This sermon focuses on the new commandment given by Jesus to love one another as He loved us, emphasizing sacrificial love and selflessness. The speaker highlights the need for the Holy Spirit's empowerment to fulfill this commandment, acknowledging human limitations but expressing willingness to follow Jesus into deep love for others. The message underscores the importance of genuine love as the defining mark of discipleship, surpassing mere religious activities or outward displays of power.

John chapter 13 beginning at verse 34. John 13 34 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another by this will all know all will know that you are my disciples if you have loved one for another Simon Peter said to him Lord where are you going Jesus answered him where I'm going you cannot follow me now but you shall follow me afterward Peter said to him Lord why can I not follow you I will lay down my life for your sake Jesus answered him will you lay down your life for my sake most assuredly I say to you the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times now in this passage of Scripture the one who was the embodiment of the love of God for you and I Jesus Christ God's gift of love to the world for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life you're not saved here today because God felt obliged to save you you're saved because God loved you there's a huge difference if it was only obligation in the heart of God he would have just folded up the earth in the heavens as he will do one day would have folded it up way back in the Garden of Eden and you and I would be today here without hope without help without a future and most likely without even the past but he commanded us those of us who would become his followers to follow him into the depth of this love of God for others especially a love towards those who belong to the household of faith now he was calling us to an expression of love it was so deep it was so far beyond our natural human ability that it would stand in every generation as an undeniable testimony of the reality of God by this he said in verse 35 all will know that you're my disciples if you have loved one for another it doesn't that kind of love doesn't mean just affection or you like each other which is great I'm wonderful but it's something of God he says I will give it to you it will be manifest in you towards one another and it's something the world can't produce no matter how many flowers and chocolates they buy for each other no matter how much they talk about we are one join arms sing their songs it can't be produced apart from the Spirit of God within a people in our season of Christian witness and so many have gone to such lengths to prove the presence of God's power among them this new commandment is the one evidence that exceeds them all tongues can be imitated you know that gifts of the Holy Spirit can be faked prophecy can be of the flesh people can testify that even absurd manifestations which we've had in the last 20 years in this country are evidences of God's power within them all kinds of people trying to produce an evidence that God is with us God is with me all these things can be faked and they can all be fraudulent but an ongoing benevolent self-sacrificing love for each other cannot be faked at least not for very long it either is there or it's not there in Acts chapter 5 it was the second time in the book of Acts that the Holy Spirit had come upon after the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 4 that people of God because of the threatenings of that society threatening Peter and John with physical violence and imprisonment if they continued to preach or teach in the name of Jesus Christ and great power was being evidenced through the church they began to pray and when they begin to pray for strength courage for a boldness and for healing to begin to stretch out through them to the nation's God's Holy Spirit came upon them one more time scripture says the place where they were was shaken and the incredible evidence of that moment is that there was a sudden love that came into the hearts of God's people one for another and no one considered anything he owned as if it was exclusively his and people began to there was such a fervency there was such a baptism of the love of God that at that particular moment in history people began to sell lands and houses even and lay it at the Apostles feet so that it could be distributed among the body of believers of that time as people had need that was a very unique moment in history I often wonder in the days that lie ahead are we possibly going to be invited by the Spirit of God to live in a similar manner the days ahead are going to be very dark things as we know them are going to change fear is going to be in our streets but I believe there's going to be a sweetness of fellowship a compassion a love for one another in the house of God that is inexplicable apart from the presence of God inside of us there's going to be a care one for another but in Acts chapter 5 a couple of people who were part of that moment in history tried to fake it they tried to pretend they were with the program that that's this benevolence of God this this bond of love and unity that had come into the church that they were actually part of it but they they weren't really fully committed to it and so they lied and it cost them their lives I want to give a word of caution today to those who would take advantage of the generosity of the true believers in Christ there are people here in this church who have done that and come into the church of Jesus Christ where God is really working and they see it as a place of easy pickings and when you meet them the first thing out of their mouths is the depth of their need always of course financial we have had widows taken of their savings sad to say at least one that I'm fully aware of but I want to give a word of caution to those who come into the church and you're simply using the house of God to your own advantage you may run with us but at the end of the race a barrier is going to fall down in front of you and you will not cross the finish line so if you don't mind going to hell and heaven is not your goal then just carry on the way you are come into the house of God tell everybody who needs live off the charity of the church all you want but I'm telling you heaven is not your home at the end of your journey for people here who feel this benevolence of God and you become aware of needs around you and you want to give to others don't be afraid to ask the leadership of the church our opinion on what you're about to do because we know some things that you don't and there may not even there may not be a witness of the Spirit and no you're not violating the scripture that says don't let the left hand know what the right hand is doing you're not violating the scripture by going to those that are in spiritual authority and telling us what it is in your heart that you want to do I feel to take a portion of my savings I feel to open my home to so-and-so let us know what you're about to do because we've had some situations in this church that could have been stopped if people had done that yes we're to be benevolent but not stupid and on the other hand we'll not let in this church the devil rob us of this God-breathed benevolent love because there are a few who will misuse it we're not going to be robbed of it it's not going to be taken from us I thank God over the years the Lord has often led Pastor Teresa and I to give to someone a specific need for a reason but we always knew that that person that we were giving to was a bona fide genuine God-fearing believer in Jesus Christ who simply had come upon hard times and it's always been a blessing every time we've chosen to give it is true God does give back a more than you can even imagine not always in dollars and cents folks either there are things that God will do there are blessings that will come into your heart and into your home now the love for each other that Jesus was calling us to is a love that led him to a cross it's ultimately a love that looks away from its own need and sees the needs of others it is in effect a love that takes up its own cross daily and follows Jesus I have had to go through this I've told this story here before but I guess it bears repeating I'm getting old and when you one of the blessings of getting older is you can tell the same stories over and over again and even if people have heard them you really don't care you just tell them again that's the blessing of age but I remember years and years ago I left when I left my full-time secular job I had a retirement plan and so I technically lost the future of that but I rolled over a certain amount of money into the bank from a retirement plan used part of it to pay off the rest of my mortgage so I own we owned our own home when we went into ministry and then the other part I put in the bank and I used to call it my Ananias and Sapphira slush fund if this whole thing doesn't work out at least I've got something to fall back on to start over again there's was a real jump off the cliff for me to go into full-time ministry and then one day my a friend of mine that I knew a man in ministry a good man and a godly man as a matter of fact he's off he's in Mexico today and he's feeding orphans he and his wife very godly man and came into my office said pastor I don't know what I'm going to do he said the engine on my car just blew up and I I don't have any money and I don't know how I'm going to get to church I I don't and of course he was helping me at the church that we had founded and so I'd suddenly I got very very spiritual I knew I had the money in the bank to buy him a car and it has need was legitimate he was it was not one of those schmoozers that come to the church to try to get freebies from the house of God and from their friends and I knew it was for real and so I got very spiritual at that moment I said well let's pray you know God owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills and he's able to provide I've even David's quoted everything you know I've been young I've been old and never seen the righteous forsaken his seed begging bread and so he's sitting across from the desk and I bowed my head and we began to pray I began to pray and and as God lives it's as if my mouth was full of peanut butter I could hardly pray and this voice right back here was telling me you hypocrite if a man sees his brother have need and he shuts his bowels of compassion how can he say the love of God dwells in him you know there's certain times I had wished that I hadn't learned those scriptures because they were there and they had come back to to haunt me really at that moment I'm trying to push it away out of my mind as I'm praying and I'm just praying oh God just be kind just provide a car just just and finally I just ran out of gas and said I have the money in the back for you so I bought him a car wasn't a great car but it was it was a car and was new and and then shortly after that the engine on my car blew up and I said well Lord I've obeyed you that's all I can say I've obeyed you and we were renovating this church that we had bought in the country and I was up on a scaffold one day and I was helping paint the ceiling and somebody came in said it's it's a somebody on the phone for you it's an emergency so I came down I went into the office and I said the gentleman said is this is this Pastor Carter I said yes it is he said I'm so-and-so I'm a salesman at a car dealership in the city not far from us a gentleman came in this morning and bought you a brand new car and all you have to do is come in and sign for it and I asked him I said who was the gentleman he says we don't know he declined to give us his name but I just thank God now I'm not telling you if you buy a car for a friend you're going to get a don't I mean there are people who will tell you that I'm not telling you that this morning it's my story the fact is that when we do things God's way God will be our supply he will meet our needs Paul said in 1st Corinthians chapter 13 let me read it to you though I speak with the tongues of men and angels but I have not loved I'm become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries in all knowledge now these are bona fide gifts and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains but I have not loved I am nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not loved it profits me nothing love suffers long and is kind love does not envy love does not parade itself is not puffed up does not behave rudely does not seek its own is not provoked thinks no evil does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth love bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things that's the kind of love that Jesus was inviting the church into of his day and you and I and our day he's looking he's at a table where everybody is going to fail him Peter longs to be able to follow him but has not a sufficient strength to do it and Jesus knows that but the love in his heart is sending them to a cross and in spite of the weakness of our professions and the professions of their day of love and loyalty this love bears all things it believes all things it hopes all things and endures all things love never fails but where there are prophecies they will fail where there are tongues they will cease where there's knowledge it will vanish away from we know in part and prophesy in part but when that which is perfect has come then that which is in part will be done away when I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child now the essence of childishness is selfishness me that's mine give it to me no this is the essence and Paul is saying when I was a child that this is my reasoning this is how I live this is my understanding but when I became a man I put away childish things for now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face and now I know in part but then I shall know just as I also have known and now abide faith hope and love these three but the greatest of these is love now Jesus seemingly added a new commandment in verse John chapter 13 verse 34 he said a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I've loved you that you also love one another now those sitting at the table must have known or been aware in measure at least that he was adding another commandment to a series of laws and commandments that nobody could keep Peter said in x 1510 it was a yoke that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear talking about the law talking about these things that people would have to do to be considered godly he called it a yoke Paul made a declaration and if you read it in Romans chapter 6 7 and 8 that the commands of God and the laws of God only highlighted the hopelessness of our human condition to be godly in our own strength Paul even though he had zealously tried to keep the law was the man who penned these words who will deliver me from this body of death who deliver me from this inward law of corruption that even though I know what to do and even inside I take a measure of delight in thinking about doing it I can't do it in my own strength it's hopeless that's what Paul was saying it's it's hopeless read Romans 6 7 8 you'll see it it's it's a condition of the person who tries to be godly in our own strength you can't do it I can't do it there's no chance we can do it I can read these words in John chapter 13 this new commandment but I can't accomplish it now Peter thought he could that's why he said to him where where are you going he said where I'm going you can't follow me now but you'll follow me later you don't have the strength to go where I'm going that's really what Jesus was telling him he was going to a cross he was going to be given for frail fallen humanity he was going to endure the failings of those that even declared their love and loyalty said now you can't follow me there you can't be loyal you can't love the way I love you but you will follow me afterward and Peter said why can't I follow you now I will lay down my life for your sake and that's why Jesus question is actually has a tinge of sarcasm in it when you read it in the different texts he basically says to him oh really is that what you will do do you think you're that strong you really will lay your life down for me will you but I tell you that before morning comes you will three times deny that you've even known me you don't have the inward strength to lay your life down for another but you will later in the next chapter two when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost Peter the Apostle emerged from the shadows of self-seeking and fear and he stepped into a place where he had been enabled to follow I can't love you I can't love you the way Jesus commands me to and you can't love each other either it's only when the Holy Spirit comes and the victory of Christ becomes our victory and God's heart becomes our heart and we open our hearts to him and say Lord you come let this be your temple on the earth and you give me the power that I need to do this because I know I'm not going to do it if I'm left to myself like the Corinthian church I'm going to bunch together in the house of God with people that I feel comfortable with people who speak the same language they they live in the same neighborhoods they do the same things their skin is the same color they practice the same things that I do I'm going to bunch myself together and push everybody to the sides of the church I realize oh God that you're calling me to something much bigger than that but I can't do it in my own strength nobody can do it in their own strength only God can do this only God has this kind of benevolent love that is able to break down all the barriers and all the borders and if you and I will open our heart to this love it can become one of the most wondrous things that you will ever experience as a believer in Jesus Christ when those walls are down and there's no there's no program telling you to love somebody but there's an inward love of God that is being shed abroad in your hearts and suddenly you're looking out and it's not a program you really do care you really see somebody on the sides of the temple and you're not willing to go home without that person knowing that God loves them without reaching out to touch the needs of somebody else in the house of God Peter stepped out of that place of self-seeking fear and he stepped into a place where he was enabled he would have known going into the upper room I can't do this I wanted to do it with all my heart I wanted to love the way Jesus commanded me to love and it was a command of God but I can't do it and he would have prayed and when the Holy Spirit came on him suddenly all the bands of his environment and his limitations are broken and he steps out into the marketplace enabled by the Spirit of God to be given for others even those who resist their own salvation in Jesus Christ and he's led into the compassion and love for one another that could only come from God it's truly an amazing moment Peter said repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit this promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call and with many other words he testified and exhorted them saying be saved from this perverse generation then those who gladly received his word were baptized in that day about 3,000 souls were added to them and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the Apostles now all who believe were together and had all things common and this is the way I see this it starts with the willingness to say God everything you've given to me I thank you for the blessing but it's for a reason it's for a purpose and don't let me be blind to the purpose don't let me just take everything you've done for me and just use it for myself don't let me eat my morsel alone don't let me be a person who goes into this enemy's camp to find this great spoil and I guard it and guide it with all my life for my own good and my own benefit Oh God open my heart God open my eyes they held all things common they sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need and so continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved when it says having favor with the people what I believe that says is exactly what Jesus told them in John chapter 13 by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have this kind of love one for another now don't misunderstand me I'm not suggesting today that everybody go out and get it call a real estate company and sell your house your apartment go to the bank and take out your savings and just throw it all to the wind I'm not suggesting that but what I am saying is that God knowing the future knows what we need to hear knowing the days that are ahead of us we are the body of Jesus Christ we have the church of Jesus Christ on the earth I believe that very dark difficult days are ahead of us I know in my heart that we're going to go through some of the darkest moments in the history of mankind perhaps certainly in our history or our generation it's going to be 911 times a hundred it's going to be difficult the days ahead but I believe what Pastor David Wilkerson once told me the fellowship in the church of Jesus Christ is going to be so sweet the meals that we eat together the compassion we have for another is it possible that we're going to have another moment in history when things get so bad that in the church we are going to be asked to give up some of what we have for the sake of others it's a question that needs to be answered now it's something that's got to come into your heart and into mine there's no chance that we can represent Christ on the earth if we simply become hoarders like everybody else who live outside of the kingdom of God everybody is going to bunker down in their bomb shelters with their cans of beans and try to survive people will be cruel one to another for the sake of provision and resources that has happened throughout history and there's no telling when it will happen again it might happen in our time but if it does the question I'm asking you today on God's behalf is are you and I willing are we willing to open our homes if necessary to others are we willing to give of what we have that the needs of others in the body of Christ might be met remember Paul said to the Corinthian church because you're not willing to recognize or to examine what it means to be part of the body of Jesus Christ a spiritual sleepiness and dullness and even death in some cases comes upon people who come into the house of God and it's all just about me myself and mine what can I get from God today how can I get a bigger slice of the pie how can I enhance my reputation how can I advance my career how can I be smoother smarter faster in this society all folks that brings a dullness in the death those poor people in the days ahead are not going to know which end is up anymore they're going to find out they've got no oil in their lamps when the day gets dark oh no but there will be a church there will be a people who say behold the bridegroom look at our fellowship can't you see that God is doing something among us that could only be done by the Spirit of God there's no other way this could happen he has broken the bonds of selfishness he has taken us out of the self-centeredness and the divisions and the angers and the vitriolic speech of this generation where people are cursing one another and demanding their rights and everything else there's another people in the house of God that are going to become a testimony to this generation of the reality of Jesus Christ people will look and say it is impossible to be like this apart from the Spirit of God I've had people walk in this church from outside they've looked at the people are sitting here and do you know the statisticians say this can't be done did you know that you know those that are into church planting we've done everything wrong we don't even have a parking lot and we have a hundred and four nationalities sitting in one congregation some of you sitting here your countries are at war with each other but yet you are not at war you love your brother you love your sister this is the body of Jesus Christ on the earth this is the testimony of God hallelujah to the Lamb of God by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have this kind of love one for another now I've taken this message and I've pushed it right to the ends of the tent because there's a lot of things that you and I have to consider how are we willing to be the Church of Jesus Christ in this generation are we willing this word begins God will lead you and tell you what to do but the question is are we willing are we willing to love one another we have to go beyond enduring one another we have to go beyond the testimony of what other people are doing it's got to become yours and it's got to become mine I have to have ownership having a desire like Peter had to go the distance that Jesus was going for lost humanity is not good enough we have to be empowered by God are you willing to open your heart to this it's the cry of my heart I prayed today I said God Almighty don't ever ask me to preach something I'm not willing to live give me the grace of God that these words I'll be judged for this folks because I've preached it to you today I know that I will stand before God one day and I will answer for what I did with the words that I brought to you today I have been blessed there's no doubt about that but the Lord says are you willing to let that blessing overflow its borders are you willing to as David the psalmist say thank you you have prepared a table for me in the presence of mine enemies you've anointed my head with oil and my cup overflows are you willing to have your cup overflow are you willing to be that vessel through whom God will give a drink to somebody who is thirsty will give food to somebody who is hungry will give clothing to somebody who's naked will give shelter to somebody who lives outdoors who's part of the body of Jesus Christ these are questions that we have to answer because the days are coming when these things are going to earmark the true Church of Jesus Christ instead of being sleepy you and I will have oil oh thank God we'll have fellowship it does happen once in a while that a freeloader may end up in your house I just suggest if that happens just give him the left foot of fellowship probably shouldn't have said that I guess hallelujah when you open your heart to other people you run a risk you know why a lot of ministers back up and become untouchable it's not that they want to be that way it's that they've been betrayed so many times they trusted they opened their heart and got stabbed in the back I have a compassion for ministers now like I've never had in my lifetime yes sometimes it goes bad but do we let that stop us from being given for other people sometimes people run away and deny they ever knew you but do we let it stop us from going to the cross for them people that leaned close to you and said they loved you took off take off in your moment of need but do we let it stop us from being given for them there's a point as a Christian that we get to because Jesus said deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow me there's a point where people do spit in our face but we have to keep on loving and we can only do it by the strength of God there's no other way we can do it so instead of judging if you're visiting today instead of judging a pastor who seems withdrawn and mechanical pray for that man pray for that woman because you don't know the wounding that person has had and God is bringing them to a place of willingness to be given fully given including the betrayal there's no way you can take up your cross and escape the betrayal but the willingness to be fully given for others you can't follow me now Peter but you will follow me later and he did by God's grace he did by God's grace I've been viciously betrayed more than one time in my life hurtfully betrayed there have been times where my prayer for weeks has been God I can't do this God I can't do this God I can't do this one time pastor Teresa said to me why don't you just forgive I said forgiveness is not even on the radar not hating this person is what I'm dealing with it's hard when you're betrayed and we want to we want to be this scripture we want to live what the scripture says we love one another and until we come up with and we meet the limitations of our willingness our ability not willingness we meet the limitations of our own ability to actually do these things and yet you look at it and says it's a commandment of God to love each other as I've loved you that's why it's not optional to forgive somebody if you've got a somebody here who's become an enemy they've said something about you and you if they come in on the left you come in on the right if they go up by the left you go out on the right if they go to this parking garage you go to that parking garage you do everything in your power to avoid that person it's a commandment as I have loved you to love one another and when we consider what Jesus had to endure who are we to say that we're justified to turn our back on anybody one time an unsaved man came to do some work for me in my house I'd like to think I'm smart but he really took me to the cleaners financially and so I texted him because I had his phone number and I said he's not a Christian I said as a follower of Jesus Christ I said I know you overcharged me but as a follower of Jesus Christ I forgive you and I said I'm gonna pray for you that you might become an honest man and lead your children in the way of truth I felt pretty good about myself you know after texting that and then you know you hit hit send I felt like wow I mean this is very benevolent as I could have sued the guy I mean but instead of doing that I just forgave him needless to say he didn't text me back at least not yet anyway and so I went to bed and I was I was really feeling good about myself you know that's it's only this is not too long ago and you know when we tell stories on ourselves like that we'd like to give the impression it was years ago and not just not just a few weeks back or a few months back because but it was quite recent so I went to bed and as always that voice came and the Lord said you did it for an unsaved man why can't you do it for your brother and he brought an instance back to my mind over somebody had done something similar who was a brother in Christ and I had just more or less in measure written him off why can't you call him and tell him you forgive him and love him needless to say I needed the strength of God but I did call only to find my brother crying at the other end of the phone saying thank you so much a new commandment I give you that you love one another as I've loved you and by this will all men know that you're my disciples if you have love one for another you and I can't do this in our own strength we need the strength of the Holy Spirit to be able to accomplish this commandment I've sometimes referred to it as the 11th commandment you'd already given 10 in the Old Testament and this was a new one but I think it sums up all the rest you love one another as I've loved you I want to give a very very simple altar call this morning I don't think any of us have arrived at this place that Jesus spoke of but if you're willing to make the journey Peter hadn't arrived but he was willing to make the journey you can't do it now but you will be able to do it in the future that's what he told him and so don't be condemned if you're sitting here today and saying like I got I've got X amount of dollars in the bank and there's just no way I'd ever give it away I can't I couldn't do it there's there's no way I could ever part with my own security as I see it but I'm willing Peter couldn't but he was willing and Jesus said you can't do it now but there's a day coming you will be able to I'm now giving an altar call into the future I want you to hear me on this it's not necessarily it is it hasn't it applies to today but it really will apply to the days ahead of us when we will be called to sacrifice there will be people who are here that don't have a home not because of their own neglect it will be because of the circumstances that are coming to this society the difficulty we're going to find ourselves in and so the question is what kind of a church are we going to be I'm not even remotely suggesting I'm not talking about an offering here in this church I'm talking about you and me being willing to give to others as God there's no tax receipt for this folks just as God brings the need to us just the willingness to say brother I just I noticed you know came to my attention and you will know that this is a sincere believer in Christ as my brother was across from the desk that I told you about earlier I knew this is a godly man and when you know that when you know this is a godly person before you and you know that hard times have come and you see a single mother who can't feed her three children and you become aware of it it's I'm talking about the willingness just the willingness maybe you can't do it today but if there's a willingness there's a day coming when you will be able to and by this other people will know people will hear about it and they will know it's the final step of love it's the one more thing that we need to do in this generation because this is a selfish generation it's a selfish country I hate to have to say that but in essence that's what this nation has become it's all about my life my liberty my pursuit of happiness not about others it's about me only Christ can break that spirit in us only Jesus can make us the true body of Christ on the earth and I'm not suggesting that you come under guilt and you run out the door and start looking for needs to me I'm not even remotely suggesting that I'm just saying you open your heart God will lead you you'll know it will come your way and you'll you'll know you'll know now father I thank you Lord for this word and I know you have let me speak into the future and so God I'm asking in Jesus name for a largeness of heart for all of us that we truly would love one another we would be wise in our dealings for there will be an Ananias and Sapphira there always has been who would attach themselves to the church of Jesus Christ so God you give us wisdom but help us to be kind let this church be a place where the love of God abounds and overflows where nobody has to talk about what they do it would be evident people walking in here will know and they'll say surely this is the church of Christ surely Jesus is in this place help us Lord God we can't do this in our own strength nobody can I can't do it and the people here can't do it but God in your strength we can for with God all things are possible it's so Lord I'm asking that you would just guide us on a path of being the people that you have commanded us to be and for those who are willing I pray Jesus give us strength give us largeness of heart give us great compassion and tender love one for another help us God father we thank you for this for answering our cry in Jesus name we're gonna stand in a just a moment if you'd like to respond today to this message if you feel that I'm not there but I'd like to go there I'd like to be that kind of a person I'm willing I'm gonna ask as we stand just make your way to the front of this auditorium in the annex if you'd step between the screens and North Jersey you could do the same as well and then we'll pray together we're gonna worship just for a little while and for those who are willing just willing that's all that's what the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart let's please if you would stand in the balcony go to either exit just make your way down and we'll pray together in a few moments I think you'll agree with me that the great need of this moment in history for us as the people of God is another outpouring of the Holy Spirit we need the strength of God just like Peter and James and John and others we can't face the days ahead of us without the Spirit of God but wherever there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit there are evidences and yes I spoke about some of those and all of them can be essentially faked by those who are outside of the real power of God but wherever God pours out his Spirit there's a benevolence it comes into the heart for those who are of the household of faith and you don't have to run around telling people your needs as a matter of fact beware of that folks if you introduce yourself to somebody the first thing they tell you is how how struggling financially they are then just that's your warning sign right there know the Holy Spirit let the Spirit of God speak to your heart and he will and you'll be the one who asks the question I I detect you have a need your life can you tell me about that now you may or may not be able sometimes all you can do is pray about it that's marvelous sometimes you can be part of the solution and the Lord will guide you into that but let it be something that is birthed of the Spirit of God not if you can't program this one folks it is either there or it's not and it's if it's going to be there it's there by the Spirit of God now Father God Almighty for the sake of your name the testimony of your name Lord Jesus Christ I ask you for a fresh outpouring of your Holy Spirit God to come upon this church to come upon your people everywhere but Lord God it's not about self-exaltation it's about self-denial Lord when you pour out your spirit you enable us to follow you to the place where you went and we're poured out your body given your blood spilled that we can have life and have hope today and it's in your strength we can do this Lord we acknowledge this God it's not in us but as long as you are in us or this power and the ability to do these things lies resident in your life being lived out to us and so we yield our bodies it's all we can do we yield our bodies and say Lord take me where I can't go God I want to but I can't so you'll have to take me there and put in my heart that which needs to be there to give me the courage to care the Lord God you said this kind of love will be a declaration to the whole world that Jesus Christ is Lord and so God we ask you to baptize us in that kind of love thank you for the gift to the Spirit thank you for tongues and prophecy and healing and all these things but your word tells us without that love all these things amount to nothing if love is not at the core of who we are and what we do Oh God thank you for hearing this cry thank you Lord Jesus Christ for not denying this prayer for you yourself said if you know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and so God we ask for your Holy Spirit we ask with understanding of where it will lead us what it will mean to us but Oh God we ask above all that the name of Jesus Christ through us could be exalted in New York City could be lifted up that outsiders would look in and say this is where God is there's evidence here that God is among these people Lord Jesus Christ let this be the testimony of this church break out the box around us on every side God expand the borders of this tent take us God where we need to go and give us what we could never possess in our own strength and lead us Almighty God to that which is your heart operating within us Oh Father I thank you for this with all my heart Oh Jesus Son of God be glorified be glorified in this generation be glorified consider the threatenings of darkness now against the testimony of Jesus Christ at every level of this society and baptize us in the Holy Spirit again fill us God with your power and your grace Oh Jesus Son of God let there be an evidence among men that you are God and you have a people in the earth take us Oh Jesus and give us that which we could never have in our own strength father we thank you we open our hearts to it we ask you to guide us now lead us we ask it in Jesus mighty name hallelujah thank you God thank you God thank you God thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Jesus