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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 the interconnectedness of believers as members of the body of Christ, drawing from Paul's teachings in 1 Corinthians. He illustrates that just as a human body cannot function with only one part, Christians cannot be truly united with Christ while isolating themselves from one another. The sermon highlights the importance of community and mutual support among believers, asserting that each member is vital for the body to function effectively. Wilkerson reminds us that we are all nourished by Christ, the bread of life, and that our relationships with each other are essential to our spiritual health.
Can We Be With Christ Apart From His Body?
The apostle Paul instructs us, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Corinthians 12:27). In another place he says more specifically, “The body is one and has many members, but all the members … are one body, so also is Christ” (12:12). Paul is telling us, in essence, “Take a look at your own body. You have hands, feet, eyes, ears. You’re not just an isolated brain, unattached to the other members.” It is the same with Christ. He is not just a head; he has a body and we comprise its members. We are connected to Jesus, our head, but we are also joined to each other. Paul drives this point home, saying, “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Simply put, we are all fed by the same food: Christ, the manna from heaven. “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). Some Christians do not want to be connected to other members of the body. They commune with Jesus but they deliberately isolate themselves from other believers. But a body cannot be comprised of just a single member and Christ’s body cannot be made up of a head alone. We simply cannot be one with Christ without being one with his body. Believers are knit together not only by their need for Jesus, but by their need for each other. Paul states, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Corinthians 12:21). Our head says we are all important, even necessary, to the functioning of his body. This is especially true of members who may be bruised and hurting. The Lord himself says, “I have need of you. You are a vital member of my body and absolutely necessary for it to function.”
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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.