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The Power of the Holy Ghost (1 of 2)
David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson (1931 - 2011). American Pentecostal pastor, evangelist, and author born in Hammond, Indiana. Raised in a family of preachers, he was baptized with the Holy Spirit at eight and began preaching at 14. Ordained in 1952 after studying at Central Bible College, he pastored small churches in Pennsylvania. In 1958, moved by a Life Magazine article about New York gang violence, he started a street ministry, founding Teen Challenge to help addicts and troubled youth. His book "The Cross and the Switchblade," co-authored in 1962, became a bestseller, chronicling his work with gang members like Nicky Cruz. In 1987, he founded Times Square Church in New York City, serving a diverse congregation until his death. Wilkerson wrote over 30 books, including "The Vision," and was known for bold prophecies and a focus on holiness. Married to Gwen since 1953, they had four children. He died in a car accident in Texas. His ministry emphasized compassion for the lost and reliance on God. Wilkerson’s work transformed countless lives globally. His legacy endures through Teen Challenge and Times Square Church.
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Sermon Summary
In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of the Holy Ghost in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. He highlights the significance of the resurrection in the everyday Christian life, stating that it is not just a Bible story but a message for the church and all believers. The preacher encourages the audience to understand that they do not have to live under the dominion of sin and can be delivered from life-controlling issues. He references Romans 6:5 and emphasizes the need to die to the flesh and commit everything into the hands of God.
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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, 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. Oh God, come down with the word now. Bless and anoint it. Let everyone that hears the word be changed. Lord, we want the word to change us, to strengthen us. Oh God, that we may serve you faithfully in these last days, in our daily walk with you. Let us know the meaning of the resurrection in a new way today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. You may be seated. At 1.30 today, there's a missionary film being shown here in the main auditorium. The afternoon service is at 3 o'clock. This choir will be with us all day with this presentation this afternoon and this evening as well. There's no eating in the auditorium, please. If you go out, please do not bring your food into the main auditorium. We ask that if you will keep that in mind. Now let me talk to you from the word. I want to talk to you about the power of the Holy Ghost in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The power of the Holy Ghost. Very, very important. Now there's a powerful scripture found in Romans 6, verse 5. Don't turn there now. I'll tell you where to turn in just a bit. But I want you to listen very closely. If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Now the word says that we are crucified with Jesus Christ. The Bible said we are buried with him. The Bible said we are raised in him. And all in the same way that Jesus died, was buried and resurrected. In the likeness of his death and in the likeness of his resurrection. That is the path that we trade also. And if that's the truth, if we are in the likeness of his death, his burial and his resurrection. That is one of the most glorious truths that you and I can ever comprehend. And if you get a hold of it this morning and ask the Holy Spirit to fully reveal it to you. It can absolutely change your life. Because the resurrection of Jesus Christ has everything to do with our victory over the power and dominion of sin. It is our resurrection out of the bondage and the death of sin into the walk of newness of life that Paul describes. We've got to understand that. We talk about the resurrection. We like to picture it. We like to tell the story. We listen to the story of his going into the grave. The angels rolling away the tombstone. And we love to hear the story of the revelation of Jesus to Mary at that time. But few of us really know how the resurrection affects our everyday Christian life. This is not just a Bible story, even as glorious as it is. This has to do with God saying something to the church. To all of his people. You do not have to live under the dominion of sin in your life. You don't have to live with a life controlling luster problem. You can be delivered. You can be set free. That's what the resurrection of Jesus Christ means to me. And that's what I wanted to mean to you also this morning. Now, we are encouraged in the scripture to identify ourselves with the death, the burial and resurrection of Jesus. Didn't Paul say you'd reckon yourself dead with Christ? In other words, to believe that with all your heart that you are dead with Christ. And folks, we try to figure out this theology. We try to figure out what Paul the Apostle means by being dead with Christ, dead to sin, identifying with his death and his resurrection. How his death, his resurrection becomes mine. How I reckon myself to be a part of that. And folks, outside of a revelation of Jesus Christ, outside of a revelation of the Holy Spirit, you cannot fully comprehend or understand that. I'm asking God to make it very, very simple to us today. In fact, in Acts 2, I want you to go to Acts, the second chapter, and we're going to show you how clearly the Holy Ghost has made it. It's a simple way to understand our death and burial and resurrection with Jesus Christ. Thank God the word is not complicated for those who seek it with all their heart. Second chapter of Acts. Now, this is Peter's message on the day of Pentecost to the gathered throng. Acts 2, 24, beginning to read verse 24. Acts 2, 24. Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him. I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Now, look this way, if you will, please. Here, in this passage I've just read to you, we have a picture of what the apostle Paul and Peter and all the epistles tried to bring to our attention, tried to explain to us about how you and I are crucified with Christ, buried with Christ and raised with him. All in this. You say, well, I don't get it. Well, let's ask God to open it to us now. It begins, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death. The pains of death. Now, he's talking about being in the garden of Gethsemane. The apostle Peter is saying he went into the garden and there was a crisis, an incredible crisis, a travail. He was sweating, as it were, drops of blood. Now, what was that battle all about? We know that Jesus said to the disciples, I come not to do my own will, but to the will of the Father. He said, I am determined, that's why I'm here. I do nothing but the will of my Father. So we know from the beginning he was set to do the will of God. He was always, in this life, putting aside his will and taking on the Father's will. Everything, he said, I do nothing except what I see and hear my Father do. He was completely given to the will of God. But now he's facing death. And you see, I think his battle is, and it's in the flesh, because he was man and he was God. And he had to die to this going into the grave. And I think, in my own heart, I sense this more and more the more I study the Scripture, that Jesus is thinking about, could it be possible that I could ever be isolated, could lose that fellowship, and facing this terrible thing of going down and finally dying. Now, he had to die to this, this human will that is looking death in the eye. And he had to die. He didn't die physically, but he had to die to this thing. I must die to my flesh. I must die in this flesh. This is the end of my flesh. Now, he's going to be still man when he's glorified, because he's both God and man in glory. He still has a body. But he's going to change out of this role of humanity. And he's going now into death, into the grave. Now, we know he had to die to this, otherwise he wouldn't have said, Please, Lord, if it's possible, let this pass from me. So we know that he had a battle with that. Now, this is the same battle that every Christian fights. This battle of dying to your own will. Every true Christian that has a heart for God, if you love Jesus with all your heart, I tell you, you know what it is to sweat and strive, trying to please God, trying to die to your own will. How many of you know right now the battle that you've had against lust, the battle you've had against a besetting sin in your life? I had a young preacher in my office a few weeks ago. He'd been delivered from drugs for 15 years, fell back into heroin. He said, I've been clean now, brother Dave, for four or five months. But he has marks on his face. He said, I lay on the carpet, and I've rubbed my face in the carpet, pleading and begging God to take away the desire for heroin that's still in my heart. I love Jesus with all my heart, but I'm still in a battle with his flesh. And I said, I'm going to tell you something, son. That's probably going to be there for a long time. But the Bible says you're not to make provision for that lust that's in your heart. It's there, but make no provision for it. But don't let it bother you, because there's victory for you when you understand that you can't do it in your flesh anyhow. You have to die to all of your thoughts of ability and human effort and human energy. And this is what the death of Gethsemane means. This is what the death, this battle that has ended. And the Bible said he endured, I read it again, having loose the pains of death. And in the Greek, the pain there means pangs of birth. You say, no, it says pains of death. No, it doesn't. In fact, the original Greek uses this, the throes such as childbirth. He's not only dying to something, he's birthing something in Gethsemane. He's going to die completely to his will about death. He's going to die to any possibility that he can do anything to raise himself. Jesus went into the grave having been loosed from that battle. You and I have to be loosed from the battle of the flesh. You have to be loosed once and for all from this idea that you can save yourself from the power of sin. I don't care what you face today. I don't care what your battle is. And folks, the temptations of this last day are greater than any other generation. The enemy is coming. He's taking over all the media now. He's taking over even the computers now. They're talking about child pornography on the internet now. Using every avenue trying to get to your eyes and fill your heart with lust and bring you down. He's out to destroy the church. He said even the elect he would come after to deceive if it were possible. So we have a whole generation now of Christians still in struggle. They've been saved but they're still in a battle. There has to come a time when you have it out with God. You get along with Him and there will be striving. I know what that striving is over my past life. To get along with God and say, Lord, I have failed in everything I've tried to do in my flesh. I've made you promises. And folks, we get on that seesaw, sin confess, sin confess. We make vows. We make promises. We do everything within our human power and energy to defeat the onslaught of the enemy. We try to defeat temptation. We try to defeat every lie of the enemy. And almost every Christian has come to a place where at one time they said, well, I can do it. And I called the old man. Remember the I can do man? I can do it. Just give me time. Give me enough books. Give me enough sermons. Give me enough time to rally my energy and I will win over this battle. But folks, that's what Gethsemane is. You go in there until you say my flesh has failed me. There is nothing in my flesh that pleases God. I can never be free from the power of sin and its dominion in anything I do in my flesh. You have to die to that once and for all. There's a death. And when that happens, you're loose from the pains of it. You are loosed. He was loosed from the pains of that death, the pangs. He gave birth suddenly to the will of God. And he says, now I commit my body, my future, my life. I commit everything into the hands of my Heavenly Father. And oh, what a wonderful thing it is as a Christian to come to this place where you have made up your mind once and for all. I'm not surprised at my flesh. I don't trust my flesh. As long as I live, my flesh will lust against the Holy Ghost. As long as I live, there's going to be a man in me that I don't trust. Paul said, I don't trust in my flesh. So I turn to the Holy Ghost and His power. I say, oh God, you alone have the power over sin, death and the devil and hell. It's not in me. I acknowledge it. As long as I die to any hope, I come to a place where I'm absolutely helpless. And you go into the grave just as Jesus did. And Jesus is in that grave and He's not striving for resurrection. He's a dead man. He's not thinking how He can get out of the tomb. He's not lifting a muscle. He went into the grave believing what God had told Him. He had committed Himself completely into the hands of the Heavenly Father and He was at rest. And that's how you go down into the grave with Christ. You go down saying, Lord, all my striving is in vain. I come now. My part is to come to death. My part is to see that my flesh is no longer my hope and my confidence. You say, what is God's part? That's the power of the Holy Ghost. My part is to come to death where I come to this realization that I am totally, absolutely helpless humanly to resist this enemy, to fight the enemy in my own power. Who are you to think you can fight the devil and all the powers of hell in your own strength? I don't care how many promises you've made. You failed every one of them. Every promise you made to yourself and God, you have failed. And if you think you've done it in your own strength, you're going to stand before God because the Lord calls that revolting. He said, that's a revolt against me. You're trying to do it in the flesh and it can't be done by flesh. Flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. See, the Bible said we are in the likeness of his death. Death means I'm at the end of myself. I am not going to strive in my flesh anymore because it has brought me nothing but despair and guilt and condemnation and fear. And then we get loose from the pains of this death the moment we surrender and say, Lord, I'm going to trust the power of the Holy Ghost from this time on. That's the moment you pass from death into life. You've come to the realm of the Holy Ghost power. It was not possible, the scripture says, whom God hath raised up from the dead having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it. It was not possible. Beloved, no sin, no flesh, no devil can hold you or keep dominion over you once you've committed completely your life into the hands of the power of the Holy Ghost. See, there's a revelation that came to him in the garden. Something came to him that set him free, that birthed his confidence, this wonderful rest. He said because my soul is no longer troubled. You read it in the next verse. He says that I should not be moved. And in Greek it's troubled, that I should not be troubled. He's now at rest. He can go and face the cross because he's totally at peace. He's totally at rest because he's crossed the line. He's already crossed the line. He's into the grave already in his heart and in his mind. I can face this now because only the power of God can raise me from the dead. And the Spirit of God upon him, the revelation that came to him, you're going down into that grave, but that grave can't hold you. You're going to come out new. You're going to come out in newness. For it was not possible that he should be held of it. Oh, folks, you want to be free. You're tired of carrying the burden of sin and the dominion and the hold of sin over your life and lust. If you will give up on your flesh and you will go to the Lord and begin to cry out to him and say, Lord, I trust you, the same power that went into the grave that raised up Christ. I'm raised up from the same likeness, the same power. And if I'm to believe that the Holy Ghost has power to raise Jesus from the dead, I've got to believe he has power to raise me from the death of sin. Hallelujah. It was not possible that he could be held. And when he came to this place where he is in total at rest, he says, I am not going to go any further than this. My part now is to just submit to the will of God. I turn my future. I turn my eternal destiny into the hands of my Heavenly Father. And then the Bible said the angels came and strengthened him. And that's what happens when you give up on the flesh. You know once and for all that your flesh cannot deliver you. Your human willpower will not do it. And you commit yourself completely to a life of trust in the power of the Holy Ghost to raise you out of this bondage. Then is when the strength of God begins to come to you. Hallelujah. Now let me bring you to a glorious secret that is known only to those who walk intimately with the Lord. Those who walk intimately with the Lord know something that others do not know. And it brings wonderful deliverance. Do you want to know how to die to sin? How to walk in victory over the power of sin? The secret is found in the next few verses. In verse 25 it says, For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. I foresaw the Lord before my face. Folks, this is a definition of intimacy with Christ and his Heavenly Father. He said, the Lord was always in my face. And in the Greek it says, He and I were always in one another's presence. Now intimacy, listen to me. The definition of intimacy. It's something that's very private. It's very personal. It's a close union of hearts. It's sharing innermost secrets from one deepest recess of the mind to the other. It's a close sharing of two hearts about things that no one else knows. It's the sharing of the innermost secrets of the heart. That is intimacy. And this is how Jesus knew the mind and voice. I do nothing except what I see and hear my Father do. It was because he spent this close, wonderful quality time with his Heavenly Father and he got to know the mind and the heart of his Father. This is intimacy. This is why those who are closest to the heart of Jesus are always talking about intimacy. And you can always tell somebody who knows the Lord in the closest way because whatever is in your heart is going to come out. If you're intimate with the Lord, that's all you're going to talk about. Intimacy. Before their faces at his right hand. This is what the intimate Christian can say. I have him. I saw the Lord always before my face. I'm always before his face. He's on my right hand. He's near me. He's right here because I'm always with him and he's always with me. He's intimate with me. And there's perfect security. In the presence of Jesus. Now, this whole passage I'm reading to you from Acts is taken directly out of Psalm 16. It's the prophecy of David. And the Scripture says, The Lord has given me counsel and instructed me. If you go to the 16th chapter of Psalms, when you see this first prophesy, right out of this intimacy, and this is Jesus talking, even through David. You're to go. And as soon as it speaks of he's at my right hand, the next thing you hear from Jesus is this. The Lord has given me counsel and he's instructed me in the ninth season. He's instructed me. Listen to me, folks. Everywhere. I must get this through to you through the power of the Spirit. You can go to every book in a Christian bookstore. You can go to your commentary to try to find out how to live a victorious life in these troubled times. You can go to seminars. You can go to spiritual life conventions. You can get thousands of tapes. You can set yourself in hour after hour. And you can come to times for a church and you can hear sermon after sermon on overcoming life, how to get victory. You can get all the how-to books. But unless you are studded with Jesus, unless you are intimate with Christ, you'll never grasp it. You'll never understand it. You'll ever be learning and never coming into the knowledge of the truth. And that's why we have so many, many books. How to conquer loneliness. How to do this. How to do this. 13, 12 steps of AA to conquer alcohol problems. And all of the instructions of man. Man-made methods. But you've got to move away from those man-made methods. And all of the instructions of man, it's not by the flesh at all. You get along with Jesus. You set yourself in with him. Say, Lord, I'm going to trust you. But I'm also going to walk close to you. The old puritans talked about climbing into the lap of Jesus. And I believe that. You get into the lap of Jesus and let him embrace you. And he'll share his heart with you. He'll tell you things that nobody else knows. You know, those who are intimate with Jesus, the Christian life seems so simple to them. It's uncomplicated because they're so instructed by the Lord. You know, while people are running all around looking for keys for deliverance, they just slip away into their secret closet. And they just talk to Jesus. And they come out and they have the answer. They don't get on an airplane or a bus. They don't go anywhere. They slip into their secret closet and get along with the Lord. They come out uncomplicated and simple. I was struggling a number of weeks ago with a theological problem. And I called a minister friend of mine. Explained this theological problem. And I went through all my commentaries. And I studied and everything. Every book I could get my hands on. All my libraries trying to get this. And this minister friend said, That's no problem. In the next two minutes, he explained the whole thing to me. I said, Where'd you get that? On my knees. I went in my library, closed my books. I said, Lord, it's the only way I'm going to understand. The Holy Ghost has to come and reveal. The Holy Ghost has to come and reveal it. Hallelujah. I could stand here and give you step-by-step how to overcome the power of the flesh. But I agree with, and I said this Friday night in my message here at the church. And I agree with John Owen, the great Puritan writer, who said, God never delivers someone he knows you'll never hear from again. Jesus said, I stayed in his presence. I was in his right hand. And he revealed to me the way of life. And that left me full of joy. See, something comes out of this intimacy with the Father. He has an ironclad promise that he'll never be abandoned to the power of the devil or to the power of corruption. Thou shall not leave my soul in hell. You see, that was, that was, that was what Christ needed to hear. That's what our Savior needed to hear. The Father, by his Spirit, saying, Son, you're going into the grave, but I'm not going to abandon you. I'm not going to let the devil take over. I'm going to deliver you. Death and hell can't hold you, and corruption cannot destroy you. Now, that's good news to me. If I'm in the likeness of his death, his burial, and resurrection, this promises to me. He said he would not allow his Holy One to see corruption. Now, in the Sethid text, it translates Holy Ones, Holy Ones. He wouldn't let his Holy Ones. You say, well, I don't like that translation. And some commentaries and some theologians don't like that translation, Holy Ones, and say it's only Christ, the Holy One. But then I fall back on the passage I just read. We're in the likeness in Romans 6, 5. We are in the likeness of his burial, the likeness of his resurrection. And if I'm in the likeness of his resurrection, and God tells my Jesus, the devil can't hold you, he can't destroy you, there'll be no corruption, take your life, then that's for me if I'm in the likeness of his resurrection. The devil can't hold me. The devil will never turn me over to the teeth of Satan. That lion can't get his teeth on me because I have all my confidence in the power of the Holy Ghost. Beloved, the Bible said the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead shall also raise you from the dead. It's not another Holy Ghost. It's the same Holy Ghost. And he lives right here in my heart with resurrection life and resurrection power. Oh, hallelujah. This promise is made to me. Therefore, my heart rejoices, my tongue was glad, and my flesh was at rest. Why? Because I'm trusting in the power of the Holy Ghost. Praise the Lord. Now, go to Psalm 16 before I close. Psalm 16, this is where Peter took this text. Sixteenth Psalm. I'm not afraid of your amens. I'm not afraid at all. Psalm 16. Beloved, look at me for just a moment. With this, before I close now. In two simple statements. And this is a prophecy through David about Christ. Both 15th and 16th chapters. Psalms. In two sentences. One scripture verse. This whole resurrection plan. This whole plan of victory. Is described in two sentences. If you get it now. Oh, Holy Ghost, make this simple. Make it known to us now. Let's just say verse one. Preserve me, oh God. Let's stop right there. Preserve me, oh God. In other words, keep me. Hold me. Secure me. In the Hebrew David word. The Hebrew word used to preserve. Means to put a hedge of protective thorns around me. Put a hedge of protective thorns around me. That no demon, no devil, nothing, no power of hell, no enemy can get to me. Preserve me. Put a hedge of thorns around me. In fact, he uses that same Hebrew word in Psalms 121. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and forever. Listen to what David is saying. This is a prophecy. Marvelous prophecy. The Lord shall put a hedge of thorns around you. And keep you from the power of the devil. From this time forth. Now what does this time forth mean? Well, it's explained in the next part of that sentence. For in thee do I put my trust. Now look at it. Listen to it. The moment I put my full trust, full confidence, in the power of the Holy Ghost, to deliver me, not only to save me, but to keep me, that's when the thorn, the hedge of thorns goes up around me. From that time forth, from this time forth, I will preserve you. Is that complicated? From this time forth. Psalms 121 too. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord. And as soon as he said that, from this time forth, I will preserve you. Oh, hallelujah. Let's read on. Let's read together. If you have a King James, will you stand with me please? Everybody stand. Go to Psalm 56. Last passage. Folks, as soon as you get there, would you look this way for just a moment? This has been just a half an hour of simplicity. A beseeching from the Holy Ghost to all of us. To me, to our elders, choir, staff, congregation, visitors. I know God put this on my heart. I know the struggles of people because I hear it night and day. I hear from Christians who dearly love the Lord, devoted to Jesus. But there's still that one besetting sin. There's still that nagging lust. There's still those impure thoughts. There's still that battle that rages with many. Not saying everybody, but many. And that comes and goes. And I'm asking God to give us a church here in New York City. A people who are at total rest. They're no longer striving in their flesh. They're never trying to do it on their own. That the can-do man, I-can-do-it man is dead. And the new man, I-can't-do-it, except through the power of the Holy Ghost. That's the new man. I want you to move into the spirit of the new man. This new man who, like Jesus, said, I can do nothing of myself, but only through Him. And then when you read the Bible, everything opens up. You see God screaming it at us in love all through the Bible. I'm your fortress. I'm your hiding place. I'm your strong tower. I'm your keeper. Go through, cover to cover. I'll keep you. Who are you to trust in the arm of the flesh, He said. I have a strong arm. He is our deliverer. We sing it. We talk about it. We usually don't believe it. When it comes to fighting our sins and our lust and the dominion of sin, we try to do it ourselves. Will you give up on that? Will you say, Lord, I'll lay that down. I'm going to die to that. Hallelujah. I'm going into the grave in confidence. I'm going to come out. The Lord's not going to leave my soul in the devil's hands. He's not going to let corruption destroy me. He covers me with the blood so that I will trust Him to deliver me. Why did He save you and cover you and give you freedom from the guilt and the damning power of sin? He saved you from the damning power of sin to give you life for overcoming. You understand that? He secured you. Those children of Israel, they had the blood delivered from the death angel. They still had all kinds of problems, but they were covered by the blood so that they could learn to walk. He'd take them in the wilderness then and learn to walk, still blood covered. I thank God for the covering of the blood, but I want now to learn how to walk in faith in the power of the Holy Ghost. Why do you think God baptized you with the Holy Ghost? Just so that you could exercise the gift? Thank God for the gifts. I don't put those down for one. I thank God for the gifts, the gifts of the Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit. But oh hallelujah, I thank God for the power of the Holy Ghost that delivers me from everything that Satan would bring against me. Hallelujah. That power is at work in my heart and it's in your heart. Now, are you ready to read this closing statement? If you have King James, read along out loud, please. Verse 1, Psalm 56. Amen. Amen. I will not fear what flesh can or can't do. Heavenly Father, you're trying to build up your people in faith. You want people that, you want children of the grace of God that can walk in newness of life. But that newness of life will come only as we believe you, only as we trust you. Holy Spirit, come right now with great encouragement. Encourage your children today. Let us know that we can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit every waking hour. And Lord, we don't have to fear because we are covered by the blood of the living Lamb of God. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. We give you praise. I want us to sing a chorus while I wait on the Holy Spirit here. Because he's saying something to us in just a moment here. Let's sing a chorus here for just a moment. Because I feel Holy Spirit birthing something in my heart. No one will say anything stupid to you. No one's going to interview you. You come to humble yourself before the Lord. Two kinds of people that want to come. I want those who are tired and weary of the spiritual battle. You're tired and weary of trying and striving and failing. You say, Brother David, once and for all, I've got to learn this. And I want to begin today to lay down my fleshly struggle. And I want God at this alter this afternoon or this morning to instill me, infuse in me his Holy Spirit to fight this battle. I lose it on my own strength. Up on the balcony, go to the stairs. Come down. Now, the second class of people that I want to invite, listen closely now. You're here this morning. And you once walked very close to the Lord. But you were defeated by the enemy in your life. And you're saying almost, your attitude is, why try? I tried and it didn't work. I tried. It didn't work for me. It didn't work because you tried it in your flesh. You tried to do it on your own strength. If you'll come back to him now. If you'll come back to him and say, Lord Jesus, I'm coming to you not to try anymore, not to strive. I'm coming just to yield my body to you and everything I am and all that I have. Will you please move in close, folks? There are a number of people coming up in the balcony. Go to the stairs on either side and come down any aisle. Amen. We're coming to surrender all to him. The two people, two classes of people, remember. You say, I'm tired of fighting this battle on my own. I'm not getting anywhere. And I want to learn how to trust the Holy Ghost completely and put him in full charge. Amen. I'll finish this message this afternoon in the three o'clock service. Let's sing that again. Your heart should be at rest. There should be no turmoil in your heart. The Holy Ghost is not out to keep you always agitated. He does convict of sin, but then he says, my truth will set you free. And the Bible said, perfect love cast out all fear. When you love him, when you understand the provision he's made. Now, please understand, you've come here right now to say, Jesus, I am absolutely helpless in my flesh. And we're going to pray that in a moment. I'm helpless. I can't fight it. Have you come to that place now? Come on now. Have you come to a place where you know, you know that you know that you can't fight anything on your own power. You can't deliver yourself from anything or anybody. All power, all victory is in his hands and in his power. My part is to simply believe that and commit my life to that. Live or die, I commit my life. How's he going to do it? That's up to him. I get along with him and he'll whisper it. He'll speak. He'll send angels. The angel of the Lord encamps around about them that fear him and delivers them. He'll send an angel if he has to, to keep you from falling. He'll put you, you may have had a lust problem going into a pornography place and something that you can't hit. It's like a wall. Or God will place another Christian right there before you go in and say, hello, my brother. Hello, my sister. And they'll say, come on, let's take a walk. And they'll walk you right out. God knows how to deliver out of temptation, the Bible said. He knows how. But will you trust him? Will you trust his knowledge? Let's pray. It would be nice if everybody in the house prayed it. The Bible said, I would marry where I lift holy hands. They're holy only by cause of his righteousness. Lift them up right now. Say, Jesus. I admit. I confess. I am helpless. Against the power of sin. And the dominion of sin. I've tried. And tried. And I've failed and I've failed. So I come to you, Jesus. Confessing my sins. Confessing my inabilities. My weaknesses. My frailties. And I say to you, Lord. I trust your word. You have promised me. You deliver me. From the power of the devil. And from corruptions. The devil can't have me. Because I am trusting you. From this day on. You know how. And when. To deliver me. I ask you, Lord. I call upon you. Deliver me. As I trust in you. I give you my confidence. I give you my heart. And my trust. I will trust in the Lord. Who will deliver me. Even from the fear of evil. Now let me pray for you. Father, in Jesus name. I come to you. Through the power of the Holy Ghost. All power is given unto you, Jesus. That power you've given to us. The Holy Spirit who abides. Hallelujah. We shall be witnesses. To the power of deliverance. Through the Holy Ghost. We shall witness to the world that it's not by might. It's not by power. But it's by my strength. It's by my power. Not by human ability. It's the Holy Ghost. I want everybody that came forward to just lift your hands. And thank God for the Holy Spirit. Thank God for the Holy Spirit. Who empowers us to live for Jesus. Lord, I thank you for the Holy Ghost. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Who comes to deliver us from the power and the hold of sin. Hallelujah. Look at me, Christian. Look at me, brother and sister. The Lord is not here to condemn you. He said, I'm not here to condemn you. I'm here to deliver you. Why do they call him Jesus? He's Savior. He saves. He's not mad at you. He's not mad at you. You say, you don't know what I've done. I said, he's not mad at you. There's nothing you've done that can't be delivered from him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. If God can go into the grave by his power and his spirit and raise a dead man from the dead. Here you are laying dead in sins and trespasses. He says, no, I will come. I will deliver you. You've called on me. I've heard you. Now I come to give you power. Will you accept that power now? Amen. Let's sing. There's power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb. We haven't sung that in a while. This is the conclusion of the tape.
The Power of the Holy Ghost (1 of 2)
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David Wilkerson (1931 - 2011). American Pentecostal pastor, evangelist, and author born in Hammond, Indiana. Raised in a family of preachers, he was baptized with the Holy Spirit at eight and began preaching at 14. Ordained in 1952 after studying at Central Bible College, he pastored small churches in Pennsylvania. In 1958, moved by a Life Magazine article about New York gang violence, he started a street ministry, founding Teen Challenge to help addicts and troubled youth. His book "The Cross and the Switchblade," co-authored in 1962, became a bestseller, chronicling his work with gang members like Nicky Cruz. In 1987, he founded Times Square Church in New York City, serving a diverse congregation until his death. Wilkerson wrote over 30 books, including "The Vision," and was known for bold prophecies and a focus on holiness. Married to Gwen since 1953, they had four children. He died in a car accident in Texas. His ministry emphasized compassion for the lost and reliance on God. Wilkerson’s work transformed countless lives globally. His legacy endures through Teen Challenge and Times Square Church.