In this sermon, Pastor Wilkinson calls on the congregation to come forward and seek deliverance and strength from the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes the importance of repentance and keeping one's focus on Jesus and the cross, rather than pursuing material prosperity. The pastor also addresses those who may feel spiritually weak or have backslidden, urging them to rekindle their passion for God. He warns against being blind or deaf to the condition of the church and encourages everyone to take on the burden of reproach for the sake of righteousness.

And we should be praying down these strongholds. And finally, the reproach of downgrading depravity in the church. Downgrading depravity. Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness. They put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Jeremiah 23, 15, I've seen in the prophets a horrible thing. They commit adultery, they walk in lies. They strengthen also the hands of evildoers, and none returns from his wickedness. I got a letter, let me explain, let me illustrate. I got a letter this past week from an irate Christian woman. Terribly irate. She said, my husband, who's supposed to be a Christian, is a big-time gambler in the millions. She said, I've been so concerned with the crowd I've been with. And the danger he's in. And I thought, well, I'll urge him to go to the pastor. She said, Brother Wilson, you'll not believe what happened. I am so angry. I'm so hurt and confused. I sent my multi-million dollar gambling husband to my pastor. He said he had heard about this man, been in the church. I don't know if he was enjoying the tithing of it or what. But he said, I have searched the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and I can't find one thing in the scripture against gambling. He said, I see no sin in it. He said, enjoy yourself. Words of that effect. She said, she was dumbfounded. She said, how can a man of God say such a thing to my husband? She intimated that she'd just lost him. For good. This is exactly what Jeremiah spoke of. The pastor strengthened the hands of evildoers that none doth return from his wickedness. And he explains why that they have downgraded depravity in their congregation and why they're calling evil good and good evil and bittersweet and sweet bitter. And the reason of it, he said, the prophets themselves are committing adultery and walking in lies. He said, there's any man that's got sin in his life is not going to get up and talk about sin in the camp. Because he's convicted by his own adultery and his own sin, his own evil mind. Folks, I'm not painting every minister in the country with this person. No, the majority of ministers are on fire for God. There are young ministers so clean and so pure in this wicked day and age. I've met many of them and I thank God for them. Even in this town, even in this city, I've met some of the most righteous preachers I've ever met in my lifetime. And multitudes of ministers feel just like I feel this morning. And they're looking and waiting for voices to expose that which is evil. If they had stood in my council, and it caused my people to hear my words, and they said if they were speaking what I really have in my heart, if they were speaking the mind of God, they should have turned the people away from their evil ways and from evil of their doings. He said, you can tell a man of God. You can tell if a man knows the Lord and they have been shut in with God. God said these other, I didn't send them. I didn't speak to them. They speak their own mind out of their own imagination. Out of the evil of their own hearts, the prophet said. They speak a vision of their own heart. I sent them not. I've not spoken to them. They say unto them that despise me. The Lord said, you shall have peace. And they say unto everyone that walks after the imagination of his own heart, no evil shall come upon you. Don't worry. Everything's okay. It used to be the sinful men who wanted to appease their conscience went to the psychiatrist. Now they go to certain churches. I believe like the Puritan, the godly, holy Puritan pastors who said this. I quote one that a godly person has to be more deeply concerned, more burdened over the reports of the church than any other evil in the world. The reproach upon the solemn assembly should be the greatest sorrow to everyone who loves Christ and his church. This should be the greatest sorrow in our heart. These reproaches on his name and on his church. Now, you may be saying, well, Pastor Dave, I just don't see it that way. I'm of a more positive mental attitude. Pastor Dave, you've got that morbid prophetic kind of thing like the Old Testament prophets. And this may be your thing, but it's not my thing because I see things through brighter eyes. I see the church, the great blessings from all folks. I believe God's going to bless his church. I believe the gates of hell will never prevail against it. I know all of that. I believe with all of my heart. But what do I do about this scripture? What do I do about the prophet Zephaniah who said in the last days, God's going to raise up the people and get them together. And they're going to have a sorrowful heart over the conditions. And they are going to bear the reproach. They're going to take the reproach of Christ. They're going to know the heart of God. And I dare you get into the presence of God. You shut yourself in with the Lord with diligent prayer. And he's going to burn your heart. You're going to weep over the condition of the church. He's going to show you the condition. He will open your eyes to it. Who is this blind but my servant? Or deaf is the messenger that I sent. They see many things, but they never do observe. In other words, they don't do anything about it. He said, you don't even hear. Now, folks, I want to show you a scripture that I didn't understand till this past week when the Lord put this message on my heart. Go to Zephaniah again, the third chapter. I'm going to close here in just a moment. I want to prove to you. Look this way for just a minute. I want to prove to you that this matter of taking on the burden of reproach of the Solomon sent me is so close to the heart of God. It is so much his mind. I fought demonic powers to get to this Pope this morning, priestess. I had the devil hound me and saying, I'm going to make you pay for this. Your health, your family and everything else. I listened to a hundred lies and had to overcome them through faith. That'd be under attack. But I want you to know that I am on such powerful scriptural grounds. And I'm telling you that right now, while I'm preaching, the Lord Jesus himself is rejoicing and dancing. And when you take your stand, when you take on this burden of the Lord, and you take on that burden by fasting and praying over it, you are weapons of mighty God and pulling down strong. These are strongholds in the church. You've got to stand up. We need to do it corporately. We need to do it privately. Every child of God needs to be praying against this, that God would first open the eyes of those prophets, false prophets. You're preaching this. Open their eyes, deliver them from this snare and be merciful to them, be kind to them and that everybody's in this there be delivered. We need to be praying that down more, more than that. Don't touch it. Don't go near it. Leave it alone because it will grab you. If you're not strong in the Lord, if you're a weak believer, you're a new believer, you go in just out of curiosity. It'll take you. It'll grab you because it appeals to everything of the flesh. And until you know how to deal with the flesh and the power of the Holy Ghost, stay away from it. The Bible says grief is the daughter of love. I mean, the Puritan says grief is the daughter of love. In other words, if you really love Jesus, you're going to share his grief. But let me show you the scripture. Verse 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. He will save. He rejoiced over thee with joy. He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing. Why? Because he's gathering them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly who are of thee to whom the reproach of is a burden. He's singing over those who share his burden. I stand before you now on a rock without one iota of fear in me. I have delivered the mind of God. And I tell you now in the power of this wonderful word from the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. He will save. He rejoiced over thee with joy. He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing. Why? Because he has found a people who are sorrowful over the things that sorrows his heart, who carry the burden that he carries of the reproach of the solemn assembly. I tell you in closing, with everything in me, you and I need to be praying that God will raise up leaders. He'll raise up voices, fearless voices, heartbroken voices that have nothing to prove. Stand up against this because where it's going to end, let me tell you where it's going to end. Unless we begin to pray, get a hold of this burden, let me tell you where it ends. With this I close. It's going to end in a love trap. A love trap. And this is what they're saying now. You'll hear these people. It sounds so loving. We love everybody. It doesn't matter what you preach. It doesn't matter whether you're in prosperity. It doesn't matter what your gospel is or anything else. God is love. Let's all just get together, embrace one another. But the Lord said, how can two walk together unless they'd be agreed? How can you walk with those when you don't agree with the unscriptural practices? You cannot. That's a love trap. They say, don't condemn anybody. Don't judge anybody. Oh, no, no, no. That's what the Bible says. He said, we're to judge righteous judgment, reprove and reproof with all long suffering. I'm not on a soapbox. I'm on a rock. God's trying to save you, church. I don't know what they do with this scripture. When Jesus said to one of the churches, he said, I know you're so poor, but you're really rich. What were the riches of God in Christ Jesus? The peace of God, the wisdom of God, the nearness of Christ, all that is in Christ is ours. One of the pastors, not of this convention I mentioned, he tried to tell the congregation that that seamless robe of Jesus was one of the most expensive robes you could buy. Isn't that something? Even bring Jesus in to the doctrine. Folks, beware. Beware. Have I scared you? Are you ready? Are you ready to take on the burden of the Lord? You can't do that in your own flesh. You have to do as I've done. I've gone alone with God. And I said, Lord, tell me what hurts you. I want to feel your pain. You know, we preach a lot of love and grace and mercy in this church. The time has come now to call a solemn assembly. Will you stand? Let me tell you what the invitation is about this morning. In the annex and all of the overflow rooms and here in the main auditorium, all around me. I'm going to ask this body, if Times Square Church is your church, if you believe what I've preached this morning, if you've got any of these tapes or books, get them out of your house. Don't give them away. Burn them. Burn them. No clapping, please. Somebody invites you to go to these things. So I'm sorry. I don't want a famine of the word and I don't want my heart to wither and dry. I want the pure word of the Lord that will cause me to grow. I don't want anything. I don't want any message that's going to appeal to my flesh or to foster covetousness in my spirit. Some of you are here right now. Brother Wilkinson, I'm suffering financially and I need help. I need a miracle. Oh, God does supply these and God is a miracle working God. Yes, but he's going to do it only his way. Not by misappropriating and not by misusing the scripture, not by taking out a context, but preaching a balanced message. You're not going to just look at all the rich men in the Old Testament. You know, I listened to them. Job was rich. Abraham was rich. Solomon was rich. David was rich. These are all rich men in the Old Testament. Well, take a look at Samuel on his donkey. Take a look at other men and then listen to it. Listen to Abraham. He says, I'm not, I don't want any of this. They said, I'm looking for a city who's building makers. God, I don't want a big house down here. I don't want all these things. I'm looking to get home. I'm looking to be with my Savior and my Lord. Hallelujah. Heavenly Father, you have truly borne me up this morning. Otherwise, I'd have been weak-kneed and not been able to stand. And I thank you, Holy Spirit. Lord, if there's been one word I've spoken out of order, forgive me and cleanse me. But Lord, I thank you for the word. I believe in my heart that you rejoice when we take a stand against those things that grieve your heart. Things that are so contrary to the word of the Lord and contrary to Scripture. Lord, if we get away from the Scripture, we're on dangerous ground. Lord, keep us in the word. Keep us fastened to the word of God. Let us dig deep in it until we have discernment. We know what's right. We know what's wrong. Hallelujah. Lord, give us pastors and shepherds who will take a stand and keep their flock, Lord, from being swallowed up by wolves in sheep's clothing. Now, I'm going to give an invitation this morning for those who, first of all, are backslidden in the heart. You say, Pastor Dave, I don't have the fire burning in my heart. Now, if I preach the word of the Lord this morning, He'll confirm it. And the way He confirms it by bringing conviction to your heart. First of all, I'll convict you on the word that you heard. If you have been lusting after gospel that would give you the keys to get rich or to be prosperous, I'm telling you, you need to repent. If you've been, your heart's been blown out to that kind of thing. I've tried everything. I've tried faith, everything. I've got to get something in my hand now to teach me or show me how to get money. If money is the object, prosperity has been the object, you have missed the cross. You've missed the gospel. You've got to repent. I want you to step out of your seat boldly and come up here and repent and say, God, forgive me. I'm going to keep my eyes on Jesus. I'm going to cross and come what may, I'm not going to go that way. Now, if you're here in the balcony, the same thing. If your back's slid in the heart, you say, Pastor Wilkinson, the fire is not burning in my soul like it should. You may be visiting here for the first time. We've had a number walk out. I'm sorry for that. But you're here and God is doing something. And sometimes still waters run the deepest. And He's doing a deep work in our heart of conviction and speaking to us. He's speaking to me to get rid of my timidity and speak prophetically when he speaks and not to be ashamed to expose what is evil. I'm asking everybody in this congregation, you're not right with God. There's been a coldness in your heart. Are you not saved? I want you to follow these that are coming right now. And in the annex, I want you to simply walk right forward to the front where the screens are. We're going to have people take you in the room and pray with you and minister to you. And here in the main auditorium, while we sing a chorus, I want you to get out of your seat, wherever you're at. Say, Brother Wilkinson, I don't want to be deceived by the devil. There may be other kinds of deception. Somebody talking to you on the phone, other deceptions. Somebody been trying to either gossip to you or speak some word of death into your ears and your heart and your mind. So, God, I don't receive this. I come now and I repent. Give me clean ears. Give me a clean heart. If there's sin in your life that's bound you, say, Brother Wilson, I want to be free from this sin that's in my life. Nobody needs to know what it is. No one will say anything crazy to you. No one will put a microphone in your face. You come because the Holy Ghost draws you all over this house and in the annexes. If you're in the overflow rooms, go into the main annex, go into the main auditorium in the annex and join those that just move forward to the screens. There's Pastor Neil Rose, I believe, is going to be there and others to show you where to go. But here in the main, up on the balcony, go this way and this way and down here in the main auditorium. Just step out of your seat and follow these that are coming now. The Lord wants to change your life. He wants the miracle in your life that you've been praying for, a freedom of deliverance from lust, freedom of deliverance from false doctrine and strengthen you in the Lord. If you feel you're weak this morning and need to be strengthened by the Holy Ghost, follow these that are coming, please. Listen, you that have come forward, just listen for a moment. The Holy Spirit's here to meet every need that's in your life, every need in your body, soul and spirit. He's here to minister to you. I can't minister to you. The Holy Spirit has to do that. Look at me for just a moment. Look this way. The Holy Spirit has to do the work, and he's here, he's willing, and he's waiting right now for you to give him your confidence and your faith. That's all he's asking of you right now, to believe that if you confess your sins, the Lord will forgive you, to believe that he hears the cry of your heart, that sincere desire to follow him. If you'll cry out now for power to live the overcoming life, he will give you that power. That's the work of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Bible said he who has begun a good work in you will finish it. He'll continue it, and he'll finish it to the day of the Lord. He's going to keep you until Jesus comes, in other words. Isn't that wonderful? Can you say that to yourself? You're going to keep me until Jesus comes? The Holy Ghost is going to keep me until Jesus comes. I want you to pray this with me from the innermost part of your being. Pray it. Those in the annex and those here in the auditorium, pray this with me right out loud. Jesus, I come to you now in my need. I can't solve my problems. I can't forgive myself. I can't change myself. But you can change me. You can forgive me. You can give me a new heart. Lord, I confess that I need you. I confess that I can't make it on my own. And I give you my heart, my sins, my doubts, my backslidings, my lust. I give it all. Now, Holy Spirit, I believe the Word. The Word tells me that if I will believe and call on the Holy Ghost, He will come and inhabit my body and give me power to live for Christ and to overcome the dominion of sin. I believe and I receive. Now, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I am secure in Christ according to His Holy Word. Now, let me pray for you. Father, I pray that you break the chains that bind. I come against every spirit of lust, every habit that is evil, everything unlike you, Jesus, preoccupation with self. And Lord, I come against false doctrines. I come against those doctrines that lay hold of the mind that cause people to believe a lie to be the truth. I bind that in the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, take down the shield that has covered the hard hearts. And Lord, soften their hearts. Give them a heart of flesh. Let the sword of the Lord and the arrows of the truth penetrate their heart and bring healing. Take out the poison of the system now, Lord. And Father, we pray for your church. Lord, we know that you're going to prevail. We know there's going to be a glorious church come forth without Puerto Rico. We know the devil will never defeat the purposes, God's eternal purposes. But Lord Jesus, give us the burden of the Lord. Let us carry this burden because you said, I will gather them the sorrow for these things. Lord, and we ask you for that godless sorrow. And even in sorrow, we rejoice. We have that rejoicing because we know that you're going to prevail against all that is unlike you in your house. Lord, we love your church because it is you. It is your body and we love it and we pray for it. And Lord, we will stand with you in it. God, give this church that burden, we pray. Let Times Square Church be a church that carries the burden of the Lord. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Give the Lord thanks right now in your heart. Just give him thanks.