- Home
- Speakers
- David Wilkerson
- The Mind Of Christ
The Mind of Christ
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.
Download
Topic
Sermon Summary
In this sermon, the speaker reflects on their personal journey of seeking God and being called to work with gangs and drug addicts. They express a deep desire to live a life that aligns with the teachings of the Bible and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The speaker emphasizes the urgency of the current state of the world, with millions of people living in fear and the rise of religious control. They call for a revival in the church, with pastors and believers humbling themselves before God and seeking His power and authority.
Scriptures
Sermon Transcription
This recording is provided by Times Square Church in New York City. You're welcome to make additional copies for free distribution to friends. All other unauthorized duplication or electronic transmission is a violation of copyright and other applicable laws. This recording cannot be posted on any website. However, written permission to link to the Times Square Church homepage may be requested by emailing info at timessquarechurch.org. Other recordings are available by calling 1-800-488-0854 or by writing to Times Square Church Tape Ministry, 1657 Broadway, New York, New York, 10019. The mind of Christ. Go to Philippians, the second chapter, if you will, please. Second chapter of Philippians. My son Gary and I leave on Wednesday for ministers conferences in Bulgaria and Romania. We've gone for two weeks and back again. So we would appreciate your prayers very much. Let's start reading verse one. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, any fellowship of the spirit, bowels of mercy. Fulfill you my joy that you be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind. That nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man to his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you. Here's my text. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now, Lord Jesus, we ask you to send the Holy Spirit this morning. Holy Spirit, quicken my voice, quicken my heart and my mind and then give us ears to hear by your spirit. We can't hear unless the spirit gives us the open ear. We can't understand unless the Holy Spirit gives us understanding. And Lord, we ask you for this. Move upon us as this simple word goes forth that would change our hearts. In Jesus name. Amen. Paul says to the Philippians, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. The first Corinthians 216, he said, but we do have the mind of Christ. And he visions for 23 and be you renewed in the spirit of your mind. These are all exhortations from the apostle Paul. He said the mind that is in Christ, his thinking, his mindset is to be yours. Now, Jesus had a mindset when I talk about the mind of Christ. I'm talking about a decision that a man or woman makes a man or woman of God makes. It's not just thinking. It's how that thinking changes our lives and how we determine to live our lives. Jesus made a covenant with his father in eternity before he came as man. He made a covenant agreement that he would come as a servant, that he he would lay down his glory. He would become a man. He would come to minister and not to be ministered to. And he would come as a humble servant. And that means saying, I come to do your will. I laid down my will. And this was determined in Psalms. You'll find that word of Christ to his father in eternity before the world was created and before man was born. He said, I, I will go and delight to do your will. And the father's agreement with the son, if you will go and do my will, you always know what that will is. It'll never be hidden from you. You will know what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. And this will be you will have my mind. You have the mind of the father. You will have this glorified mindset. And when the apostle said, let this mind be in you, as is when Christ Jesus, he's talking about the decision you make when you come face to face with the word of God. Come face to face with the mind of the heavenly father. You make a decision. This is how I'm going to live my life. I'm going to lay down my will. I'm not going to live according to my flesh. I'm not going to live like the world lives. I'm not going to live to the pleasures and lust of my heart. And this is a decision. This is what Paul, the apostle says. Let this mind of Christ be in you as he thought and as he lived. The mind of Christ has to do with every faculty of the mind bearing on how we live our lives. And there are a lot of people who named the name of Jesus, claimed to be his disciple, but have never made a decision to live as he lived. They live with their tempers. They live with their character flaws, not wanting to change and say, well, that's the way I am. That's my nature. That is to all be conformed slowly, little by little is looking into the word, looking into the mind of the father until the mind of Jesus Christ becomes our mindset so that we're changed. Every time we look into this mirror and we see something of the nature of Christ, the heavenly father says you're to be conformed by that from image to image. In other words, from from one move, spiritual move after another, seeing things in our life that don't measure up to Christ and saying that's where my heart is. I want to be like Jesus. I want men and women to see Christ in me, beginning in my home and my family and in the church of Jesus Christ and those with I work with. I want them to know that I am different and I'm doing this not to appear different. I'm doing this because of the love I have for my Christ. I want to be like Jesus. I don't want to respond like I used to respond. I don't want to allow the enemy to rouse my spirit. I don't want to come off as being some grouch. I want the sweetness and the meekness and the tender love of Jesus Christ as revealed in the scripture. And here's how Paul explains the mind of Christ. Here's the outworking of the mind of Christ. Here's how it's manifested. He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. And Paul boldly states, we have the mind of the spirit. He's speaking of himself, too. He said, I know I have the mind of Christ. I have the mind of Christ. Now, where did this man called Saul, who was a persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ? How could such an unworthy killer at heart come upon the mind of Christ? When and where and how did he achieve the mind of Christ? Remember after the Lord appeared to him and he was thrown off his horse and a blinding light comes and Jesus said, why do you persecute me, Saul? And the Lord directed him to go into Damascus. He'd been headed there with a small army to capture the Christians and imprison them and torture. And on his way to that torturous task, the spirit of God and Jesus Christ, the Lord smites him. And he's given direction to go into Damascus to a street called straight in the house of a man called Judas. And he said, just wait there. Be told you what to do. And for three days, Saul is in that room in the house of Judas in a street called straight. And for three days, he has nothing to eat. He has nothing to drink. He's fasting. And the word of the Lord comes to a man by the name of Ananias, a godly man who is also a man of prayer. He said, Ananias, I want you to go to the street called straight in Damascus and find a man's house by the name of Judas. And there's a man there named Saul. You know him, but he knows you're coming. He knows your name. He knows that you're going to lay hands on him because he's been blinded by the light and you're to open his eyes and lay hands on him. He'd be filled with the Holy Ghost. And, of course, Ananias said, that's dangerous. I know this man. I know his reputation. The Lord. Let me tell you something about him. He's praying. Behold, he prays. Where does Paul get this knowing he's been shut in with God, he's gone in his face, he's praying. And it's almost as God saying, can you believe this? Ananias, think about it. When you go, you're going to find him on his knees and he's already knowing the mind of Christ. He's already he knows your name. He knows all about you and he knows you're going to walk in the door, you're going to come to lay hands on him and he's going to see. See, the heavens are open. A man gets to see the things of God. His eyes are open when he prays. He gets to the open heaven. And, of course, you know the story here on his knees, fasting and praying. Paul later said, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've given up all things. And I count them as done that I may win Christ. Paul said, just as Jesus is done. And this is his later testimony. He made himself of no reputation. He said Jesus laid aside his reputation. I don't know whether God would have agreed for him to come with the reputation and the glory and come in a different fashion. But this was the covenant agreement. Jesus said, I'm going to go as a servant and I'm going to lay down. I'm going to lay everything down and I'm going to wholly depend upon you, Father. Everything I do, everything I say has to come from you. I am not going to have a will of my own. I'm going to subjugate my will. I'm going to embrace your will and it will become one. Your will will become my will. And I will seek you. I will seek your face. I will pray. I will. I will be intimate with you. And you must agree. I must have your mind. And here's a man just converted. Here's a man absolutely changed. And now he has this new inner knowing, this knowing of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit comes upon him. And now he's laying aside his reputation. He said, I was a Pharisee among Pharisees. You talk about a reputation. I had a good reputation with my Pharisees. I was a Pharisee among Pharisees. He said, when it comes to the knowledge of the law and the Old Testament, nobody surpassed me. This man preached. He preached the Messiah. He didn't know him. He preached about the coming Messiah. He he was a powerful teacher of the law. And he says, I, I had a reputation. I had it made. I was climbing the ladder. But he said, when I came to Jesus and he apprehended when when Jesus came to me and apprehended me, that all changed. Every all this striving, this competing, everything that I thought gave me meaning. And he said, I really believe that what I was doing was scriptural. I believed it was for God's glory. But I missed Christ. And when you miss Christ, everything you do is flesh. He said, I've laid down my ambitions. From now on, I don't care if anybody knows about me, hears about me as Jesus did. And he says, this is the mind of Christ. This is a determination I've made to live like him. To be like him, to allow the Holy Spirit to change me first, to show me. You see, when I pray and I ask the Lord, is there any controversy? I come back to the Holy Spirit saying this. If there's a controversy you have with me, if there's anything hidden that I don't know about any area in my life that's not like Christ, you owe it to me to show me. How can I deal with it with your help until you show me what's wrong? And God has obligated himself. When you surrender yourself to his will and to want his mind, he's obligated to give it to you. Or he would not be God. I laid aside all my desire for success and recognition. For though I am free from all men, yet I've made myself a servant to all that I may gain more of them. Jesus was a son, son of the living God. But he took on the heart of a servant. You and I are sons of God. Jesus said, I don't call you servants. I call you friends. But you see, I'm a son of God also. You're a son, you're a daughter of the Lord. But you can have a servant's heart. You can be son with a servant's heart. And that's what Paul said. I'm a son of the living God, but I choose to live as a servant to Christ, a bond servant to Jesus Christ and a servant to his church. I'm a servant. I'm no longer in charge. I'm no longer galloping around trying to make it. I have one goal in life, and that's to win Christ. That he would live his life through me and in me. This has to be more than theology. This has to be more than something you hear in a teaching. And you'll never get it and I'll never get it until we allow the Holy Spirit to give us the revelation. There has to be time spent with the Holy Spirit where you say, oh, Jesus, I want more than the theology. I want more than just going to church or going to a teaching and learning and hearing about Jesus. You can't get it that way alone. You take what you hear and you take it to your knees. You go to your secret closet of prayer. You say, Holy Spirit, make this something that I see in my spirit and a mindset that I can go from this day on. Being reminded by your Holy Spirit where the changes have to be made. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. And I know no other way to get the mind of Christ until you're emptied, until there's an emptying. And this is what Christ was doing with Paul. We saw three days of emptying himself so that he could be filled with the Holy Spirit. Some of you can never be filled with the Holy Spirit. You're so full of yourself. We get so full of ourself. There's no place for the Holy Spirit to work and move with no plans to change. My preacher father taught me. Over and over again, he would say, David, God always makes a way for praying man. And some of the things I say now, I've probably told you in the past and in past preaching here from this moment. But I remember when I was a teenager, because this was made so real to me, because the Holy Spirit took those words from my father and I went to the word and God burned it into my my heart until I said, God, I want to be a man who prays. I want now, folks, I'm a long way from where I want to be and should be. But I remember as a teenager praying and seeking God. I remember when I was 15 years old, one time where I couldn't get up from my frustration on the floor because the hand of God would push me back down. And it was so thrilling. I get up and I should do it again. And he did it again about five times. And then suddenly it was gone. But it was one most thrilling teenage experience that I had with God. And I remember when I passed a little country church in Pennsylvania and I remember him saying, if you want me, you better seek me. I only give the mysteries. I want to give my burdens to those who really want it. They're tired of living. Carelessly. And I set my heart to pray and seek God. And that's when he sent me 40 years ago to this city to work with gangs and drug addicts. I remember that first trip. Now, remember, I had to stop along the highway two or three times and just go out in the woods and pray and cry and weep. Because there was something in my heart said, oh, Jesus, there's more to it than this. I can't live so far beneath what I read in your Bible. Oh, God. I would rather die than live as selfishly as I've been living, sitting, watching television in the evenings and drinking cokes. Let the world go to hell. I said, oh, God, if that's the Holy Ghost, I don't want it. And I remember the months of brokenness and seeking God's face. God raised up. Teen challenge. Then he asked me to go to conduct youth crusades around the world for a number of years. I did. But he came to me again. And said, you drifted from the secret closet. You are not seeking me with all your heart. Come back. And I did. It was in that time of intercession and brokenness before the Lord. A little office above my garage in Texas where once again. Once again. I said, Jesus, I want you in mind. I want your will. Because I had grown so tired doing so many things, building so many buildings and so busy. The Lord said, you've been too busy for me. But when I got back once again, that stirring of the Holy Spirit and says, go to Times Square, start a church. And I obeyed him. And I told you about this across the street for days, just standing there, not knowing that I was looking right at the building. Just weeping. Praying. Because you see. You're not going to get the mind of Christ. Just by coming to church and listen to sermons. You're going to get it when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired. You're going to get sick and tired of just playing church. You're going to get sick and tired of just sermonizing. Otherwise, we become like London, England years ago under Spurgeon and Parker and all those great preachers and senators and parliamentarians and others in their fancy wagons. And horse drawn buggies would go from church to church. You could go at eight o'clock and hear Parker. You go nine o'clock and you hear Spurgeon. Then you go over and hear another great preacher. And they called it sermonizing. They discussed it in parliament and everywhere. And it didn't. And those people who were sermonizers never did get the mind of Christ. Never did get the burden of God. Never did change London. If I've ever heard from God. If I've ever had any revelation of Christ. If I've ever done anything worthwhile of his blessing. I can assure you, it came only through prayer. I'm not talking about the prayer meetings that Pastor Carter and Pastor Neal and Pastor Patrick call. I'm not talking about those times that were called to prayer by the pastors. I'm talking about some inside working and moving of the Holy Spirit in you to awaken you. And I'm not just saying about paying for Pastor Dave when he goes on a conference or something. No, no, no. I'm talking about something deeper than that. Oh, Jesus, I walk with you this time. I have proclaimed your name, but I want to know you as I've never known you before. I want to go deeper. I want a revelation. I want to come to this church and sit down and hear things I've already heard. I want to confirm. And you can see you can sit there and smile and say, I heard that last night. This is what God's been saying to my heart. I hear from God. Folks, I also know what happened to me over the years, especially as a young pastor. When I was not seeking God, I remember the dire consequences of neglecting prayer. I remember experiencing, while I traveled, horrible loneliness. Bible said, how should we escape if we neglect so great salvation? How can we escape the dire consequences of carelessness and leaving that secret place of prayer? I'm speaking to people now, and I say it lovingly. I'm speaking to people now who haven't prayed in so long. You have no set heart to seek God. And I know the pain. I know what it's like to have the highway of blessings uncharted. I know what it's like to have that spring of water choked. I know what it's like to see the blessings dry up in my life. I've seen relationships sour. I've seen the consequences of not being with God in his presence and intimate with him and learning about him. I've seen the consequences. And I've known the glory of it all when you return to be with him. Bible said, Uzziah sought God in the days of Zechariah. And as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. Now, that's my prosperity message. In what way? The mind of God, the mind of Christ. Second Chronicles 14.7, King Asa sought the Lord. He said, we sought him and he has given us rest on every side. Do you have turmoil on every side? Have you been seeking God? Second Chronicles 15.50, all of Judah sought the Lord with all their hearts. And he was found of them and the Lord gave them rest on all sides. There it is confirmed again. In Galatians 1.1, Paul said, I'm an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ. What he's saying, I don't follow men anymore. I don't have heroes here on earth. I read the stories of young pastors today that are passing some large churches. And one recently, he started naming his heroes. And these were young men that had great followings. And they started naming these men. Paul said, I was not called by men. I am not a man pleasing person. If I seek to please men, I can't be a servant of Christ. Did you hear it? If I try to please men and gain their applause and gain the approval of man, if that's what is in my heart, if that's my mindset, I have to do something and always on nails, always on pins and needles trying to please somebody. You don't have to please the pastors of this church. You don't have to please anybody but Jesus. And when you please Christ, you'll please all men. He said, I'll have you know, brethren, that the gospel I preach is not of men. I did not get it from man. I was not taught it by man, but I was taught it by the revelation of Jesus Christ. And I conferred not with flesh and blood. Even when he did go to Jerusalem for a conference, he said they added nothing to me. He said, I went there. I didn't hear anything new because the Lord by his spirit had already revealed it to my heart. That's what I'm saying. You can come here. We need the preaching. We need the teaching because this is to inspire you and to build your faith so that you yourself can go into your secret cause. You go to the place where you pray and you get the same spirit of revelation as comes to your pastors and men and women of God. Paul, the apostle, says, I didn't get it from men's books. He said, I didn't have to read a book to get this. He said, I didn't borrow men's methods. He said, everything I do, everything I get comes from the revelation of the Holy Spirit who bides in me, who leads my life. I don't need the man who's seeking God, the man who's walking in faith, who set his mind to lay down his reputation and become a servant at heart, a servant to the body of Jesus Christ. Doesn't need a book. He doesn't need some other man to tell him what to do. In fact, Paul said, contrary wise, though they didn't add anything to me when they found out what God was saying to me, they heard me and they gave me the right hand of fellowship. He said, those that were somewhat among them didn't give me, didn't add anything to me. They were the most popular. They were well known, but they didn't add anything to me. I went to the conference, but there was nothing added because I came full. I came knowing who I am in Christ. When Paul wrote this message on the mind of Christ, he addressed it to the church of Philippi. And it was to the Philippians he first made this statement, let the same mind be in you that is in Jesus Christ. Paul then informed him that he had the mind of Christ. Paul made it clear, he said, I, I, the only reputation I have is they're all afraid of me. And the reputation I have, he that tried to destroy the faith is now preaching the faith. He said, everywhere I go, that's all they think of me. And Paul, the apostle says, but let this be in you, this same mind that's in Christ. Let it be in you. You should be thinking the way he thinks. And those thoughts should produce the Christ life in us. It's a decision you have to make, Paul said. And then he writes to the Philippians, I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly to you. They also that I also might be of comfort when I know your condition. Now, he's in a Rome prison. He's in prison in Rome. And the church is highly blessed at this time in Rome. They even have believers in Caesar's palace, in the palace. They, God is moving. Christ is being exalted. He's being preached, some mocking him, preaching in contention. But Christ is being preached and church is being established in Rome. And here's Paul in prison. He says, I'm sending Timothy so that I can be comforted when I know your condition. I have to know. I want to know who's hurting. I want to know what's going on, who's out of work. I want to know what your spiritual condition is. And I can't come because I'm in prison. And Paul's not thinking of his own comfort. He's not thinking of himself. He's not seeing how people can minister to him. He's not asking money for his own living. He's saying, I want to know I can. I will be comforted when Timothy comes down and assesses how you are and what your condition is and brings me back a report. Then I'll be comforted. That's all I ask. You see, that's a servant. A servant's heart. Who cares? And I want you to listen to this. I'm going to send Timothy for I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your condition. Now, that's an awful sad statement, because in that city, Christ is moving. People are getting saved. There are elders that are leaders. There are pastors. And he said they all seek their own interest, not the things which are Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ. Now, think of that. He said, I can find no man that is like minded with the mind of Christ. My spiritual son, Timothy, is like minded. He has the mind of Christ because he's my servant. And if he's my servant, he'll be your servant. He'll come and care for you naturally. He's the only one who naturally. It comes out of his nature. It comes through the changes Christ has made. He doesn't have to try to be a servant. His heart has been changed. He cares about you. I can find no man. There's nobody in Rome. No. Aphrodite Aphrodite has already been there and he's in this chapter. He was a like minded man. But he's talking about those who are now in Rome. He had other young men who were servants. But this young man especially is like minded. He said this young man has no reputation. He's not he has no agenda of his own. He's coming down to satisfy my heart. He's ministering to me and he wants to minister to you. You want to be like Jesus. Do you really want to be like Christ in your life? Is this really the cry in you? And I tell you, after all these years, some of you've been with us in this church for so long. This should be the one core desire of your heart and mind. I want Christ to live in me. I want the world to see Jesus. And I want my brothers and sisters to know that I care and they can count on me. You want to be like Christ? Then how? That's what Paul says. He said there should be something in your nature that naturally reaches out to people. Pastor, don't have to tell you how. We can't we can't design programs in this church to make you care and send you on pathways of care. It has to be something born of the spiritual nature of Jesus Christ in us where we we see the needs. We feel the hurts. The pastors can't do it all. You and I, everyone in the congregation. You hear somebody unemployed. Do you pray for them? Or do you sit and worry, will I be next? No, no, no, no. Isn't that a sad commentary? Paul said, yes, we've got a church beginning to thrive here in Rome, but I can't find a man. It's like minded. He said every man is out for his own. Oh, you see that in the world today all over the world. You see it in the ministry. You see it. You see it in economics. You see it in business. Every man trying to make it climb the ladder, be successful. That is so anti Christ. That is anti Christ. You want the mind of Christ. Then. You will be of no reputation. You will be a servant. To Christ and his church and to his body all seek their own things. I read that and there was a weeping in my heart. Oh, God, I don't want to be a man in a world gone crazy. That's seeking his own. Just trying to build a nest egg so he can retire. Friends. I don't have to tell you that this world is spinning out of control. I don't have to tell you, you know, that all over this world, millions upon millions. Hearts are failing them for fear. Watching those things that are coming on the earth. What is the answer? How is the church going to rise up in authority when the Muslim population is moving like an army? Trying to subject to whole nations under their religious control. Where is the power? Where is the authority? Where are going to be those young Timothy's when things begin? Not only to shake, but when things begin to fall one. After another. There has to be in our pulpits, especially in America, men who once again get on their face before God. I have to be people that come to church, not just wanting to hear a choir stir their heart. Or another sermon. That's a little better than the last one. Maybe a little deeper. Maybe this time I'll get something. It'll make me bring me back to tears. Maybe this time there'll be something said from the pulpit that will help me in my trial. Yes, thank God for all of that. But there's a personal responsibility now, not only to the pulpit, but to the pew and every one of us who sit in the pew. To get a hold of God and seek his face as never before. To seek him until out of this church. And for that matter, every Bible believing church, every church hungry for Christ. Would begin to shine forth so that there would be a corporate light to go out on this city, shining brightly. And this is not just talk. I believe that if the light comes and God does something in this city, it's not going to come just from the pulpits. It's going to come from the body of loving, caring people. And everybody looks and says, what are caring people? We saw it yesterday at a funeral. One of the staff members of this church, her husband died suddenly this past week. The funeral was yesterday. And to see the people from this church pack that funeral service and to show love and caring. That was a testimony. People stood on the streets and those who were inside, amazed. What kind of people are these? I'll tell you what kind of people they are. The people who have the mind of Christ. Set their heart. Don't care about reputation. I want to be a servant. And we as pastors don't know how to be servants until the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. We have to seek him for that. Do you understand? I just read to you in Philippians that the Bible said Jesus made himself a servant. Paul said the same thing that he made himself a servant to Christ and his church. Do you want to be a servant? Then you've got to lay down all the striving and ambition and ego. You have to bring it to the Lord and let him examine your heart. The Lord is showing me things in my life lately. And I've asked him, Lord, why didn't you show me before? He said, you couldn't handle then. Now that you're making a little progress, now that you're maturing a little bit, I can really show you. And it hurts. It hurts. But then after that, the peace of God that passes all understanding. God wants to bring this church and he wants to bring his people in these last days into his bosom. Father, I lack the words. I don't have the words. So you come by your spirit and you speak to every heart that's open. You speak to the open heart in this annex, the overflow, and here in the main auditorium. Those hearts that are open and hungry and thirsty. But Lord, there's been a little carelessness. There's just been a drifting. And oh God, those that once knew how to lay hold of you, those who really knew how to seek your face. And now, Lord, it is the lukewarmness or a coldness. Lord, would you move them back? Move them back and stir their hearts even now. And let so many hundreds that are listening to me now, set their hearts and their minds and say, Jesus, I will seek you. The Bible says, when you said, seek my face, I answered, I will seek your face. God, make this more of a praying church than it's ever been. And let the love of Christ cause us to embrace every hurting person. Open up those needs to us and give us an understanding of what we pray. Now, if you're here this morning and something that was preached, something that was said, touched you. Was more than a sermon to you that may be just one phrase. Two or three words. And spirit of God, just like an arrow said, this is for you. I'm going to call for those who would have to acknowledge. I don't know Christ. I've never really given my heart and life to Christ. And there are others here. I include you too, that you have known the Lord, but you have grown lukewarm and you have drifted. So that now he's not the whole passion of your life. Too many other interests have come and begin to choke the things of God in your life. I want you to get out of your seat and come to the front and let me pray with you. In the annex, just go stand between the screens. I'll pray with you there in just a moment. Up in the balcony, go to the stairs on either side and come down any aisle. And we'll believe Jesus now that when you walk out of here, your heart will be touched. And you will begin seeking the mind of Christ and the will of God constantly in your life. And you say, Brother Dave, I want to hear from God. I really want to hear from God. If you want that, follow these that are coming, please. I'm sure many of you that are standing here know the awful consequences that come to your life, come to all of us when we don't seek the Lord. And when we go our own way, we open ourselves to temptation. We allow discouragement, weariness, so many things in our lives go wrong. We lose a sense of divine order in our lives. Your relationships are not what they should be. All of these things come together. All of these things that are out of kilter, out of divine order. God, in a miraculous way, brings them all together for those who seek your heart because he said, I give you rest on all sides. I've proven this in my life and I know it. And then comes the peace, the absolute, incredible peace of Christ that passes all understanding. Now, I believe in the power of prayer and I believe in the power of a single prayer. I believe in the power of long prayers and I believe in the power of short prayers. God's no respecter of persons. We're going to pray a short prayer. And this short prayer, if your heart is in it, is going to have power with God. It's going to have an effect on your life. Will you pray this prayer with me? Lord Jesus, I don't want to live for myself. I don't want to be worldly ambitious. I want to get to know you. Lord Jesus, forgive me for not seeking you. Forgive me for serving myself. I want to be a servant to you and to others. Cleanse me of all sin, all iniquity. Cast my sins behind me. Forgive and forget all my sins. Cleanse me. Holy Spirit, I invite you to come and show Christ to me. Jesus, be revealed. Open my heart and I see you and understand you. Put a desire in my heart to read your word and to grow into the image of Christ. Now give him thanks. Let's pray that prayer. Lord, we give you thanks. We give you thanks. Hallelujah. Now, Lord, I pray for these that have come forward. And I pray for the congregation, for those in the annex, those that are within the sound of our voice. Holy Spirit, will you draw us now? This is the great joy of your heart, Holy Spirit. This is your joy. This is what you've been called to do. This is what you've been sent to do, to bring us to every word that Christ ever spoke and to reveal Jesus and to show us things to come. Lord, do that for this people. Draw us now with cords of love. You don't have a whip in your hand now, Lord. You're just drawing us by your love. We thank you. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for your mercy, your tenderhearted kindness to us. This is the conclusion of the message.
The Mind of Christ
- Bio
- Summary
- Transcript
- Download

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.