

there’s a coldness there’s a slipping

away from his presence you’re not

getting alone with him you don’t have

that hunger you don’t have that drive

toward him if the holy spirit’s

Awakening you this morning come on to

the church come into the house House of

God come on to the body and say Lord

Jesus I want more life from the head

you’re my head give me life I I feel

that I I’m losing something of the life

God pour your life into me get out of

your seats in the in the annex you go

out into the hallway the El will show

you how to get to the door to come into

this Auditorium down the stairs and just

come and meet me here at this Altar and

we’ll pray with you and ask the Lord

this morning to revive your spirit

and bring you to a place of total holy

Devotion to Jesus Christ and that’s

where the church begins you want to join

the church that’s how you join you don’t

sign a card we don’t have a membership

here my folks that card doesn’t mean

anything if you don’t have a devoted

heart to Jesus you join the church by

coming to a devoted place in Christ you

say I’m giving everything to Jesus I’m

not holding anything back whereever yet

all over this building you say brother

Wilson I am not there yet I I want the

Lord Jesus by his Spirit to give me a

devoted heart up in the balcony come

down the stairs either side down any

aisles we sing look this way all of you

that have come forward and for that

matter all in the

audience I feel let the Holy Spirit to

ask you to examine your heart for just a

minute is there

anybody whose sins you need to

remit against you

you some past hurt or

wound still

lingers something is still there folks

that blocks your communion with

Christ it kills the

joy brings Terror to your soul can lead

to all kinds of other disappointing

things in your

walk you’ve got to get to the root of

it you ask Jesus to forgive you don’t

you you want him to forgive you of every

sin he said if we’ll not forgive others

he cannot forgive us it’s impossible so

before you ask the Lord to forgive any

kind of coldness in your heart or

anything else you have got to come to

this place of releasing

remitting the sins of those who hurt you

is was it a mother was it a

father was it a relative was it some

foster parent somebody on the

job a boyfriend girlfriend somebody

wounds you hurt

you did some

Pastor wound

you some church wound you doesn’t matter

who this is the

time folks I want to tell you something

you can be in a meeting where the

decible of worship and praise is just

like the like the building is shaking

but there’s just as much and more work

of the holy spirit being accomplished

right now his own still

way that will change you

forever it’s why God sent some of you

here this morning it’s why you’re here

as a

visitor the Lord wants to get that out

of your spirit he wants to change you

I’m going to ask you to pray this foray

the whole body here every one of us now

folks don’t pray unless you can meet it

and the holy H ghost that’s why the Lord

says I’ve given you if you have the Holy

Ghost you have the power now to do this

you can ask Holy Ghost give me the power

right now I want everybody everywhere

hearing me pray this prayer with me

right now Jesus Jesus I ask you now I

ask you now to give me the Holy Spirit

to give me the Holy Spirit In The

Measure I need in the measure I need to

forgive and to remit to every sin

committed against me committ against me

in the name of Jesus christes the Lord

of glory Lord Of Glory he who forgives

my sins he fores my I forgive the sins

of all who sinned against me all

everyone everyone I release them I

release them I release them before the

throne relase them before the hold not

discharge against them hold not

discharge against them in Jesus

name now my lord lord Draw Me Closer to

you closer forgive me

blot up my

transgressions give me a heart for you

give me a heart burn in me burn with

love with love for my master my master

and all God God by your spirit your

prepare me as the Bride of Jesus

Christus CHR remove every spot remove

every spot every wrinkle every and

accept me accept before the heavenly

father father through Christ my lord

lord now we give him thanks raise your

hands and just thank him Lord I give you

thanks I give you praise

Hallelujah this is the conclusion of the

message