A Passion For Prayer by Jim Cymbala

good evening everyone good evening it's great to be here can you hear me good it's real honor to be invited to be a part of your event this evening and how many pastors are here or people who lead others or teach or speak or exhort in some capacity as spokesman for the Lord and the body of Christ just lift your hand if you're involved in any of that oh wow I want to talk to you about what was such a mystery to me for years and I feel the Lord opened a passage of scripture to me years ago while I was in a hotel in London actually sitting on the floor reading the Word of God and the Lord seemed to come and just wow lights went off or exploded in my heart and mine and I would say that after knowing Jesus Christ as my savior this is one of the most important revelations or things that I've ever had happen in my life and it's helped me in in a great way in what we do many many years ago more than thirty years ago my wife and I came to a rundown building in the downtown rundown part of Brooklyn New York in the hood we're trying to do some good in the hood as they say and less than 1518 people in the church no crack at that time but heroin big-time alcoholism run-down building just very very difficult and I was a basketball city basketball player in New York City went to college on a basketball scholarship by an NCAA tournament and that was my life and here God doing things you know you can't put God in a box here I was called into the ministry my wife's a very talented musician has since then won six Grammy Awards with her choir and here we were in downtown Brooklyn facing this dismal situation and you know God how do you do this how do you make a change in people how do you how do you see the gospel work out in power I don't want to just study church history which I have about what God did a hundred years ago two hundred years ago or talk about some future revival I want to know we want to know God do it now how many say Amen good do it now do it now in Florida let's get this on and see God do something great now so many years now since then the Lord has really blessed and helped us and and we've seen some amazing things happen in churches start out of our church and now like ten thousand people come in out of the building that were in now on a given Sunday change by the power of Jesus Christ and my wife's choir which has like two hundred and eighty ninety people in it there are lawyers and doctors next to home former homeless people and drug addicts and black and white and Latino and you name it we have one who did it and whatever country you want to name we have somebody but that's the way it's going to be in heaven amen every nation every tribe every tongue all singing praise to God for His grace but you ever wonder about this how did they pull that off in the New Testament we read it how did they do that no Bible no New Testaments to hand out hadn't been written yet Old Testaments there are no printing presses couldn't hand those out especially in the Gentile world no buildings Christian Church had no public buildings for more than three hundred years no microphones no money the Roman government and establishment against them with its polytheism and thousand gods the jewish religious establishment against them totally rejecting Jesus Christ as the Messiah they weren't about to admit that they missed the one who they were supposedly waiting for no buildings no money no Bible schools no seminaries and the people who started the work were all failures for after spending three and a half years with Christ on the day that he was arrested they all fled and one who ended up being the leader cursed and denied the Lord three times and yet we read about stuff like they would go into a place like that so and Aika they're not sure if they stayed there Paul and his team stayed there weeks or months but they didn't stay that long and they left behind a church and ordained leaders how they do that no prayer in schools but they had something better they had prayer in the church the problem today is not per in the schools is per in the church I don't care if they pray in the school's I'd love to see and pray in the schools but it would be better if we'd start in God's house for Jesus said my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations all people well so we're talking about ministry here how do you preach the gospel or how do you minister how are you a Christian minister and see the world turned upside down and see miracles happen and and and people set free from demonic influences and crack addicts get clean and and and people messed up in every single way that you could imagine which is what I face every single week of my life how do you do see that happen so that God's name is glorified not a church not a denomination God's not going to help us so that our church's name is put in lights or that we become famous as ministers God is not going to share his glory with some church or minister come on that Christ might be glorified well we know this we know that Paul is given to us as the model minister Jesus since he had not accomplished the cross yet and resurrected is not the exact model we have because he didn't go and preach the gospel because after he accomplished what he had to he then ascended into heaven after being with the disciples off and on for forty days but then he sent them out to preach the gospel and oddly enough it wasn't one of the twelve that the New Testament focuses on but the book of Acts starting with the church in Antioch and Paul's conversion he becomes the center point of the god of the gospel of the narrative in the book of Acts and he writes most of the rest of the New Testament so Paul is given to us as here's who you look at he being said be imitators of me as I imitate Christ he was the ultimate master builder he was the efficient Minister competent minister of the New Covenant not of the letter which kills but of the spirit that gives life so any minister who any man or woman who wants to make their life count for Christ you got a study Paul carefully because he was the bomb right then right in the New Testament he got hooked up with God and was used tremendously by the Lord well let's well and when we analyzed Paul how did he pull these things off how did he do this well we know his message was the gospel his message was the gospel he didn't preach some dream or vision he didn't preach some something read in the newspapers he didn't get corporate speak and and be clever in fact he said my speeching was my preaching was not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit so he said I am not ashamed of the gospel he preached the good news he didn't preach Moses he preached Jesus he didn't preach the Old Testament he preached the New Testament and only used the Old Testament and the law to create a sense of need conviction of sins so that people could believe the good news Christianity is not about bad news it's about good news do I get an amen here from somebody it's about good news so he preached the gospel brothers and sisters let's remember that you never stopped studying the gospel what is the good news how do you preach it how do you explain it how do you apply it to a prostitute how do you apply it to some angry 11 year old kid in in the hood who's seething with anger because he has no father doesn't know where the mother is and he's against everything how do you bring the good news to him what is the good news how do I preach the good news in 2011 in Florida or New York City or wherever you might be from that's the message what was his methodology well we know it's methodology from the book of Acts and it can only be summarized by one word the Holy Spirit you cannot predict what Paul will do read the book of Acts you'll have no idea what he's going to do next because he was led by the Holy Spirit remember that place in the book of Acts where he wanted to go into Asia to preach the gospel but he says the spirit said no then he took out tried to go to into Bethea Mia and again the spirit of Jesus forbid him how did that happen why he just knew you can't go anywhere unless God send you and he wasn't trying to sell computers he was trying to preach the gospel but the Spirit forbid him why would that happen we don't understand those things but we want to be in the right place at the right time doing God's will so his methodology was to be led by the Holy Spirit to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit that reference I gave you from first Corinthians chapter two my preaching was not with wise and persuasive words in most seminaries and Bible schools that's the main thing that trying to teach guys and girls to do be wise and persuasive how else you going to get converts Paul said I wasn't wise and persuasive but my preaching was with a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit what did that look like I don't know but I want to see it I want experience it he broke through into a pagan world and saw convert to Christ because he wasn't clever he was spirit filled that's not emotional that's not yelling that's not faking tears that's not being quiet not faking humility there were some mantle and anointing of the Holy Spirit that when he spoke it penetrated people sharks did everyone believe know everyone will never believe they didn't believe when Jesus was here on earth but when we're anointed speaking the gospel with the power of God we're going to see converts we're going to see the name of Jesus glorified we're going to see changed lives and miracles happen Florida needs it have you noticed New York City needs it so we can't twiddle our thumbs and and and and curse the darkness we got to light a candle and say we want to tell you about Jesus we got to preach the message and we got to have confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit all formulas are worthless going to visit a church and trying to copy it you are wasting your time the history of the Christian churches well we can learn and be encouraged by others you have to seek God for yourself and find out what he wants you to do you can't be a typical evangelical - typical Baptist - typical Calvary Chapel the minute you say that you're loser because God doesn't use copycats God uses originals study the book of Acts study church history every one God ever used was an original they didn't copy anyone they were influenced by people but they had the confidence to God's going to use me through I my personality I went through a great battle maybe this will help somebody here when I first went in the ministry I had a great battle with that because I never been a seminary never been a Bible scholar shooting jump shots from the top of the key what did I know about the Bible so when I went in the ministry I suffered from a lack of confidence like how could God use me I don't have a great speaking voice I'm not an orator how is God going to use me so I tried to for the while at the beginning I try to act like a preacher whatever that image you have in your mind whatever the image I have in my mind that's what I try to be because it protected me it could be my armor that I could keep people away from me because I couldn't believe that God could use me speaking conversationally like I am now I couldn't believe that I had to be like someone so I had certain images in my mind I was acting like that and my sermons were horrible they were so bad I fell asleep while I was preaching and that's not a good sign why because I couldn't believe that God could use me in my personality but I want to assure all of you here the moment you mimic anyone even unconsciously you grieve the Holy Spirit he doesn't anoint actors/actresses people putting on a self for soft voice acting different than they do in their normal life that is not part of being a minister of Jesus Christ Jesus never put on another voice or acted different when he was with disciples and then when he spoke on the mountain and gave the Beatitudes or the Apostle Paul in his ministry so our message is the gospel our methodology as Holy Spirit lead us Holy Spirit anoint us Holy Spirit show us where to go remember what happened when he was forbidden in those two places he didn't know what to do when you don't know what to do you wait you don't think you wait you wait for directions we're servants servants obey a master they don't do God's not waiting for creative thought from any of us he's God so as a servant he waited and in the night he had a dream and he had saw a man from Macedonia saying come over and help us and then Luke says he must have joined him right around then he says and then we took it that God was leading us and and and then all that great missionary trip and all the blessings that God brought upon him why because he waited and was led by the Holy Spirit we have very little of that today in my judgment from what I can see everyone's formulized the thing meetings are formulas Holy Spirit has very little room to come and lead people we got it down to the minute listen if God could lead the Israelites for 40 years don't you think he could lead you and me through a meaning don't you think he knows what's going on don't you think he knows right now what's needed in this room don't you think he does I don't but don't you think he could communicate that to me or to you when you're doing ministry the more we programmed the thing and become mechanical the more we're really saying I don't need the Holy Spirit I know how to do this we don't know how to do this we need God can we all put our hands together and say amen to that well all of that to say this I was aware of those two things and what I just said I know you're aware of it and most of you here can help reach me so I'm not bringing anything new to you Bob but I didn't know the third thing the message yes the methodology is not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit so your faith wouldn't stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God what must that have looked like now when do they turn the world upside down but here's what really helped them turn the world upside down this is the third part that God was gracious enough to show me that's helped me so much I wanted to help I wanted to help somebody here in 1st Thessalonians Paul reveals himself his heart and he says this you can just listen to me you want to turn to it I'll give you the references 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 he says this about his ministry you know we never use flattery when we were with you ministering nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed we weren't trying to make a buck like these guys on television you know God just showed me there's a 500 people supposed to give $1,000 you know and all that well that's a con game you know that right those are con artists if God gave them how many when they give them the name so we can just move on with the whole thing and get it over with but it's it's it's business it's business God is our witness we we were not looking for praise from men not from you or anyone else that's important to remember as ministers if we were looking for praise we've missed the mark not to look for praise from men boy that was a great sermon man you were good no it's when you get along with God that he praises you and says you did what you did good as apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you we had rights as a minister but we were gentle among you like a mother caring for her little children we loved you so much is this a love letter are they dating or is this an apostolic letter listen we loved you so much that we were not delighted to share with you not only the gospel but our own lives as well because we loved you so much and you had become so dear to us later on in the 1st 2nd chapter it says but brothers when we were torn away from you for a short time in person not in thought I never stopped thinking of you when you're in love with someone you never stopped thinking of them out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you for we wanted to come to you certainly I Paul did again and again but Satan stopped us we don't know how what that meant but Satan somehow stopped him for what is our hope minister what is our hope and our joy or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes is it not you indeed you are our glory and joy and then in the next chapter he talks about the fact he couldn't stand being away from them so he sent Timothy to find out how they were doing Timothy has just come back to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love that's what we're trying to see growing people not are they coming to the building on Sunday are they growing in faith and love he has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us just like we long to see you what is it are they dating that this sounds like you open someone's love letter you long to see us old we're happy because we long to see you we miss you you miss us oh wow they're four brothers and all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith for now we really live because you stand firm in the Lord here's the third missing thing that we need in our churches I certainly need it in my ministry and we needed in the Brooklyn Tabernacle and that is Paul had the message and he had the methodology but he had a powerful motivation he was absolutely by the grace of God and through the work of the Holy Spirit he was madly in love with the people he ministered to that's where we fall short we're preaching the gospel of Jesus without the love of Jesus you can preach and be mad at people you can be angry you can be upset you can be venting while you're preaching have you ever seen a minister do that is he speaking truth is he preaching from the word yes is his spirit right no does he care about the people no he's just waiting for the meeting to get over he wants the meeting to get over that's his job he's putting his time and he gets a salary don't you get it but Paul that would be unknown to Paul Paul said when I was with you in Thessalonica don't you remember how I was with you I didn't use flattery I wasn't trying to con you and I want your money I wanted you for I you remember when I was with you look at the picture in the Greek for I was like a mother gently nursing her baby and the picture in the Greek is a woman pulling down her blouse and bringing an infant to her breast and feeding her that's how I was when I was with you you ever see a mother feeding a baby you think she's doing it for money when she looks down at the baby do you think she's watching for any problem because she loves that child she's giving the baby figuratively figuratively her life that's how I was when I was with you maybe that's why he was so powerful he not only had the right message and he depended on the Holy Spirit but when you love somebody and you're passionate about them they know it your words will penetrate many years ago 20 years ago when my oldest girl got away from us and away from God my wife and I went through a long two and a half year nightmare oldest girl away from God she's now the wife of very great pastor and she's doing a great work just gifting of our mom who's not trained neither is Chrissie but she writes music directs worship directs a choir but when she was away from God my heart was broken I could hardly get to church sometimes I would just cry the minute I turned on the ignition and drove 20 minutes to the church do you think when I talked to her I went basically Christi I'd like you to turn to first Thessalonians with me here for a second like to share a little word with you you think I talk to her like that have you lost your mind I would never talk to her like that I talked her from in here that's my girl that's my daughter my daughter's on the edge of an abyss that's my girl when you love your daughter you talk not from here you talk from here you talk truth but you talk from here Paul said when I was with you I was like a mother nursing her baby try not only wanted to give you the gospel I wanted to go down for you I was ready to die for you I haven't met five ministers in my life ready to die for their congregation I was just with someone I was with Ravi Zacharias in Hong Kong just a few weeks ago ministering to hundreds of mainland China underground home church pastors oh I felt so unworthy I didn't want to get up and talk oh half of them been in jail and I'm preaching to them there's a there was a passion intensity there listen Christianity is never laid-back if you're being and if you're into being laid-back you can't be effective for Christ crib Calvary has nothing laid-back about it there's nothing cool about Christianity it's passion it's love he wept over Jerusalem he was crucified stark naked he rose again from the dead he wept over Jerusalem even though it was going to crucify him and Paul says when I was with you you think I was giving you a sermon so I could get a love offering are you kidding you were like my children the mother doesn't charge the baby she nurses she loves to do it it's her life and they had that Paul had that boy do we need that because you can get mechanical and just preach to people it's time to time to share a word do it teaching I got my next expository little word I looked in some commentaries I got my three points in a conclusion you think that's going to change the world brothers and sisters look at me you live in Florida Florida got a lot of problems I'm from New York got a lot of problems do you think the world's going to be changed by little diddies that we're going to share with somebody oh come on we're going to need something from God full of the Holy Spirit and we're going to need to have it filled with love if you believe what I'm saying just lift your hand and say Amen so this is how the church was born what you and I have developed whatever American concept we have we got to compare it to the original and say god help us to get back to the power and fervency of the original Paul goes on later to say and I'll close here and Paul says for I had to leave you torn apart but I never stopped thinking of you I made a lot of Ministers who the congregation is a pain in the neck they'll preach they'll take their check but the people their problems counseling them it's like you know that that guy he just drives me insane he's always got a problem I'm tiring to counseling that dude what is it with him or her or whatever Paul says when I was torn apart from you just in never in thought I never stopped thinking of you you know I have a new grandson I never stopped thinking of him my daughter Susan my middle girl is 37 she has two children 13 year old 10 year old I was just showing some of the passes before the meeting picture of my new grandson she's always want to adopt a child that nobody wanted and that probably would never hear of Jesus so she started working with an orphanage and after 11 months they called her and said we got the boy that you put in for so last March she took her husband who's one of my associates and the 13 and 10 year old Luke and Claire and they came back my wife and I met him in Kennedy when they came through customs with my new he's now 13 months old my new grandson from Ethiopia but you don't have one of those anybody here got Ethiopian grandson his name was Bashara which means good news their mother died giving birth from malaria father six foot three boys gonna play the NBA I'm telling you I'm gonna be shaking and baking somebody had four other kids the father didn't know what to do couldn't keep Levi Bashara could have left him by the roadside thank God he wrote eight hours on the bus and left him at the orphanage as Susan was working with I love him I've somehow knit and bonded with him I tried to find you know I bet I asked can I babysit she said I'm bordering on idolatry with the child but it is what it is you know I think of them all day long I prayed for him today you do you think you have to tell me to pray for him well is it when you love someone you will pray for them Paul says I remember you constantly in my prayers why do you think he taught you how to tell him in the morning now get up Paul you got to pray you think when Chrissy was away from God you think you ought to tell me to pray for my daughter come on our problem is we don't have those deep currents of love and passion for people because when that possesses you you get crazy for God you get crazy for them you pray you'll you'll you'll agonize you'll travail because love makes you do crazy things so Paul says for of course I think about you always because when Jesus Christ comes what is my crown what is my glory what is my joy is it not you did you know pastors those of you are leaders when Christ comes you don't have anything else to show God but people I have a beautiful building was built in 1917 4100 seats when it was built we restored it to the way it looked like in 1943 it really is God bless us it's a beautiful building and it's a beautiful place to meet downtown all the subways and buses come there because half our people don't have cars and that's very important in New York how do you how you're going to get to the subway how you're going to get to the place especially at night things go down so I rebuke whatever that was so what am I going to show God a building when when when Christ comes when we show him a building he he made the heavens in the earth my wife won six Grammy Awards what was she going to do hold up a Grammy Award for him years ago I won Book of the Year for a book I wrote and they sent me a certificate I didn't go to the award ceremony but I was out of the country but what when Christ comes when I show book of the Year award he wrote the Bible what am I going to show on my book look I wrote this book he'll say I wrote this book how about that no all we have is people Paul who wrote the New Testament said you are my crown you are my glory you are my joy what else you going to bring them just people are so proud this to hear the report this Sunday afternoon I was away I'm on supposed to be on vacation here in Florida with my wife when the Tampa area and a girl who was demon-possessed and brought into our church many years ago she gave her testimony for the first time publicly and this is girls four foot ten and she was on drugs they said they're going to bring it to the prayer meeting pray for her this is a long time ago I said yeah bring the girl we'll pray for her so in the middle beginning of the prayer meeting do praise and worship for a while I say there's a couple here siblings a brother and a sister they're good they got some girl here that wants to be prayed for her name is Diana so everybody we're going to pray for and she walks up four foot ten right and when she got about ten feet away the Holy Spirit began to warn me something was going to go down something was going to happen my heart started to beat palpitating I got very alert spiritually mentally emotionally every way I called a minister woman evangelist who is near in the front row I said come and help me pray for her so she's coming as the girls being brought down the center aisle and this woman I think moved upon by the Holy Spirit just said oh Jesus and when she said that this four foot ten girl who's stooped over like she's on method on you know just kind of like a that kind of body posture she flipped out rush me threw me against the facing of the platform ripped the I had a dress shirt on that you were at I she ripped the shirt the collar like it was tissue she's four foot ten like tissue the thing came off she has her hands on my throat I grabbed her throw her down and these voices start yelling at her all through the church there were a thousand people there there's three thousand people now every Tuesday in our prayer meeting there were a thousand people there that night who heard the voices screaming at me and all of us leave her alone she's ours you'll never have her get out of here she's ours we throw down and I throw it down on the ground her eyes are rolling she spits in my face and I had a deacon tapped me on the shoulder and he taps me on the shoulder while this is all going on he says pastor I believe she's demon-possessed the real prophet on my staff you know so she gave her testimony on Sunday her name is Diana Barrios I wish she was here if you brought her out you'd never believe that she could ever do that because just like the Holy Spirit gives us power to do things we can't do demonic possession is nothing more than Satan's counterfeit of a church filled with God doing exploits you ever sorry you say no way she could do that oh stick of a woman foot me like that I still tell her now you know Diana I love you and and you're serving the Lord he's kept you all these years and I heard she was so anointed on Sunday they said oh did God use her when she told her story how she grew up her mother was in which and it got involved in all this darkside stuff but I told her Diane I love you but you ruined a shirt you're so cheap would you buy me a shirt please 16:34 and she'll laugh and laugh now my book award or whatever any notoriety that that means nothing but Diana oh yeah I'll show Diana to Jesus for what else is my crown what else is my hope what else do you have but change lives if we don't have those what are we going to show what's your crown finally and this reveals it again Paul says so I couldn't take being away from you because I had to know that my work was not in vain I had to be sure this tempter hadn't come and tempted you so I sent Timothy oh man it's so good because Timothy's come back and he told us how strong you are in your faith and now I really live because you stand firm in the Lord oh I've seen that haven't you ever seen that haven't you ever seen a mother in the hood I've seen this so many times she works three jobs she works herself to the bone she looks 15 years older than she is but she walks up on the platform at the end of a service or walks up to me and introduces me to her son and says he's been accepted into med school or he's going to be a lawyer and she killed herself but do you think it bothers her of course not we love someone you'll kill yourself if you don't love someone it's just a job just a job punch in the time do the preaching we'll pray for you I got to get to the golf course that's what my real life is about you know that wasn't the early church they were crazy they had the same spirit that was in Christ so Paul says now I really live to put me in prison do anything you want do anything you want now I really live my children are growing in their faith brothers and sisters listen you cannot teach that we have a like a cult today of teaching I think we think that Christianity is a teaching religion it is we need teaching you can't teach love the Holy Spirit imparts love the love of God has shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit not only love for God but the love of God so we have two little prayer too much teaching so what we have is a kind of mental oriented Christianity without su cortisone without the heart the guts the blood which is what they had at the beginning yeah they had teaching his Paschal prophets pastor teachers evangelist but they continued steadfastly in prayer and in times of prayer and breaking before the Lord when you bring your empty vessel to him He pours his love in and you start looking at people differently here's my prayer brothers and sisters lately all the time God helped me to see people the way you see them and help me to feel about them what you feel about them and none of you could teach me how to do that oh we could show you this what Jesus did is what Paul did but have us do it how do you see people the way God sees them unless he does it by the spirit how can you feel compassion about people unlovely people I deal with a lot of obnoxious people sometimes I deal with people who touch little children in the natural I'll throw them out of out of a fourth-story window in the natural you touch a child are you are you crazy and yet how does God see them that's impossible for me I know me I'll go off on people and if you hear like me anybody here in the natural just go off on people come on let me see your hands don't lie I'm a man of God come on you're in church tell the truth but all the love of God how rich so I'll tell you one little proof here before n Paul you can't teach this Paul says and look at it when you go home Philippians 2 verse 19 Paul says to the church in Philippi now listen I'm an ascent emmitt eetu you to minister to you I have no one else like him who will seek your interests and will imitate the way I treated you for everyone else he's speaking about the ministers who travel with them everyone else seeks their own interests and not those of Jesus Christ what Paul says I have no one like Timothy I got a lot of ministers who travel they got three points in the conclusion they're called to the ministry but because I love you so much I only have one Timothy I could only produce one Timothy or God produced them who will care for you the way I care for you because everyone else I travel with their preachers but they seek their own interest not those of Jesus Christ they want to do ministry but on their terms they want it comfortable you look it up I'm not making it up it's in the Bible only 1 Timothy even Paul couldn't get folks like that but I want to have that because that changes everything when you have the right message and you're depending on the Holy Spirit and God's given you a heart of compassion watch out something good is going to happen did you know the best is yet to come in all our churches I didn't get any amen I thought that was profound let me try it again the best is yet to come because the Bible says we go from glory to glory from faith to more faith there's no program in the Bible where we go down we only go up did you know that God could do more I pray this from my own ministry God could do more in 2011 than he's done in the last five years in your church why can't he there's not enough sinners there's not enough people that need God come on can God do it if you think God can do it put your hands together with me okay just before I invite you to pray I thought I learned this you know I told you about that time in the hotel and God really dealt with me and I realize now if you're sincere listen to me Pastor someone may be doing it longer than you have three points in a conclusion and getting a message that's not hard it might be drivel it might be just nothing but you can get three poisons in conclusion but a message that touches people heart well that's another whole thing it has to be biblical but it's got to be more than a robot to preaching three points in conclusion because now God has to break us and deal with us so that we see people the way he sees them and feels what he feels how could I represent Jesus if I don't feel what he feels and see what he sees does that make sense to all of us how it's not right you could say yeah but I'm preaching the word I share the word I know but the success of preaching has more to do with just what you say it's the person who sang it so I think I learned these things but I don't I learn it then I fall back the God gave me a lesson maybe two years after that happened to me in London it's Easter Sunday lines around the block in our previous facility three long services Easter program my wife put together just with a testimony just to present the gospel to people I make an invitation at the end of this little cantata or whatever she did that night that year we had a girl woman and young lady in the church is hiv-positive who used to get beat up by a boyfriend in the building right next to the church that building where we were in she's to be beat up and who's watching a Super Bowl she annoyed him he broke her nose but he wouldn't take her the hospital because the game wasn't over you know one of these women that just seeks out self just just destructive men so she shared a little testimony so I pray for people third service tired it was much younger but tired I was very tired so I sit down on the edge of the platform just like this people are praying my wife's in the band or playing some music she's on the keyboard wow what a long day good day a lot of people come to Christ they're being prayed for filling out cards being ministered to you know you can't rush when people come to Christ don't do that don't rush them out no rush amount what in there's something wrong that people can watch two and a half hour football games and pay money to see a movie but church has to go quick does that add up to anybody here if in his presence there's fullness of joy and all those verses why is everyone want to get out so quick then you're not saying Amen but you know what I'm talking about that's a bad sign why would God send people to heaven who don't want to be his presence on earth you ever think of that not being legalistic I'm just saying logically you don't want to be with the Lord so I'm just there pull down my tie wear tie trying to look ministerial and everything and there's a guy black guy five five rows back in the middle aisle and he's looking at me got a cap in his hand and he's looking at me like he wants my attention look bad look seedy to me and I'm thinking to myself I'm telling the truth man what a bummer of a way to end long Easter because at that building and where we are downtown a lot of people coming in for money to hit you up for some money so we got a whole process know we'll give you food we'll buy it because they want money for what something else you know that but man I'm tired I see this guy and I think to myself bad way to end a Sunday and I'm not going through the process let me just talk to me once they're talking me I give him some money so I call him forward I go come on so he's about seven eight feet from me oh I've smelled some smells you smell some smells I never smell the smell like this that's a foul smelling human being I ever smelled in my life urine feces Street sweat mix equal parts and stir that's what was coming at me it was so bad I could not inhale I'm telling you the truth I look to that side I'll go what's your name my name is David where'd you sleep last night empty truck abandoned truck how long you been in the street a couple years why aren't you in the shelter too scary is that a shelter and I was scared for my life I'm safer in the street his eyes are glazed hair is matted I don't know the last month he had a shower or a bath missing two front teeth here he looked 50 he was 32 he's standing there with me and I'm sitting on the edge and I'm going like oh wow this is nasty so after I engaged him to find out a little bit about him I reach in my back pocket get some money I take out the money and he presses closer to me and he pushes my hand aside he said I want your money I said what is that I want your money I want that Jesus you were talking about and I go what did you just say he said I'm laying out in my own urine on the outside of your building on the side and I heard the music and I came in where that girl was talking about I want that Jesus I'm gonna die out there brothers and sisters listen to me I got so convicted as God is my witness I got so convicted I had turned into like my worst nightmare a cheap preacher you know some guy with sermons and gibberish but with nothing in here empty nobody at home in your soul Jesus had sent somebody to me and I'm going to give him five bucks or three bucks just to get him out of my way that's what I was doing so I forgot about him and I lifted my hands up to God and I said God please forgive me and I just started praying for myself I didn't care about him at that moment the person in need was me not him did you know that God started to fill me fill me I tell you with love I mean like love like you couldn't believe and this love was flowing in my soul and in my heart and breaking me and I started to cry and I'm just weeping and gods breaking me of all that hardness that Jim similar nonsense that can so easily dominate and and did you know that he knew it he knew it and as I was starting to cry not even thinking about him he gets real close to me and he falls on my chest and he puts his arms around me and I put my arms around him and as God is my witness we we were there like for three or four minutes just rocking back and forth him crying and me cry you can't make this stuff up he gave his heart to the Lord that night but while I was hugging and rocking with him the Lord spoke and did something very unusual he spoke to me and said you see this smell if you don't love this smell I cannot use you because that's the worstest that's how the world smells to me so if you can't get past that smell and put your arms around it I cannot use you I'll pass you by I'll find someone else because that's the smell I called you and your wife too and then he changed that smell into the most beautiful perfume I had ever smelled in my life and as I'm rocking there with him there was no more bad odor that I could pick up and David found the Lord we put him in a hospital for a few days get his body clean got his teeth fix put him on staff cleaning the building till I could figure out what's going on when he got all cleaned up handsome guy had this ability to memorize scriptures the dude could memorize the Bible better than me he joined the perb and we have a group of 450 people that pray in our church around the clock they're praying now they know I'm here not bad right they're praying for me right now imagine that they know my schedule they know everywhere I go they're praying for every kind of need they pray from 9:00 in the morning till 10:00 at night then they start again in the morning just rotation o P office people everyone because we're not going to do this by mirrors we need some visitation from heaven we need God doing something and he's not going to come because we sing merely praise and worship songs I love to sing praise and worship songs but he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him and earnestly do it so David spent Thanksgiving at my house he knocked over my wife had a fancy table he had never had a Thanksgiving meal like that she knocked over the apple cider that was on the table he got all embarrassed my children were so good they said David don't even worry about it and he just was you know little felt out of place he's in the prayer band he spent Christmas with us Christmas Eve you know what he gave me gave me a handkerchief I still have it I believe he gave me one single white handkerchief do you think any other present that I got that year meant more to me than that single white handkerchief did you know where he is right now there's so funny that they had told him they gave him checkups they said if you get ever get married you're never gonna have children you you've abused your body too bad so he met this beautiful African girl who was a pharmacist in our church and they got married so they got married that was a miracle the guy was homeless he got married so they come to me after about two years and they say would you pray for us we want to have children I said I'll pray for you I prayed for them 10 months later she has a baby a year later she has another baby they came back to me would you pray and reverse that first prayer because we can't have any more kids I love him you know what he is now he's an ordained minister lives in New Jersey come on let's give God praise and honor and glory let's pray let's pray come on let's pray you're here in you're a pastor you're a wife you're a leader of any kind and you are just hungry for a fresh baptism of God's love just pastor I need an invasion of God's love I want to minister on another level I know about the message I want to depend more on the Holy Spirit but I need bowels of Mercy I need compassion I need to see people the way God sees them I need to feel what God feels and you can't teach me that nobody can teach me that God's got to put that in me breaking down my selfishness and my my walls and my box that I've created where I minister but only within the box of what I feel comfortable with that I see people of different colors and backgrounds get rid of prejudice get rid of all that cultural junk that we all carry through life because Jesus is in white Jesus is in black Jesus is Jesus loves everyone died for everyone if you're here and would like me that as I closed tonight and you want me to pray over you and we just believe God for something coming down from heaven just get out of your seat and come up here quickly come on anybody balcony downstairs just come up here and stand right here don't kneel just stand right here by the way anybody here we're going to pray if you have a wayward son or a daughter because as I was mentioning Chrissie some of you your heart was leaping out Oh God do for me what you did for Chrissie we're going to pray for your wayward child if you have a wayward son or daughter or a wayward grandchild they're not serving God and you know it get out of your seat too and come up here and join the rest of us we praise you Lord we praise you Lord I don't know what your custom is but let's just lift our hands up to God and everyone out loud let's just start praising God out loud come on everybody we praise You God we praise You God we're not ashamed or embarrassed to praise you out loud God for you are worthy Jesus you are worthy we magnify your name we glorify your name we bless your name Jesus oh Jesus we love you we praise you Jesus we bless your name Jesus we bless your name Jesus we bless your name Jesus father God I want to bring first our sons and our daughters our grandchildren that are away from you if you have one lift up your right or left hand right now just lift up your right hand or your left hand now if you're believing God he can bring them back he can wake him up tonight he can get those bad friends away from them he can turn it inside out upside down he can you have to believe don't give up father God we ask you to bring sons and daughters back back to not only their mothers and dads but back to you God back to you Jesus the faith they once had the seeds that were sown in their life Lord the enemy has come in to steal it but we ask you Lord raise up a standard against the enemy Lord raise up a standard and bring those children back Lord we pray that you'll break the shackles that hold them whether it's drugs or whatever it is every kind of compulsive behavior Lord break the back of it Lord break the back of it Lord in Jesus name break the back of it Lord open the prison doors you said you would set the captives free Lord we ask you to bring back Lord those that we love just like Hannah prayed for Samuel who was yet born Lord we bring the children that are born and we ask you to bring them back we intercede for them right now Lord give them a dream remind them of a verse send somebody to them we don't care if they're in prison visit them in prison lord wherever they might be Lord for with you nothing is impossible God with you nothing is impossible and now Lord we praying for us as leaders we pray that you're going to do something new in our hearts Lord our heads are ahead of our hearts that's our problem we know more than we live we talk about verses that aren't really reality yet in our lives the way they should be starting with me God I pray you'll baptizes with compassion I pray your baptizes with tears I pray your baptizes with love and mercy lord I pray that you will help us to see people the way you see them I pray that we will love and feel about them the way you feel about them and God that is beyond us come Holy Spirit open the heavens and come down Lord we pray that our churches will become holy ghost' hospitals Lord where people come in to be healed and loved and helped Lord not cliques not judgmental places but open with compassion Lord like you've been with us God we've made a mess so many times and you never have thrown us away but you've been merciful and kind to us Jesus me the most Lord you've been so kind and patient and we ask you to give us that spirit Lord so we see Florida like you see Florida we see men and women the way you see them give us that ability to be able to say I was my like a mother nursing her baby when I was among you I didn't preach sermons to make a buck I didn't teach because it's my job I did it because I love you I love you people give us a spirit of self-sacrifice and break down selfishness in us lord I pray that we'll remember that people are our crown our glory our joy what else do we have to show Lord when you come back but people people have been changed through our ministry as we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ help us to have such love for people that will be able to say now I really live because you stand firm in the Lord not because something good happen to me no I really live now I rejoice because of what God is doing in your life Lord you have to come by your spirit and do that eyes closed our brothers going to come and just start playing the guitar he might lead a song in a second but right now here's what I'm going to ask you to do when I tell you not yet when I tell you to you're going to open your eyes and every man's going to just turn and find one prayer partner he'll face that man you'll join hands in front of each other one pray out loud over the other then that person pray over the other and here's what we're praying God do what we heard about tonight in your work give us your heart every woman the building you find a woman I want everybody to stand in the building not just those here the Bible says pray one for another the Bible says when we call he will answer the church was born not in a teaching session was born in a prayer meeting and when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were gathered praying and waiting and the spirit came and changed the world through a church filled with the Holy Spirit I want you to pray you linger as long as you want we're not in a rush to go anywhere where are we going to go without God meeting us I don't want to go back to New York unless God changes me and I want the best for your church because we're all brothers and sisters in Christ it's been honor to be with you everybody now find your partner come on every brother find a partner and I want to hear you praying out loud no quiet praying you pray out loud every sister with his sister decide who's going to pray first and then pray with all your heart come on pray in faith pray the blessing of God upon somebody [Music]

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 150,883

Rating: 4.7873073 out of 5

Keywords: Jim, Cymbala, Revival, Repent, God, Sermons, Jesus, SermonIndex

Id: K3S0nfOtO14

Length: 62min 36sec (3756 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 08 2011