In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of being prepared for the judgment day. He presents three tests that individuals must pass in order to stand confidently before the judge of all the earth. The first test is whether one has been yearning and longing for the coming of the Lord. The preacher emphasizes the need to constantly look for the Lord's appearing and to eagerly anticipate it. He warns that neglecting the word of God and salvation will lead to regret on the judgment day. The sermon also mentions the biblical references to the judgment day and the consequences for those who have not devoted their lives to God.

This message is one of the Times Square Church Pulpit Series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing World Challenge, Post Office Box 260, Lindale, Texas, 75771 or by calling 903-963-8626. None of these messages are copyrighted and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to friends. Paul was one of the most faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he had three motivations behind that faithfulness. He had hope of eternal life. He had love for Jesus. No one loved Jesus more than Paul. In fact, he said the love of Christ constrained him, moved him, motivated him. But he had a third motivation for his faithfulness. And that was this fear of God, this reverential fear, because he knew that he would stand before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, today we have two of those motivations, two of the three. Most Christians can say, I have the hope of being saved, I have the hope of eternal life. There are others who say, I know I love Jesus with all my heart. But what is missing in the church of Jesus Christ in these last days is that third motivation, that reverential fear, that awesome sense that I will stand one day and give an account of every motive, every deed, every thought, everything I've done and said, I've got to answer. I've got to stand before a holy God. Beloved, we're very soon going to stand before the judge of the universe, before his throne. It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the judgment. Paul said, for we must all appear. We shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Now, a day is soon coming when every person who's ever been born on the face of the earth, from Adam on, will be called out of their graves to stand before him. The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich, the chief captains, the mighty men, every bondman, every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand? At this very moment, the angels of the Lord, legions of angels stand at readiness for the command of the Lord Jesus to go into all the world, the four winds of the earth, the four corners of the earth, and to gather and bundle together the wicked and bring the wicked and the righteous to the judgment. The Scripture says very clearly, the harvest, this is Matthew 13.39, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity. The reapers are the angels. And these reapers are going to go out at the command of the Lord Jesus and say it's judgment day. Bring them to the judgment. Shirley MacLaine and all of her actress friends talk about reincarnation. She claims she's lived many lives before and that she'll die and live many lives after. What a terror it's going to be when the angel comes to her grave and the grave of all the New Agers and they find out there is not another life. They find out that they've been summoned by the judge to the last court where there's no appeal. Going to stand before a holy God. What a day of terror that's going to be. There will be no other afterlife other than that eternal damnation for those who have rejected Him. The Bible said the angel of the Lord will gather the tares, gather the wicked. The Bible said they'll not come willingly. They're going to come wailing, weeping, and gnashing their teeth. Paul once spoke of a vision he had that was so awesome he couldn't repeat it. I wonder if he saw a glimpse of the judgment because Paul said knowing the terror of the Lord when he spoke of the judgment, knowing the terror of the Lord. I think Paul said, I know something of that. I've seen it. I believe this is what Paul really saw. It was too awesome to speak. Too awesome to talk about. Now, God has been keeping books on every living soul since Adam. He's recorded every word, every passion, every motive, every single thought, every action, every deed. If you'll go to Malachi, please, the last book of the Old Testament. Turn to Malachi. I'll show you that the Christian, the believer, is in a book called the book of remembrance, the book of life. And on that day, he's going to remember all who are in that book. But Malachi, the third chapter, the last book of the Old Testament, the third chapter, beginning to read at verse 16. Malachi, the third chapter, beginning to read verse 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name. They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. But look at me, please. If you love Jesus this morning with all your heart, if you're lost in the blood of the Lamb, your name is written in this book of remembrance. God said, I'll mark you in that book. Your name is written in that book. And you need not fear this message. In fact, it should bring great rejoicing to your heart as we proceed in what God's about to do. If you go to Revelation 20, the 20th chapter of Revelation, we'll show you another set of books. There's a book and there are books. You and I as believers are in the book. There's one book. Your name is on it. All your deeds are covered by the blood. All of your actions, all that is against you has been wiped out by the precious blood of the Lamb. But there are books, the 20th chapter of Revelation, beginning to read at verse 11, And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. You see, you and I are in that book of life, in that book of remembrance. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. Look at me, please. The wicked, the ungodly, the sinner is judged out of everything that's written in those books. I believe it's going to be a one-by-one moment, one-by-one coming before the judge. Now, folks, you say, how could we ever endure? The Bible said there's going to be a resurrection body. The sinner's going to have a body fitted for destruction, the Bible says. And we will have new bodies. In fact, as soon as this judgment is over, the Lamb will rise from His throne and lead His flock into eternal paradise. In fact, I'm going to show you this morning where He's going to allow us to sit and judge the nations, judge the wicked with Him. We're going to sit at the right hand of His throne as the judgments proceed. Can you imagine Hitler standing before the judge, Adolf Hitler, who murdered over five million Jews? Can you imagine that moment when the roll call is given and every name is called of every Jew, every child, every woman. And there before Hitler, bundled together, the Bible said, the angels, the reapers will bundle them together. It means chaining them together. There will be groups chained together because of their sins. There is Hitler standing before Christ, the judge, on that day, having murdered six million of God's children. And every scream will be rehearsed. Those henchmen of Hitler, the captains, the commandants, all of the leaders of the Nazi party will be there, surrounded Hitler. There'll be no comfort to him because every name, six million names will be called, every scream, every cry out of those ovens. I've been there and seen them. Those Jews whose very skin was used to make lampshades are going to be standing there before those who skinned and murdered them. The one commandant who wanted husband and wife killed at the same time and skinned so he could have twin lamps on his desk. Can you imagine that day when he stands before the judge of the earth? There, standing before the judge, all bound and bundled together in their classification are those who have blood on their hands who have murdered millions of babies. And every one of those babies had a name because they're named from eternity, the Bible says. And every name will be called. Some of them that have murdered as many as 10,000 will stand there and every name will be named and every cry of the womb will be heard. And God will expose it. Our Savior will expose it. That man will be made to stand there before the judge and endure every one of the screams out of the womb. Every mother who allowed it to happen will be shown the life that that child was to have and going to stand there in shame as they watch how that mother robbed that child of that life that God had intended. There are those who stand before this judge who neglected their salvation. They're in great shock because they don't believe they should be standing here numbered with transgressors. These are those who will say, Well, Lord, I went to church. I paid tithe. Lord, I wasn't bad. I did so many good works. And the answer will be, All your works is filthy rags in my sight. There will be those who say, We've cast out devils. We've healed the sick. We did mighty works in your name. In other words, I don't even know you. You're a worker of iniquity. The angel of the Lord will say, You gave no earnest heed to the things which you heard. You let the Word of God slip away from you. How do you hope to escape seeing that you've neglected so great a salvation which was so clearly confirmed and revealed to you? The Scripture will be repeated time and time again. I see standing before the throne many faces that I remember. I don't know their names. I don't know who they are. I remember only their faces. And now at the judgment, you see them standing before the throne of Christ. I see the three faces of three young women on 68th and Broadway when Operation Rescue was there in front of the clinic. I wasn't a part of that. I came to see the demonstration. And some of them that were standing there, I was on the outside of the barriers. And I remember three lesbians pointing me out. I don't know why. Hopefully, it was because of the Jesus in me. But I remember three faces looking at me with such hate and saying, Get your Jesus garbage out and go back to the pit from which you've come. And I remember the cursing and the vile spirit. It wasn't against me. It was against Christ. I remember the doctor's face who came out of the clinic and his veins in his neck sticking out and shaking his fist and saying, I'll get you. It's the last thing I do. I'll sue you for every dime. I remember the faces. Two years ago, Columbus Circle, Gay Rights Parade Day, 250,000 gays parading up Fifth Avenue. I remember standing there in front of a group of motorcycle butchers, some of them bare-breasted, carrying signs, Jesus was queer, God was queer. Signs that said, We're here, we're queer, and we're in your face. Others, we're here and we're after your kids. But even the appearance of a Bible brought such wrath, such wrath, such cursing pouring out. And I remember those faces so full of lust, so much so that if Jesus Christ had been at my side and they recognized him as the Son of God, they would have tried to nail him at the first tree in Central Park. And now here they are and the books are open and every evil deed, every vile, every vile thought, every curse, every bit of blasphemy, they stand before the judge and he repeats it. And there they are. Where's the bluster now? Where is the screaming? Where is the blasphemy? Where is this crying out, God is queer, Christ is gay? I was at Yale University last week and in our meeting a group of gay activists came in with their signs and they were going to disrupt the meeting. And the Holy Spirit came down. I preached on hell. And the Holy Ghost came down. There was such silence that a reporter said, my pen seemed to make noise. They couldn't move. They were paralyzed. And I've got an idea what it's going to be like when they stand before Jesus, the judge on that day. You talk about being paralyzed. You talk about trembling. You talk about weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. It's one thing to shake your fist at God here, but when you stand, sir, before the throne of God, when you stand eye to eye and you see His blazing eyes, where's your bluster? There are their faces. The Bible says the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment. Psalms 1-5. They'll be on their face. It's a day of His wrath. It's a day of His vengeance. Where are the bold blasphemies now? Look at all the trembling judges. Look at all the college professors who were atheists and who fed a whole generation full of apostasy and hate toward Christ. Look at the politicians who moved prayer and Christ and God out of our society. Look at the presidents. Look at the dictators, the mob rulers, the atheists. All the atheists in America who tried to say there is no God. How do they answer at that moment? There are the artists who depicted His cross in a vat of urine. Now what did they do when they stand before Him? The actors and the actresses who mocked Him in film. The bankers, the rich, the famous, the once proud and powerful who had no time for Him. And before they even get to the judge, you hear an angel going about saying, be sure your sin will find you out. Jesus, the judge, is going to call witnesses before everyone. There will be witnesses. This judge is faithful. And He will call His witnesses. And the first witness will be the very Word of God itself. The Bible says, He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My words hath one that will judge him. The word that I have spoken shall judge him on that last day. The word that I have spoken, beloved, everyone who stands before the judge must answer for every message they've ever heard, every Scripture verse they've ever heard, every song that had a line of Scripture in it, every radio program, every television program, every word Jesus said, the word that I have given you, that will judge you on that day. You will not be able to say, I didn't know, I didn't hear. He said, My word will be witness. He'll name the time, the place, the very moment, the second. He'll replay it to you. The Bible said the witnesses are going to be called from history. They'll be the men of Nineveh, the men of Sodom, the queen of Sheba. They will rise up on that day. The Bible said the men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment against this generation and will condemn it because they repented of the preaching of Jonah. And behold, a greater than Jonah is here. So the queen of Sheba shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it. For she came from the innermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The Bible said, Whosoever shall not receive you and hear your words when you depart out of that house, shake the dust off your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for them. And there are some of you who even sit here this morning and when you stand before the judge, on that day in that vast multitude will be a host of men from Nineveh. There will be a host of men, all those who died in the Holocaust of Sodom and Gomorrah. They will be there and when they listen to the litany of all the opportunities you've had, when they hear even this message that I give to you this morning because I take away all your excuses by the time you've heard this message, you have no other excuse. It's taken from you as of now. Because this very Word will judge you on the judgment day. And the Bible said the men of Sodom are going to rise up and they're going to be incredulous. They'll say, How could he? How could he not? We had no message. We had no Bible. We had no prophets. We had no Jonah. We were destroyed without a second opportunity. And they had all of this. They heard message after message. They had it on radio, television, all of these. And they're going to rise up and condemn you because the Bible said Sodom would have repented if they had what you had. The men of Nineveh, Tyre and Sidon, these cities that were destroyed, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes if they had a fraction of the warnings that you and I have had. And America, oh America will be judged more severely than any other nation on the world. More pity for the Russians that were under atheism than those who sat under the blinding light of the Gospel that came to America. Pastors and shepherds will be there as witnesses. And the Gospel of the kingdoms will be preached to all the world for a witness, a witness to you and a witness against you. How many are there going to be at the judgment that stand there? And these pastors are called. All three of us are called. And we stand around you and we have to bear witness that we saw your face. You were in attendance. And every message, every truth that you heard, we have to affirm before the judge of all people in all nations. We have to affirm and witness against you. As a witness, you heard the Gospel that we preached. Some of you have heard enough Gospel to save China. Just what you've heard, if it were heard in China, millions would be saved and you have rejected the word of the Lord. And on the judgment day, we stand right beside you and affirm to the judge, a holy judge, it's true, she rejected, he rejected, walked away from it time after time. Noah condemned the world by his preaching. That means that he's going to stand on the judgment day as a witness against his whole generation that died in the flood because he preached warnings to every one of them. Not one died of Noah's generation without going out having been warned. Perhaps the most tragic soul standing before the judge will be those God calls unprofitable servants. These are servants. That means that they call themselves by the name of Jesus. Now listen to me, please. This was so pressed in my heart yesterday, even walking the streets to the store and back, and to church and back, I couldn't shake it. All the multitudes of unprofitable servants. Servants. Are you a servant? All the unprofitable servants. Now, I know the Bible said after we've done everything we can for the Lord we're to call ourselves unprofitable servants because we've done only that which is required of us. But he's not talking about that kind of humility. He's talking about those who have put their own interest above His. And I want you to listen. This really burned in my soul last night especially. These are the servants who hide their talents too lazy to invest their life and time in God's interest. And they became slothful, lazy about the things of God. They come once a week perhaps to God's house. If that anymore. Here's the Lord's view of this haphazard, half-hearted service to Him. Those wicked and lazy servants. Thou wicked and lazy servant, you ought to have invested my money in the banks so that I would have received at my coming my own with interest. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And what a weeping and wailing there will be on that day when the books are opened, when the judge shows so many of his unprofitable servants how much time and effort and labor went into either making money or to provide for households, seeking security, building bank accounts, fretting, ignoring family, forgetting God, forsaking the assembling of themselves as believers. And God on that day, I believe this with all my heart, that when you stand before the judge, and he begins to talk about your lack of interest in his work and your focus on your own life, your own interest, and all the time that you have spent for yourself, even at the neglect of your children. And the Lord is going to cause to appear, and I believe this with all my heart, He's going to cause to appear either by vision, or I don't know how He will do it, but there before you, somewhere in close proximity to where you stand. You're going to stand before Jesus and He's going to cause to appear all the material goods that you've accumulated in your lifetime. There will be your house. There will be your cars. There will be your stocks, your bonds. There will be your boat. There will be all your toys. All of your things that you have spent so much time and robbed God of His time of. And there you are, standing before it all, and God, the judge, Jesus is going to say, let me show you what you spent your life on. Let me show you what is left. And one spark of His eye, a spark of a lover who's been shunned, the spark of the wrath of one who said, I needed you and I called you and you gave me so little of your time, and you neglected me and you forsook me. And one spark of His eye, and it's like a hydrogen holocaust and it melts down until suddenly an angel stands there with nothing but a little pile of dust. And he says, give it to him. And he hands you over a little bit of dust. And he said, that's what you spent your life on. You spent your time and your life, and I warned you and told you that it's all grass that would burn in a fire. And when you stand before the judge, oh, the regret of a man, the regret of a man who had no time for God but that obligatory Sunday morning service with his wife and children. That obligatory going to church on Sunday morning because it's the American way. But no heart for God. You don't see Him in a prayer meeting. You don't see the wife in a prayer meeting. She's got to get her kids to bed. And on the judgment day, he said, take that unprofitable servant. Your heart's not with me. He's never been with me. Long, long ago you left your first love. You had no place. That was not really planted in your heart. I'm not the lover of your soul. If I'd been the lover of your soul, you would have gone about your business with diligence. You would have conducted your business as you should, honestly and diligently. But every waking hour, I would have been on your mind. You would have said no when the house of God was open. I will not neglect my family. I will not neglect my household. I'll neglect the things of God. And you would have put my interests first. But you put your interests, you put your works, and because you did good deeds and you thought good thoughts, you thought that would save you and bring you through. Now, let me flip the coin. Who are those that stand before the judge that are going to have boldness and confidence and joy exceedingly abundant? Oh, hallelujah. There will be a host which no man can number. Hallelujah. Now the first thing that happens on the judgment is a separation. When the judge immediately will not allow the righteous to be numbered with transgressors and he calls for a separation and the angels begin to separate all the sheep to his right hand. Hallelujah. And all the goats to his left hand. Now the Scripture is very clear on that. And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto those on his right hand, Come ye, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Oh, what a day that will be when God's beloved children are called to his right hand. And you know what he's going to say to them? He's going to say to him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcome and have sat down with my Father in His throne. He's going to say to all his beloved, Now come and be seated beside me while we judge the wicked. Where do these people get their boldness? Where is the confidence to stand before the judge on that day? The Bible is very clear. Those who have been abiding in Christ, those who have been looking for His appearance, will have boldness on the day of judgment. The Scripture says, And now, my little children, abide in Him, that when He shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. The Bible said, Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. That we may have boldness on the day of judgment. That says to me, there will be people that have boldness and confidence on that day. The Scripture says, Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Exceeding joy presents you faultless. How can you and I as His children have such boldness? I'll tell you why. Because the judge is our friend. He's our mediator. He's our King. He's our Lord. He's our brother. He's our Father. He is our King. He's our Majesty. He's our mediator. He's our life. It's good to know the judge. To know He's your brother. That you're bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. Hallelujah. Now there's a test I can give you this morning. I'm going to give it to you if you're willing to take it. This test, prove whether or not you're ready to stand with confidence and boldness before the judge. End of side 1. You may now turn the tape over to side 2. I'll give you three tests. Three questions you've got to answer. Three bold assertions I want to make. Now test yourself to see if you're going to stand before the judge of all the earth with boldness and confidence and singing in your soul. Test number one. Those who are prepared have been yearning and longing for the coming of the Lord. Now let me ask you. Can you pass that test? Have you been yearning and longing for the coming of the Lord? Do you look for Him every day? Every waking moment, are you looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus? His appearing? And do you yearn for it? Do you long for it? Can you say even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly? Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but to all those who love His appearing. Paul said there's a crown. I'm going to stand before Jesus and be judged for every deed that's done in my body that I want you to know they're under the blood of the Lamb. All the works that were done in the flesh are going to burn anyhow and all that I've done in the motive of Christ is going to stand. But I'm going to stand before the judge and I'm going to be given a crown of righteousness not only me, but to everyone who loves His appearing. That's the test. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Unto them that look for Him and shall He appear the second time without sin. Unto them that look for Him. I just picked up a book someone gave me the other day. They said it's a great book and everybody's talking about it. I looked at it and it was almost flippant about the coming of the Lord. All of these people were talking about escaping. I don't want to escape. I want to stay here and win the world. I slammed the book shut and threw it in the garbage can. Because I knew right then that if I read any further, I wouldn't get anything from God. Because He said, for those who love His appearing, those who look for His coming, hallelujah, I expect Jesus to come at any moment. I expect Jesus to come. And I yearn and I long. Folks, this world is not our home. And that's the test that you're not taking roots here, but you're pulling up roots. Pulling up roots. Pulling up roots. And saying, Jesus, keep my heart awake. I know most of you here feel that way. You have that awakened. The Holy Ghost has awakened you. You wake up in the morning and you say, is this going to be the day? I could be with Jesus before this day is over. And that's a glorious thought. Hallelujah. If you're afraid of that, you're not ready for the Judge. Test number two. Are the enemies of the Lord your enemies too? Are you in the battle against the enemies of God? Or have you allowed the rest of the body to carry the battle where you say, I'm just going to serve Jesus all alone. No, you see, we're all a part of a body and His enemies have to be our enemies. Because if you're going to stand before the world and judge His enemies, they've got to be your enemies now. David said, Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee? Am I not grieved with those that rise up against me? I hate them with a perfect hatred. I count them as my enemies. Now Jesus said, Love your enemies. Now those are your enemies. But what about His enemies? His enemies. We don't hate men. We hate the sin that is in them. And we hate the demonic powers that rule them. But this wickedness that's in the world, when you look at New York City, for example, do you just lay back and say, well, it's been this way all along. It's been sinful. It's going to maybe get worse. But what concern is that of mine? I'll just keep my skirts clean before God. I'll keep my garment clean. No, that's not enough. We're in a battle. We're in a warfare. And that's why God has called this church to prayer. And Tuesday we start fasting. We'd like as many of you as will fast all day Tuesday before you come to Tuesday prayer meeting night. Because Tuesday is going to be prayer meeting. And are you involved in the battle against the enemies of God? Or are you so wrapped up in your own interest, you can't carry that battle? Now some of you, I know many of you, I know some that are going to Europe very soon, and I know some that are going to South America, some back to your countries. And you're not going to be able to worship with this body for a while. Some of you have gone for a year. And you may not find a church where there's life. But you carry that battle in your secret closet of prayer. You fight against principalities and powers of darkness. And that's what we're doing in these prayer meetings. We're taking on the burden of the Lord. We're saying, Lord, Your enemies have become our enemies. We stand up against this penitent of homosexuality. We will never say that that's right. The Presbyterian church is about to be split right down the middle, right now over this question. Many of the denominations are going to be split. And on the Judgment Day, God's going to judge many of these pastors and ministers and church officials who have made friends with the enemies of God. They've consoled the enemies of God. No, I can say here, right now, I feel God's wrath in me against sin, against the wickedness of this age. And He said, who will rise up for me against the evildoers? And we're rising up in Times Square church as a body to pull down the strongholds of Satan. For our weapons are mighty through God in pulling them down. I'm asking you, are you in the battle? Are you involved in this warfare against the gates of hell that have come to destroy the church of Jesus Christ in the last day? I want to go out fighting. When God calls me, I want to be on my knees. I want to be so full of God's hatred towards sin in my life and in the world and in the city that He's called us to work in. Do you hate sin? Do you hate the works of iniquity? Are His enemies your enemies? Now the third test, have you developed the habit of forsaking the house of God? Or have you heard the call to come and assemble yourself together? Believe me, listen to the Scripture. Not forsaking or not neglecting the assembling of ourselves together as the habit or manner of some is, but encouraging one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. And here's the problem. The apostle is saying, and folks, it's a fact, it's an absolute fact before going any further, that just before judgment has come or calamity to a nation, just prior to it, that society spun out of control. People turned to security, turned to money making, turned to everything but God. At the last moment, it got worse. People neglected the house of God. And that's what the apostle is saying. Now that the day is approaching, it's so soon, do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the habit of some has become. Have you developed a habit of staying away from God's house? And you say, well, I go to church. I'm telling you, if you go to a dead church only because you don't want your sins exposed, that doesn't count. That doesn't count. That doesn't count at all. Folks, I'm not saying this to build up the numbers. As you see, people are standing here. Seats are becoming a priority here at Times Square Church. I'm not saying that because you know that we're already full. I'm saying this because I know on that day the judge is going to judge us by the earnestness we had toward his body. He said you need encouragement and you need to be the encourager of others in the body of Jesus Christ. Not only that you and I need the body, but the body needs us. It needs that wisdom and the knowledge and the spirit. You come from your prayer closet. You come and encourage the body. And if you're ready to meet the judge, it will be like I saw. I've been saying from this pulpit for a number of weeks now, it's amazing when you come to church and see people running. This morning I came over with Gwen. I said, look, they were coming out of the parking lot. Look at that guy. They were running. Running into the house of God. They're afraid they wouldn't get a seat. The zeal of the Lord. You better believe the Lord sees that. You better believe God knows that. And He's keeping a record. Hallelujah. What about those? Oh, the house of God has become boring. They'll feel the life. They don't have to work at going to the house of God anymore. That's a sign there's a spiritual death. A declension. A backsliding. A slipping away. A drifting from the Lord. And I tell you, the books will be open. And God will keep an account. And He knows those that love Him so much that they can't stand to be away from His body. Remember, it's His body. He's the head. And we are His visible body here on earth. Hallelujah. Did you pass the test? Then why aren't you getting a little boldness right now? Add a little confidence in your heart. Let's stand. Please stand. Look at me please. The easiest thing for me to have done this morning was to tell you the good part first and then get on the other part and just stir up your emotions and get you so stirred up inside that you came down here because you were emotionally stirred. Now, God does stir your emotions. But I didn't do it that way. Because I wanted you to count the cost. I want you to face the Holy Ghost who's in you and near you and speaking to you. There's never a waking hour that this thought's not in my mind. As a preacher of the Gospel, as one of the pastors of this church, one day, and you've heard me say this, I have to stand before Jesus Christ and I have to answer as one of the shepherds for every message I've preached and the motive behind it. And I can look you in the eye and I can look God in the eye this morning. So I preach for one purpose this morning and that's to bring you out of self, out of self-interest and bring you into the heart of Jesus. No other desire. Now, you judge yourself. The Bible says if you judge yourself, you'll not be judged. Up in the balcony, here on the main floor, and be honest about it. I don't want you to come down here if you come here every service. Those who have been coming every service, please stay in your seat. I said lovingly. But those who know in your heart you are not ready to stand before the judge and that's coming very soon. And probably the most important thing I want you to remember, you have to answer for what I preached just this morning. The message alone, this one message is enough to damn you to eternal hell if you reject it. If you reject it. We had a man come Friday night. He's here this morning. Sir, you can be perfectly assured nobody knows who you are. Nobody. This is an attorney who's defended many mobsters in the city. Gotti type people. He's very well known in this city. He's here this morning. He came Friday to give his heart to Jesus. No clapping, no clapping. Please, please, please don't clap. And he said, Mr. Wilkson, I've given that all up. I'm going to give my life to defending the poor and the needy. That man had such a hunger for God. He opened up his heart to the Lord. I said, make sure you come to hear the message Sunday morning on judgment. And you see, he had been living on the idea because the last three or four months he'd been giving himself to helping poor people. And I think the devil tried to tell him that would be enough to save him. Because he was doing so many good things. He began to see that that won't save him. He began to cry out to Jesus. Is the Lord's work more important to you than everything you have? I don't mean just words. I don't mean just words. Have you been neglecting your wife and children because you're so wrapped up in your business? Are you satisfied just because you come Sunday morning and you say, I've done my part for God? I'm telling you, it's not enough. Now, you may not be able to get to every service in this church, but you ought to go somewhere at least where you get your soul fed. You ought to be gathering with God's people even if it's a prayer meeting. In a little house, you should be meeting with God's people so that your heart is set aflame and you don't backslide and go cold. Some of you stand here right now and there's a coldness. And I'm telling you, you're going to stand before the judge. We shall all appear before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account. That's about it. Now, wherever you're at, up on the balcony here on the main floor, no music. None at all. I want you to count the cost before Jesus right now. And if you're not ready to stand before the judge, I want you to get out of your seat. Up on the balcony, go to either steps on either side and come down any aisle. You on the main floor, just get out of your seat. People will let you through and come and stand. And let me pray for you and let's believe God to change your life and prepare you for the judgment. If you're prepared for the judgment, you're prepared to live. You're prepared to live right. You're prepared to live with the glory of God in your soul. Follow these that are coming. Balcony. There'll be a lot of people moving up to the balcony there. Get right into the aisles, down the stairs and come. Hallelujah. Spirit of God. There'll be some husbands and wives walking down this aisle saying, Honey, we've neglected the Lord long enough. Come on. I see some coming. Hallelujah. Bless you, Jesus. Folks, this is all part of revival. When the deep convicting work of the Holy Spirit comes with life-changing power. God bless you, my brother. Folks, bow your head and pray. There's so many that need Christ here. So many that need the Lord. So many that need to get right. Bow your heads and just pray. Just breathe in prayer. Please, speak quietly in prayer. Lord, send conviction. Holy Ghost, go all through this building. Find everyone. Find everyone with a heart ready to receive. Hallelujah. God bless you. Come on. While you came forward, and this very act of coming down here is recorded. Yes, it is. It's recorded. And He knows the hunger and the thirst of your heart. He said, They that hunger and thirst to righteousness shall be fulfilled. Would you just raise your right hand to the Lord? Just raise your right hand to the Lord. Look up to Him. Pray this with me. Right of your heart. Jesus. Louder, let me hear it. Jesus. I need You. I need to be forgiven. And I need to be loved by You. I confess every sin, all my stubbornness. I've neglected You, Jesus. I've not put You first. But from this day on, I make You my life. I make You everything. Consume me, Jesus. I believe with all my heart that I am saved, I am forgiven, I am cleansed, and I give my future and my life into Your hands. Thank You, Jesus, for touching me right now. You called, and I answered. Now let me pray for you, Lord Jesus. I pray for a lasting work of the Holy Spirit. Let the conviction go so deep, Lord, even beyond tears. There's a place so deep it's beyond tears that not even tears can reach it. Go down into the depths of the soul. Pluck out all that's unlike You, Jesus. Pluck out the roots of sin and rebellion and bitterness and hatred and unbelief. Pull it out. Pluck it out, Lord. We come against the powers of the devil and every lying spirit. We command You, lying spirits, to depart from these who stand here. You have no right to them anymore for I heard them call on Jesus. You have no right to their bodies or their minds. I heard them call out to You, Jesus. Give them power, Holy Spirit. Empower them to live for You. You that are standing here, just thank Jesus right now in Your own words. Thank Him right out loud. I thank You, Jesus. I give You praise. I give You thanksgiving for hearing my cry. Lord, I know that You've answered me. Glory be to God.