Christmas on Broadway | Times Square Church 2021

welcome to times square church and for christmas on broadway there's going to be songs that you're going to want to respond to you can stand you can clap you can lift your hands you could sing along let me just tell you something some of you that are visiting with us i know you are in right now the largest broadway theater but it's also a church this is god's house and we're gonna believe that there's one message that we're gonna lift up tonight and it's the message of jesus two thousand years ago god came down from the portals of heaven with a baby in his arm and gave us a son his name is jesus that's our message tonight and i believe that through song and through drama and what you're going to see tonight and what you're going to hear tonight this is going to become not just a broadway show this is going to be a life-changing experience tonight without further delay would you welcome here to times square church christmas on broadway with cece winans the times square church choir [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so all things have led us to mistake creation has prepared a way weight is blood the chosen one our king has come beyond the sun a roaring lion from the wild within a lamb tinder and mine [Music] so things happening something in the air is happening something everywhere is happening something's happening something glorious is happening something more for us is happening new life is happening the answer to the sinner's prayer was sent to earth with loving hair [Music] take your throne [Music] happening something in the air is happening something everywhere is happening new life is happening something's happening something glorious is happening something more for us is happening new life is happening [Music] this is [Applause] [Music] with heaven and edges [Applause] something heavenly is happening something young and free is [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] new life is happening [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] something is happening something amazing incredible and wonderful something that moves in the air and then moves on every heart that is open i'm talking about the greatest gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving it's the good news of jesus and today i believe you can experience this new life i believe it and i hope you believe it i know the last two years have been difficult and it's kind of hard to put the word mary before christmas but something happened two thousand years ago that can change everything it's the greatest story ever told the story of our savior the king born on christmas day the times were not so great then either but greatness entered the world and the world didn't recognize him but you must be ready in faith even faith the size of a mustard seed i'm dreaming of a bright christmas a merry christmas seriously what would life look like without christmas more importantly what would life look like without the christ in christmas you know it's the christ in christmas that brings joy to the world and true joys to know jesus born on christmas day now that is a merry christmas my friends i really hope your christmas will be something so much more than what's in your shopping cart the twinkling lights are what's under the tree i hope you're ready to receive something that is able to change your life the perfect gift born in an imperfect world a little town of bethlehem away in a manger and oh but a holy night because i'm talking about the kind of gift you cannot afford to miss whether you missed your favorite black friday sale or not this is the free gift too big to wrap too big to put under your tree a gift you cannot miss it's the greatest most beautiful story ever told and you're a part of the story a story that brings joy to the world so come all ye faithful and let's go tell it on the mountain and let's not miss christ this christmas [Applause] joy to the world the lord is come [Music] let earth receive [Applause] [Music] [Music] heaven and nature [Music] [Music] oh everybody [Music] [Music] let every heart prepare heaven and nature [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] repeat the sounding joy [Music] for the same your race [Music] [Music] rise join the [Music] [Applause] [Music] glory to the king while the angels [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] to the world peace love joy said he gave me hope he gave me peace he gave me love he gave [Music] did me give anybody joy in here tonight [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] my [Music] [Applause] angels [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] [Music] christ the lord [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] see [Music] [Applause] together [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] jesus lord of heaven mary savior's [Music] is [Music] right [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] children weep no more hope is on the horizon weary world behold your promised messiah angels let your song begin here comes heaven christ is born in bethlehem [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] the savior is with us [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is oh [Music] breaks the dawn of salvation [Music] darkness reigns no more for jesus [Music] heaven christ [Music] your songs [Music] worship [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] now [Music] [Applause] so [Music] the precious lamb of god [Music] the precious lamb of god [Music] the precious lamb of god [Music] is [Music] but i shall never know [Music] is [Music] [Music] the precious member [Music] [Music] when i always then [Music] but i'm standing right here [Music] [Music] jesus [Applause] [Music] my sins turn us apart [Music] but i'm standing right here in the midst of my tears [Music] sets free is truly free indeed [Music] is [Music] [Music] and just begin to sing [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] precious [Music] and we can never repay you [Music] we're so grateful for your sacrifice [Music] [Applause] where is this boy so they told me [Music] i didn't know i did know that i would have all these anxious feelings when he's not with me even though he's 16 now my baby boy has not answered his phone or returned any of my text messages now of course i know he's not a baby but he's still my baby boy and when he don't return my call in like a couple of hours i mean i start to worry i mean i start to pray i pray father god protect him keep him i know that you have a very special plan for his life you know especially when i look back over the years and remember all the storms that we've been through i like to say we walked on water but the truth is i had to kick swim hold my breath in the deep end of life and i had to raise my son all by myself oh well of course with you all the way by my side i know that it was him carrying us step by step [Applause] you know i'm a single mother in case you haven't figured that out already my name is maria and my mom named me that because she loved the west side story and she grew up it's okay it's okay she grew up on the upper west side of manhattan but actually that name means bitter and i had to fight against that my whole life you know times being financially strapped the pressures hard decisions oh my gosh and not to mention being perpetually exhausted i think some of you can relate right but you know the lesson that i learned is i'm not going to be bitter no not when in every day in christ it just gets better and better don't let me start preaching up in here [Laughter] i was 19 when i had them and you know i felt like i was an embarrassment to my family and the world was against me and of course the father he didn't stay around much but you know that's when i determined to work hard and take care of my son and i did not want to become another statistic of dysfunction and so i got two jobs and i put myself through school and i found a safe child care worker and now i got a law degree in business but i ain't passed the bar yet i didn't pass the bar but i work for an incredible law firm in brooklyn [Applause] [Music] yeah but it's not so incredible at the moment because they're moving the company to north carolina and guess what i'm not moving with them and neither is my boss you know it was so unexpected and right before christmas but i'll be okay no no i am okay yeah god god will take care of me he always does and you know that's what i told my boss yeah but he was so angry with the company especially all that he did to help build it and he was embarrassed to tell me that i don't have a job anymore but you know through it all i had so much peace you know that kind of peace that passes all understanding kind of peace it was like god he prepared me and like i knew my time there was coming to an end and so i told my boss i said god will take care of me and then i felt like i needed to take tell him that he will take care of you too then i gave him a little scripture that i think he needed oh look at me y'all i'm starting to preach again where is this boy listen i'm gonna take all his gifts back if he don't call his mama back soon you know when i think about it i'm glad he didn't take his gift back when i didn't answer his call oh father thank you thank you for giving me eyes to see and ears to hear and thank you for breathing life into my son you know i almost missed my opportunity to become a mom but god he graciously terminated my plan to act in fear hello hello hello hello yes yes this is she oh okay i'm coming i'm coming [Music] did you know that your baby boy [Music] did you know that your baby boy has come to make you blue this child that you delivered would soon deliver you [Music] and your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels tried [Music] you kiss the face of god mary [Music] mary did you know [Music] the again will leave the dumb will speak the praise [Music] did you know that your baby boy will one day [Music] is [Music] did you know [Music] [Applause] [Music] silent night holy night [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] peace [Music] the first now the angels did say was the certain porsche birds in fields as [Music] [Music] on a cold [Music] is oh [Music] is [Music] glory to the newborn [Music] nation's rise [Music] is [Music] everlasting [Music] offspring [Music] jesus [Music] to uh [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ah [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] this world will never be the same [Music] this world will never be the same according to the eastern stars [Music] this world will never be the same this world will never be the same the savior porn is [Music] [Applause] [Music] landing on the earth a child has changed our universe [Music] technical life breaking through the grave [Music] like [Music] on the earth christ has changed our universe [Music] [Applause] my life will never be the same my life will never be the same [Applause] [Music] in a single word in a single name god's full power in the name of jesus [Music] this world will never be the same this world will never be the same [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] i've spent many years attempting to prove that i'm a better man than my father was and that's been exhausting attempting to prove my own case for rejection abandonment and loneliness i put everyone who ever let me down on trial in my mind and heart that is when my stepbrother pushed me down the stairs in seventh grade breaking my wrist and causing me to miss my first year of modified baseball i found him guilty when my high school crush broke up with me to date the captain of the football team definitely guilty and when my father in a drunken stupor told me i was too stupid to go to law school guilty on all charges and yet i've never felt truly liberated by this bitter pill of resentment it's going to take me some time to get over it but i've worked hard to get to this level of success and here i am joseph wise esquire putting his things in a box which i'll eventually toss in a closet somewhere only to collect dust i put 15 hard years into this law firm and now to be let go because i'm no longer the right fit for the new direction is whoa i mean one day you're successfully leading the team you're winning cases you're making money and then the next you're the virus they're trying to get rid of it's going to take me some time to process but i'm okay because over the last few months i've been asking myself a deeper question why is it that despite all my great credentials and accomplishments that i still feel empty i mean i've been married to the love of my life for 22 years we have two amazing kids super gifted i work long hours and when i get home there's dinner on the table and when i tell you my wife can cook it's a five-star meal we have money in the bank so what's missing because me personally i've been feeling a little empty i've been exploring religion faith and it seems to me that every religion i was reading and i read a lot is putting pressure on me to somehow find my way back to this higher being so no thanks i've lived my whole life with that kind of pressure but this christmas season i've taken a closer look at the story of jesus did you know that god sent his son jesus into the world to rescue us so that we could be with him for eternity really amazing you know recently when i told my legal assistant that the firm had let me go i had to tell her that she was done too and i thought she was going to fly off the handle because she's a savvy cookie from the bronx don't get me wrong she's really nice she's actually a christian but she never forced her beliefs on me so when i told her she didn't have a job she quoted this question that jesus asked something like what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul that was it that made sense that question is the answer that i've been looking for and i haven't figured it all out this is still new to me but that feels like really good news i believe in jesus i believe in jesus [Applause] and now me packing this box is really more like leaving the past behind and stepping into something new the only thing is i don't know what the new looks like i just know that i'm new that i feel new i'm a new person so i prayed i'm not good at it i talk to god and i believe what i said jesus save my soul i admit it i've done wrong i've done it all wrong but i believe that you're the son of god and you're my boss now that's it and i can't explain but i've got this piece and i feel like i'm on the mountaintop and i've got to let everyone know i gotta let my brother know the one who pushed me down the stairs we haven't talked in a while hey zach it's me i know we've not talked in a while [Applause] [Music] so [Music] baby in a manger was born on christmas [Music] everywhere [Music] put those [Music] shepherds feared and trembled when love above the earth bring out the angels that held our [Music] so why don't you vote [Music] jesus [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] put those hands together [Music] we just wanna lift up the name of jesus today y'all with us today come on can somebody shout hallelujah in here come on somebody shout hallelujah in here let's get it come on [Music] has he made a way for you [Music] you wanna i can't keep it to myself [Music] [Applause] for me [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] i can't keep it to myself [Music] [Music] [Applause] jesus [Music] every way [Music] jesus christ [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] well are you enjoying yourself tonight [Applause] [Music] so excited to have so many awesome friends with us [Music] and i love all these rearrangements of christmas songs but i'm old school you know and i love singing them the original way too can we do it together can you help us tonight [Applause] i know you know this one [Music] [Music] so [Music] sleep [Music] you sound so good you sound so good come on kim why don't you sing the second verse for us [Music] glory stream from heaven for [Music] is [Music] the savior is oh come on everybody together silent night come on [Music] is [Music] is [Music] sleep [Music] wonderful you sound so good [Music] i know you'll know this one i'll start it you finish it away in a manger come on [Music] so [Music] yes [Music] come on melinda [Music] jesus lay down his sweet head [Music] the stars in the sky look down where he [Music] [Music] one more time [Music] lord jesus lay down his sweetheart the stars in the sky look down where he lay [Music] the lid jesus [Music] no [Music] jesus [Music] [Music] you all sing so great and i know you'll know this one we wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas [Music] we wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas we wish a merry christmas and a happy new year come on let's sing it we wish you a merry christmas wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year come on one more time [Music] [Music] [Applause] oh lord [Music] oh come holy faithful joyful and triumphant on [Music] come and be [Music] [Music] oh [Music] adore him cry the lord [Music] christ [Music] [Applause] [Music] of heaven above [Music] [Applause] glory [Music] oh [Music] christ lord [Music] is [Music] [Music] forever [Applause] [Music] [Music] will foreign [Applause] [Applause] [Music] god [Music] ohio [Applause] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] we worship you we worship you [Music] [Applause] i i can't believe we're just what just happened i mean i guess i have to believe i saw with my own eyes they say miracles happen yeah i've heard stories i i just i just never thought i'd see one for myself unfortunately on on christmas eve we see this all the time the er is full all through the nights and let's just say it's a long night but tonight i i will never forget what i just experienced well i don't even know if i can describe it it was um supernatural just a 16 year old kid they said he fell crossing the street on the way home they they bring him in barely conscious you know it never gets easy seeing a kid fight for their life not knowing what happened just feeling helpless hoping that they make god i hate working this shift i i didn't even want to be here i i didn't but being home alone on christmas can feel i guess just just as painful and lonely so suddenly this kid grabs my arm he's trying to say something but it's hard for him to talk so i lean down and close and he whispers call my mom then slips back into unconsciousness there on his backpack he's a cell phone with all these missed phone calls she answered hello yes yes i'm on my way yes um is he awake what i mean is can he hear me can he hear my voice okay what i'm gonna need you to do is i need you to put it on speakerphone and i need you to put this phone up as close to him as you can okay now nurse i need you to hold my son's hand i'm about to pray [Applause] father god in the name of jesus i plead the blood of jesus over my son [Applause] i declare life and health over him now he belongs to you and i trust you but god you never fail you never fail you are a miracle worker you are the great physician and i will believe the report of the lord because the report of the lord says that he is healed he is healed and i speak health back into his body i say that his health will be restored my son shall live in the name of jesus in the name of jesus [Applause] i've heard people say a prayer before just not like that as she prayed every time she said the name um jesus her son squeezed my hand then i can hear him softly repeating her words over and over even while he still seemed to be semi semi-conscious he was praying after she hung up he kept praying and i don't know how long after but but his eyes opened he he opened his eyes and it wasn't a look of of fear or pain it was this look of peace and he just smiled at me with a look i'll never forget that boy is a living miracle i [Music] [Applause] just never felt anything like that i i want to believe i want to have faith like that pray and believe like that i just i just don't even know where to begin i felt something tonight i i don't know whatever or or whoever this god is but but i need to know him i i don't want to miss him this song this is jesus uh i i just got a missed phone call from my step brother joseph i haven't heard from him [Applause] [Music] hey zach um it's me i know you're probably busy at work i know i haven't called in a long time i want to say i'm sorry for being so distant i've had a lot going on and i've just been feeling empty my job and my success has not helped me but i found some help so i asked god into my life yeah me imagine that i want to tell you more in person so i was wondering if maybe you wanted to come out for christmas i mean i know you probably have plans but i'd love to see you um i know we've missed out on a lot being a family after all it's christmas it's a time of miracles [Applause] he left a message i'll be i'll be there i guess this i guess this really is the time of miracles let's not miss it well what i thought would be the saddest christmas turned out to be the biggest gift the biggest change in my life in our family you know when zach showed up on christmas day he had the biggest poinsettia plan i'd ever seen and he had gifts from my kids i mean the ages were wrong they're much older now but who cares and i just gave him the biggest bear hug and i let him hook me too and much to my surprise when maria and her son noah showed up i look over and i see that brother zach and maria are hitting it off god must be doing something there i'm just grateful i'm grateful that i didn't miss jesus i didn't miss jesus in christmas [Applause] [Music] oh the stars are bright they shine it is a night of our dear savior's birth [Music] till he appears [Music] is [Music] all new [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] was gone [Music] shall he pray for the slaves [Music] [Music] us praise his holy days [Music] [Music] oh [Music] thank you [Applause] [Music] can't you hear me [Music] is [Music] oh [Applause] i said [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hallelujah [Applause] [Music] [Music] deeper [Music] well on this one we need you to clap your hands let's have a little gospel christmas church come on [Music] oh it's all right [Music] well this is an old one a great gospel classic jesus don't want to wonderful child if you know it go ahead and sing it with us come on everybody jesus [Music] good life [Music] jesus [Music] oh [Music] [Music] come [Music] the virgin mary and was was his earthly father three wise men came from a fire guided by a shining star to seek jesus [Music] [Music] i wanna hear [Music] one more time [Music] the virgin mary was his mother and joseph was [Music] let's take it a little higher come on [Music] anybody [Applause] [Music] anybody know jesus [Music] [Music] his name is [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yay [Music] [Applause] anybody love jesus [Music] i love the corn cheese in the midnight hours in the midnight cheese cheese the more i caught cheese [Music] jesus [Music] hey [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] what's his name [Music] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on put it together [Music] [Music] seed of abraham i love to [Music] call his name [Music] baby [Music] nobody [Music] go ahead and give him a shout today [Music] come on put your hands together put your hands together now let me just say this that's not even the finale how many are ready for the finale with that's the pre-finale in just a moment how many are ready to hear cece and everybody else come together one of my favorite songs that they're gonna get ready to sing i just have to say thank you thank you to patricia for all that you've done with all the drama thank you so much so pow was that powerful and then i want to just say to freddie washington where's freddie go freddie he is the ma he put all this to get thank you for all that you've done i want you to be seated for just a second in just a moment we're going to do our finale we do want you to come back how many are going to come back with somebody else again would you hold up your hand we have two more nights to go we want you to be here you know with all this amazing music and singing the songs and hearing i mean just from jesus what a wonderful child and all these amazing songs and even what we have heard even on radio and spotify and apple music all those do you know what's interesting the number one song of all time across all genres of music number one song of all time sung by bing crosby and it's called i'm dreaming what is it it's the number one song of all time well after last week's weather in new york city at 60 degrees that white christmas has far left us but maybe today we have a little bit of hope that we can have a white christmas there are places around the country that are having a white christmas but i want to tell you what my dream is today it's not a white christmas it's a right christmas that's my dream today i'm dreaming of a right christmas i want to get it right this is the only birthday that we celebrate in this country that you're not allowed to name the birthday child when you celebrate the birthday and so that's why we're here today because we've got to get this right we want to get christmas right is what we want to do i remember having to help my children when they were in elementary school i was in charge because one of them were having a birthday and it was right around christmas time and they said if one of your children having a birthday the parents get to bring in cupcakes and i didn't just bring in any cupcakes i bought the largest cupcakes you can find in all of humanity i brought in those cupcakes and the teacher knew that i was a pastor and said hey would you say something about christmas to our kids since we're so close to christmas i said sure so i just thought i'd give a little easy softball to them i said hey what are the three things that the wise men brought to the tomb the tomb the manger let's get christmas right folks come on let's get it right what were the three things that the magi brought to jesus and and this was a smart class first one they got it right gold and i said that's correct and i looked at the teacher i said you're doing well i said what what what's the next one one of the kids goes murr i said this is fantastic but they couldn't get the f word frankincense they couldn't figure that one out so i said so i gave him a hint i said it starts with an f one kid goes fur fur coats i said no next kid french fries i said i looked at them and this is a religious school and then i really looked at the teacher and said now you're really blowing it and eventually it wasn't even a religious problem it was an educational problem finally one kid said a phone i said that starts with a ph that doesn't even start with an f can we get this right please can we get this right what is dreaming of a right christmas just very briefly i think dreaming of a right christmas is this let's not forget who's in that manger there was a grandmother that used to bring her four-year-old granddaughter every single year to the city's live nativity scene and every year they went and they did it for five straight years and when the girl hit nine years old she went right back there with her grandmother saw baby jesus just like she did for the last five years in the manger and she gave the most profound question she said grandma says does the baby ever grow up he remains the same every single year but you know what the problem is is that we forget the baby has grown up that that didn't stay a baby and that's what makes manger scenes very very controversial think about it that baby that was born in matthew chapter 2 in luke chapter 2 never said a word never spoke a word yet that god child that was born there and yet all of the government wanted to kill that baby and it hasn't even uttered a word preached the sermon or even healed the sick and they said we want that how come because a baby is not a threat in a manger but that wasn't just a baby in the manger that was a king in a manger and the problem is kings come to take over and that's why that baby in a manger that king in a manger that king was a threat to every government that was that was established at that time because the government would rest upon it his shoulders and it wouldn't rest upon congress it wouldn't rest upon washington dc there's not a politician a king or a prime minister or the united nations that isn't in the palm of god's hands god the king holds every single person let's not forget dreaming of a right christmas is remembering who's in that manger and let me just finish with this you know what a right christmas is is not confusing which tree really matters if the baby in a manger grew up then there's another tree that we got to look at man didn't invent gift giving it was god 2 000 years ago that went on a giving spree when he sent down his own son 2 000 years ago into that manger but it wasn't just a gift in the manger let me just tell you one of the most profound things jesus ever said is this verse it's john 3 16. if you know this you're going to see it i want you to say it with me for god so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life listen close jesus was not born to change the calendar and to give you a day off jesus was born to change your lives and to spend eternity with you that's what jesus came to do see if you remove jesus from this you get you gain a holiday but if you understand who is in that manger and what tree really counts then all of a sudden you understand that that word gave in that verse that you see on the screen wasn't just the giving of a son it was also the giving of the son's life see here's the part i want you to understand because the life of jesus need there's two cries that happen it's just not the cry on that december 24th night as a baby in a manger when he was born to marry the virgin there was a cry in that manger but don't forget the second cry it happened on an old rugged cross on a hill called golgotha and there was a cry of a man that was declaring it is finished and he was doing something for you and for me on that night calvary was the cry of the god man was the dying it wasn't the born christ that changes us it was the dying and the resurrected christ that has changed us that's the thing that changes everything see the greatest gift listen carefully now the greatest gift you will receive is not under a tree but the greatest gift hung on a tree for every single person in this place that's the greatest gift not under but on the tree it wasn't an evergreen but it was two pieces of wood that he hung there for you and for me and changed everything and paid a debt that we couldn't pay it was impossible for us i was reading the story of a church that a pastor in a church around christmas time this time found out that one of his members was six months behind on their rent and it was literally gonna be on christmas that that she was gonna be evicted she was a widow couldn't pay it the husband never left her anything six months behind and that pastor was going to surprise her gave to one of the leaders in the church and said let's not let's pay her rent and let's continue to pay it they came with a large check to that woman's to that woman's door this woman was so afraid she didn't want to be put out in this cold winter day and she didn't want to be put out for christmas and so the man from the church came and knocked on the door and he knew she was in there and she wouldn't answer that door and in the man's hand was the gift but she wouldn't open up the door and finally the pastor had to come himself and said i know you're in there why didn't you open up the door she said i thought it was the man collecting rent and i couldn't do it and she forgot that he wasn't there to collect the rent they were there to give her a gift when god sent his son down he wasn't coming to collect he was coming to give something that nobody else can get on their own because that gift wasn't simply going to be under a tree but it was going to be on a tree that's what makes it right that's why i want you to know that if you're going to begin to get happy about a man that's in that's in red it better not be the one that's from the north pole let me just tell you this that man wants your chimney god wants your heart that man wants to begin to have access once a year god wants it every single day that man has a list it's called naughty and nice i hate to tell you this god has a list it's called naughty but he's going to make everyone nice when you understand the gift that he has for everybody that's in this place today he's got a gift for you today [Applause] i was looking at these incredible strings over here what an amazing day that you guys what it was incredible just to watch you guys a few years ago in washington dc was on the metro subway you guys would know this the one of the greatest violinists in all the world joshua bell was playing in washington dc one of the great violinists people were paying up to three to four hundred dollars a ticket and he decided to do an experiment he put on a baseball cap a sweatshirt he would pick the hardest classical music to play and come there with a 3.5 million dollar stradivarius violin in the washington metro and sat there and played it for one hour and made 17. and nobody stopped because the master didn't look like every like he was supposed to look with the tuxedo on the night before as he played before an audience that would pay all this money and there he was with a stradivarius a classical piece of me and no one would stop a thousand people passed by no one would stop and 2000 years ago no one recognized him as a baby and everybody keeps walking by and trying to find something and i'm telling you he is a gift and he has a gift for everybody that's in this place today and let me just say this to you if our greatest need would have been education then god would have send an educator if our greatest need would have been technology god would have sent a scientist for us if our greatest need would have been money god would have sent an economist and if our greatest need would have simply been that we needed pleasure god would have sent an entertainer but our greatest need was forgiveness so god sent a savior that's what he did 2000 years ago [Applause] that our master didn't put on a baseball cap and he didn't put on a sweatshirt didn't carry a stradivarius he was born on that night that we sang about in a manger that he that baby was the gift but the cross was the mission it was going to be for everyone that's in this place starting with me that god was going to begin to say i have come to forgive them to give them a gift of not only forgiveness but of eternal life and that gift can start tonight you never would think in a broadway theater in new york city on 51st and broadway you can receive the greatest gift tonight and the greatest gift is amazing the music has been and the dramatizations have been the greatest gift can happen in your heart and soul tonight wherever you're at in this place i'd like you just to close your eyes and bow your head just for a moment and then we're going to get ready to rejoice i promise you we're going to finish with a great moment of of excitement but this is probably the most important decision you'd ever make in your life is to receive that gift is to understand that every single one of us god has a gift and it doesn't make sense to have a gift and nobody ever opens it to have a gift that god wants to give and no one would ever untie he gave this gift to us called jesus his son and today i'm not talking about a religion but a relationship a religion asks you to show up at a cathedral a mosque or a synagogue or even a place like this one day a week that's what religion does this is a relationship and this is every single day this is when you say god i want to start a journey with you i want to walk with you in fact jesus calls that being born again those are jesus's words it's not a times square church word it's not a religious word it's a jesus word in that same chapter john 3 that i just read to you jesus said no one can see the kingdom of heaven unless they're born again what's that pastor tim it's simply this just as you were born the first time physically god says we need to be born a second time spiritually it's when god changes us from the inside out this building can't change you as great as this music is this can't change you tonight i can't change you only god can change you but it's receiving him as a gift tonight it starts with simply admitting that i'm a sinner that god i needed forgiveness and let me just say this to you tonight listen to these words eternity is too long to be wrong let me say that again eternity is too long to be wrong if jesus said the directions to my house is you must be born again don't mess up the directions you've never been there before he has he came from heaven to earth and then rose from the dead and went right back he can tell you the way how does that happen pastor tim it's admitting that i'm a sinner how do you get to heaven the worst thing to say is this i'm i'm a good person that's not what jesus says we have to start with i am a sinner i need forgiveness two it's be believing that god sent his son to die in my place he lived the life that i couldn't live died the death i should have died and gave me a reward heaven and forgiveness i don't deserve and then c confessing him as lord abc that simple and if you're here today let me just ask you this with every head bowed and every eye closed we're just going to pray one prayer together before cece and everybody comes together if you're here today and say pastor tim i want to start that journey with god but man i'm not perfect exactly perfect people don't go to heaven forgiven people go to heaven that's the difference and whoever you are in this place whatever is happening as you hear these songs and see something take place today there could be that second birth that happens deep inside your soul you start a journey with god today and with every head bowed and every eyes closed we're not going to violate protocol we're not going to make you come forward we're not going to do anything like that but i am going to ask you to do this if you're here today and say pastor tim when you pray that final prayer that prayer that says i want to be born again i want to be changed from the inside out i'm not looking for a religion i want a relationship with god i don't want a god that just i meet with on sundays i want a god that i meet with every day that knows my name that loves me so much that he would come and die for me and if you're here today whoever you are however you came here maybe somebody invited you and said pastor tim i want to start that journey i'm not inviting you to a denomination a religion i'm inviting you to this church i'm inviting you to meet the king of all glory today and if you're here today and say when you pray that prayer pastor tim i want to be part of that would you put me put my name in that prayer let me be part of that prayer wherever you're at balcony main floor every head bow whenever i close if you say put me in that prayer pastor tim i want to start that journey today come on if that's you without any hesitation just hold your hand up right now hold it up as high as you can i want to make sure i see it because i'm going to count those hands that i say keep them apart there's 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 keep them up 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 god bless you you can put your hands down hallelujah hallelujah hey can we join with those 68 hands today come on let's join with them and pray this prayer dear lord jesus i believe you're the son of god i believe that on the cross you took my sin my shame and my guilt and you died for it you faced hell for me so i wouldn't have to go you rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven a purpose on earth and a relationship with your father today lord jesus i turn from my sin to be born again come on say it now real good and loud god is my father jesus is my savior the holy spirit is my helper and heaven is my home in jesus name come on can we put our hands together for those thank god hey i'll just ask you to do one thing there's no there's no pressure you're going to see a a text come on the screen it's going to say text decided just let you make the greatest decision we're just going to send you a next step on your journey to say you've made the greatest decision of your life that's it we're not there to sell you swamp land in florida just to simply say you made the greatest decision how many are ready for a grand finale here with ccy would you stand to your feet come on let's put your hands together for freddie washington times square church choir and cece winans [Music] i've seen many places and many faces i've come to know times i've celebrated sweet drink i've tasted they come and go but there was a treasure over the earth [Music] [Music] high and low no greater river flows [Music] [Applause] [Music] high great inspiration heart's motivation still comes from you still comes from you no one more forgiving no one more healing no one more true [Music] your love is a treasure [Music] [Music] peace i [Music] you know and with all my strength i lift you up with all my strength [Music] [Music] no i [Music] [Applause] thank know jesus [Music] how many are encouraged tonight [Music] how many know jesus is the reason for the season i just want to remind you that the god we serve is still the greatest amen he has all power [Music] and you know what he never has a bad day so no matter where you find yourself no matter what challenges you face god is greater i said god is greater i said god is greater [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] hallelujah [Music] then i searched [Music] and i still couldn't find nobody here [Music] [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] still [Music] is [Music] [Music] still can't find it [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] nobody like him [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] still [Music] still [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] nobody like jesus nobody like jesus nobody like jesus nobody [Music] nobody like jesus [Music] nobody like jesus [Music] [Applause] god [Music] [Applause] [Music] still good [Music] [Applause] thank you so much for joining us today for christmas on broadway tomorrow night join us again same time seven o'clock right here at times square church for christmas on broadway with cece winans and the times square church choir come on [Music] oh [Music] that i still [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] god bless you god bless you good night [Music] you

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 185,318

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Id: UYY1pbTkv4k

Length: 132min 0sec (7920 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 25 2021