Carl Lentz- Harbor Conference 2018

[Music] anybody glad to be in church on a Saturday night man this is this is awesome it's incredible you know give it up for this amazing worship team they're phenomenal yeah don't sit down don't sit down we're gonna pray together can I pray sitting down I'm kidding of course you can let me just say up front it's an honor to be here meeting your pastors there may be the nicest people I've met in a long time and I talked to them at our conference a few weeks back and I just thought wow I didn't really when we had the opportunity to come here I just felt like God really challenged us to be here because we love Long Island who doesn't can I get an amen I only know like four people from Long Island now I know a few more one of them is Todd bishop right here is that an amazing friend and leader but I just really felt like this is the time this is the place for churches like this to rise up and do what they're called to do and it's it's a huge honor to be here and I love Scott and I love to see what God's doing and you know you get extra points in heaven for coming on Saturday night nobody gets credit for coming to church on Sunday you're supposed to but if you come home Saturday no one's gonna laugh all night we're just gonna sit here and tell you that okay here's what I can promise you tonight that we're gonna lift up the name of Jesus and you are not here by accident you're not here because you just by chance you stumbled in here I know that God has a plan for everybody in here and I'm gonna do my best to talk about a perfect God it will be an imperfect sermon no one has ever really articulated how good god is well yet and I doubt we will till heaven but I do know this God changed my life and that in this atmosphere anything can happen so I'm gonna pray if you can just stay with me for the next 30 give or take 160 minutes we're gonna believe that God can change lives in this place we didn't come to play Church we didn't come to have any religious games we're not just doing this to do it God's doing something in this church and you have a part to play in it can I pray for you will you pray with me we just take a moment maybe just close your eyes take a deep breath father in this atmosphere Lord I pray you would have your way we cannot leave here like we walked in lord I thank you that there's gonna be fresh vision tonight pour it out there will be new passion poured out tonight Lord I pray you would breathe on every word there's anybody in here that is discouraged in the name of Jesus tonight we speak the power of God may you lift the head of the weary tonight may you heal the body of the sick tonight Lord those who feel like giving up may this be the night they remember they can't give up because the king of heaven and earth is behind them God you are for us not against us and it tonight Jesus we lift up your name it is the only name that saves it is the only name that heals and tonight in Long Island Jesus it is an honor to give glory and praise where it is do we speak salvation tonight in Jesus mighty name if you believe it can we give them a small shout of praise just like a little if you have any reason to thank God go ahead get much shout a clap whatever you have to do to get yourself in that moment and can you quickly as you take your seat can you give somebody a high five a hug if you're married to the person next to you go ahead and kiss them awkwardly and tell somebody that you love them take 30 seconds and just smile shake a hand [Music] they got booby traps up here I'm gonna preach something that I'm passionate about but I just want to tell you being in the same general area as y'all my wife and I have been you know part of Hillsong Church for most of our adult lives I found my wife in church church stalked her y'all know what that's like church stalking it's when you randomly end up next to the same person in every meeting it's like oh here we are again didn't know a dad to be a part of that journey has been awesome and to see what God has done is is really one of those things where you just shake your head and go thank I would get to be a part of it one of my pastors is here Matt barges he's right here in the front can you show them some Long Island love he passes our New Jersey campus and he's a very special person to us and yeah I'm gonna preach my preaching my heart out I'm gonna need more water than that will tell you that right now we just hold it out outside and I my friend Robert Madhu did you guys enjoy Robert you think he has a future in this speaking thing actually I had a really fancy Church outfit I had I work normally where a priest caller at Hillsong NYC but I was told that the climate was a little bit yeah yeah and Robert said how was it last night he was like man it was amazing it was hot and I was like cool he kept saying hot and when I got here I was like that's what he meant by hot he was not lying at all but he was that you're gonna love these people and it's an honor to be here so thank you for sharing your Saturday night with me and Matt and I'm coming right at you tonight I'm gonna I want to preach the best I can it's gonna be short I don't believe that church should be endured I think it can't be enjoyed but I pray that something sticks in your soul first second or third time in a church environment like this if you'd be bold enough give me a quick wave I just wanna see where you are I'm not gonna do anything weird so just give me a wave okay it's a pleasure to have you thank you for trusting whoever you did to come here and I can say this about Harbor Church that's what we're calling us right I don't want to be like yeah you're the wrong name just knowing these amazing pastors you don't have to believe to belong at a church like this you got to show up and we understand some of the stuff that we do is weird I used to think it was really weird too and then I realized everybody is weird why not make it a spiritual weird it's gonna be weird in a club it's gonna be weird at a sports game nobody ever looks at a New York Knick fan and when they cheer and they're like that's weird that's what you do in a game so as you follow Jesus you start figuring out okay some of the stuff isn't weird it's just new so for those of you that are new we love you we're glad you're here can I preach at you did you bring the Bible my voice is already raspy its raspy on a good day but I just left our youth camp which was in like lake champion which is upstate New York and it was phenomenal all three of my children are in our youth ministry now so please believe our youth pastors are on edge cuz I'm sitting there at every meeting like I care about stuff I never cared about him like a zero safety regulation for this like do you know the doctrine that I want you to preach but anyway are you gonna smile gonna have a little bit of fun I'm not gonna be long how many single people came tonight really three of you I don't believe you how many people are married in this room that's actually a lot I'm alarmed because at our church there's like three married couples out of you know how many people are single which one get a demographic okay this could be your night did you bring a Bible we'll read you one scripture and then we're going to come back to it later I'm gonna tell you what I'm preaching about why I'm preaching about it and we will keep it moving through the book of Matthew and I didn't know what I was gonna preach about I felt like God put this on my heart and as we kind of rolled up and talking to your amazing pastors I feel like it could be right on time I had no idea that the name of this conference this meeting is outside these walls and I think it's phenomenal I think more churches need that on the front door no everyone's just looking at me it's like Carlos because you're up there speaking the context of Matthew 6 is Jesus basically teaching his guys how to pray he's breaking down a lot of stuff he's breaking down you know what he believes if you ever wonder what to pray anybody nobody's ever wondered that y'all just just came out the womb spiritual we just knew everything well some people have wondered how to pray at times and Jesus loves us so much he really gives us clear outlines and he breaks down this one part he tells them how not to pray goes don't be like the hypocrites don't do things to be seen and Matthew 9 6 verse 1 says this I think it's roughly verse at the end of it maybe nine ish this is a new translation so doesn't have the verses it says this Jesus said pray like this Long Island I added the Long Island said our Father dwelling in the heavenly realms may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn come on somebody that's not a Sunday fate that's not a once in awhile they'd be the center of the way our lives Turney said manifest your kingdom realm and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth just as it is fulfilled in heaven we read that see again manifest your kingdom that means make it happen now let us see it manifest your kingdom realm and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on this earth maybe you know the traditional translation of that which is what hallowed be our name may your kingdom come your will be done in Long Island as it is in heaven etc I've called this message tonight and coming right at you chucked in the wild can you just write it down and some of y'all aren't taking notes it's okay I'm not gonna be offended inside I am Church in a wild look at somebody say Church in the wild I still believe that we have the greatest message on these streets to be giving to anybody at any time I believe the message of the gospel it is still explosive it is still dynamic it is still ridiculous it is still a story of a redeeming god that loves broken people enough that he will save you where you are love you exactly as you are but loves you too much to leave you like that I believe if you are a Christian tonight you have the greatest story ever to tell anybody moving we serve the Living God doesn't matter how broken you are doesn't matter how beat up you've been we still believe that there is a God in heaven that sent his son to live and die and rise again so you and I and I can have life tell me a better story on these Hollywood streets in the story of the gospel so my question would be are we getting this message to people fast enough how many people do you know have never heard this beautiful message of the gospel one would say maybe churches are having conferences called outside these walls there's a couple years ago I don't know I mean I know most judges listen to Christian music I do too but once in a while I turn on the radio and I heard a song I was gonna hop up there but jeans were far too tight it was an oversight there's a song called no church in the wild by an urban psalmist named Shawn Carter and his friend Kanye West oh no have you ever heard of them and there was a song that basically was them describing how they are so far out in the wild of life there's no church out there there's no sanity out there there's nobody that can reach them I remember being in New York City the find the song has dated but the point has not being in New York City pulling off the side of the road and sitting there going listening to this chorus no church in the wild no church in the wild I remember thinking oh there is a church in the wild you just have not been to ours yet I remember thinking that day in New York City we need to remind people why God has called us saved us commissioned us and it's not to live these safe little beautiful Christian lives where we show up at church and we go home and we sit at the wrap and just wait for Jesus to take us home again God called us to be a church in the wild wherever there is pain the church should be there wherever there are hurting people the church should be there wherever there is a party the church should be there wherever there is somebody struggling the church should be there I wonder if you're willing to be a Christian in the wild I wonder if you're willing to build a church in the wild because whether you are not that's irrelevant because the pastor's are but there's a big difference write this down if you don't mind respectfully just in case you remember anything I say sometimes notes help what happens when you Pastor a large ADHD young church you gotta throw stuff up there because I used to see stuff that people said that I said I'm like never said that one week somebody came up and said pastor I did what you said last week quit my job right on the spot Oh started putting points up there there's a big difference between a church in the wild mentality and a church in the zoo mentality you need to figure out which one you believe in tonight because church in the zoo mentality a lot of Christians have which would be kind of like a safari have y'all ever been on Safari the Safari is when you go around wildlife and you go around people and you cut it you're eating the safety of your little cart I don't do things with animals at all because I'm scared to them I'm happy to sit on my couch and watch it on TV but apparently and on Safari you just kind of go through the wild and you see it giraffe and you're like oh and you see a lion you're like oh and it's awesome because you feel like you were in the wild but you were never actually out of the safety of your cart church Christianity in the zoo is a lot different than Christianity in the wild a lot of Christians want to have a church like that they want a church with the zoo mentality where you can spend all week like oh look at her Lady Gaga oh my gosh look at this individual on the way to church god bless him save him I can't wait to get into church where it's safe again something is wrong with a Christian faith where we forget that Jesus didn't do salvation in the zoo he actually came into where you are he came into where I was he is here now going after the broken after the hurting there's no pathway of clarity or there's awesome beautiful perfect life Jesus came all the way up in there we're friends now for Life Church in the wild is this Church in the zoo as I pray for you I know what God is doing he's looking for Christians that are saying Lord send me use me bless me increase my territory so I can go out and get more people to understand the beautiful message that is this gospel that's all I got we're going back to New York I wonder which way you're gonna decide to live because there's a line in the sand and culture right now where Christians have to choose what kind of Savior do we follow because Jesus didn't save us to take us out of the fight he saved us to take us deeper in it the difference is he never leaves us he surrounds us we are in this but not of this church in the wild come on somebody shot me down say man I'm gonna go somewhere with this my gosh it's hot [Applause] [Music] let me throw this at you real quick and this might help somebody this is a friendly Harbor Church warning okay if you have a problem anything that I say tonight you could email me at Scott here's the warning I want to give you the casualty of being a healthy growing Christian a part of a healthy growing church the casualty is personal comfort but if it was never about you anyway you should be just fine you get all that it's like for people writing for all four if you get it there is a casualty when it comes to living a life like this being in a church like this trust me and the casualty is personal comfort and if you go back to the my favorite part of the scripture I'm gonna read it one more time if that's okay he says manifest your kingdom realm and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth just like it is in heaven now we read that to our children sometimes you've heard it read very eloquently like your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven and we could almost think this is a nice thought that's not a nice thought that is a grimy thought that is a ghetto thought that is a dirty thought that is beautiful perfect heaven invading awful hurting broken Long Island this is no there's no Christian Snuggies here there's no there's no there's no kumbaya meetings there's no sweet moments here if we're really gonna pray that's why Jesus set us up hey you won't know how to prank pray this beautiful perfect heaven invade sinful awful horrible earth and watch what I can do so the casualty the casualty of being a part of a church like this which will continue to grow and continue to reach the loss and continue to have drummers that used to be Street pharmacists that are in a cage wasn't it awesome he had no idea what you were saying he's like what did he do to get put in the cage but the casualty it's gonna be personal comfort the alternative by the way if you're like well why don't I don't want that kind of church I want my church to be the alternative I call it living with the disease of me have you ever known anybody Todd that has a bad case of the Me's the Me's is when everything comes back to you where you forget that the bible is not really about you your salvation is not really about you your church really isn't about you and if you forget that you're supposed to die to your comfort so more people can know the comforter suddenly the way you feel about your church is different the way you read the Bible is different what you look for in a scripture is different because your mentality has changed a little bit otherwise that the disease called me will eat you up it sounds a little bit like you know church people who will email a pastor that doesn't happen here because y'all got some Saints up in Long Island but it's when people just start to talk a little bit about Church I don't know about Harbor Church I used to love if I come in there now and I used to have the same seat for 17 years in a row but I saw somebody my seat the other week they had blue hair they smelled like smoke and I couldn't even believe it and there were some lights and there was a fog machine and I walked in and I was like what is this fog we don't need this fall we have the presence of the Holy Ghost we don't need artificial fall and I was in there the other day and I was just sitting there trying to worship God there was this new light that the pastor put it hit me right in my cataract knee time threw me off a little bit and then I heard this new song what happened to the old songs I need two old hymns the hymns are where the anointing is what are these songs that I'm here and why does the pastor and I have a table what happened to the old school pulp in there you can't even preach without a pulpit they got these pastors up there with this weird hair and these glasses and these tight jeans I don't even know about these pastors anymore I want it the way it used to be when you feel like telling people I love you and I appreciate you but let me help you out right now this church will never be about you this church has to remain about Jesus and when it's about Jesus somehow someway he can work through you and before you know it you're loving life more than you ever what will be the difference personal comfort where did we get my parents my parents are the greatest people I've ever known I refuse to cry because it's too hot and they got tears in the sweat it's I grew up in a house where my mom and dad are Jesus people they got saved in that generation my dad would walk into our church and like son not enough Jesus you're right dad two songs couldn't be here Jesus from the first 20 seconds be right there so my parents are the real deal but I grew up with parents who taught me really well son this faith isn't going to be about you don't go to a church where it feels good all the time don't go to a church where you don't have to fight for anything like thank God you're a part of a church where you might not get a seat if you don't come on time thank God you go to a church where you got one hand up in worship and the other on your wallet because you don't trust the people behind you if you go to a church where you can just leave your belongings for weeks and you come back they're still there you mic check I do believe that God's calling us to be people who realize personal comfort it might rage against what I've known but Jesus raged against what everybody knew to find me church I like it but it's not about what I like if we have to change some things if we have to do something unorthodox I mean we have to change the method so long as we don't change the message so be it we got to get outside these I remember Scott Scott was asking me he said number salvations we had a really tough time getting people baptized in the early days at Hillsong New York City because every week the number would grow and we couldn't find poles we didn't have any access to anything and and so people kept asking like when we're gonna get baptized and I started to panic a little bit cuz I'm like I honestly don't know like we can go to the East River people would die we could I don't know what we're gonna do and one of my one of my amazing pastors who's a Long Island boy through and through he is amazing at finding ways in two rooms nobody else can get into he said car got a deal on the table for us to use this hotel downtown in the Meatpacking District it's called Gansevoort hotel and they got a roof up top at the bar and they got a pool in there and if--and get us the I'm like set it up let's do it we walked into this meeting and this guy was like what do you all want to use it for I'm like sign the deal paid the money and that night we had thousands of our church come out and keep in mind so you get to go up an elevator and up on the top floor there is a pumping club it's amazing like it's packed it's very well-known and at that particular time and there's a little pool right in the middle and so we were ferrying people through like the freight elevator coming back through the kitchen and so keep there's like a club there's people dancing there's people drinking and then randomly to your right if there's none of this sweet like do you love Jesus is he your Lord and Savior oh my gosh that's amazing let's do this the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and you bring them up there's just photo and it's on the gram it looks amazing we were baptizing in mass the lines are forward get him out this this doesn't fit my paradigm either I mean I'm looking up in New York City lights and I'm like we're in the middle of a horrible Club filled with all kinds of think even mind people are watching they're like this is great entertainment give me another drink this is awesome after we baptized hundreds of people in the middle of this club keep in mind this isn't comfortable we'd be much cooler to have a very Orthodox special religious type vibe but I remember sitting there tears on my eyes with our staff going this is look at what God can do and the whole bar staff was looking at us they like sent one representative over at the end of the night like pushed her forward like an Old Testament might not come back you know she didn't have a rope and she said what are y'all doing I said we're baptizing people she said what is baptism I said well if you get saved we believe that baptism is what Jesus said to do it's an outward sign of an inward confession and we go all the way under the water because it represents the grace of God which covers you completely that's hard we don't put a little toe and we go all the way under because your old life stays and your new life comes out and you never forget and she said well can we get saved and baptized I said no we gotta come to church in time and you have to I said of course and this entire staff got saved and got baptized in the middle of a club in New York City it shouldn't happen but it did it didn't look right but it was it wasn't conventional but it matches the unconventional grace that saved you my point my point is that I don't want to be so comfortable in my faith but I missed the reckless love of God just might have to shake me up a little bit to get me out of the way so more people can come home I'm not saying y'all can go run out the next club and baptize me what I am saying is don't don't bat an eye when somebody walks through these doors that you don't like but you're called to love if your pastor gets up here and says we're gonna sing this type of song instead of this type of song as long as Jesus is at the center so long as the Holy Spirit moves your opinion matters less than someone else's eternity with Jesus searching the world I'm gonna be dehydrated can I give you two choices that a church in the wild makes a Christian in the wild so you take this from the corporate Church moment to the individual Christian life and I'll let you do that on your own as I preach this but I really believe that it could be a supernaturally prophetic thought for some of you maybe you're like me I always saw a church and I was like no thank you I grew up where I was like the only two Christians I love with my parents everybody else I was like they're weird they're out of touch no thanks thank God when Jesus saved my life I ran into a church where I was like wow I don't mind being here most of the time the music's pretty good I'm used to church where everyone looks like they're worshipping with their silently pleading that God will take them home right then just to end the service but I do believe the new day is coming and I think these are two choices we got to make okay can you write these down how bad am i sweating less than Robert I do need a towel Matt is there a towel is there a fan is there like a okay number one write this down we'll fly through this this helping anybody now thank you so much thank you ma'am you will just what is your name Teresa thank you you're amazing can't get any any trouble for like gang colors tonight we're gonna keep it real number one this is awesome anybody else with club hangout can you can you say friends for life yeah so Church shows in Long Island and why have we never thought of this I will get a necklace made where it just does this is that it feels amazing number one church in a while chooses the power of God over the process of religion we choose to follow the path of the Holy Spirit you say it again if you choose to be a Christian in the wild that's a part of a church in the wild we choose the power of God over the process and procedure of religion we choose to follow the path of the holy spirit here's why I say this New York City especially but Christendom right now in America we love the process people love procedure people want to be able to dial it in they want to be able to see the analytics and the metrics and the facts and the stuff but they want to be able to have it match up with their ideal scenario here's the problem with that Jesus Christ has defied every procedure he broke down every single religious wall the moment Jesus showed up on this planet literally everything that everybody was standing on in one fell swoop Jesus came to tear it all down think about it they wanted a king on a stallion and they got a carpenter on a donkey they wanted scholars and doctors and Jesus was choosing sinners and drinkers and people who were party to be the first carriers of the gospel they wanted a God that would do the the right Jewish symbolism as he healed instead they got this guy who would spit on his hand touch somebody in the eye and they would see again our guy still does this and there will come a day when you're gonna have to choose and I'm gonna follow what the Holy Spirit is doing even if it wrecks my paradigm because God is gonna heal people you would not heal he is gonna bless people you would not bless he's gonna expand territory that you haven't even asked for yet this is the power of our God come on somebody so the question remains [Applause] what kind of Christian will you be I never want to be in the spot where I'm so stuck with my procedure in my religious paradigm that the power of God is moving all around me and I miss the miracle right in front of my face you know how many people sit in churches and they're praying for things that God is actually doing but they're so blind to the power of our God forgetting who the God is that actually saved them he broke religious barriers to get to you but somehow we've made it harder for people to get into church then Jesus made it for people to get into heaven I'm gonna read you one more scripture you have no choice don't you love it when up preachers ask questions they don't really mean like this is okay do you guys mind if I pretty it's like me what do you think you're gonna do it anyway quickly go to mark is this helping anybody and it's one of my favorite stories in the Bible and Jesus has been doing what he does I want you to pay attention and while I'm reading this I want you to ask yourself could it could it be possible tonight that God is doing more than you think he is could it be possible that he wants to expand the way you look at human beings maybe stretch the capacity of your love maybe you believe that the same grace that got to you can get to some other people you have yet to even look at pray for think about here's a scenario several days later Jesus returned to this town and the news quickly spread that he was back in Long Island soon there were so many people crowded inside the house to hear him that there was no more room even outside the door at Harbor Church [Music] while Jesus was preaching the Word of God four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man but when they realized that they couldn't even get near him because of the crowd they went on top of the house and they tore away the roof above Jesus's head and when they have broken through they lowered the paralyzed man on a stretcher right down in front of him when Jesus saw the extent of their faith he said to them you guys need to come back the next time I'm here we just bought that building he said to the paralyzed man my son your sins are now forgiven this offended some of the religious scholars who were present and they reasoned among themselves what does he think he is to speak this way this is blasphemy for sure only God Himself can forgive sins so Jesus supernaturally perceived their thoughts that he said to them why are you being so skeptical which is easier to say but this paralyzed man your sins are now forgiven or stand up and walk but to convince you that the son of man has been given authority to forgive sins I say to this man stand up pick up your stretcher and walk home immediately the man sprang to his feet in front of everybody and left for home when the crowds witnessed this miracle they were awestruck they shouted praises to God and said we've never seen anything like this before come on with somebody just imagine and I think about this worst case this is the coolest thing anybody's ever seen best case it changes your life imagine going to a church meeting and while the guy is preaching the roof begins to cave in a little bit and someone gets lowered down and they never walked before and the dude preaching says walk and the guy does worst case it's the coolest thing that you've ever seen best case it changes your life but yet there were some people who were so focused on this little aspect of religion that they forgot and failed to acknowledge the fact that somebody who had been lame his whole life was dancing around the and it is easy to read the Bible and say thank God that's not me but might it be how many times has God been doing something stirring something in you maybe challenging something in your spirit dream bigger go further love somebody even more but we're so focused on something like this that we miss out on what God is doing I call it the spirit of religion you know what it is it's when you have a inability to let go and let the Holy Spirit have control a spirit of religion and trust me it's not going out of style it's like a Chuck Taylor All Star always works happens in churches like ours it will be a temptation in churches like this and I remember when we first started Hillsong New York City we I knew we're gonna get in trouble for stuff I just didn't know what and maybe I know I've talked to a couple people about this because they've asked about it I even put it in that book that I wrote and I remember the first thing that kind of struck me was how crazy judgmental people were and I couldn't figure it out I was like our church is just gonna love this city we're gonna love people where they are we're gonna serve people where they are we're gonna bring them in the presence of God the Holy Spirit will do the work of sanctification we will give people a safe place to come so that God can have his way who would ever get mad at that we we used to meet at a place called Irving Plaza which is a really cool music venue and we used to have nine services at one point and I'm talking about this is like the gnarliest dingy is club like there was nothing that was church related like there was a Bacardi bat on the wall that we used to say it was kind of like a cross where like the Picardie bats gotten saved multiple times you know and before our 9:30 p.m. service I remember going outside to just talk to the people who would wait in line like who would wait in line because they couldn't get into the previous four to still make it to the 9:30 went outside to say hi to people another corner my I saw a man who is obviously a resident of the New York City streets and he's just sitting there and immediately I noticed his uh his hat said it was a veteran and I do believe in her country has such a long way to go and it comes to the way we treat and honor the men and women that have done my father my grandfather was a Marine wounded in battle so it means a lot to me I walked over this man I said sir what are you doing he said I'm just hanging out son I love that he's got a great beard and his hat and he looked like he had been pretty weather throughout his life and I said what are you doing right now and he goes just hanging out I said you want to come to church and he goes son I've been a long time since guy like me he's been in church I said well come on in with us he said if I went in that church the whole place we look at the way I look I said I know the guy who runs it he's crazy too you fit in he said I can't go I can't go young man I really would like to actually pray today that uh you know God would remind me that I'm still here and I matter and you know but I just to be honest with you he lifts up his hand he had a beer cane shaking his hand at least I can't go anywhere without this and this was almost done I said what if I got you some more when you come in he said you're gonna buy me a beer to come to church this absolutely is a bodega right there I'll get you six of them it goes what's the deal I said let's go I grabbed him we walk directly into this place we got him a beer opened it up for him set him down we came in to church and we worship together much to his shock I got if I saw I'll be right back went up and led the meeting and he he sat there in the front row he sat there in front row and he listened to every word he put his beard down he's listening the first person to say I want I want to know Jesus was him came up my husband was the greatest night of my life as a minister I thought thank God if that's all that ever happened it'd be okay with me and I was like this is a great thing and then I found out that people are pretty nasty at times the next week I came into church still exciting this lady came up she said pastor Carl I know I know I told you I was with you for life but I gotta leave this church there's been like three weeks since her life commitment and she said you've gone too far you've sold out sold out to the world I said what do you mean she said last week there was a man in church with a beer I said well ma'am to our credit we do meet in a club as it and she said it just can't be right we can't allow that kind of sin to be in church and I said ma'am I respect you and I love you and I'm not trying to just you know do random things to to be different but ma'am hey when was the last time who it was last time you you met with someone whose liver was gone because of alcohol when was the last time you went to the Bowery mission and you fed the homeless on our streets and saw the pain and saw the hurt and saw the shame that they carry when's the last time you went to the funeral of someone who died from some alcohol-related thing I said ma'am I don't think the right move is always to give somebody beer or to aid in a bed sin in this way but I promise you this there is a pecking order for this man's life and it does not start with the beer in his hand it starts with the soul the heart of who he is and we're going to start there and if we get around to the beer in his hand so be it but we are gonna start with love and if he's not welcome here nobody should be welcome here I promise you that I promise you this [Applause] she said but I can I can see his sin I said but I can smell your pride the difference in a church in the wild is that there's going to be moments where people will get offended people will malign you maybe God's going to call you to start a business that makes billions of dollars can I get an amen nobody okay cool maybe got a cause you to go walk across the street this week and talk to somebody new people are gonna talk to about you because you talk to them if we offend a few people to get a few more people to Jesus so be it because I never want to forget that he offended many to get to me so what kind of follower of this guy would I be if I started putting my own rules and regulations on who is worthy of the grace that I've received the most unworthy of them Oh what about you [Music] I'm almost done cuz I might pass out [Music] we have to choose the power of God over the process of religion maybe this week you're gonna have to choose the power of God maybe you need a breakthrough and you're gonna go well I got to go pray I got I got a call pastor Kim I got I gotta go make sure I'd get my right Hail Marys I got to make sure I'm not God it's not ready for me yet power of God right where you are Jesus I need you see somebody who's sick well the process will be to get to know them the process would be to build relationship maybe the power of God since I know you don't know me but I want you know I'm praying for you I served the healer power of God this has a big effect and has a small effect we need it all y'all still with me last thing I'll say is this number one anybody remember what it was we choose the power of God over the and number two a church in the wild filled with Christians in the wild we choose to see what other people have chosen to ignore if we look hard enough there are opportunities waiting in the shadows have you ever seen a mom who is over her crying children this is like a bad thing I'm a dad who's always over my crying children or maybe she has like an infant and a toddler and the mom has attuned her voice to be able to have a fully functioning life in conversation with you even though her children are running around lighting fires robbing banks like and it's like she doesn't even hear it anymore anybody seen that mom I think sometimes I wonder if heaven looks at me and you and goes you don't see this you don't see the streets of Long Island you don't turn on the news and and want to get on your knees and pray you don't see the hurting in the crime like you don't have the right anymore to turn off and to not see what God is begging us to see spent so much time telling people to lift up your eyes the harvest is plenty pray that God will send me somebody that will see I want to be a Christian that looks in the shadows at the people other people have forsaken it looks at the moment since our God can't do that New York City you can't plan a church in New York City I think we can't Harbor Church Long Island I don't know you can't have a conference on Saturday night it's goin rain we read you the scripture so you don't miss this my favorite part of the scripture that sometimes people miss there's this part that says uh while Jesus was preaching the word for men arrived carrying a paralyzed man and when they couldn't get in they realized they had to do something different healthy scripture conjecture teaches us that in this moment there would have been other sick people there there would have been other people that needed a miracle but most people would have seen the obstacle and seen the challenge have been like nah we're out I'm sure some people brought their sick friends and they're like sorry bro maybe we have to wait till the next healing Messiah comes I mean the line is packed but the Bible says there were some men who looked at this situation they're like nah there has to be a way to get our guy - that guy in my mind they're for New Yorkers the first guy was the analytical idea New Yorker like we were gonna need a rope and we're gonna need to do the second guy was like the the the go-getter you know like Long Island Brooklyn yeah I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy you know down on Canal Street you know we can get a rope we're discounting a third guy you know it was like the shady New Yorker just suddenly shows up with stuff and just makes it all happen and the fourth guy is like the rich New Yorker I got the money you don't want to do anything but I'll pay for it and together together you have these four men who get this contraption made and their friend who had never walked left walking again and the part that blows my mind about this and this is where it rages against American Christianity is that the Bible never gives any names mica says some men came and we have made a decision as a church and I think you need to make this decision tonight we are okay at Hillsong New York City if the history books someday don't ever have a name there is no church logo it never talks about music or conferences or podcast or books we're ok someday in history look back at what happened in Long Island it looks back at what happened in Manhattan if it says we don't know who they were but there were some men and women in Long Island who made a way for somebody to get to Jesus there were some men and women in New York who didn't care who got the glory they didn't care if anybody ever knew their name they lived and died so other people could know the only name is what if God can't do this [Music] throw me that map come on up here worship team this is the this is the point I can't I can't do it all stand up we're done we're done each of us has a measure of grace I've got a measure of influence by myself I got nothing but if I can get my rope pass go get your rope there Matt's got his go down there keep it going pastor together don't forget this random sweaty Virginia New York dude hold an extension cord my ability to be a part of something greater increases dramatically when I connect my life to a god that is so desperate to reach other people he will use my meager gifting my little bit of income my little bit of gift and I'll link it to you and I'll link it to you and you'll link it to me and together I can't reach everybody alone maybe you can't reach everybody together oh my gosh Church is it possible that God wants us to just start looking at what we do have not what we don't have who we can't reach not who we can't reach what if we were a part of the greatest move of God in long island that the world has ever known and it won't be because we have cool lights it won't be because our music is hip and trendy it won't be because our churches are cool it'll be because the grace of God still work I'm gonna pray for you tonight because my heart remains heavy because I've been around too many people that have said basically the same thing I didn't know I remember being at a church service and this is hit I promise I know it's my fifth clothes in a church service that was like this but larger music was awesome people were great I was with a friend who had just graduated from Teen Challenge he was a heroin abuser sexually abused as a 13 year old spun him out to a life on the streets and he got saved and he got his life turned around I remember him being with me at the first Hillsong conference I had a friend with me yet and there's this moment where you know that Church moment where you can feel it in your soul and you can see people are connecting with God and I was like this is great and I looked at my friend and he's sobbing in his seat hands on his face I said and I said what's going on and he said I wish I wish somebody would have told me sooner he said how many people are in here I said about 30,000 he said not one person ever told me about Jesus and what he can do I thought I was a washout I thought I had no hope till I stumbled into this church it led me to this rehab but I just wish I would have known sooner maybe I wouldn't have wasted those 10 years maybe I wouldn't had these track marks in my arm maybe I wouldn't have these scars and her weighing so heavy I just wish somebody would have told me to and that day I remember saying well I can't reach everybody but I can reach somebody I'm gonna live every day of my life trying to tell people sooner Church in the wild it's the only life for me I pray it's the only life for you can I pray for you just about your head father I pray that as we take a moment we worship you lord can you break our hearts for lost people again this isn't about church sitting about religion Jesus this is about your grace and it still saves it still calls home the sinner it still reaches the prodigal that nobody else can reach it still mends the broken heart and lord I pray this church would be marked by salvation I pray that you would open up the floodgates of Long Island and beyond I pray that you would use us to be a part of the greatest move of God that we have seen yet Lord the harvest is plenty and we want to be workers that are set out so in this place Lord I speak life to those that have been fearing death I speak hope to those that have been dealing with despair I speak the power of God over those that feel like giving up hello we cry out for Long Island we cry out for our neighbors may the light of the gospel could continue to invade every dark Street and let me give you praise together ahead of time for all you're gonna do in Jesus name if you believe it can we lift up a shadow praise in this place [Music]

Channel: The Harbor Church

Views: 49,200

Rating: 4.8400002 out of 5

Keywords: Carl Lentz, Harbor Conference 2018, Harbor Conference, The Harbor, Harbor Worhsip, The Harbor Church, Jesus

Id: TwBfWVl88P8

Length: 50min 30sec (3030 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 01 2018