July 29, 2018 - Tim Dilena - My Fear Is a Revelation

God thank you for your love today thank you that it is a love that endures forever thank you that Lord Jesus today as we come into this house we come carrying baggage we come Lord God with some of cried this weekend some of laughs this weekend some found joy some have come in facing the hurdles and the trials of their life and I thank you that we have a God that we can come to that that doesn't intimidate you today Lord God there's some that showed up today God that this is their first time here in the church in a religious building let them not find simply religious people but let them find Jesus today and I pray Lord God that and everything we do everything we do Lord God when people in this place leave it they're not gonna say what great preaching with great music not even what a great church they're gonna say what a great God they serve today and we thank you for that in Jesus name and everybody said amen you may be seated well we get prepped for church don't we we know what we need to do for two hours and so we know we're gonna sing we're gonna put on our best clothes we're gonna walk in here that's why some of you when you're walking in you use just your partner and just said be quiet don't you know we're in church because we feel like that once we get in here we know how to do church for two hours I love what CS Lewis wrote mere christianity when he said surely what a man does when he has taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man that he is he says this surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth about that man if there are rats in your basement and you want to see them all you got to do is go in suddenly and turn on the lights he says the suddenness didn't create the rats it only prevented them from hiding and in the same way when all of a sudden something makes you very angry it doesn't simply mean that that situation cause-- the anger it meant that it's always been there it just showed up see that's what makes us real we're real people when we out of here this is who we are we're gonna get hurt we're gonna be angry we are going to laugh we're gonna cry we're going to scream like little girls when we ride a roller coaster and if you talk to any of my children that are here right now don't believe a word that they said about how I act on a roller coaster but let me continue on but not only that we get afraid then that began to realize this week or the last two weeks that I want to share with you I want to be vulnerable but I also want to share a verse with you I found one of the rats that we're living in my basement and I found something so I just want you to know everybody I am a recovering hypocrite and I want you to understand what happens when something happens suddenly see this is easy to do for two hours but it's the rest of the week that really messes us up doesn't it let me give you a verse and that let me be vulnerable it's isaiah 54:17 you may have heard it before it says this no weapon formed against me what's the rest of it and that's an exciting verse because it does tell us that not only are we in a war but those things that have been come against us doesn't have to be leading or controlling our lives it doesn't have to prosper but the word that stood out to me is this word no weapon formed against me the word is an interesting word because it actually means to have something custom-made for you it means that you go it was a pottery word which means you go to the potter's shop and you go I need this these are the specs of the vase that I need this is what I want to put in my house so here are the dimensions and I want this put there and so that Potter makes it exactly for you for your house and so what the verse was telling us is that the enemy actually knows that what begins to show a show really the junk that's in our basements because what may tempt you or make you cry be angry or fearful may not be the same thing that makes me cry be angry and be fearful because the enemy Taylor makes every attack every weapon against you is tailor-made for your life exactly the way you are and where you are today and that's what I learned I learned something about me after being in ministry for 35 years being born again for even four decades and we all still have rats in our basement don't we let me be vulnerable so I went ahead and did what I do every year which is just three weeks ago did my annual physical and so what you have to do for your physical is you have to get your blood work before you go in so the doctor can talk to you so I did got my physical I mean got my blood work done and then what I did was something I probably shouldn't have done was you're able to look at your results online before you go to the doctor so I did that and all of a sudden I saw all of these red numbers which means it was an average mean I was either high or low in these things and all of a sudden the rats came out and that that point I have never been struck with fear in my I'm going oh my goodness I can't this and I'm looking at a list and I'm not a doctor I'm looking at these numbers and I'm planning my funeral as I'm reading these red numbers I'm looking at this going well it's been great I've lived good for 54 years who is Cindy gonna marry so I went through all of these things and when I walked out this is at 9:30 in the morning when I walked out on my way to church Sydney licked me she goes what's wrong she goes I I've been good 20 years we've had such a great marriage and I think you're awesome and then I got to the church and all of our staff pastors going what's wrong what's wrong and I was telling him I saw red numbers I saw I can't believe this this is a it's been great serving you and I want to just to thank all of you for what you've meant to me here at Times Square Church and thank you and I'm looking at this and so I'm already creating the tragedy and the story and the novel because the enemy knows what can get your mind going and the novel you can begin to create I know I'm not the only one that has done that I just want to make sure I'm not the only one you know what it's like you get a little bump or something goes wrong and then you Google dockets and then all of a sudden everything leads to the planning of your funeral and so I'm looking at this thinking these red numbers that's it and I remember walking going to the doctor and he just literally looked at me and he goes everything's fine so what do you mean everything's fine I've got red numbers he said he said what did you eat the night before you supposed to fast you're not supposed to eat a meal before he says that's why he said I'm not worried about anything and then all of a sudden I started to realize what those red numbers started to shell and all and and it didn't even got even worse that week because I'm so happy this is one of the rare moments that when we come in the summer I get to bring my family with me and so they have Cindy and the children with me here is such a great blessing and so I'm looking at my son and what we did was my one of the gift things that I that God has given to my son is he's a great swimmer and so we see swam state this week and became one of the top 15 in the state and swimming is what I was watching him and he was doing absolutely fantastic on his breaststroke but we stayed in a hotel in New Orleans and so so I'm still dealing with red numbers I got red numbers and so I'm thinking this is my last tournament with him and this has been great and I'm gonna watch him and just go I Love You Man and so I'm sitting there and we get up the next morning and all over my feet are red dots I'm gonna now I've got bedbugs I said I've got red numbers I've got red dots and I just can't believe and so immediately while he's swimming his is for his life I'm taking pictures of my feet and sending it to the doctor and I'm going like look at this I've come dying and I've got bedbugs I'm gonna itch and die at this very same time and all that while that I'm looking at red numbers and red dot and he looked at me because that's not better you're not you don't have bedbugs this is in down south they have these things these are the mosquitos that live in the grass called chiggers and I said chiggers what is a I said is that what you pull on a gun like to pull the trigger and he goes no it's not if he says this is what they but he says you don't have bedbugs and the red numbers don't mean anything and I'm thinking to myself this is what's crazy I can tell people about fear I can tell everybody around the country and around the so don't fear and yet it's inside of me and here's what's crazy the red numbers and the red dots did something to me listen because I realized get this fear is a revelation it is a revelation about me and it shows me the areas that I don't trust God it when you are fearful it is a revelation about you and it's a revelation about me it shows me something of the areas that I'm not trusting God and I mean it's amazing when we get blindsided and the lights come on and the rats start scurrying no matter how old you are in Christ don't judge your Christianity by these last two hours it's when you walk out the door and something suddenly happens on the a train that's how much of a Christian you are don't judge your Christianity as we're singing I can only imagine let's wait until you get to the Lincoln Tunnel and I can only imagine what will be happening if there is a traffic jam [Applause] see the prophet Elijah can't judge himself by first Kings chapter 18 which was the really literally defeating this false religion that Israel embraced called her the worship of bale stands up and literally begins to fight through what has been a deception to the entire nation and what's incredible is is that first Kings 18 didn't define him but really first Kings 19 was the rat in the chapter because he hears a rumor that a woman named Jezebel is out to kill him and all of a sudden the lights come on shows him his heart he's not just the guy that knows how to defeat false religions he's also the guy that gets afraid just like everyone of us and the Bible says that all of a sudden he starts to get so fearful that he's fearing for his life and what's crazy as just a side note in all my reading of the Old Testament he is afraid of some woman that when you read his story he never ever meets they never even come close to meeting each other that's why somebody defined fear as this f.e.a.r as false evidence appearing real is probably the best definition that's why when the presence of fear comes into our life it doesn't mean that you're not a Christian we just have to have and make the effort to say you may be a visitor but you're not going to be a resident in my lives is really what it is and this is what happens so first Kings 19 is the rat chapter it's the chapter where all of a sudden the tragedy starts playing in fact let me read it to you in fact it says he felt worthless and he says I'm no better than my my predecessors and ancestors he felt hopeless the Bible says he ran for his life he felt isolated he says I'm the only one left he was unable to cope he says I've had enough I can't go on anymore and he actually wanted to die and said I want to take my own life it's what it says you read the rat chapter you read the chapter where the lights go on and Elijah thought his problem was Jezebel but we all have a Jezebel Jezebel wasn't a problem listen to me Jezebel was the catalyst Jezebel was the lights switch going on in our life red numbers and red dots wasn't my problem my problem was a fear that God needed to get at in my life see here's the thing I've realized about Jesus Jesus did not say if you follow me you will not have any problems let me say that again because some of you think that since I became a Christian I'm not supposed to have issues let me just tell you something nothing could be further from the truth it is God's presence not comfortable circumstances that brings peace to my life let me say that one more time I don't need I don't need comfortable circumstances to have peace I just need God's presence to have peace in my life when I know he's there I can begin to get through anything but when that fear strikes us every one of us here science says that when we experience fear our body activates the nervous system our heart races our breathing grows faster and shallower our muscles become intense and blood begins to leave the brain and start pumping the heart and it's amazing what fear can do it's amazing the stories our mind starts running and what we start to do in those situations but I don't think anybody knew fear then somebody who wrote what is probably considered one of the top 10 Christian books of all time at least in the last hundred years her name was Corey Tim Boone Corey Tim Boone wrote a book called the hiding place she was responsible her and her family in Amsterdam for hiding Jews when the Nazis were coming in and bringing them to concentration camps and it was Corey and her family that would hide them and the name of the book was called the hiding place when Pastor Gary Wilkerson and I were doing pastor conferences in Amsterdam I had an opportunity to see the hiding place and it is amazing to see this little this little secret room that probably you couldn't fit more than two or three people in there but they would put twelve and fourteen people in this hiding place to hide them until the Nazis found them and for almost two years Corrie her parents and her and her siblings were in a Nazi concentration camp called Ravens Brook and the hiding place tells the story of them hiding the Jews what God did as they were there but nobody knew fear like Cory Tim bean who knew what you were gonna wake up to every single morning who knew and Cory after the death of all of her family in the Nazi concentration camp except her went on to live decades after and I've read these words listen to this this is so powerful of someone who has known fear listen to these words from Cory she says worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength let me say that again because there's about three sentences here worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength she says you're carrying two days at once it is moving into tomorrow ahead of time and then she says this worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow it empties today of its strength that's what it does see you and I were created to live today you and I were created to carry today's battles but when we start beginning to carry Mondays and Tuesdays we don't have the ability to go on it is it is something that even Jesus said that really Cory was just elaborating when Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 don't worry about tomorrow tomorrow brings enough worries about itself today's trouble is enough for today and that's when I realized fear became a revelation to me and this is where I want to just share with you for the next few moments and encourage you and believe that God is gonna do something special in this place today let me tell you what the revelation was fear showed me two things that I need the people of God and number two I need the peace of God I need the people of God in my life but I also need the peace of God in my life and I want to walk you through just two important things because it's not just simply needing church services and needing to sing we need the people of God when I am fearful I am so grateful for the people of God that are around me in my life let me just start there I'm reading right now the journals of a man that literally has changed two continents over in the nineteenth century named John Wesley the founder of Methodism and I'm reading his journals right now and he says this he can't even we remember who said it to him he said what changed the scope of his ministry was these words by a man who said this to John he says remember John you cannot serve God alone you must therefore either find companions or make them the Bible knows nothing of solitary religion which basically was saying is it can't do the Christian life all by yourself you need the body of Christ I need you in my life if we try to do this all by ourselves it's impossible we can't and that's why he was telling me says if you don't have the right companions then make them how do I make them show up with the one o'clock service and say listen it's a smaller service as they're doing Q&A in here maybe I'll begin to find a friend maybe you're visiting today and you need to go up to room 204 you don't know who you're gonna connect with up there doing important it is when they talk about the marriage conference that's coming up or the day retreat with art with the singles with the college ministry or the Strictly youth or though are going on their retreat you know how important that is you know what you're doing you're creating relationships that you cannot create in the sanctuary it was in the sanctuary we're worried about getting out and getting to wherever we need to go that's why this is so important listen to me God is telling us you don't you should not and none of us should worry alone that when we're dealing with fear we need each other this is what was happening to me it was turning into this tragic novel until the people of God came to my rescue and spoke words I want you to jot this work this this Bible verse down this is so important for us here at TSC listen to these words proverbs 12:25 says this anxiety in a man's heart will weigh it down but a good will we'll make it glad listen to those words anxiety fear red numbers red dots will weigh a man's heart down but one good word now pause for a second when we talk about good words don't just limit it to a pulpit don't just limit it to the choir every one of you in this place has good words to share with somebody and this is the challenge everyone here looked at me balcony because when all of a sudden the curtain comes down you know what happens we are rushing out of this building to be first in line to get our car out of the parking garage to get to the subway I want to make sure I get over here I've got to get and do you know what happens sometimes we have we forget we have the ability to take the weight off somebody with one good word we can literally begin to turn someone's anxiety into gladness and the problem is we depend upon these guys to do it all all of us have this ability the Bible doesn't say anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down but a good word from the pastor makes it glad everyone of us is included in this oh I tell you if I find somebody I love what one man said he said this he says if if you consistently encourage people you will be a person in high demand in this church seriously because we're living in a time that we have to realize how important it is that when you come to this place you don't know what people have gone through to get here today and when we think of a but one word can gladden their heart and can we just put aside just for a moment just for a moment and just be real let's put let's put aside this is not some prophetic word this is not like God is saying - how about this hey you look good in that dress today how about that one oh I don't know how spiritual that's very spiritual because sometimes they've never heard a compliment for the last three and four years and how about coming to church oh girl you got your hair done you look good today why not look at those nails why can't you say that because we're in church we need to say those kind of things in church we need to go past the David your head pastor David you look that suit looks good to Dan cast the Damon see now he has anxiety in his heart and so pastor Patrick say something nice to him think how amazing that is that before you run out to catch a subway or to get your little ticket validated to pull the car out give someone a good word when you're watching the guy get your car run run sweating to get your car how about saying hey thank you for working so hard well not literally you have the opportunity of taking anxiety and turning it into gladness we need the people of God hey I read the story over in Canada Vancouver Island this large fishing vessel somehow hid these hidden rocks and was beginning to sink and the two fishermen through the lifeboat over as the ship was quickly sinking and what happened was when they jump in the lifeboat of these frozen waters they didn't realize that the nylon cord was still connected to the sinking ship and the ship was beginning to go down and it was taking the life raft down do you know what the know what they did they had no knife nothing to cut it with so they started chewing through the rope and when the one guys jaws got got got tired the other guy came and then the other guy came and it took 45 minutes but when that ship went down both of them working together get through the rope and save their lives sometimes I need help biting through the rope that wants to take me down sometimes I need your teeth to work with my teeth so we don't go under in these battles that are coming against us look at your neighbor and just showing your teeth to say we're in this together go ahead show it to me hey when we got on a plane yesterday to fly into New York City myself and Cindy and our kids can I just tell you something about that plane what's amazing is that plane is made up of 10,000 individual parts and you know it's crazy not one of those parts can fly on their own there's no wings on seats there's none of those things that levitate off the ground but isn't it amazing that when you put all those parts together it can take 200,000 pounds off the ground it can take it up 30,000 feet send it 700 miles across the nation that when you put the right parts together you will go higher than you've ever gone faster than you've ever gone and further than you've ever gone but you by yourself you can't fly put the body of Christ together and then we have the ability to do things we cannot be by ourselves that's the people of God solitary religion Christianity by yourself it doesn't work stop sitting in a seat by yourself getting angry angry with everybody how you lift your hands and you touch in my space that's who use me the Ganga that point enough we need each other this is where God puts us together I needed people to get me out of that funk of fear when the rent when the rats showed up and I looked at him I going I'm a fraud I'm a I'm a hypocrite I preached around the world don't fear and I'm looking at red numbers and taking pictures of my feet I need the people of God to Center me sometimes Thank You body of Christ for being who you are but the second thing I need is this this is important we close with this the second thing is this so when it talks about the peace of God but I want you to listen fear needs a replacement and the forever replacement is not just getting people in your life people are the entry point people are not enough so I'm just gonna sound contradictory but listen people are not enough to fight fear I need something more in fighting fear I'm just reading the story of two explorers that were on a jungle safari in Africa when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them and one man just goes keep calm the first Explorer said remember what we read in that book on wild animals if you stand perfectly still and look the lion in the eye he will turn and run and this companion said sure you've read the book I've read the book but I don't think the lion has read that book see when you're looking at the lion I - aye-aye I don't need to know I've read a book about this I need something a little bit more than I've got a book about this fear there's something okay job is down people can comfort you but only God can bring peace to you and the problem comes is when we depend upon people to bring peace would only God can bring peace people can comfort us they can get me through a day they can get me through a couple days then all of a sudden and here's the danger let me say something to single people the danger is is that when you don't find your your peace in God then you start looking to some relationship and you put God expectations on a relationship that literally that person can never meet in your life see people can comfort but only God can bring the peace that's their number one the number one highlighted Bible verse on Kindles around the world is this one not John 3:16 not Psalm 23 it's this one Philippians 4 6 and 7 be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension and understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus number one highlighted verse on every Kindle around the world because you're dealing with the world that lives in anxiety that lives in fear they're red numbers and red dots are different than mine but they're looking for some type of peace and not just any patient where I love about this passage it says God's peace the peace that God has amongst a chaotic world is the peace that he begins to give to you in fact one modern version says it this way don't worry about anything but pray about everything I like the way it says that don't worry about anything but pray about everything with thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God then because you belong to Jesus Christ God will bless you with the peace that no one can completely understand and this peace I love this last part and this peace will control the way you think and the way you feel see I can't let people people it's impossible for people to do that I've got a I need peace of God really he was giving us kind of a a strategy when those red number in red and red dot days come this is what he was saying number one he was saying when when you face that moment replace fear replace your worry with prayer okay let me tell you why that's important because as soon as I saw those red numbers let me tell you what I did art our doctor is a personal friend I immediately was texting him and he was in some type of conference or meeting and couldn't answer me and I just got are you there what's going on red dots click click click we heard that look at this we did what's going on red numbers and here's what I felt the Holy Spirit say stop texting him and pray because you don't need to get go you can get from his comfort but you can get peace from me today our default program the default program in US needs to be when we get sideswiped we need to go God the first thing I need to do is pray because men can give me comfort but only God can give me peace and then he says then God sends us peace right to the worry area and the Bible says we'll stand guard that's what the word means and guards you like like armed guards to protect you against those road thoughts that would come and the Holy Spirit would begin even who spoke to me and says a mind that is worried is a mind that's without peace and a mind without peace comes from a person who just hasn't prayed first and I didn't pray first I wanted to get peace from a doctor I wanted to get peace from saying it was gonna be ok and then those people can't give it to me they can comfort but they can't give me the peace one man said it this way listen to this if you're going to worry there's no need to pray and if you're gonna pray there's no need to worry just choose the one she want to do I'm just telling my it's keeping our eyes a little bit higher I think the entry point of fear one of the rats many years ago that came into my life was after being married to say I mean we've worked in and we were just there in one of the hardest inner cities in America for almost three decades in Detroit Michigan and one of the one of the hardest areas and and many of you know our store we bought a xxx movie theater turned it into a church on one side was a was a prostitution hotel another side was a strip club across the street was pornographic movies and we had a church right there I mean we we worked and I mean it was it was a dangerous area and God just did some amazing things and there was never any fear and then all of a sudden when we started having children I don't know about anybody else but this fear of flying came over me because I kept thinking oh my goodness this planes gonna go down and what about my kids I'm not gonna walk my girls down the aisle and I'm and literally fear started to strike me and I remember the day that God really helped me was I was sitting on a plane and I'm and I'm just I'm dying because he's there getting ready to take off and you know and people are telling me all this this is the best that men can do they were trying to comfort me can't give me peace they were trying to comfort me that men you're more susceptible to an accident you can die easier in a car wreck then you can in an airplane and I'm just going like that doesn't help and I'm just looking at you like because you know what that is that's comfort but it's not peace it's just words and we're trying I was trying to turn comfort into peace but only God can give the peace and I remember sitting on that plane thinking of these words going like I should and anyways going like you have a better chance being in a car all those things and nothing was happening until I've looked across the aisle and there was two pilots sitting there and these guys were we're kind of jumping to the next city to fly for Delta and some sitting there I'm going like okay if there's anybody that knows the noises and the bumps of a plane it's those two guys and whatever they do I'm gonna do and seriously for the next two hours I just they must have thought I was some stalker I looked at them the whole time so when the plane was going up one guy crossed his legs I crossed my legs I was watching him he pulled out a book I'm going in I can read a book here too finally he he reclined his seat I recline my seat at that point and all of a sudden he took a nap and I just go mm-hmm I'm taking a nap at this point because if there's anybody knows about this plane it's that man that's right there and all I thought about was that's exactly what the disciples had a chance to do because the pilot was on the boat in mark 4 when that boat was going like this and when they found Jesus what was he doing they should have reclined their seats if he's sleeping I'm sleeping at this point but we look to people to get comfort but only God can give us the peace that we need in our lives only God can do that so let me close with one of the most profound astrays --is that you use you ready for this in the 27 books of the New Testament it's in 16 of them it's in it's it starts in Romans and it's Corinthians and both Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Colossians Philippians Paul uses it in almost all of his books first and second Thessalonians Peter uses it first and second Peter it's not in Philemon it's only even in the book of Revelation and it's this phrase that appears you ready for this grace and peace is what he would speak to the people of God almost starting every letter off this way but I want you to notice something important about this as we close here's what Paul's and all the writers say grace and peace but notice the order there is no peace unless you have grace and people pursue peace first and they never find it because they never found the grace of God that he can give to them and that's why this order is so important it's finding grace before you would begin even to pursue the peace see there's no peace without this grace is what you get when you are born again it means I get something I don't deserve Ephesians 2:4 I am saved by grace it is the beginning when he says Grace and peace what he was basically saying is start this journey with Jesus being born again and you get so much more than you can ever bank on start with grace and peace it was goes right along with it and this is what he was telling us do you need peace in your heart you have to start with grace but so many of us are pursuing the wrong thing and God's gonna no don't-don't-don't pursue that pursue me and you get that with me let me let me finish this Cindy and I on our family were invited over our youth pastor was celebrating one of his children's birthday and he was asking us to come over to his house than to celebrate so we were coming over with just a group and just to celebrate one of the kids birthdays and so what I realized was this you know with with smartphones today no one memorizes anything she knows that I was in CVS the other day and they go I was buying something for the for Cindy and they go do you have a CVS card I said yeah I think my wife does and then they asked me to go what's her phone number says wife on the phone I don't know I don't know and she said the ladies look at me like you don't deserve it this challenge at that point I don't I don't even know my wife's number I don't know our church number I don't know I don't know anything I just go like okay here it is and I just I'll send you the contact but knowing and knowing addresses we don't know addresses anymore we don't know you just listen to GPS now so if you if you have a car and you're drove you're useless in the GPS turn right here a thousand feet turn left and so I been to my youth pastors home I just I didn't remember how to get there no it was like three miles from us so I'm GPS in it and so he lives down this road and I'm we're talking in the car and everything and I wasn't sure if that was the turn and what I did was just so they would be nice to me I changed the voice of my GPS to this British lady who is so nice she's going like in a thousand feet I don't have any British accent but in a thousand feet turn left and I'm just going like she's so nice and so I'm driving and I missed my turn you know what's amazing is that the GPS never trash-talked me in everyone like really seriously I told you a thousand feet earlier that you're gonna have to turn and you blow right by like you know what you're doing so you know what why don't you figure out how to get to your destination because I'm out can you imagine if all of it if you have a GPS that that you need to get a new phone I'm just telling you that right now it was but here's what the lady does it was incredible it's like a blue body she goes turn around I said I love you you're awesome turn around when possible this is fantastic I turned around found the house it was that simple and here's what's amazing even with the fear even with the rats God wasn't going really seriously you've been born again for four decades you've been in the ministry for over three days and now all of a sudden you you get you're afraid of red numbers and red seriously you know you don't deserve to be preaching Times Square Church sit in the audience can you imagine and here's what God does turn around impossible that's all it is God is nicer than a British lady he just says turn around when possible and let's get on the right track and at that moment I thank God the revelation was thank you for your people thank you for your peace and thank you for what you give to us but can I help you today because some of you here don't have peace and the reason why you don't have peace is because you don't have grace pastor Tim how do I get grace you ready for this you need to turn around right now when possible and this is that day but if some of you are trying to find peace from people that the best they can do is give you comfort you're trying to find peace from circumstances that I have to promise you will some of those circumstances if it's not one see life we want life to sometimes be a merry-go-round but life is really a roller coaster and you just don't know I don't know what tomorrow holds but I don't have to worry about that because God has given me strength for Sunday and then when I step into Monday you promised to give me strength but you told me not to think about Monday on Sunday and the only way I can do that remember this first thing we said peaceful circumstances or calm circumstances is not what gives me peace God's presence is what gives me peace how do I get God's presence you start with the relationship with God I should Tim how do I do it I'm in church that's that's how we get a relationship with God that's a good start but that's not how you get a relationship with God I'm glad that you're here today I'm glad that watching somebody maybe listening maybe even tomorrow on a treadmill you're listening on the elliptical or maybe you're making a run through Central Park and you're listening this I want you to understand being in church is a good start but that doesn't get you that doesn't get you the peace of God but I was water baptized that's good but that's not what Jesus said but but but but I'm a Protestant or on the Catholic great-great-great labels but that's not what Jesus said jesus said unless a man is born again he can never enter the kingdom of heaven grace starts I have to tell you these are not magic seats you don't sit here and going like oh I feel peace it doesn't happen this is business turn around when possible how does it happen pastor Tim it is as simple as ABC what do you mean bastards him a I admit I'm a sinner something's broken on the inside can I just tell every one of us this place starting with me none of us were born a floor model assembly required on all of us like when I talk with somebody I go like how long you been a Christian since I was born ah impossible nobody is born a Christian if you if you think that you've never had children never had children just telling you isn't it interesting you don't teach how many realize you didn't teach children to be selfish or lied you ever noticed that well this is how you lie when I asked you if you stole this you saying I don't know what you're talk that's not I said you don't have to teach what there's something broken in us when we're born it's called a sinful nature it leads to selfishness I want to be autonomous I don't want people telling me what I'm supposed to do and what happens is is that first part is going God I am a sinner now now listen close because sometimes people forget this we're not some people think we we've made mistakes and we need correction that's not what we're saying we are sinners and we need a savior we just made some mistakes and then then why would God have to send his son to die on the cross for us if okay listen to me close if you could fix yourself then God sending his son to go through that pain would be the worst case of thought child abuse in the history of humanity why would you let your son go through that if we could fix ourselves but it's big hey I admit him a sinner be believing that Jesus died in my place for my sin because sin has to be paid for the wages of sin is death and God loves us so much to say I don't want them dying I'm gonna send my son to die in their place it's Jesus literally saying to us it's me paying your price this is the grace part I'm gonna give you something that you don't deserve I'm gonna die a death that you should have died I'm gonna pay a price that you should have paid and it's him doing it for us grace means I get something I don't even deserve and it starts like this you ready this is important and it starts like this deep just believe in him but wait wait I got to get better I got to get rid of all this stuff and I got it no no no it just says believe don't add anything else to that don't listen don't get religious no no we got to we got to stop doing this and then we become a curse that snot what it says that's religion says stop this and then you become a Christian I'm gonna get to see cuz some of you holiness people are going hey I don't know about this guy I hope this is his last time speaking okay listen close hey I admit I'm a sinner I am self unbroken on the inside I'm fearful I'm broken on the inside be believing that Jesus died in my place believing ready for this Romans 10:9 and 10 if we confess with our mouth that Jesus Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised him from the dead we shall be saved but you got to stop stuff you got the ink it's not what it says believe on him look at me you don't have to be perfect to become a Christian you just need to be honest today just be honest okay now the C part is the hard part hey I admit amiss and RB I believe that Jesus taught me see I confess him as Lord that's the part it means you're the boss now it means you have veto power it means I trust you I believe you know better he's the pilot he's the one we look at going like he crosses I crossed my way he takes a I'm confess you as Lord you're the one that guides the ship I'm listening to you now how do we listen to him that happens to his word when Pastor Carter preaches our pastor Patrick pastor David it happens up here we learn what he's speaking to our own hearts let me start with going God I'm broken on the inside I'm messed up I'm so grateful that you're here today and you may say well I was confirmed I was baptized I had a bar mitzvah I did all those are great things I had my first communion that's not what Jesus said and look at me folks I think Jesus knows the better knows the best way to get to his house better than us and if you want to get to heaven don't trust your directions trust his directions you must be born again if he says must you can't make it an option if he says must you can't go ahead and make it a multiple choice it didn't say you have to be baptized to get to heaven listen you go in that tank if you went in that tank and you weren't born again you come up wet sinner that's all you come up you're not going to heaven you know it starts when he changes us from the inside out and he moves in and he can do that today bow your head with me please everybody if you're in the annex if you're watching on our webcast around the world even listening to this on Monday Tuesday Wednesday I want you to really really start to make a decision here's what the Bible says the Bible says in Psalm 27 the Lord is my light and my salvation who then shall I fear which means when I make him my salvation there's nothing to fear but it's got to start with salvation it's got to start with grace pastor Tim what's the next step it's being born again that's the step with every head bowed every eyes closed a next balcony main floor watching on a webcast I want to ask you one question listen to this eternity is too long to be wrong and if Jesus gives us clear directions you have to be born again not show up at church not be a Catholic a protestant I'm Jewish I'm a religious person I've done some good that I do good things I'm a good person those are great things but that's not how you get to heaven jesus said jesus said who cannot lie unless a man is born again he could never enter the kingdom of heaven that's what Jesus said and if you're here today I'm telling you you're about to make the greatest decision you've ever made in your life pressure Tim I don't want to I want peace in my life then we got to start with grace and grace starts with being born again I'm not inviting you to be a member of a church I'm not inviting you to be a Protestant Catholic or a real religious organization I'm inviting you to have a relationship with the most exciting person in the universe Jesus Christ himself and if you're here today and say pastor Tim I want to do that I want to take that step it's as simple as this I'm gonna pray a prayer in fact we're all gonna pray this prayer together if you're here in say pastor Tim C this is an RSVP you have to RSVP Jesus died for the whole world and gave you the invitation but you need to RSVP today I don't care if you're a student at Columbia I don't care if you're a CEO downtown I don't care if you leave I live in public housing I don't care what state you come from or what nation you're from every man is equal in the sight of God and if you're here today and you've never made that decision we have a birth date you know the day you were born but do you have a second birth date you have to know that date and today could be that date if you're here and say pastor Tim when you pray that born-again prayer man I want that I want to be part I'm starting that journey today balcony main floor if that's you and say include me in that prayer I want to be born again today I'm making I'm praying that prayer with you raise your hand right now quickly hold it up as high as you can I want make sure I see every hand that's up in this place keep them up high keep them up high okay keep them up I want to make sure I see every hand in the balcony here's what I want you to do with those hands up I'm gonna ask you to do me one favor do me this favor because I want to I want us to cheer for you would you just stand on your feet right where you're at quickly just stand here for your New York cuz you're not afraid of that come on stand on your feet wherever you're at all over this place stand up stand up stand up stand up stand up all over the balcony come on here's what I'm going to ask you to dude we want to cheer for you and say this is us the people of God excited for with the decision now there's a bunch of you in the bathroom do me a favor move your knees and let them get out because I want to pray for you right here come here come on just come on down come on you can make it let's go come right down here everyone balcony hurry up get down just say I got to go I'm going to heaven today quickly get down here as fast as you can I want to pray for you we'll move out of the way we're the people of God we'll move out of the way you're going to be born again today come on clap for them as they come because this is an exciting day grace is coming Grace is coming today can we pray this together let's here's what I want you to know we're just gonna pray these words together and we want to start the journey today come on let's all say these words together 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 I say this with me God is my father Jesus is my Savior the Holy Spirit is my helper and heaven is my home in Jesus name and everybody said amen

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 11,492

Rating: 4.8467431 out of 5

Keywords: Tim Dilena, Sermon, Times Square Church

Id: m6hsKX2jt_Y

Length: 51min 20sec (3080 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 31 2018