In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of hope and the mercy of God. He encourages the congregation to trust in God's mercy and to ask Him to teach them how to hope. The preacher also highlights the significance of saving lost souls and shares the parable of the lost sheep from Luke 15. He emphasizes that believers don't need special training to share the gospel, but rather a broken heart and a belief in the power of the Holy Spirit. The preacher concludes by urging the congregation to focus on their local community, particularly New York City, and to engage in personal witnessing to spread the message of Jesus Christ.

This recording is provided by Times Square Church in New York City. You're welcome to make additional copies for free distribution to friends. All other unauthorized duplication or electronic transmission is a violation of copyright and other applicable laws. This recording cannot be posted on any website. However written permission to link to the Times Square Church homepage may be requested by emailing info at timessquarechurch.org. Other recordings are available by calling 1-800-488-0854 or by writing to Times Square Church Tape Ministry, 1657 Broadway, New York, New York, 10019. My message is entitled, Pleasing God. How many want to please God? Boy, that is so weak. I said, how many want to please God in their life? Well, it's not a complicated matter. Chapter 1, verses 9 and 10, For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will, and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Verse 10, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Father, I thank you for the Holy Spirit. I thank you, Holy Spirit, for knowing the mind of the Father, and your desire to bring that word to our hearts, and change us, and mold us, that we would truly live our lives pleasing unto you. Now, I acknowledge my need, and I acknowledge your glory and your presence. Lord, settle over this house. Come now to this main auditorium. Come, Lord, to the annexes, and to every room where the gospel is heard this morning. We yield completely to control of the Holy Spirit. We yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And we glorify you in your word manifest, in Christ and in us. So we give you honor and praise for your truly worthy. You are truly worthy of our praise. Give us the word now, we pray, and challenge us in Christ's name. Amen. Jesus was baptized by John in the river Jordan, and the Bible says, coming out of the water, the heavens opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven sang, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. My question is this, does God still speak those words to the seed of Christ, to those of us who are living today? Does the Lord ever look upon his servants today and say, Here's a man, here's a woman, in whom I'm well pleased. That was God's testimony to Enoch. The scripture says of him, By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death. He was not found because God translated him. For behold, before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased God. This was his witness, he had a witness in him, that he pleased God. Now I don't expect to be translated like Enoch. I don't expect that kind of reward. What I do want, more than anything else in my life, I want to have that same witness in my soul. I'm not talking about that day when we stand before the judgment. We stand before our blessed Savior, and he says well done, and he says you have lived your life pleasing to me. I want to know that now, while I still have breath, while I'm still in his service, that God can truly say, and I bear witness to it through the Holy Spirit, that my life is pleasing to him. That there is no controversy with him. I don't have to build him something great. I don't have to do something great. But I have to come to this place to understand that Jesus set the example. That the Father said he's well pleased. Why did the Father say that of the Son? What was the testimony? Jesus himself said I do those things that are pleasing to him. I do those things that are pleasing to him. And I read that, and I said well now, those things are surely not come to those things because it can't be a burden. He said my yoke is easy, my burden is light. So it can't be some complicated set of rules. It can't be something that is a burden to me. It has to be something of love. Something that God shows me out of his heart of love. And something that I can accomplish. Something that I can do without doing it in the flesh. Of course we know that the most obvious thing is faith. For the Bible said they that come to him must believe that he is, and that he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. And they that come to me must believe that I am, and that I am a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. We're told have faith in God. Have faith in God and believe that he is. And I asked well, what is that saying? It says believe that he is a rewarder. Now when God was speaking this to me this past week, I looked at that word and I've gone over it many, many times and just skipped over it. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Now when we talk about diligently seeking him, we picture a Christian shut in with God and tears flowing, and for hours just begging and pleading with God, bless me or help me, I'm in need. And this constant seeking and crying out to God. Now folks, that's a wonderful thing. But the original makes it very clear in this passage. He's talking about searching out the ways of God. Searching with diligence, with all sincerity, going to the word of God and finding those things that please him. And simply doing them. It's not spending our knees just on our knees praying for blessings. God has outlined, when I read that he rewards those who go into his word, he rewards those who spend quality time saying, I'm going to search this word and I'm going to find the promises. I'm going to find the commandments and I'm going to obey them. I'm going to search you out. Because you said you're a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Those who diligently dig into his word to find their path in life. And the prophet Isaiah, I think, was the first to describe what that word is. He said he's a rewarder. I would suggest that the majority in this church, if you've been here for a number of years, you should be at this place that you are a seeker after God, a diligent seeker after him. But do you know what the reward is? Have you dug into it? We just skip over that. But it's important to have this kind of motivation in our spirit. Isaiah, go with me, please, to Isaiah, the 40th chapter. I want to show you the reward. 40th chapter of Isaiah, beginning of verse 27. Now, this is the reward of those who diligently seek the Lord. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel? My way is hid from the Lord. My judgment is passed over from my God. Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not? Neither is weary. There's no searching of his understanding. Here's the reward. He giveth power to the faint. And to them that have no might, he increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary. The young men shall utterly fall or fail. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. And they shall walk and not faint. That is the reward of those who seek him with all their heart. When my burden becomes so heavy, and when I think I'm going to faint, Saint, this is the word of God. This is the reward of those who diligently seek him. When I think my battle is too much to handle and it's over, my capacity to even understand, when my strength weakens, and my strength is almost gone, to them that have no might, he increases strength. I said, he that has no might, he that's at the end of his wit, he that doesn't know where to turn, he increases strength. That's what the word is. And the Lord shall renew your strength. You shall not faint. You shall walk. You shall go on. And you shall not faint. Paul said, let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. And there's that big word, if, if, if, if we faint not. Don't worry about that if. God's already given the promise. And Isaiah says now, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk. They shall not faint. The if is gone. If you trust and believe. Some of you are afraid of fainting in the battle, and the struggle, and the giving up. And many have. But you have to search diligently for the word and lay hold of that. You can take that to the gates of heaven. You can take that through hell. And stand strong in the Lord. But there are other ways, other than just the obvious of faith itself. There are many, many ways. Listen to the scripture. I want to list just three of those things that please Him. That is possible for every one of us. First of all, loving one another. Pleases God. Loving the body of Christ. Loving one another. I read from 1st John 3, 22 and 3. For whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Doing those things that are pleasing to Him in His sight. Well, what is the first here we mentioned? This is His commandment. That we shall believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave commandment. Now, recently the Lord's been stirring my heart about personal witnessing. Of going out at least one day a week. And just go where people are. Because you see, there were two things when God stirred my heart that He spoke clearly to me. You can't do that, David. You can't be a hypocrite about it if you're going to stand before the people and tell them they need to get out on the streets and you're not doing it. And I think that's why the majority of churches around the world are so small. They're shutting the four walls and they're praying for some nebulous thing called revival. And they're saying, oh God, just come and sweep down. And what they want or what they're conceiving in their mind at least is that there's going to be such power and some kind of moving in the church and something they can't explain happening and then people will just be drawn in and they don't have to go out. And that's what Jesus commanded. And I said, Lord, I'm not going to preach that until I am doing it again as I did when I first came to this city 40 years ago. Also, the scripture makes it clear that I have no right, I have no right as His child to go out and try to love sinners on the street until I love everybody in the house. I don't have a right. You don't have a right. You don't have a right to witness to anybody. If in your heart you're holding a grudge against a brother or sister or somebody in your family especially. I'm amazed that some call themselves Christians and they don't talk to somebody that's related to them. They're all flesh and blood. That is so ridiculous, so foolish, so unscriptural. I don't know how any knowledgeable Christian sitting here this morning, I hope God burns this truth into your soul. Since if you don't forgive others, I don't forgive you. Your sins are piling up. We have known and believed the love that God has for us. You see, until you know and believe that God loves you, you cannot truly love the body. You cannot love others until you're truly established in this truth that God, in spite of my weakness, in spite of my failures, God loves me. My Heavenly Father loves me. He said, we know. And we have known and believed the love of God for us. I believe it. And that he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. What he's saying, if you're fully committed to the truth that God loves you, that he's going to bring you through and you can trust that love no matter what you're going through. Then he says, this enables you. This might love for you flows through you to others. You can love others only as you're convinced that you are loved of God. Now, I can go around boasting, I love everybody. I have no grudge against anybody. I love all my brothers and sisters. But if I see one of my brothers or sisters in need and I don't do something about it, the love of God isn't in me, the scripture says. You can have the theology. But if you don't have the practical side, when you see one of your brothers or sisters in need, whosoever has this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and he setteth up his vows of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. You say, Pastor Steve, I hope I have a giving heart. I hope I have the kind of heart when I see my brother and sister in need. But you see, we can't just talk love. It's not a talking issue. It's a doing matter. It's something we do. It's something that we ask God to do in and through us. He that seeth a need, and you will not see the need, God will not open your heart until you say, God, I want you to use me. Many of you can't go to a mission field. Many of you will never have what is called ministry, as people conceive it to be. But the true ministry is that God uses you one on one. It's Jesus at the well of Jacob and the Samaritan woman. It's this one-on-one love for the body. And surely if you can't love and meet the need of someone in the house, how do you expect to meet it outside? He that seeth the need. We talk about unity, and we say God commands his blessing with his unity. And folks, when we talk about unity, we're thinking of people getting together with a big smile and a hug, and say, brother, I love you. Sister, I love you. But as God sees it, and this is just what I feel in my soul, I think God looks at unity a little different than that. It's not just a matter of getting together and saying, I'm going to put aside all my prejudice, I'm going to put aside my pet doctrines, and I'm just going to love you. We're all going to be one in Jesus. That is not unity. That's just moral, expected Christian walk. There shouldn't be any prejudice anyhow. You see, unity in the body of Jesus Christ is more than that. It's someone who comes to this house and says, I want to please God. I want my life pleasing to Him. Because I want to bring joy to the heart of my Lord. Lord Jesus, make me a channel, a vessel. And folks, when you pray like that and God sees your heart, and says, he that hath this world's goods, everyone hearing me has something of this world's goods, you will not see it. I'm amazed that some people who walk with God, somehow they're attracted to the needs of others. Somehow they hear. Somehow they see. But they're not even looking for it. It's the Lord with divine appointments, and He just speaks the heart. There's someone in need. Because you see, if you have that desire, and you really want to please the heart of God, you're going to love your brother, you're going to love your sister in this manner. You're going to ask God to give you a spiritual eye. Lord, I'm ready. And when you pray that way, and you believe that way, you're not going to have to go searching. You're not going to go up and say, God told me I'm going to bring you a word. How about bringing him ten bucks? Lord told me a long time ago if I want to learn, I need to carry money in my pocket. And I do. And I don't have it this morning, but in my prayers, God, show me where it belongs. Show me who needs it. And folks, when you begin to pray that way, God will entrust to you, and when somebody's in need, He'll bring them to you. When God looks around and says, my brother's sick, and I know who's going to hear. I know who I can go to. And when you finish one, God will show you another. And folks, you'll become the greatest thrill in your life, become the greatest blessing because you're being used. It's not just money. The world's goods go beyond just finances. This is a ministry of, this is a walk of faith where you say, oh God, I want that unity where I can call my brother's sister, say, can I walk with you? Whenever God instructs me to give any money to somebody out of what He's provided for me, I always close a note. Secretary Barber's here. And I always say, this is something God told me to give to you, but I want you to know it's just God saying to you, He knows your problem, He knows your need, and He's going to remember your need. And it's always pointed to Him saying, this is God speaking through me and giving you a message, don't worry, don't fret. If God can move on my heart, He can move on others and He will meet the need. You trust Him now. We've got elderly people on our mailing list, some of them in their 90s. And to hear them, this one sister says, I just have Social Security, but God speaks to me and I give five here and five here. And she says, I keep $10 or so for my funeral out of the check, and I'm trying to raise enough to get buried. Got that letter two weeks ago. Just, bless my heart, all she talked about was how good Jesus was and how God was using her. And she was just sitting there, can't talk to anybody, can't witness, can't go anywhere, but she can write these little checks out to various, she's feeding children in Sudan. Let's go to number two. Those who hope in His mercy. The scripture said, please, God, I'm reading Psalm 147, 10, 11. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in them who hope in His mercy. Psalm 33, 17 said, A horse is a vain thing for safety. Neither shall he deliver anybody by his great strength. The horse and the leg, according to the psalmist, has to do with human ability, human dependence, depending on the flesh, things that I do. Folks, what the psalmist is saying, if you really want to please God, you have to put all your hope in His mercy, not in what you can do. We have people now think that they can conquer their sin, they can drive out the lust, they can drive all sin out of their heart if they'll just fast long enough or pray hard enough. Folks, those are all scriptural things. But first, you have got to believe and hope in His mercy, that God is merciful to me. And if I can practice that mercifulness, if I can absorb it and live by it, have the knowledge of His mercy ever before me every day, every problem I go through, then I'm going to stand before the world, I'll stand before anyone outside of the walls of this church, and I'll be a testimony of the mercy of God. Because you see, for years I went out in the street and preached to Nicky Cruz and others, and drug addicts and gang members, that God loves them. And then go home and say, God, I don't feel loved, I don't feel worthy. And I could never for years appropriate that love for myself. But God in His mercy knew I had a broken heart. And He used the word and He saved many. But folks, you finally come to that rest where you say, my hope is in the mercy of God. I was reading this week of some of the monks who tried to whip out and burn out the flesh and these are the same kind of associates of Martin Luther when he was a monk, trying to subdue the flesh through superhuman strength, the horse and the leg. One monk lived for 50 years in a subterranean cave, trying to bring his body under subjection to the Spirit. Other monks buried themselves up to their necks in burning sand, hoping to burn out iniquity. Some monks slept on bundles of thorns and piles of broken glass. Others bound one foot and hopped around one foot for years until they lost the use of the other. One monk forced his body into a loop of a cartwheel and stayed in that fetal position for 10 years while others fed him. Simon Stilitz stayed for 30 years on top of a column and went two weeks to stay there. He had a post erected and chained himself to it. All of these torturing, self-torturing methods were inflicted by monks trying to annihilate the lust that was in them. In the Middle Ages, long procession of flagellants and I've seen videos of some of these flagellants still today in Italy and other parts of the country and in Spain. The flagellants traveled from country to country, moaning and weeping and singing sad songs of repentance, whipping their backs with whips until they bled. And they marched thousands to join these processions in an effort to whip out the devil, to whip out the evil. A woman they called a saint, a Threlda, believed her flesh was so evil, so dirty, she refused to wash it. She walked about unwashed, covered with filth, but revered as a saint because she supposedly had conquered her flesh by staying dirty. Paul the Apostle said, For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, trusting in the mercy of God. Let everyone hearing the sound of my voice say, Oh God, teach me how to hope. Give me hope in the mercy of God. Now the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. Now hurry on. Number three, The saving of one lost soul is pleasing to the Lord. Do you remember the story in the 15th chapter of Luke? In the 15th chapter of Luke, Jesus gave a parable about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. And one of these sheep went astray, was lost. And the Bible said, The shepherd left the ninety and nine and went out until he found. He didn't give up until he found the lost sheep. He didn't whip the sheep. Didn't chastise it. Didn't say a word. But lifted up that bruised sheep. And the Bible said, put him, cuddled him in his arms and rejoiced. Bible said, there's more rejoicing. There's great rejoicing. More rejoicing over one lost sheep that is found than the ninety nine that are in the fold. Rejoicing in the presence of all the angels. Doesn't mean the angels were rejoicing alone. They rejoicing and they saw the gladness of the heart of the shepherd. It was the joy that was in the heart of the heavenly father. Because one lost sheep. One less sheep in hell. One more sheep that gave joy to Christ as he presented to the father. And every soul that I went to Jesus, I'd give into his hands so that he can present it to the father. And that's his greatest joy. This is so pleasing unto the Lord, the scripture says. One lost sheep rejoices his heart. I was reading a story. I was reading. There's a book by George Keenan. Wrote tent life in Siberia. He was an explorer. And he's American friends. Explorers went to Siberia. Were exploring along the river. And I believe it was two, maybe three of those explorers, American explorers, 200 miles from their post got lost and presumably could have been frozen to death. And George Keenan and two associates loaded up their dog sleds and headed 200 miles north. Because they believed they could find the spot where they were last known to be. They had a guide with them, a native guide who knew the terrain. And this is just bleak snow. It was 50 below zero when they started. And they went for days and nights, not stopping. Because they were trying to save their friends. And Mr. Keenan, it's an incredible true story. The dogs, he said, were dripping blood. And one of his associates just fell off onto the dog sled and fell asleep and almost rose to death. Had to keep waking him. And when it was almost impossible and the snow was, it was like a blizzard. But at midnight, this one particular day, there was a cry from the guard way out in the distance. Hello, along, hello. And Mr. Keenan said he raced toward the voice. And the guide pointed in a snowbank. There was a black pipe sticking out of the snowbank. And Mr. Keenan went to the pipe and he yelled down the pipe, anybody there? And a voice, a weak voice came back and said, who is it? George Keenan burrowed with his associates into the snowbank and found these men safe and alive. And George Keenan made this statement. He said, when I saw them and embraced them, I fell paralyzed with joy. I fell, I couldn't even lift my hands to my face. Now, folks, he went after a friend willing to give his life. And I looked at that and I said, God, I can't relate to that kind of love. I don't, I couldn't conceive it. But you see, I'm remembering 40 years ago. I was 115 pounds, skin and bone, scared to death of cities. And I remember that call. And I remember the Lord breaking my heart over lost souls. God said, go, minister to those gangs. And I remember walking these streets from the black tarred roofs of Brooklyn. I had a motor scooter. And I would scoot over the Williamsburg Bridge up into Spanish Harlem, 101st, 102nd. In those days, two of the most notorious gang infested, drug infested streets in Spanish Harlem. And then I'd scoot back to other places throughout Brooklyn, to the parks. And that's where I found Nikki Cruz. And that's where I found Sonny Argonzoni standing under an elevated train. Right across from the Williamsburg Bridge, two blocks, in front of a pizza shop, waiting for his drug pusher. And I remember walking the streets in that little scooter saying, Lord, lead me to the lost. Give me divine appointments. And I remember walking up to Sonny. He's looking front and left, side, saying to himself, just waiting, breathing breathlessly for his pusher for heroin. I went up and I said, I want to talk to you. He said, well, you're a narco. I'm not a narcotic agent. No. I said, this is my Bible. Narcos don't carry Bibles. And the Lord led me. He said, somebody's been praying for you. He said, oh boy, my hallelujah mother sent you to me. I said, I don't know your mother. She's been praying for me for years. And every time I walk in, she hounds me about Jesus. And now here you come. One of the greatest joys in my life, a few years ago, was to be his guest in California under a big tent with 15,000 converted drug addicts and alcoholics and prostitutes. You see, it was one skinny, scared man with just a heart that I couldn't invent. It's something of brokenness that God himself has to do. But I prayed for it. I asked God for it. Now, this is not to condemn anybody, but I'm telling you, New York City is now a whitened harvest field. More so than when I came here 40 years ago. It's a whitened harvest field. I will not put a guilt trip on you. Because God's been dealing with my own heart, leading me. I'm not going to, at my age, I'm not going to walk the streets like I did before. But I'm going to go to certain places. And God told me to begin with those that I know have backslidden. I know a young pastor who was a drug addict, got saved, went through our program here in New York City. And had a wonderful church here in this city. And he backslid and went back to drugs. But recently somebody gave me a word saying that he seems to be open. And this next week, after I've prayed through and left it. You see, unless the Holy Ghost comes, you can go out and talk to as many as you want. Unless you believe the Holy Ghost is going to get a hold of our heart. No one comes to the Father except through the Holy Spirit. And what we need to be praying as a church, Oh God, send the Holy Spirit throughout all of this city and begin to move. And what we hear Pastor Dave saying about happening in Brussels and Spain and around the world. And we hear Pastor Carter and the church and the choir come back telling what God is doing around the world. You and I will have the faith to see it done here. We will have that faith to believe God that he will do the impossible. I'm going to close in just a moment. I was listening to some reporters on the radio and some experts, so-called experts. And I don't know if you know it or not, I heard what they're calling America now, Jesus land. They said, Jesus people are going to take over. There's an article in New York Times today. I read it last night. And they said it may take 10 years. I'm paraphrasing, but in essence, he's saying one of the writers said it may take 10 years until we get rid of this Jesus stuff. They're alarmed. Now, folks, I'm not talking about the election. Something is happening in this land where Jesus says I'm not going to be put aside anymore. Somehow, wicked people who have no heart for God are suddenly, what is happening? This has nothing to do with President Bush. It has nothing to do with anything like this. It's happening for months now and probably for the last few years. I believe the Lord is whitening the harvest, getting it ready. People are now, I never saw the movie Passion. But evidently, millions of Americans saw that and it was about Jesus. What does God have to do to tell us, hey, do you get it? I'm even using the world to wake up my church. Now, I tell you, I won't put a guilt chip on you because I have to be doing this myself. But I'm telling you, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be here unless there was an obedience to call to go to the streets. I was thinking of this last night when children of Israel went to the Promised Land. First thing they did, they went to Jericho, two men to spy it out. Where'd they go? To a prostitute. They went to Rahab's house. And God had already prepared her heart. And if you really want to start winning souls, in your neighborhood you see a prostitute standing on the corner. You go to her, ladies. And all you have to say is, can I pray for you? They know they're in need of prayer. And you start praying in the name of Jesus. Then you can talk all you want. You can witness and pray the Holy Spirit open their hearts. You see a drug addict snoozing on the corner. You see a drug pusher. You don't have to be afraid to go up to talk to a drug pusher and say, I'm a Jesus person. And I want to talk to you about Jesus. Folks, we don't have to have a training session on how to win souls. You win them because you've been on your knees and God has broken your heart. And you believe in the power of the Holy Ghost. He'll give you the word, she said, when you need it. Let's stand. This is New York's time. Pastor Carter and all the pastors here have had that burden burning for a long time. There's not a pastor in this church that has a vision only for a foreign field. We start in Jerusalem. We start here. And that's what you heard from Pastor Carter just a few moments before I started preaching. We have to be focused. May God focus us on New York City now. Not neglecting the world, but right here now to strengthen the tent pegs and the ropes. Lord, this city is on your heart. This city is... There's something in your heart, Lord, saying, I want to do something incredible. I want to do something marvelous. We're not looking to put bodies in their seats here. Lord, we're not looking just to fill up any seats that might be empty. Doesn't matter what church they go to, if it's a Bible church anywhere in this city. Lord, we want to see you moving. Not just here. Not just sermonizing. But, oh God, that we would have something from your heart. You have to do it. We can't work it up. We don't need some special meetings. We don't need a theme. New York. New York. All we need, Jesus, is to hear your word. And say, I'm ready. I want to be your servant. I want to please you. And this pleases you the most. The winning of the lost. Finding the lost sheep. Lord, help us to find every backslider that's been in this church and now they're outside the walls. Lord, bring them into your heart. Restore them. And use this people now to find and win them back to you, Jesus, we pray. Now, listen to me please. Don't leave yet for a moment. In the balcony here in the Manitorement. In the annex. I'm asking, and I prayed about this yesterday and most of this week. I want to make an invitation to those who came in here this morning. You really are not walking with Christ. And you've known and experienced the emptiness of that kind of life. And there's something in you that says, I would really like to know him in a way in which I could please him. And something was said in the message today touched your heart. I don't want anybody, please, I want no one to come to this altar that's been here more than four or five times. I'm going to ask you to just stand and pray with me. That every backslider, everyone here, when I say backslider, I'm somebody that has known him and just drifted away. It's not that you hate him, but you've just drifted away. Now, I'm serious about this. Up in the balcony, you go to the stairs on either side. And here in the Manitorement, just step forward. I opened this, we call this the altar. This is an area where we meet the Lord in confession. I'll pray with you. And the Holy Spirit will touch you. You can walk out of this place changed. We're out for your soul. We're out to reach you for Christ. As they start singing, and we don't sing to create a mood. It's the work of the Holy Spirit. I'm going to pray again, ask the Holy Spirit to touch you. Please don't feel embarrassed. You may be here for the first time. But this whole service is arranged for you. God, in his foresight, in his knowledge, foreknowledge, knew you'd be here this morning. He prepared a word for you. And then he convicted you. So that he can love you through to his arms. Heavenly Father, send the Holy Ghost mightily now. Oh God, convict where we need to be convicted. And draw and woo us. And help us to say yes. Now folks, if only one person comes. I know God has spoken this word. If you have drifted away from him. If you really have never had a true experience with Christ. I mean a true conversion to him. I want you to get out of your seat. Boldly. Forget the crowd, forget everyone else. Let me pray with you. I want you to join this. Sister is coming right now. Up in the balcony, just move. And in the annex, you go, you turn around. And go to the lobby. And the ushers will show you how to get here. Where I'm standing. And I'll pray with you. We'll be Lord for a miracle in your life. Please come and move in close. You are mum, take your throne. You're all I need. Lord, you alone. There is no way I could take it without you. Lord, use my life as it pleases you. As it pleases you. You can still come while I'm talking. That's it. Just make your way on down. Look at me if you will. Please look this way. Previously in the service, we sang that song. Lord, I receive your love. Will you receive his love right now? Will you bring every bit of condemnation, guilt and fear that you have. And let the love of Jesus for you wash it and drive it out of your heart. Will you receive his love? You can't go any further until you receive his love. You have to hope in his mercy. Say, I thank God that he's drawing me. I thank God. The very fact that you came here and walked out in front of the crowd. Means that there's something in your heart of hunger and desire for him. And if this is your first time. I want you to know that he's been wooing you for a long time. This just didn't happen today. You've been thinking about it for maybe weeks and even months. Now the Lord has just said, today is your day. Will you pray this prayer with me right out loud? Right from your heart. Lord Jesus. I thank you. For your love. You didn't whip me. You didn't condemn me. You just said, come. And so I come now. To your love. To your mercy. And I ask you to forgive me. Blot out all my fears. All my failures. And my sins. I repent. And I turn to you Jesus. The best I know how. Like a child. Because I believe. I trust you. And now Jesus. I put all my problems. In your hands. Now I'm going to pray for you. Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit this morning. We don't have to scream at you. We don't have to beg or plead. We just come and say, here I am. Save me. Here I am. Deliver me. Here I am. Heal me. Here I am. Take my problems. Take all my cares. Because you said, if I cast them on you. You'll take care of them. Now Jesus, open the hearts by your spirit. Don't let anybody stand here. And just. Think that this is. Something is going to pass away. And be forgotten in the next hour. Oh Holy Spirit. Enter into the heart. Would you pray this right now Lord Jesus? Send the Holy Spirit. I ask for the Holy Spirit. I open my heart. Come Holy Spirit. Open my eyes. Open my heart. Give me an understanding. And give me strength. To go on. Now will you thank him. Just from your heart. Will you just thank him. Say Jesus, I give you thanks. I give you praise. If you're. Within driving distance. Or if you're. Living where you can get to this church. You're most welcome. This is a church that you don't join. You come because the spirit draws you. You join Jesus. And then you become one of us. To help you and minister to you. We have a Friday night. New believers class. And you come in the Broadway entrance. You'll see it right on Broadway. Almost directly behind us here. And you go up there. And you go to the desk. They'll tell you what floor to go to. And you'll find people just like yourself. Hungry wanting to know more about the word. Wanting to grow in Christ. Wanting to be drawn nigh. And if you're from another city. You're not in the New York area. If you really mean this. You'll follow up. Nobody's going to have to call you and force you. And ask you questions about whether you meant it or not. If you'll believe God. When you walk out this door. The Holy Ghost will go with you. And you'll see the book of John. Just the book of John. Read that through. And the Holy Spirit will open that book to you. And you'll see how much Jesus loves you. And what he wants you to do. Now Father. I just trust that what is happening at this altar. Is eternal. I trust you Lord. That you have found people this morning. You have drawn them. And Lord keep them now. That's the prayer you pray. Your last prayer was keep them. Father I've kept them. Now that I'm going. You keep them by your spirit. Now Lord keep all of these we pray. In Jesus name. Amen. This is the conclusion of the message.