In this sermon, Pastor David discusses how God deals with societies and generations that have turned away from Him. He emphasizes that he is just a student of the Old Testament and of history, and he will show the audience what God does when societies reach a certain point. Pastor David assures the listeners that the end result of this is not sorrow, but joy. He explains that this joy comes from seeing positive changes in oneself and in the lives of others, as they draw closer to Christ through their testimony. The sermon also references Luke 14 and John 7, highlighting the importance of accepting God's invitation and experiencing the outpouring of His living water.

Now, I want to preface, before I begin this morning, I want to preface what I'm about to say so that you'll understand the context that I'm going to be speaking from. You don't need to turn there, but in Matthew chapter 24, there's, Jesus speaks clearly that one of the marks of the last days is going to be deception. There's going to be a profound religious deception come into the whole earth, and there are many, even, who are attending church who are going to be swept up in spiritual delusion. Now, he said in chapter 24, verses 11 and 12, and many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many. Many prophets, many false prophets deceiving many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. And then on in Matthew 24, he said, there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders. Now, it's amazing. Folks, you cannot base what you believe now on signs and wonders. These things are fantastic if they're in line with truth. But the, Jesus himself, red letter in the Bible warned that an hour is coming at the end of the age when there's going to be counterfeit signs and wonders everywhere. And they're going to be counterfeit voices, and they're all intended to steer the professing church of Jesus Christ, or those who at least would have some measure of wanting to follow God as they see him on a wrong, into a wrong direction. And in so much, he says that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. I find great hope in this, because there's an inference here, for those who truly belong to God, it is not possible that you can be held on a road of deception. I thank God for this with all of my heart. Now go in the new Testament to Luke chapter 14. The title of my message today is Jesus speak clearly to me. Jesus speak clearly to me. Now that's got to be the cry of your heart today. Speak clearly to me. God speak to me, make it plain. And I'm going to show you, I believe through the scriptures today, I'm going to attempt to show you how you can hear the voice of God in the midst of a multitude of voices that are going to be, that have been and will be raised in the coming days, which one belongs to God. Father, I thank you, Lord, for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Lord, you're the spirit of truth and Holy Spirit. Jesus said that you would come and you would show us things to come and you would guide us into all truth. I'm asking you today, Oh God, for an anointing of the Holy Spirit that comes from heaven itself. I'm asking you for the ability, Lord, to lay out the truth that you put into my heart from your scriptures very clearly that all may hear it. Give us ears to hear, Oh God, and Father, keep us, I ask it in Jesus' mighty name. Luke chapter 24, beginning at verse 15. Oh, Luke 14, I'm sorry, don't move there. Luke, Luke chapter 14, beginning at verse 15. And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. And then he said to him, a certain man made a great supper and bade many. And he sent his servant at suppertime to say to them that were bidden, come for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I've bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it. I pray thee, have me excused. And another said, I bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them. I pray thee, have me excused. And another said, I've married a wife and therefore I cannot come. And so that servant came and showed his Lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in hither the poor, the maimed, the halt and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou has commanded. And yet there is room. And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled. For I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. A great banquet, Jesus said, was initiated by a great king. I mean, what greater banquet do we have than in our fallen condition, God in his mercy became a man, died on a cross and then gives us the option or the opportunity to be partakers of his life. I don't know if there's a greater banquet. I believe this banquet began on Calvary. Certainly when the Holy Spirit came and indwelt us and made truth a living reality within your life and within mine, I became a partaker of this incredible banquet of God in Christ Jesus. I became a new creation in Christ as you are, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ today, old things began to pass away and all things became new. I have a banquet of ability as it is in Christ to have a new mind, to have a new spirit, to have a new heart, to have a new life, to have a new direction, to be given the privilege of living my life on the earth for the sole purpose of glorifying the name of God through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Of standing in the midst of whatever presents itself in this world and everything that purports itself to be of God. But standing is a very distinct and a very direct testimony that the life of God is freely available to all who come to him in spirit and in truth, who want the truth of God and who are willing to walk in that truth of God and are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the power of that truth and let that truth be lived out in each of our lives. I live at a banquet table every day. If you are an honest Christian, if you are an honest seeker of God, you live at a banquet table. Every line in this Bible is a miracle to you. Every line is God speaking into darkness, God speaking into confusion, just as in Genesis chapter 1. When God speaks, light comes into every darkened corner. When God speaks, life comes. When God speaks, boundaries are established where certain things can go only so far and other things are the restrictive hand of God as it is put up and said, Satan, you can only come this far and no farther. Praise be to God. A great supper, Jesus said, a certain man made a great supper and he bade many. I think of Jesus in John chapter 7 verses 37 and 38. It says, In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried and said, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. And he that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly, that means his inward parts shall flow rivers of living water. John says this was written about the Holy Spirit, who wants to be given to those who would believe on Jesus Christ. If you thirst, the cry of Jesus is still coming out to you today. If you thirst, he says, you can come to me and drink. You can come where no one else can come. But those who are invited by faith in a finished sacrifice on Calvary 2000 years ago, you can come into the very throne room of God. You can find living water to satisfy the very deepest need of your heart and life. And this water will begin to bubble up and flow as a never ending stream out of you. Praise be to God for these truths in our generation. In John 6 verses 55 to 58, Jesus said, My flesh is meat indeed. And my blood is drink indeed. And he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him. And as the living father has sent me and I live by the father, so he that eats me shall live by me. He that eats of this bread shall live forever. And folks, this is an invitation, this supper. It's to a new, to an incredible and to an everlasting life. He's talking about if you will drink of the salvation that I've freely given you. And when you fully drink of this salvation, you can put every voice of hell to flight. I give you a righteousness. I give you a right standing in the sight of God. Jesus said that cannot be taken away from you. Every voice that rises against that you have the authority to condemn it. I've given you my righteousness. The Lord says you can drink of this salvation every day. You can drink of it when you've had the worst day of your life. You can drink of it when you've had a good day. You can drink of it when you feel successful. You can drink of it when you feel as if you're a failure. If you are a genuine believer in Christ, your standing is complete in God, fully accepted with God through Jesus Christ. The devil cannot come against that. He cannot condemn that. You must drink of that or you'll be always on this treadmill of high mountains and low valleys. You'll never have a steady walk in this life until you fully realize that you are fully accepted with God in Christ Jesus. You are seated with him in heavenly places at the right hand of almighty God. And as Paul says, you and I are more than conquerors now through him that loved us. I am already over the finish line because the head has already crossed the line. I am part of the body. I'm very soon to follow the head who's already won the victory. I live in victory. I stand in victory. Every day, every day is a day of victory. And the cry of my heart is, oh God, manifest this victory now. Manifest it to my heart. Manifest it to my mind and through my life and through the lives of your church. Manifest it, God, to this darkened generation we're living in. Let them know who lives on the winning side. Let the people know. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Let everything in us say so. Let the way we live say so. Let the way we think say so. Let the direction we're walking in say so. Let everything about us now declare to this generation we are redeemed. We are the sons and daughters of God. John 17 and verse 18, Jesus said, as the Father, or as thou, he's speaking now, he's in prayer right before going to Calvary, and he says to his Father, as thou has sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. We have a commission and a calling. Jesus was given of his Father that you and I may everlasting life. And now that life, that power to be given, that power to win against every opposition that comes against it, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, it was all triumphed over by Christ on the cross. And he says, now I won the victory for you. Now I've come to live inside of you as my church, and we're going to walk together now through this world. And through you, I'm going to proclaim this message, because I'm going to lift you out of darkness. I'm going to cause you to stand in my marvelous light, and the very presence of God in you will be a declaration to this generation that Christ indeed has conquered death, sits at the right hand of all authority, and is alive. In Luke 14, 17, it said his servant, he sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bitten, come for all things are now ready. Everything is ready now. Everything is ready. When Jesus went into that last supper room, and when he broke the bread, and talked about the giving of himself, and when he passed around the wine, and talked about the shedding of his blood, he was indicating not just to those in the room, but to you and I today, that everything is ready. You don't have to wait till tomorrow to find the life of God. You don't have to wait till next week. You don't have to wait till next month. Nobody has to tell you what the plan of God is for your life. God has promised you, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. I will come to you. I'll speak to you. I'll carry you. We'll walk together. And through the earth, I will bring my own name to reputation through you. That's got to be the cry of your heart in this hour we're living in. It's got to be the cry of mine. Oh, Jesus, the Christ of God, bring your name to reputation. When everyone else is pushing you out of the borders of every conceivable institution in our world today, Lord, the one thing they can't do, they can push out writing on a wall if they want, but they can't push out the presence of the living God, because you have a body. You have a church. You are God. How foolish for men to think they can push God out of anything. You cannot push God out of anything because God is everywhere. If you know the scriptures, you know he's omnipresent. How do you push somebody who's everywhere out of anywhere? All things are now ready. Now put a marker in Luke 14 and go back to John chapter 16, or go ahead rather to John chapter 16, where he says, all things are ready at supper time. I'm likening this to the last supper. You've probably gathered that by now. And all things are ready. Everything you've longed for can be found here now. John chapter 16 and verse 13. How be it when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to come and he shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine or what is of mine and shall show it to you. Now Jesus went to the cross and his part was to give his life as a redemption for you and I. And for those who have studied the covenant, the father's part is to give to those who believe in the son, everything that the son inherits, everything he wins, everything he triumphs over, every authority that's given him, every power over sin and hell and darkness is given into the son's hand. And the son says to the father, I will go and I will believe that you will raise me from the dead. But you will give to those who believe in me, my church, everything that I win, everything that is mine will become theirs. And when the Holy Spirit comes and the Holy Spirit came to the church on the day of Pentecost and still comes constantly to those who call out to be filled with the spirit, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak of himself. That means he does not have an independent agenda from the father and the son, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will show you things to come. He will glorify me for he will receive of mine and show it to you. The Holy Spirit will show you what I want for you. The Holy Spirit will guide you into truth. The Holy Spirit will change you. You see, that's why Jesus said, those who worship me must worship me in spirit and in truth. You have to want truth. You have to want where truth will lead you. You have to want the kind of a life that truth will bring you into, to have the power of the Holy Spirit backing that truth. And again, in verse 20, he says, verily, verily, I say unto you, you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy. When they were rid of Christ, oh, how a religious and down fallen world was so happy to be rid of this religious nuisance as they saw him. And there was a season of rejoicing. But when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the world now was going to go at an even greater speed to its time of sorrow. We're moving, folks, very quickly to a season of sorrows. The beginning of sorrows is not too far away, if not already upon us today. As the scripture says, the world is moving to sorrow. But he said, you are going to be turned to joy. You're going to have another value system. You're going to have another end, another expected end. You're not focused on the things of this world. And the things of this world, whether they rise or whether they fall, they're not going to have a great influence on you because you're going to have a joy that is not given by this world. And this world can't take it away from you. Praise be to God. Verse 23 says, in that day, you should ask me nothing. Verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. And hitherto you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you shall receive that your joy might be full. He said, those who walk in truth, those who want to walk with me where I am, you're going to ask me whatever you want and I'll give it to you. Now, folks, this is about walking in truth. This is about the church glorifying God in the earth. And the things we ask for are no longer the things we used to ask for before we knew Christ is our Lord and Savior. Before we knew him, it was all about external things. It was all about things that make us personally happy and comfortable. But the moment that Christ is at the very center of your heart, the things that you and I begin to ask for are, God, give me love that I may love even those that hate me. Lord Jesus Christ, give me sound thinking. Give me peace in my spirit in the midst of a confused and confounded society that I may hear your voice and know where it is that you are leading me. We'll ask for our families. We'll say, God, if you can tell an old rotten Philippian jailer through the apostle Paul that if he believed his house would be saved, so much more should my house be saved. We can ask for the Holy Spirit in even greater measure. Jesus said, if you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? We can ask that signs and wonders begin to flow. Now, I'm not talking about just paranormal, supernatural things. I'm talking about a sign and a wonder of you sitting in your right mind among your old friends. That's a sign and a wonder. Did you know that? No longer bound by drugs, no longer addicted to pornography, no longer groaning and complaining. A sign and a wonder sitting there. People looking and say, how did you change like this? What course have you taken? What book did you read? What did you do? What kind of a vow or resolve did you make? And yet you'll be able to stand before or sit before your old friends and just say, I didn't resolve to do anything. I came to Jesus Christ and gave him my whole heart. He gave me his life. He came to dwell inside of me. And now I am a new creation. He promised to so change me that people would wonder at the change. And I am the sign that God sent to be wondered at among those that I sit with every day that knew me without God. And in verse 25, he said, these things I've spoken to you in Proverbs, but the time comes that I'll no more speak to you in Proverbs, but I will show you plainly of the father. In other words, Jesus said, I will speak plainly to those who are willing to be partakers of the life of Christ and the calling that is an inevitable part of this life. I will speak plainly to you. You want to know why so many people are confused today in the church? You want to know why so many people are running around because they want God, but they don't want the life we're walking with Christ will lead us into. And therefore there's confusion. Therefore the gospel is a parable. Therefore Christ is some kind or the Holy spirit, some kind of a, an inexplicable mist that kind of descends on people and whispers and peeps and everyone now stands. Well, I think God is like this. I feel God is like that. There's no plain speech. And that's where we've been for many, for several years now in many circles, no plain speech because the people in these places really just don't want to go where truth leads us to. Here you find it clearly explained in Luke chapter 14. Again, his servant verse 17 at supper time was sent to them to say, come for all things are now ready. You see, the time has come that you can go into all the world as a witness. You can preach the gospel to every thing that has been created by the hand of God. You can be given as Christ was given for the lives of other people. Come let's go. And they all with one consent, verse 18 began to make excuse. And the first said, I've bought a piece of ground and I must need to go and see it. I pray they have me excused. And another said, I bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them. I pray they have me excused. And another said, I've married a wife and therefore I cannot come. Now folks go back with me, keep a marker there, go back into Deuteronomy. I want to show you something in the scriptures because what, what these people were doing was really lawful in the old Testament. Now I'm going to, you'll understand what I'm saying here in a minute. Deuteronomy chapter 20, beginning at verse one, when thou goest out to battle against thine enemies and seest horses and chariots and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them for the Lord, that God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be when you are come nigh to the battle, that the priests shall approach and speak unto the people and shall say to them here, O Israel, you approach this day unto battle against your enemies. Let not your hearts faint, fear not and do not tremble. Neither be you terrified because of them. For the Lord, your God is he that goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you. And the officers shall speak to the people saying, what man is he here that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and another man dedicated. And what man is he that has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him also go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it. And what man is there that has betrothed the wife and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and another man take her. And the officers shall speak further to the people and they shall say, what man is there that is fearful and faint hearted? Let him go and return to his house lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart. And it shall be when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. And you see, so it was a lawful thing actually, according to the law in Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, where before going into battle, the officers would come and they would say, listen, if you've just bought property, a house for example, then go home and dedicate it. If you've just started a new business, bought a vineyard, this was the man in the gospel of Luke that bought the oxen for example, and you've not yet eaten of the fruit of it, go back and do it and work it. If you've betrothed the wife and you've not taken her, go back and return to your house lest you die in the battle and she become another man's. And if anyone is fearful and faint hearted, they also said, you go home too, lest you cause the hearts of those around you to fail. There will always be a portion of the people of God in every generation. They'll say, well, I'm just so occupied with these things and I realize I'm being called into another battle. I'm being called to give my life for a cause, but I beg you to be excused. You see, these are lawful things. Remember, Jesus said, as it was in the days of Noah, people will be buying and selling and marrying and giving in marriage. They'll not even know till the day the Lord comes. And folks, these are lawful things that will so grip many of God's people in this last moment of time. So many will be gripped with the good things of this life as it is lawful things. It's not wrong. There's nothing sinful about getting married. There's nothing wrong with having a job or property. There's nothing wrong with having a business. But you see, when these things take the hearts of God's people away from the true calling of God in Christ Jesus, when these things begin to preoccupy all of our time. Can you mention the apostle Paul saying, I'd really love to take this journey to be over a witness in Rome and to go to prison and write much of the New Testament. I'd love to take the journey, but my tent making business is really taking off and we got orders. We're backlogged. We got five years of work ahead of us. And so I beg you, Lord, would you excuse me? I'll stay right here in this little town and I'll preach right here. I'll set aside a day. But folks, we're not called to set aside a day for God. We're called to live for God. Yes, we have to do some of these things, but they're not to keep us out of the battle. That's the issue. And this servant was sent to the people and he said, oh, things are now ready. You're invited to this incredible life of Christ. You're invited to be partakers of the very heart of God that sent Christ to a fallen people. The very heart of God that caused him to go to Calvary when he could have gone to a palace. The very heart of God, where he could have enjoyed the fruits of the world was offered to him. Satan said, I'll give you all the kingdoms of this world. If you'll just do it my way. If you'll just worship the things that I worship. If you'll fall down as so many have fallen down before me and just worship the things of this world and just think the way that I think. And Jesus said, no, I'm not called to do this. My father has called me to be given as a living sacrifice that others may come back to living relationship with him again. And because of it, he went to Calvary and because he went, you and I are saved. And he says, as the father sent me, now I'm sending you into the world with the express privilege of being given for men and women and children in this and every other generation who are living without God and heading into a Christless eternity. And not, we're not sent to overcome ourselves. We're sent to walk with the one who has overcome. That's the supper he's talking about. That's the victory. That's where our strength comes from. But folks, every once in a while in a church generation, they all begin to make excuses. It says, it just gets to a point where everybody, almost everybody is just saying, no, we are just so engrossed in the things of this world. We're just so enamored. And of course we have people telling us this is all right. We have people telling us that this is the way God wants us to live. We have people saying, this is the express purpose that Christ went to Calvary so we could be more wealthy, so we could be happier, so we could have a greater self-image, so we can realize some incredible destiny that we see ourselves fulfilling every time we look into the mirror. But just as it was in Noah's day, there's a people so preoccupied with even legitimate and lawful things that they were completely unaware of the hour they're living in. And I fear for this generation. I don't think people really understand. I think people are fearful, but they don't know. There's so many who don't know. And because they don't know, they're going to turn to a myriad of voices that are going to be purporting to speak for God. But folks, there's one voice that speaks for God. Listen to me now. That's the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. If I stand in this pulpit and I speak, I'm only standing to that you can bear witness to what God is already speaking to your heart. You should know what God is speaking when you come in here on Sunday morning or Tuesday or whatever night of the week. You should know. You should be in that prayer closet. Your life should be abandoned to the purposes of God. You should be opening this book and saying, oh God, feed me from this life of Christ that is mine. Make it a reality. Holy Spirit guide me through my day. Thank you Lord for a job. Thank you for food in my cupboard. Thank you for an apartment to live in. Thank you for these things. But oh God, now I've got to focus on those who don't know you in the workplace, in my neighborhood, in my apartment building, in my family. God, there are people who don't know you. This is the focus of my life. Give me what I need, God, to get into these places that they've locked themselves behind. If they put a door up, God, make me thin enough to slide underneath it. God almighty, bring your truth and your life into these places. Lord, that these dungeons may be unlocked and these people may come to freedom in Christ Jesus. So many are completely unaware of the calling that God has set upon them in the actual work which they should be giving their hearts to. And this is the dilemma. They began to make excuse one after another. God forbid that you should excuse yourself from the calling of God in Christ Jesus. God forbid that you get to heaven one day. Should you get there, stand before the throne and for the first time in your life, hear what you were called to be on the earth. Because it was God was constantly there trying to speak. But all you were doing was saying, please excuse me. Please excuse me. I'm not a good speaker. Please excuse me. I don't really like people very much. Please excuse me. Please excuse me. Somebody else, Lord. The neighbor down the hall. There's a Christian over there. He's always quoting scripture. Use him. That's exactly what Moses told God. God said to Moses, who made your eyes? Who made your mouth? Who are you telling that I can't use you in the measure that I choose to use you? Are you trying to tell me that I can't bring you to a supper table where a great victory has been won and I can't change you? But isn't that supposed to be what it's about? Isn't it supposed to be about God doing in us what we could never do for ourselves? You and I need to be in this book. You and I need to be in the prayer closet. You and I need to ask God for a believing heart. If you can't ask him for anything else today, ask him for a heart of faith. God, help me to see who you are in me. Help me to see, Lord, what you've called me to be, what you've called me to do. And God Almighty, help me never to say no. Help me never to pursue lawful things to the exclusion of what you've called me to do in the earth. Praise God. In verse 21, it says, So that servant came and showed his Lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to the servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in hither the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. And that's exactly what Jesus Christ did in Israel. The whole system of religion begged off, walking with God in the way that God was speaking to them. And the father said to him, That's why Christ went. And that's why I spoke to the religious system of his day and said, Publicans and harlots and tax gatherers will go into the kingdom of God before you will, because they will hear the voice of God and they will respond to the voice of God and they will become the testimony. The Lord says that you have longed for in the earth. And he said, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind. And once again, the Lord turns away from a system of religion, no matter how outwardly defoted it may appear, but it's excused itself from the actual work of God. I see God having turned away from much of the religious activity in our generation, turning away, walking away. You've got to picture this. You've got to picture the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob turning his back and walking away and looking at the wall they built around themselves and looking at the magnificent temple and, and just looking at all of the, what they have learned from the Torah, the law and the prophets and just seeing what it's turned them into. They want the finest seats. They want reputation among men. They want the gold of the temple. They don't want what the temple represents. They don't want the God. They want the gold of the temple. And they're swearing now by the gold and not by the God of the temple. And he turns and walks away and says, you'll not see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. You'll not see me until you open your heart to who I am, to what I've come to do and to whom I've called you to be. He had called his own people to be appraised in the earth, but they had become so enamored with these things of this world and with everything that this world could give them that they lost the actual work of God. And one more time he turns to the powerless. He turns to the poor, the outsider, those who will partake of his life, glorify his name and continue his work on the earth. One more time he turns his back on a system that has ignored him and pushed him out of their concept of God. And he says, one more time, one more time. How many times through history has this happened? How many times has the spirit of God turned his back on established religious order and gone one more time into the streets? How many times? Think about General Booth and the Salvation Army, a whole system of religion that is just all internalized, all in the house, singing three hymns and giving little sermonettes about God. And finally, God gets a hold of a man, sends him out into the street. And one more time, God is moving again in society. One more time, the orphans, the addicted, the widow, the marginalized, the poor, the starving, the nothings and nobodies of society. Think about D.L. Moody. God got a hold of him and one more time went outside of established religion. Think about John Wesley. Think about George Whitefield. One more time, God went outside of the established order and called the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, the nobodies, the nothings, those who would hear, those who would allow him to touch their lives, those who would press in and touch the hem of his garment, those who would stand and glorify God in their generation. He couldn't get a testimony in his house, so he had to touch the blind beggar at the door. The only testimony in his house after he rose from the dead was a former lame man leaping and dancing in the house of God. Folks, this gives me hope and it should give you hope today. If you are lame, if you are weak, if you feel blind, if you feel like you have no strength, it's your hour now. It's your time. God has come to you. Hear me on this today. God has come to you. God has come to the children of New York City that have no background in the church whatsoever and he's going to do the miraculous among them. At this altar, there will be pastors, evangelists, teachers, prophets. There will be godly and God-fearing young men and women who will rise up in this generation. They will lay hold of God and they will bring glory to him in the streets, the places they've come from. They'll glorify his name. Praise God. He said, none of those. He said, now go to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house shall be filled. Compel them. That's the age of the church that we're living in now. That was, if you follow this chronologically, you'll see that it's Christ, it's Israel, it's Christ in Israel and now we're into the age of the church and in the age of the church, you and I are to compel people to come into the house of God and it's not compelled by an argument. It's to compel them by irrefutable proof of the reality that Jesus Christ is alive from the dead. It's about who you become in Christ and who Christ becomes in you. It's about the kind of a heart that God gives you for a fallen world. It's about the whole focus and purpose and direction of your life. The fact that if you are walking with Christ, you are going from image to image and glory to glory. You are going from strength to strength. It is an exciting thing to get up every morning in spite of what's happening on the stock market. It means absolutely nothing to you because God's strength is increasing in you every day. You are beginning to see men and women the way God sees them. You're beginning to be partakers of his heart. You are at a feast every day of this life of Christ being lived out inside of you. Praise be to God. He said go and compel them to come in and this is the commission now. It's not a commission that comes to the strong. It doesn't come just to the educated. It comes to the nobodies, the nothings of society. It comes to those who know they are weak and who feel as if they have failed. It comes to those who feel that without God you have no helper. It comes to those who are fighting just to keep the sanity of your mind. It comes to those who feel like committing suicide even this day. God says no, I've got something much greater for your life. I'm going to give you a reason to live. I'm going to put power and authority in you that you've never dreamed is even possible in a human vessel. I'm inviting you to the banquet table. I've made a great supper for you. I'm inviting you to this supper. But in order to partake of this supper you have to be a partaker of the work of God in the earth. He says none of those for I say to you none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper. In other words they can come to a communion table all they want. They can read their bibles. They can do whatever they want to do. But the word taste in the original text means that they will not perceive. They will not experience the life of God. They will not come to an understanding of what is really involved or what was really involved in the death of Christ and what is really involved in giving our lives for the sake of others. They will be left outside of it. And that is why deception will abound in the last days. There'll be a whole plethora of people who are not interested in the cross and everything it represents in their personal life. Not interested in being given. But if you are willing to be given, if you are willing to allow the work of God to flow through you, you will not be deceived in these last days. You will clearly hear the voice of God. He said I will speak plainly to you. I will speak to you. You will know what he is saying. It will pop off of the pages of this book. There will be nothing outside of this book. It will be all here. You will see how God acts. You will see what he's done in past generations. You will know the way God is going to respond. There will be a strong voice inside of you telling you this is the way. Walk in this way. You will have joy. You'll have resources when everyone else is depleted. You'll have a sound walk when everyone else around you is confused. Isaiah the prophet said God is going to set up a straight highway. Praise God for his people in the last hours of time. I believe that with all my heart. A very, very clear and a very straight path that leads to everlasting life. Matthew chapter 26 and I'm going to close with this please if you'll go there. Matthew 26 beginning at verse 26. And as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body. And he took the cup and he gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink you all of it. In other words I spoke about it in the beginning. Drink all of your salvation. Drink it to its fullest and then take eat the truth that is given to us through Jesus Christ. For this is my blood this is the blood my blood of the new testament verse 28 which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you verse 29 I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. Here's the way I read this in measure. I know that it speaks about an everlasting kingdom speaks about the day when we're with him in heaven but it starts even before that. And these are my words. I'll not drink it again until the day that you and I are one. And in the strength of my victory and my life within you you follow me in being given for others so that they too may have eternal life in heaven with God. I'll drink it with you. I'll drink it with you he said. I'll drink I'll go with you. I'll go with you through the flood. I'll go with you through the fire. I've already conquered it. In this world you're going to have tribulation but be a good cheer I have overcome the world. You will be given but you will be given I've won the victory. You don't have to be afraid of being given for other people. You don't have to fear what tomorrow is going to bring. I'm going to walk with you right through tomorrow. We're going to walk together in this and as you are given you'll be constantly reminded that I was given for you and you will feast at the table of my life. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Now this is not for everybody. This kind of a message I believe is for the people who know they need God. It's for the backslider. Yes it can be for the strong but realistically it's for those who know they have a need of a savior. It's for those who know that they're weak. It's for those who are fearful to be given for others. The Lord says come just come and eat at this table. There's an incredible banquet. If you even have just the desire that's where it begins. There's a banquet prepared for you of truth and strength and life. If you will just come. I thank God that the message of Christ is for the lame and the blind and the leper and the imprisoned because you and I are called to be miracles for him. Would you let him do the miraculous in you today? Would you let it be the beginning of a walk that will astound the generation that we're living in today? If that's the cry of your heart. Now I'm talking to the addicted. I'm talking to the backslidden. Those who just know it. You're able to come into the temple but you feel in your spirit like you're the man with no legs sitting at the door begging. God says I want to make your life so much more than that but you and I need to walk. If I'm going to heal you we have to walk together and you're going to give testimony of my name and it's if you're willing to do that. We're going to worship for the next few minutes and as we do I'm going to ask you to slip out of your seat. Join me at this altar and can you and I believe for miracles today. We heard a testimony of a miracle sister Gwen Wilkerson. We prayed God touched her. That's the only sign you need today that the Lord will do something miraculous in your life. I'm going to ask you to make your way in the annex. You can stand between the screens here in the main sanctuary. Just make your way to this altar. You say I want to go the full distance of what God has for my life and don't let don't let any struggle stop you today. Don't let any lie of the devil stop you. Don't let anything stop you. You when you get out of your seat you make your way here and we're going to believe God for the miraculous. I'm going to pray that the Holy Spirit so come on you that you will become a living miracle in your own home beginning in your own family. That old attitudes are going to be broken. Captivities are going to fall to the ground. Old ways of thinking are going to die. A new life in Christ is going to come into you. Let's stand together as you stand. Make your way to this altar please as we worship together. He loves you and me, oh how He loves you and me, oh how He loves you and me. He gave His life, what more could He give? Oh how He loves you, oh how He loves me, oh how He loves you and me. Oh how He loves, oh how He loves you and me, oh how He loves you and me. He gave His life, what more could He give? Oh how He loves you, oh how He loves me, oh how He loves you and me. My Jesus, my Savior, for there is none like you, my day, all to praise the wonders of the mighty. I shall build a tower of refuge and strength, let every breath, all that I am, ever cease to worship you. Sheltered by the sea, we'll stay, we'll praise the sea, and the seas will roar, and the sirens sing, My Savior, my Savior, for there is none like you, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior. My Savior, my Savior, for there is none like you, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior, my Savior. Blessed be your name. Blessed be your name. When I'm found in the desert place, or walk through the wilderness, blessed be your name. Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glory of faith. Blessed be your name. When the sun's shining down on me, and the world's all as it should be, blessed be your name. Blessed be your name. On the road marked with suffering, your name in the offering, blessed be your name. Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glory of faith. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glory of faith. Blessed be your name. Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glory of faith. You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Blessed be your name. You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Blessed be your name. You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glory of faith. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glory of faith. Now, when you and I respond to an invitation to a great supper, now, like when you go to a friend's house, you have to eat what's set before you. If you're going to respond to the invitation, you eat what's set before you. Some of you have had people come visit your house, and do you ever notice how annoying it is when they pick at everything you put there, push something to the side, and they're fussy about everything. And it's really annoying. You put a lot of effort into making a meal, and they're turning their nose up at the carrots, and they're looking, and they're pushing this over here, and the chicken is not quite done to their liking, and you're looking, and in your heart, you say, why did I ever invite this person to my house? Now, the Lord has invited us to a great feast of Christ, but it's important that you and I are willing to eat what's put before us, asking no questions. As a matter of fact, that's the instruction that missionaries are given. Eat what's put before you, and ask no questions. And I've done that. I've eaten sheep's knees over in Macedonia, things that look somewhat like fish in other places of the world, and just eat it. The Lord said just eat it. It's put before you. Don't give offense. And how much more would we not want to give offense to God by not partaking of what He puts before us? He says, now I'm putting truth before you, because I've got to nurture you with this, and I've got to strengthen you with this, because I have a calling on your life. So you have to embrace this. You can't just pick and choose what you want, because it's not your choice to walk the pathway through your life of your choosing. It's my choice. He bought us with His blood, folks, and He has the right to the ownership of our lives. And so all we can say is, Lord, what You put before me. You know, there's a song, where He leads me, I will follow. And I used to sing, what He feeds me, I will swallow. That's verse number two, by the way. And you just say, God, whatever You have for my life, wherever I need strength, wherever the rough corners need rounding, wherever the empty places need filling, Lord, You will speak, I will eat it, and I will trust You, Holy Spirit, to make these truths a living reality in me. And when that's your heart, God says, I'll speak plainly to you. That's the beauty of it all. You don't have to run around looking to wonder what God is speaking. He said, I'll speak to you. I'll speak plainly to you. And it won't be mystical, it will be practical. And I love that about God. He said, I'll just speak to you very plainly. And most of the time, it will all come from this Word, and anything that comes as a thought will always be able to be backed by this Word. You'll find it, you'll find the pattern in this book. Like Pastor David, when he preaches about how God deals with societies and generations that have turned away from Him, he always says, he qualifies it by, I'm just a student of the Old Testament and of history, and I'm going to show you what God does when societies reach a certain point. And that's always the way a godly man will preach, or woman will preach to you. But the Lord will do the same for you. He will just show you and speak to you. And then he says, I'll give you joy. Thank God. The end result of this is not sorrow, it's joy. And your joy is not because your stock went up, your joy is because the person you work with is getting closer to Christ every day through the testimony of your life. There's a different joy. Your joy is every morning when you get up and you realize that you're changing. And people tell you you're changing. You know, you've certainly changed. You know, your conversation is changing, your manner of speaking is changing, the way you deal with people is changing, and there's a reason for joy, because you know it's not anything that you're doing. It's something God is doing in you. Praise God. I see more hope in these aisles and at this altar today than in any theory or philosophy or any bailout package that can be offered by anybody around the world. I see more hope. You are God's stimulus package to stir up this society again. We are living in a spiritually bankrupt time, and so you are the stimulus of God to go in and stir this everywhere you are, where you live, by letting God be God in you and letting your heart be drawn out to people. It's all about people now, okay? It's all about people. Pretty soon this will all be over, and all we will take with us is the number of people who have come to Christ through the testimony of His life inside of us. Now, Lord, I stand, I know these people want to go with you, and I stand and take authority in Jesus Christ's name over every bondage of the devil, every prison door I command you to open in Christ's name, every infusion of fear. I stand against you by the Word of God. Lord, you said we've not been given a spirit of fear, but a power and love and a sound mind. Oh, God, I thank you, Lord, for an outpouring of that anointing of the Holy Spirit. God Almighty, I thank you, Lord, for anyone here today contemplating suicide. I thank you, Lord, they can take these thoughts and trample them underfoot this day, recognizing where they come from. Say, no, I don't have to kill myself. Somebody has promised me life everlasting and life abundant on this side of eternity. Father, help us all, oh God, not to look into the mirror and take that as the final authority. God, your Word is the final authority, your voice is the final authority, and wherever you call us, we're going to be able to go. What you call us to do, we're going to be able to accomplish, Lord. All we ask, Lord, is that your name be glorified in our generation through each of us that are gathered here. We also lift up our high schoolers and our young people, young adults, Lord, in this church and our senior citizens. We pray, God, in this last hour of time, let the miraculous shout of glory that can only come from Christ be in every heart. God Almighty, salt this city, salt this city with life and light in Christ. My God, everywhere we go, let the sweetness of Jesus follow us. Let every room be permeated with the presence of God. Everywhere we go, every time we open our mouth to speak, every time we lift our hands to either instruct or encourage. Lord, we're calling out to you now, Holy Spirit, you've got to come and make this a reality in each of our lives. And in this church congregation, we ask you to bless this house. I'm asking you, God Almighty, bless this house with your presence. We're coming to your table, Lord. We're coming to do it your way, not our way, Lord. We want you to guide us, precious Christ, guide us, Lord, into the coming days. For your name's sake, Lord, let your name be glorified through your bride on this earth and in this city, O God. Lord, we yield it to you. Wherever you lead us, we will follow. What you speak to us, O God, that will become our truth. We thank you for it, God. We praise you. All that we ask, Lord, is that your name be glorified in us. Let your name be given glory in this city, O God. Father, we thank you in Jesus' mighty name. Hallelujah!