In this sermon, the speaker expresses concern about the negative effects of the prosperity gospel and false prophets on believers. He describes witnessing people engaging in strange behaviors during church services, such as falling on the floor, laughing hysterically, and writhing like snakes. The speaker criticizes evangelists who claim to have the power to knock people down or impart the Holy Spirit through physical actions. He also highlights the spread of this distorted gospel message, including in South America and Cuba, and warns against the dangers of Ponzi and pyramid schemes within the church.

...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 WORLDCHALLENGE P.O. BOX 260 LINDALE, TEXAS 75771 or calling 903-963-8626. None of these messages are copyrighted, and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to friends. The message I'm going to preach this morning I'm afraid will cause maybe just a handful of people that hear it to never come back to this church again. Now, folks, it's not a laughing matter. I mean it. I'm not trying to be theatrical. It's because what I preach about I know to be a fact that there are some people still in this body who come to the Times Square Church are involved in what I'm talking about because they have handed me tapes and books and I know that they're involved in the kind of thing I want to expose this morning under the help of the Holy Ghost. I want to talk to you about the reproach of the Solemn Assembly. Now, that's a long title, but you'll see it very clearly. I want you to go to Zephaniah, the third chapter. Zephaniah, the third chapter. I'm going to give you time to find it. Okay? If you get to Haggai, you've gone too far. And you get to Micah and Habakkuk, go one more chapter and you are in Zephaniah. Now, folks, this is serious business this morning. I want you to pray that the Lord give me the brokenness to preach it the way He wants it preached. Not out of arrogance, but out of brokenness before the Lord. There's something that's burning in my heart. I've been asking God to let me deal with this for a long time and He's released me to do so this morning. The 18th verse, chapter 3, Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 18. There's an amazing prophecy by the prophet Zephaniah. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Heavenly Father, I know that you have burned this into my soul. But I've got to have a broken spirit and a contrite nature that this is not preached in any kind of arrogance or self-centeredness, but Lord, that you are trying to accomplish a purpose this morning. I ask you to anoint me in a special way. Let the fire of God come forth this morning and ignite the word of the living God. And don't let any of us, anybody in this building, try to put away or just to put off what is being heard and spoken here from this pulpit this morning. Lord, I'm asking you to give me the courage to speak it rightly and boldly. And I pray, Lord, that you deal with any of these issues that are in this church this morning that we're dealing with, I pray in Christ's name. Amen. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Now, this is a dual prophecy by Zephaniah. It has to do with the children of Israel. That's Jerusalem, and also with spiritual Zion, which is the church of Jesus Christ on the last day. First of all, he was speaking to Jews that God was going to gather together. He'd been dispersed to all the nations. But he was only going to bring back those who had a broken heart for the sad condition of Israel, who carried a burden for restoration, who blushed over the sins of God's apostate people. And he would remember all who carried the reproach, all the shame, all of the blasphemy, all of the horrible things that were going on in God's house, those who carried the burden of it, all those who were sorrowful and grieving in heart over the condition of their body. He said, I'm going to gather you. And he made great promises to these, and I'll show you what those are in a moment. But this prophecy is primarily to the church of Jesus Christ on the last day, to the Solemn Assembly. Now, in the Old Testament, the children of Israel called to their festivals for seven days, and on the eighth day was called the Solemn Assembly. That was when they met especially together, putting everything aside and focused worship and praise to the Heavenly Father. The Scripture says, on the eighth day you shall have a Solemn Assembly, and you'll find the Solemn Assembly all through the Old Testament representing the congregation that is separated unto God, meeting to meet the Lord. This is the church of Jesus Christ on the last day. Now, according to Zephaniah, the house of God in the last days is going to be under reproach. And the Hebrew word here means shame and disgrace. There's going to be shame and disgrace in the house of God. Now, we're not talking about the backslidden, liberal, modern church. I'm not talking about the kind of church in San Francisco called Glide Memorial United Methodist Church that's recently taken the cross down because they said, Jesus isn't all of us, and we are the cross. It's a church that glorifies homosexuality and abortion, and it is an absolute church, an apostate church. I'm not talking about churches where the minister doesn't believe in Christ anymore, doesn't believe in heaven, doesn't believe in hell. I'm not talking about that apostate church, the Metropolitan Community Church, the homosexual denomination. I'm not talking about that church. Folks, some of the worst blasphemy in the world is not coming from atheists. It's coming from the pulpits and the pens of backslidden, ungodly preachers. We're not talking about that kind of church. That is not the solemn assembly. So save your grief. I don't shed a tear. I have no burden for that kind of church. The Lord said, on the judgment day, you're going to deal with that church. We can pray for them, but we're not to spend any of our grief on that which is not really the church. Now, God is looking, the scripture says, according to Zebuniah, God is looking for a people who will sorrow and grieve over the reproach that is being fostered on the church of Jesus Christ in these last days. I'm talking about the church that was born at Pentecost. I'm talking about the church that was born in the teaching of the Apostle Paul and the Apostles. The church born in the doctrine of the Godhead of Jesus Christ. That church, that born-again church, is under attack. That born-again church is suffering reproach. It's been prophesied that in this day of reproach, of shame and disgrace, God is going to raise up a holy remnant who are going to grieve and weep over this defilement. A people to whom the reproach of it has become to them a burden. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly. God said, I'm going to have a remnant who are not just going to sit idly by while all of these things invade the church. I'm going to have a people that are not going to be satisfied to go their merry way and just ignore what is happening. As charlatans and money-mad prophets, false prophets are coming into the house of God and destroying everything in sight. He said, no, I'm going to gather a people who grieve over this. I'm going to have a people who take it as a burden. They're not going to be complacent anymore. If you truly love the Lord and you love His church, you cannot look honestly at what's happening today. And I'm going to name these reproaches this morning. And if after you hear what I have to say about this reproach, and you can walk out of this church and you can say, well, I just stand on Matthew, the 18th chapter. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. I'm not going to worry about it. God has everything under control. That's not enough. God uses people. God uses people to perform His work. He doesn't send angels. Angels weep over it, but God doesn't use angels to accomplish His purposes. He uses burden, brokenhearted, weeping men and women. The prophet Joel cried out, Call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God and cry unto the Lord, Alas, for the day, for the day of the Lord is at hand as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Joel was saying judgment is at the door. Jesus is coming. The day of the Lord is at hand. Wake up, elders. Wake up, pastors. Wake up, shepherds. Take a look at the church. Get the burden. Carry it. Now why should we take on the burden of the reproach of the solemn assembly? Joel said because there's a rotten seed being planted. A gospel is being preached that is withering everything that's in sight. Everything that's green and godly and pure is being withered. He said the seed is rotten under the clods. The corn is withered. The storehouses of the right gospel is barren and desolate. There's a famine of hearing the pure word of the Lord. The cattle, in other words, the sheep, the congregation are perplexed because there's no pasture. The flocks are desolate and hungry. The rivers are drying up. A strange fire is devouring the pastors. If you listen to Ezekiel, he's saying it's shepherds who are trampling down the good pasture and eating the best for themselves. Joel 2.15. He cries, gather together the congregation, the priests, the ministers of the Lord. Weep in sorrow. Get the burden. Cry. Pray. Oh God, spare your people. Give not your holy church to reproach. Don't let the heathen rule over your flock. Now, what is this reproach of the solemn assembly? What are these shameful, disgraceful things that are happening in the church of Jesus Christ today? First of all, it's the rotten seed that's being preached by covetous shepherds. This is known as the prosperity gospel. This is one of the greatest reproaches the church of Jesus Christ ever perpetrated since Christ. This perverted gospel is poisoning multitudes even in China, Africa, and all over the world. It's an American gospel invented and spread by rich American evangelists and pastors. Rich. And it alarms me that so many people can hear the tapes and see the videos that are coming out of these prosperity conferences and not weep over them and not get the burden for what is happening to the church. This poison is spread all over the world. Cuba's about to open and they are itching to get in there right now with their prosperity gospel to tell, you've been poor enough now, God wants all Cubans to be rich. This past week I was given a videotape recently recorded, I think in this past January in Kenneth Copeland's meetings. And I listened to the speakers and I was dumbfounded. Folks, you read the New Testament you'll find Paul the apostle named those who he believed were false prophets. He warned and he named their names and I'm telling you now if you can listen to what I'm about to tell you and not be grieved then you're blind. You're spiritually blind. You have a hard heart. You know what a hard heart is in Hebrew? A heart with a shield on it. So that the gospel, the pure gospel cannot penetrate it. It's been so, the mind has been so saturated with this unbalanced gospel that you cannot come to many of them. You cannot preach the truth. You cannot show them anything else in the scripture because they have a shield over their hearts. Hard hearted. And some of you will not receive it and if you've been feeding your soul on Copeland's tapes or Hagen's tapes you're not going to like what you hear. But folks, I'm a shepherd. I've been called by God and I made this church a promise. As long as we're in this... Now listen, no clapping. Folks, please. Please don't clap. I made this church and this body a promise as long as we're in this pulpit. If we saw wolves in sheep's clothing coming to rob the flock we would stand up and cry out against it. Now it's up to you to do something about it. And I say this with a broken heart. But I was set this week and I listened to the speakers in this conference and I was so shocked. I was so hurt. Weeping. The burden of the Lord came on me. That's why I'm preaching this message. I grieve over it. Let me tell you. I quote word for word what was said. First of all, all the speakers get hard to get by because people running up stuff in their pockets with money. And the reason they do that is a new doctrine that just come out that says if you want to be blessed you have to find the most blessed evangelist or pastor you can find because he that has been given much receiveth much he that has little even that which he has will be taken from him. You find the most blessed and prosperous preacher and you give him money you will be blessed. And the more blessed he is if you give to those that are most blessed. It's a pyramid scheme. If these men were in the secular world they'd be in jail. Ponzi schemes. Pyramid schemes. The man at the top who appears to be the holiest dogiest and speaks the loudest. Hundreds of people running up until the pockets were bulging and the sinner says is this the free gospel? Is this the gospel? Dollar bills. Listen to what was said. The speaker got up and he said if a poor widow on welfare hands you five dollars you better take it. Elijah took the widow's last meal. You are the anointed one. You deserve it. You take it. The same speaker said I live in an eight thousand dollar I live in an eight thousand square foot house. I'm going to build a bigger one now one that King Solomon would be proud of. I just paid fifteen thousand dollars for a dog. You see this gorgeous ring on my finger? I was in Jamaica and just paid thirty two thousand dollars for it. He said I want you to know that when the people in my town come past my mansion and they see my Rolls Royce standing, sitting in the driveway they know there's a God in heaven. Now you tell me that's the gospel. You tell me you can't weep over that. One of the speakers got up and he said we made a covenant along with Brother Copeland that for the next year, 365 days none of us are going to suffer for a single day. We will not know a moment of discouragement. We will never be sick or in need. We're going to enjoy all the blessings. We reject all suffering, all pain all financial problems. That's fine if you're on the top of the heap. Here's what grieves me most. This was preached. The Holy Spirit can't be poured out upon you until first you're in the money flow. Until you are prospering the Holy Ghost cannot do his work. Think of it. How does this affect you? What does it do to your spirit when you see poor people who are living from paycheck to paycheck and suddenly he says run for the money and people are running wildly everywhere running and they say as they run they are claiming the riches. And then I see people withering like snakes out of their seats from the floor. I see the evangelist going up like a snake and people falling everywhere. Folks, what's going on? Reports of the solemn assembly. You know what the prophet called them? He said they're greedy dogs. Ungodly watchmen. Folks, if you had the heart of God and the burden of the Lord you'd be crying out with Isaiah. They are blind watchmen. Ignorant, dumb dogs. Sleeping, loving to slumber. Yay, greedy dogs which can never have enough. I've got 8,000 square foot but I'm gonna sell it and I'm gonna make one now that King Solomon could live in. Never getting enough. He said shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own way. Every one for his own gain from his quarter. Jeremiah spared no words. He said my people are lost sheep. Their shepherds have caused them to go astray. Go to Ezekiel 34, please. Go to Ezekiel 34. I'm telling you, listen. You say, Pastor, you have no right to speak so strongly on this subject. If you think I'm strong, you listen to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 34. Verse 1 through 10. Verses 1 through 10. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, say to them, Thus saith the Lord God to the shepherds, Woe to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat. He's talking about the sheep. You feed them, the shepherds. You eat the fat. You clothe you with the wool. Yeah, you take your, the $5 from the widow and you buy a $15,000 dog. You take the paycheck from the widow and the poor and you tell them that they don't have enough faith. That's why they're not prospering. And you feed, you take the very wool off the back of the sheep. The diseased have you not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick. Neither have you bound up that which is broken. Neither have you brought again that which was driven away. Neither have you sought that which is lost. You're not out for souls, you're out for money. But with force and with cruelty have you ruled them? They've scattered because there's no shepherd and they became meat to all the beasts that filled when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill my flock was scattered to the face of the earth and none did search or seek after them. Therefore you shepherds hear the word of the Lord. As I live, says the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey and my flock became meat to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd neither did my shepherds search for my flock. But the shepherds fed themselves and fed not the flock. Therefore oh you shepherds hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God. Behold I am against the shepherds and I will require my flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock. Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore for I will deliver my flock from their mouth that they may not be meat for them anymore. If it takes any person to do it and God bankrupts it all He'll do it. I'm going to deliver my flock from the teeth of these men. My God help us. Number two. The misrepresentation of the blessed Holy Ghost. What a reproach. This is the worst reproach it should make us fall on our faces. The way and the manner in which the Holy Ghost is being represented to the whole world. Sad to say there's so little discernment left in the church and among so many pastors and even church leaders they don't even know when the Holy Ghost is being misrepresented or blasphemed. There are thousands of Christians that go to church that go to crusades and healing crusades and they see things they think of the Holy Ghost and they don't even know that they're sitting on the ministry they're clapping and they're praising God while a man stands up they're blaspheming and misrepresenting the Holy Ghost and they don't even know it. In taricong charismatic denominations including the assemblies of God are being torn apart. Literally be torn apart by pseudo revivals. All kinds of things that are happening and there's something new being introduced almost every week and the leaders don't know whether to embrace it or to curse it they don't know what to do. Pastors write us we get letters from hundreds and hundreds of pastors from all over the world they're saying what is right and what is wrong where are the leaders where is somebody to tell us. Folks what we're seeing today in what is called so many revivals and things that are happening being attributed to the Holy Ghost cannot be found in the scripture. Anything that cannot be found in this book has to be rejected outright. Has to be rejected. Totally rejected. I weep when I see these videos that are sent to me from all over the country. Whole groups of bodies jerking out of control falling on the floor laughing hysterically staggering around like drunkards writhing like snakes howling like wild animals. And we have evangelists that stand and blows on people to knock them down as if the breath of the Holy Ghost has now incarnated him. Throws his briony jacket at people and says that is the hand of the Lord. And now a new gospel has just hit South America. Now folks it's very rude and crude but I have to tell you the newest thing now because folks when you get into this kind of thing when you get away from the parameters of the scripture when you just get up and say Oh it's a new thing. It's a new thing. God's doing a new thing. I don't understand it. It's not in the scripture but I don't want to I don't want to stand against the Holy Ghost. Folks, if it's not in this book you must stand up against it. And now the new thing is that you can't enter the kingdom of God except as you come as a little babe. And now they're asking and the people come with diapers under their outer clothing so that they can defecate and urinate in the meetings. This is the new thing. Folks, where does it end? Like Pastor Simba I heard him preach the other day he said is it come down to this that one day some evangelist stands up and says I've got a revelation from the Lord it's time to add Mary to your worship. That's what it's going to come to. An evangelist calls himself the Holy Ghost bartender. He says belly up to the bar and take a drink of the Holy Ghost. And they call that drinking the new wine. And folks, I hear ringing in my ears the prophet that said the day of the Lord is at hand wickedness abounds weep between the porch and the altar put on sackcloth fast and mourn for the backsliding of my people. Jesus is about to come and the masses are unreached. And when I see Christians belly up to what is called the Holy Ghost bar staggering like drunkards Joel's words come to me loud and clear awake you drunkards and weep all you who are drinking new wine because the harvest, the field is perished. He said souls are dying by the thousands all over the world people are dying what are you laughing about? Folks, anything that is of the Holy Ghost has to work anywhere on the face of the earth. You've got to be able to take it into the most vile wicked places you've got to take it into poverty nations you've got to take it into the dredge of humanity and it's got to work there it can't work just in prosperous America it has to work everywhere on the face of the earth. I dare you I dare these men and I said lovingly I dare them to take this gospel I dare them to take the laughing gospel into the Balkans now and go into those refugee camps where wives are crying because they saw their husband shot their daughters have been raped their children are hungry they've lost their homes they're homeless and go in there and ask them the belly up to the bar the Holy Ghost wants you to laugh and this so called revival is coming to Madison Square Garden this summer knowing what you know about the scripture carrying the grief and the burden for the solemn assembly how do you even conceive of embracing such a doctrine let me tell you who's laughing the world the ungodly the heathen it's become a spectacle in a time so close to the coming of the Lord when the church of Jesus Christ ought to be shut and lay in a secret closet of prayer where there ought to be weeping for the lost where there ought to be a desire to forsake all and follow Jesus where there should never be a mention of the dollar bill the American God the American idolatry we have the world looking at this foolishness and you know what they're thinking now that the Holy Ghost is a circus the Holy Ghost is the ringmaster and it's a charismatic circus I don't care what anybody thinks anymore I don't care if people drop off the mailing list I do care for their soul I care for the fact that many are into this blindness but I have a duty before God to stand before the congregation he's called me to minister to and warn you and tell you that these are reproaches of the solemn assembly and the Bible said you're to be sorrowful about it he said the elders are to be sorrowful about it the congregation, the pastors, the ministers, the evangelists this is the end of side one and we should be praying down these strongholds and finally the reproach of downgrading depravity in the church downgrading depravity woe unto them that call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness they put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Jeremiah 23, 15 I've seen in the prophets a horrible thing they commit adultery, they walk in lies they strengthen also the hands of evildoers and none returns from his wickedness I gotta let him explain, let me illustrate I got a letter this past week from an irate Christian woman terribly irate she said my husband who's supposed to be a Christian is a big time gambler in the millions she said he's been so concerned with the crowd he's been with and the danger he's in and I thought well I'll urge him to go to the pastor she said brother Wilson you'll not believe what happened I am so angry I'm so hurt and confused I sent my multi-million dollar gambling husband to my pastor he said he had heard about this man been in the church I don't know if he was enjoying the tithing of it or what but he said I have searched the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation and I can't find one thing in the scripture against gambling he said I see no sin in it he said enjoy yourself, words to that effect she said she was dumbfounded she said how can a man of God say such a thing to my husband she intimated that she just lost him for good this is exactly what Jeremiah spoke of the pastor strengthened the hands of evil doers that none doth return from his wickedness and he explains why they have downgraded depravity in their congregation and why they're calling evil good and good evil and bitter sweet and sweet bitter the reason of it he said the prophets themselves have committed adultery and walking in lies he said any man that's got sin in his life is not going to get up and talk about sin in the camp because he's convicted by his own adultery and his own sin, his own evil mind folks I'm not painting every minister in the country with his brush no, the majority of ministers are on fire for God there are young ministers so clean and so pure in this wicked day and age I've met many of them and I thank God for them even in this town, even in this city I've met some of the most righteous preachers I've ever met in my lifetime and multitudes of ministers feel just like I feel this morning and they're looking and waiting for voices to expose that which is evil if they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to hear my words and they said if they were speaking what I really have in my heart if they were speaking the mind of God they should have turned the people away from their evil ways and from evil of their doings he said you can tell a man of God you can tell if a man knows the Lord and they have been shut in with God God said these other, I didn't send them I didn't speak to them, they speak their own mind out of their own imagination out of the evil of their own hearts the prophet said they speak a vision of their own heart I sent them not, I've not spoken to them they say unto them that despise me the Lord said you shall have peace and they say unto everyone that walks after the imagination of his own heart no evil shall come upon you don't worry, everything's okay it used to be that sinful men who wanted to appease their conscience went to the psychiatrist now they go to certain churches I believe like the Puritan, the godly, holy Puritan pastors who said this I quote one that a godly person has to be more deeply concerned more burdened over the reproach of the church than any other evil in the world the reproach upon the solemn assembly should be the greatest sorrow to everyone who loves Christ and his church this should be the greatest sorrow in our heart these reproaches on his name and on his church now you may be saying well Pastor Dave I just don't see it that way I'm of a more positive mental attitude Pastor Dave you've got that morbid prophetic kind of thing like the Old Testament prophets and this may be your thing but it's not my thing because I see things through brighter eyes I see the church the great blessings come I believe God's going to bless his church I believe the gates of hell will never prevail against it I know all of that I believe with all of my heart but what do I do about this scripture what do I do about the prophet Zephaniah who said in the last days God's going to raise up a people and get them together and they're going to have a sorrowful heart over the conditions and they are going to bear the reproach they're going to take the reproach of Christ they're going to know the heart of God and I dare you get into the presence of God you shut yourself in with the Lord with diligent prayer and he's going to burn your heart you're going to weep over the condition of the church he's going to show you the condition he will open your eyes to it who is this blind but my servant or deaf is the messenger that I sent they see many things but they never do observe in other words they don't do anything about it he said you don't even hear now folks I want to show you a scripture that I didn't understand till this past week when the Lord put this message in my heart go to Zephaniah again the third chapter I'm going to close here in just a moment I want to prove to you look this way for just a minute I want to prove to you that this matter of taking on the burden of the reproach of the Solomon sent me is so close to the heart of God it is so much his mind I fought demonic powers to get to this pope this morning and preach this I had the devil hound me and say I'm going to make you pay for this your health, your family and everything else I listened to a hundred lies had to overcome them through faith that I'd be under attack but I want you to know that I am on such powerful scriptural grounds that I'm telling you that right now while I'm preaching the Lord Jesus himself is rejoicing and dancing and when you take your stand when you take on this burden of the Lord and you take on that burden by fasting and praying over it our weapons are mighty through God and pulling down strong, these are strongholds in the church you've got to stand up we need to do it corporately, we need to do it privately every child of God needs to be praying against this, that God would first open the eyes of those prophets, false prophets who are preaching this open their eyes deliver them from this snare and be merciful to them, be kind to them and that everybody's in this snare we need to be delivered we need to be praying that down more than that, don't touch it don't go near it, leave it alone because it will grab you if you're not strong in the Lord, if you're a weak believer you're a new believer, you go in just out of curiosity, it'll take you, it'll grab you because it appeals to everything of the flesh and until you know how to deal with the flesh and the power of the Holy Ghost, stay away from it the Bible says grief is the daughter of love I mean, the Puritan said grief is the daughter of love in other words, if you really love Jesus, you're going to share his grief but let me show you the scripture, verse 17 the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing, why? because he's gathered them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee to whom the reproach of is a burden he's singing over those who share his burden, I stand before you now on a rock without one iota of fear in me I have delivered the mind of God and I tell you now in the power of this wonderful word from the prophet Jeremiah the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will save he rejoice over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing why? because he's found a people who are sorrowful over the things that sorrow his heart who carry the burden that he carries of the reproach of the solemn assembly I tell you in closing of everything in me you and I need to be praying that God will raise up leaders he'll raise up voices fearless voices heartbroken voices that have nothing to prove stand up against this because where it's going to end, let me tell you where it's going to end unless we begin to pray and get a hold of this burden, let me tell you where it ends with this, I'll close it's going to end in a love trap a love trap and this is what they're saying now you'll hear these people, it sounds so loving we love everybody it doesn't matter what you preach doesn't matter whether you're in prosperity it doesn't matter what your gospel is or anything else, God is love let's all just get together and embrace one another but the Bible said how can two walk together unless they be agreed, how can you how can you walk with those when you don't agree with the unscriptural practices, you cannot, that's a love trap, they say don't condemn anybody, don't judge anybody, oh no no no that's what the Bible says, he said we're to judge righteous judgment, reprove and rebruke with all longsuffering I'm not on a soapbox I'm on a rock God's trying to save you church I don't know what they do with this scripture when Jesus said to one of the churches of Asia, he said I know you're so poor, but you're really rich what were the riches of God in Christ Jesus the peace of God, the wisdom of God the nearness of Christ all that is in Christ is ours one of the not of this convention I mentioned he tried to tell the congregation that that seamless robe of Jesus was one of the expensive robes you could buy isn't that something even bring Jesus in to the doctrine folks beware beware have I scared you are you ready to take on the burden of the Lord you can't do that in your own flesh you have to do as I've done, I've gone alone with God and I said Lord tell me what hurts you I want to feel your pain you know we preach a lot of love and grace and mercy in this church the time has come now to call a solemn assembly will you stand let me tell you what the invitation is about this morning in the annex and all of the overflow rooms and here in the main auditorium, all around me I'm going to ask this body if Times Square Church is your church and if you believe what I've preached this morning if you've got any of these tapes or books, get them out of your house, don't give them away, burn them burn them no clapping please somebody invites you to go to these things say I'm sorry I don't want a famine of the word and I don't want my heart to wither and dry I want the pure word of the Lord that will cause me to grow, I don't want anything I don't want any message that's going to appeal to my flesh or to foster covetousness in my spirit some of you are here right now I'm suffering financially and I need help, I need a miracle oh God does supply needs and God is a miracle working God yes but he's going to do it only his way not by misappropriating and not by misusing the scripture, not by taking out a context, but preaching a balanced message you're not going to just look at all the rich men in the Old Testament, you know I listened to them, Job was rich Abraham was rich, Solomon was rich David was rich, these are all rich men in the Old Testament well, take a look at Samuel on his donkey take a look at other men and then listen to listen to Abraham he says I'm not I don't want any of this he said I'm looking for a city whose builder and maker is God I don't want a big house down here I don't want all these things, I'm looking to get home, I'm looking to be with my Savior and my Lord, Hallelujah Heavenly Father you have truly borne me up this morning otherwise I'd have been weak-kneed and not been able to stand I thank you Holy Spirit Lord if there's been one word I've spoken out of order, forgive me and cleanse me but Lord I thank you for the word I believe in my heart that you rejoice when we take a stand against those things that grieve your heart things that are so contrary to the word of the Lord and contrary to Scripture Lord if we get away from the Scripture we're on dangerous ground Lord keep us in the word, keep us fastened to the word of God let us dig deep until we have discernment, we know what's right, we know what's wrong Hallelujah Lord give us pastors and shepherds who will take a stand and keep their flock Lord from being swallowed up by wolves in sheep's clothing now I'm going to give an invitation this morning for those who first of all are backslidden in heart they say Pastor Dave I don't have the fire burning in my heart now if I preach the word of the Lord this morning he'll confirm it, and the way he confirms it by bringing conviction to your heart first of all I'll convict you on the word that you heard if you have been lusting after gospel that would give you the keys to get rich or to be prosperous, I'm telling you you need to repent if you've been, have your hearts been going out to that kind of thing I've tried everything, I've tried faith everything I've got to get something in my hand now to teach me or show me how to get money if money is the object prosperity has been the object you've missed the cross you've missed the gospel you've got to repent and I want you to step out of your seat boldly and come up here and repent and say God forgive me, I'm going to keep my eyes on Jesus, I'm going to cross and come what may I'm not going to go that way now if you're here in a balcony the same thing, if you're backslidden in heart, you say Pastor Wilkinson Brother Dave, the fire is not burning in my soul like it should, you may be visiting here for the first time we've had a number walk out now I'm sorry for that but you're here and God is doing something and sometimes still waters run the deepest and he's doing a deep work in our heart of conviction and speaking to us he's speaking to me to get rid of my timidity and speak prophetically when he speaks and not to be ashamed to expose what is evil I'm asking everybody in this congregation you're not right with God there's been a coldness in your heart you're not saved, I want you to follow these that are coming right now in the annex I want you to simply walk right forward to the front where the screens are we're going to have people take you in a room and pray with you and minister to you and here in the main auditorium while we sing a chorus I want you to get out of your seat, wherever you're at say brother Wilkinson, I don't want to be deceived by the devil, there may be other kinds of deception, somebody talking to you on the phone, other deceptions somebody been trying to either gossip to you or speak some word of death into your ears and your heart and your mind so God I don't receive this, I come now and I repent give me clean ears, give me a clean heart, if there's sin in your life that's bound you say brother Wilkinson, I want to be free from this sin that's in my life, nobody needs to know what it is no one will say anything crazy to you no one will put a microphone in your face you come because the Holy Ghost draws you all over this house and in the annexes, if you're in the overflow rooms, go into the main annex, go into the main auditorium in the annex and join those that just move forward to the screens there's Pastor Neil Rhodes I believe is going to be there and others to show you where to go, but here in the main up in the balcony, go this way and this way and down here in the main auditorium just step out of your seat and follow these that are coming now, the Lord wants to change your life, he wants the miracle in your life that you've been praying for a freedom of deliverance from lust, freedom of deliverance from false doctrine strengthen you in the Lord, if you feel you're weak this morning you need to be strengthened by the Holy Ghost follow these that are coming please listen, you that have come forward just listen for a moment, the Holy Spirit is here to meet every need that's in your life, every need in your body, soul and spirit he's here to minister to you, I can't minister to you, the Holy Spirit has to do that, look at me for just a moment, look this way the Holy Spirit has to do the work and he's here, he's willing and he's waiting right now for you to give him your confidence and your faith that's all he's asking of you right now, to believe that if you confess your sins the Lord will forgive you, to believe that he hears the cry of your heart that sincere desire to follow him if you'll cry out now for power to live the overcoming life, he will give you that power, that's the work and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Bible said he who has begun a good work in you will finish it, he'll continue it and he'll finish it to the day of the Lord, he's going to keep you until Jesus comes in other words, isn't that wonderful are you going to, can you say that to yourself are you going to keep me until Jesus comes, the Holy Ghost is going to keep me until Jesus comes I want you to pray this with me from the innermost part of your being, pray it those in the annex and those here in the auditorium, pray this with me right out loud, Jesus I come to you now in my need I can't solve my problems, I can't forgive myself, I can't change myself but you can change me you can forgive me you can give me a new heart Lord I confess that I need you I confess that I can't make it on my own and I give you my heart, my sins, my doubts my backslidings my lust, I give it all, now Holy Spirit, I believe the word, the word tells me that if I will believe and call on the Holy Ghost, He will come and inhabit my body and give me power to live for Christ and to overcome the dominion of sin I believe and I receive now in the name of the Lord Jesus I am secure in Christ according to His Holy Word now let me pray for you Father I pray that you break the chains that bind, I come against every spirit of lust every habit that is evil everything unlike you Jesus preoccupation with self and Lord I come against false doctrines I come against those doctrines that lay hold of the mind that cause people to believe a lie to be the truth, I bind that in the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, Lord take down the shield that has covered the hard hearts and Lord soften their hearts, give them a heart of flesh let the sword of the Lord and the arrows of the truth penetrate their heart and bring healing take out the poison of the system now Lord, and Father we pray for your church, Lord we know that you're going to prevail we know there's going to be a glorious church come forth without spot or wrinkle we know the devil will never defeat the purposes, God's eternal purposes but Lord Jesus give us the burden of the Lord, let us carry this burden because you said I will gather them the sorrow for these things, Lord and we ask you for that godless sorrow and even in sorrow we rejoice, we have that rejoicing because we know that you're going to prevail against all that is unlike you in your house Lord we love your church because it is you it is your body and we love it and we pray for it and Lord we will stand with you in it God give this church that burden we pray, let Times Square Church be a church that carries the burden of the Lord, hallelujah thank you Jesus give the Lord thanks right now in your heart just give him thanks this is the conclusion of the tape