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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
David Wilkerson emphasizes that in times of turmoil, believers can find refuge in Christ, who shelters them with His blood. He reassures that despite the chaos in the world, God provides a hiding place for His people, encouraging them to shut out the noise of fear and anxiety. Wilkerson cites Isaiah's call to enter our chambers and find peace in trusting the Lord, reminding us that our thoughts should be focused on Him. He highlights the importance of closing the door to troubling thoughts and relying on God's promises for protection and comfort. Ultimately, he calls believers to cling to their faith as a source of strength during crises.
Scriptures
Shut the Door
In the midst of a time of volatility and upheaval, how are God’s people to respond? If you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you need never fear. Those who are in Christ are forever sheltered by the blood that Jesus shed for them and this truth is the cornerstone of our faith. It will determine everything we think and all we do regardless of what is going on around us. Paul assured the believers in Rome, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9). What are God’s people to do when the world is barraged with bad news? When markets rise and fall and the world becomes paralyzed with fear? God gives his children a hiding place: “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past” (Isaiah 26:20). When you are distressed — overwhelmed, laid low by affliction, concerned about the future — God says there is a place of comfort where we find composure for our souls. This secret hiding place is a chamber in your mind which Isaiah describes this way: “[The Lord] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). When the Lord tells us, “Shut the door,” he is showing us the need to shut out the many troubling voices in our heads. We are to close the door to all thoughts about tomorrow and about world events. The Lord who has faithfully brought us this far will not fail us in the days ahead. God be praised! He is our hiding place in times of crisis and his faithful promises are our shield of protection. Cling to them!
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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.