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Christless Pentecost - Part 2
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
In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for repentance and holiness in the church. He predicts a revival among young people and the downfall of drug abuse, alcoholism, and divorce in America when Jesus returns. The preacher also mentions a division between the wicked and the righteous, with God giving a sign of his power. He shares personal experiences of being refined by God and urges the congregation to prepare for the Holy Spirit's convicting work. The preacher expresses his belief that God will not abandon the younger generation to the influence of the devil, but will tear down the strongholds of evil.
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Sermon Transcription
Oh, there's nothing wrong with the Church of Jesus Christ, the gates of hell will not prevail against it. But you know as well as I do that there are many of us who are sick. Now, the question now, as far as the Prophet Malachi is concerned, the question is, now, what can my faith get me? Well, that question is, this idea, what miracle will he perform for me now? That's not the question. The question now, who shall stand, the Prophet said, who shall stand when he appears? The question no longer is, how do I see you? How do I get happiness? How do I get the desire of my heart? That's not the question of the hour now. The issue now is, have I neglected Christ in this midnight hour? Has he been calling me and calling me and I've been turning him away? It's not a matter now of miracles and casting out devils and healing the sick, or demonstrating power, but am I pure in the sight of God? Because it's possible to do all these things and the Lord said to you on that day, depart from me you wretches, I never knew you. That's not a handful, that's a whole class of society he's talking about. People who did mighty works in his name. The purge is going to begin in the pulpit. The purge is already begun in the pulpit. He shall purify the sons of Levi. And how is he going to do that? By turning up the heat. He's going to turn up the heat, gentlemen, on all of us. He's going to make things so hot, so intense, God's men are going to be driven to their knees. This is the fire of the Holy Ghost, but it's the fire of persecution. If God's men will not come back to him willingly, he'll do it sovereignly. And I believe he's here to do a new thing in our midst. He's got the silver, he's in his holy place now, heating the fire seven times hot. And we are so me-conscious. We don't like to hear people come along and prick us with this kind of preaching. But you better believe it, folks. You better believe it. We are going in hard times in prosecution. No one's going to escape the purging. God's determined to get all the dirt out of us. He wants a holy priesthood. He's going to sever us from our backslidings, he's going to sever us from our worldliness. Hey, look, I'm not castigating the ministry. These are my brothers, and they're all through the audience. These are holy men of God. And I believe, like me, they're hungry for holiness. And I suppose I need this more than any man in this place. Because I feel the past nine months I've felt the white heart. God has been scrubbing me down. He's been working on some ugly spots in my life. And oh, if you have a heart for God, any man in this place has been on his knees. Any man or woman has been plagued. Watch out. John the Baptist didn't see Jesus coming as a divine Santa Claus. He saw him coming with an ax in one hand and a fan in the other. And the ax he laid to the roof, too. All you holy ghost people, get ready. Get ready to expose all your secret sins. All adultery. All foolishness. And I am one of those who don't. How are you going to play games when he throws you in the fire and everything around you is boiling? How do you stay group warm? The holy ghost is going to put some fire in your baptism. Malachi said, the day cometh it shall burn as an oven. And all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble. And the day that cometh shall burn. There's another part of this prophecy that blesses me. God has promised that along with the purge in his house, he's going to start pulling down the strongholds of the devil. I have never believed that God would turn a whole generation over to drugs and sex and alcohol and nothing about all the divorcing and the breaking up of their homes. I've never believed that God's getting ready to take care of all the children. And here it is. Here's the promise. And I will come near to you in judgment. And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers. And against the false swears. And all that turn away the stranger from his right. And all who fear me not said, the Lord God is going to deal sovereignly, folks. I'm leaving in a week or two to spend the summer in the streets of New York and Los Angeles and Washington, Philadelphia. People are talking about... Listen to it. He said he's going to... All the chaff, he said, they won't even have a congregate. He's going to put them aside, put them on the shelf. They're going to be burned out mountains. He said he's going to call his church back to repentance and holiness. He's going to see a people offering praises and true righteousness. He's going to bring a revival to our young people. Drug strongholds are coming down. Alcohol and divorce will no longer be controlled in America when Jesus comes. Oh, there'll be two streams, the wicked going this way and the right. He said there's going to be a sound of prayer again in his house, intercession. People are going to discern between the holy and the profane. God's people are going to go back to his word. Christ is going to come again and reveal to the church a new kind of prosperity preaching. And I believe there's a new kind of prosperity preaching already being preached in the land. It's moving away from anything that's material. And it's coming now to revelate to the true riches of God in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah. 1820, 1806, I think it was. Presbyterian pastor, one of the great praying saints of God in American history. Praying patient in the middle of a great depression in America at that time. He wrote a letter to his mother. He said, dear mother, the depression is so severe in Portland that all the businesses have failed. Men are committing suicide because they have no place to support themselves. The poor houses are filled. He said people are being scattered to the four winds. He said almost all the people, especially the young married couples, have lost their homes in my church. But he said, mother, don't say poor Edward, say blessed Edward. Because in these hard times, even though I have only pennies to live on and can't afford to get married. He said God has been revealing the true riches of the glory of God in Christ Jesus. And he said this, mother, my people are taking joyfully the spoiling of their goods. He said my prayer is, and listen to this, folks, how different from what we've been hearing in these last days. He said, mother, it's my prayer that if God has any material blessings in store for me, he would be pleased to turn them into spiritual ones instead. If God has anything material in store for me, would he be pleased to give me his grace instead? Turn them into spiritual blessings. Now, folks, I don't have a heavy burden to lay on you tonight. Because Christ didn't come to condemn us, but to save us. And just like you, I'm struggling with temptation and trial, weakness and times of disobedience. And to tell you the truth, I have read more books on theology in the last year than I have in my whole lifetime combined. I've gone through all the Puritan writers. I've gone through all the great holiness preachers. I've gone through Wesley. I've gone through it all. And even though my heart is so hungry and I pour over the scriptures, I tell you honestly, I don't understand all the doctrines about holiness and righteousness and purity. I don't understand anything about these great doctrines that I could just... And the more I read sometimes the less I feel I know. And I think like Zwingli, I feel, oh God, I have to put it all aside. And just like Paul... And I'm not standing here telling you I'm a great praying man because... I used to walk the streets and cry. I'd get on the steps, I'd walk the streets of Harlem. And when I stood in the pulpit, God's word was heard. But we'd get away. My altars were full. But there was a contradiction at the center. I hadn't fasted in 20 years. The first two years in New York I fasted and I prayed. And I'm telling you, thank you God. And the Holy Spirit that I have has come to... And I'm ashamed. I'm really ashamed. That every sermon I've preached up to nine months ago I don't want to even look at. Because nine months ago God spoke to my heart and said, If you really believe that it's the end. If you really believe I'm coming. Why are you playing games? Oh God will come to us time and time again and say, Pay the price and we go so far and we stop. And I said, God, this time I'm going all the way. I'm not going back. And I tell you now, I take time, I take days, I take... I've canceled everything from August to January for five months. I'm going to shut myself in with God. Now maybe you can't do that. And I'm not saying that to boast you. I'm telling you that I feel I need it because I don't know where I'll be in. God is trying to say something to turn to Jesus Christ. And we're so into happiness and joy. God got in my attention. Here's His way. Go get your attention. The only power I want now is His purity. I want His righteousness. And I can't get it by anything I do. It's a gift. It's His grace. Hallelujah. It's time for a cleansing. It's time for a purifying. And the fire is here. Have you sensed it lately, the last few months in your heart? Hasn't there been... Hasn't the Holy Ghost been saying to you what He's been saying to me and so many others? I hear from preachers all over America say, Bro. Dave, I don't know what it is. I've been drawn to Him more than ever. I'm so restless. I'm not satisfied with what I've had. God has to do something in me and for me. Well, folks, here's one preacher not giving up until I touch God. I'm not giving up. I'm going to press in. I'm going to press in until God says something in my heart and God's trying to say that to His... I'm back to the prayer closet. The Holy Spirit is walking among us tonight. But He is saying, Exalt the name of Jesus. Exalt in His presence. We really hope that this teaching has ministered to you and in some way drawn you closer to our Lord Jesus.
Christless Pentecost - Part 2
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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.