Prayer Meeting | June 2, 2020 | Chicago Tabernacle

[Music] see [Music] right you're home [Music] let's declare today God [Music] he's the king of kings he's the lord of lords and he's worthy of our praises so we give it to you today [Music] we say no song amazes over strong enough oh yes [Music] [Music] no strong No [Music] don't sit strong and [Music] it's great defender great your home [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we are [Music] through amazes against us care No No [Music] strong and No [Music] nowhere no song louder said strong and No [Music] it's great [Music] [Applause] [Music] great [Music] defender let's declare together god you good evening everyone god bless you and welcome to the Tuesday night prayer meeting we want to say hello not just to all of our local family but everyone around the country and around the globe we are so thankful that you would join in with us tonight to be praying for a very special prayer meeting every prayer meeting is special and vitally important because the Bible says my house shall be called the house of prayer and the Church of Jesus Christ gets the most done when God's people pray but tonight is really special because we are going to solely focus on the crisis that we are experiencing in our country in our city and in our own churches and so one of the things I want to ask you to do is your pastor is I want you to grab a pen or pencil or just be ready to jot down Bible verses you're gonna hear lots of Bible tonight and I want you to be able to go back and read them this is a very important meeting not just because of what we're praying for but because of the content this is not one of those meetings that you want to walk away from and say wow that was blessed I want you to read the verses I need you to get those verses in your heart and in your mind so that you could be on top of your thoughts so that you can be ready to respond to the challenging days now as always what's so awesome is that Jesus Christ is on the throne and the Bible says that no matter what's happening on the earth we are called to enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise that's what we're gonna do right here and right now we want to bring him glory before we ask him for anything we want to bring him glory because he's worthy to be praised lift your hands come on let's enter in all of the people of God around the globe praise awaits you here it says in Psalm 65 1 hallelujah pastor Christian and the team are gonna lead us blessed be your name or God [Applause] we [Applause] [Music] cynical as we crown you with praise as we crown you with glory hallelujah we trod near to you and we trust that you're trying into us even now we worship you in the splendor of your home and we sing you this song [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] when and your fee [Music] of [Music] I'm free [Music] eyes can't see [Music] [Music] [Applause] let's just lift our hands [Music] [Applause] [Music] your come to so that's what we do [Applause] holy [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes for you see racism that's fine [Music] [Applause] [Music] Kevin your game - the worst guitar [Applause] that guy ashamed on this show Oh God [Music] to ah I'm gone the shade come can wash me you [Music] you're [Applause] ashamed [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] my god three to [Applause] [Music] my god - ah [Applause] so I can gonna show your name to the walls come fall to worship come to worship hi like I'm gonna shave not for joy at the mention of come to worship hard come to worship [Music] reverse reverse we worship Jesus we love your kingdom has nowhere [Music] so we worship you we worship at your footstool heaven is your throne or is your boots before you tonight we exalt nothing else but the name of Jesus hallelujah thank you Jesus we were secure we worship we worship Jesus hallelujah you're so faithful your name is a strong tower the righteous run in they find safety you are the King of glory the Lord of all the earth or the commander of heavens armies you're a shield you're our banner [Music] in you we play some trust some trust in chariots some trust in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord hallelujah hallelujah come on right where you are just lift your hands hallelujah trust in the Lord at all times pour out your hearts before him we pour out our hearts before you tonight we poured our broken we pour out our hurting we we board our confused angry hearts to you tonight and we profess our trust for you you are our strength you are our Savior and we look to you Jesus hallelujah thank you [Music] you go I that you've even gone to win my [Music] you come back with my you come back you can by Victor you go you go I [Music] that you've even [Music] you come back with the head you come back and you call my victory [Music] oh my [Music] all I did was five all I did was [Applause] [Music] see so much [Music] great so much [Music] [Applause] [Music] you go thank you my leads me from [Music] [Music] yes [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] much better [Music] so my [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you knew have to be Yuri introduce me to your you picked up all my pieces put me back together you are the defense of my we're not you know me you reintroduce me to your you picked up mama put me back together [Applause] [Music] you know you picked up you [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] tea so much better [Music] you have saved me so much better [Music] great tea so much better how they loo you Jesus hallelujah we love you Lord we bless you we honor you we lift you up in this place today you're worthy to be praised you're worthy to be glorified and magnified we bow our hearts to the king of kings and the Lord of lords we bow our hearts to the one who heals us the one who protects us thank you you are our great defender Lord we love you Lord we honor you we come to abide under the shadow of your wings lord I ask that tonight that you would spread your wings over the globe spread your wings over Chicago yes spread your wings Lord over all of the cities Lord of our of our nation spread your wings over every hurting Hall Lord all of our homes spread your wings give us peace give us rest give us clarity that only comes from you we love you we praise you we honor you bless this night speak to your speak to us speak to your people minister what we need deep inside of our hearts yes Lord there are things that we need that can only come from you so release that tonight bless this service let us glorify your name in the mighty name of Jesus and everyone said amen and amen and a man come on let's put our hands together and praise the Lord praise the Lord God is so good he's so wonderful I'm so excited this is our first time in our studio where we actually have our staff together they're spread all over and we're practicing social distancing and in addition to that as you can tell we have all of our pastors here and leaders here in the studio because we're gonna be praying together as seeking the Lord together pastor Josh LeBlanc is not here with us he is away with his family his wife Susie today is her birthday happy birthday honey we love you and and so they're not here with us tonight but we're going to now focus on praying for our country now I just want to say a couple of things you know we as leaders we find ourselves leading and possibly some of the most turbulent times both spiritually emotionally and culturally in all of our adult lives we've come to a time in our country that perhaps some of us have read about but never lived through and we're living through some very very difficult days there's an upheaval in Chicago right now obviously you've heard people are rioting they're parts of the church that are actually dividing people even in the church are dividing the leadership in our government in a lot of ways is actually devolving just breaking down right before our eyes and we want to be really honest and candid tonight frankly I hear more anger and pride coming through the airwaves social media leaders than wisdom and humility and I want to pray for God's wisdom and I know that wisdom comes when we humble ourselves brothers and sisters we need to get low so that God could speak to us and help us but here's what I want to say before we actually begin to pray this is a very very important time for the Church of Jesus Christ as I speak of leadership I speak to every Christian you are part of the royal priesthood the responsibility to make an impact right now doesn't just lie upon my wife and I and the people in this room it lies upon all of us because God wants you to reach certain people with the love of Jesus right here and right now and so in these difficult times we Christians need to dig down deep and get deep in God because we all have a very significant role to play here's what I want to say the Lord has chosen us to lead for such a time as this you were born in the in the plan of God to be alive at this moment so that you could shine for Jesus we have to understand that that's the mission we've got to shine for Jesus I believe that the doors of the significant last days are opening I won't be surprised if things get worse but Christ in us the hope of glory can make us shine and here's what I want to want to say before we start praying I want to give you one verse here's a beautiful promise in Matthew chapter 10 the Bible these are the words of Christ here's what he said he said but when they arrest you do not worry about what to say or how to say it at that time you will be given what to say at that time you will be given what to say for it will not be you speaking but the Spirit of your spa of your father speaking through you now here's what I'm saying I'm not saying that we're all going to get arrested but what I am saying is in turbulent times like these we have a promise that says God can give us the words and the wisdom that we need for this hour we can speak with the Father's heart what we need is the Father's heart right now the Father's heart God might see things differently than we see with our pain and our hurt and that people around us see and that's what we need right now so here's what we're going to be I saw I just want you to cling to that promise that God wants to put something fresh in your heart something fresh in your mind let's open up and let the Spirit of the Lord speak to us so that he can also speak through us could I get an amen praise the Lord so the first thing that we're gonna do today is we're gonna pray for all of those who are hurting I got a phone call yesterday of the day before yesterday from the president of North Central University of Minneapolis a friend of mine and he asked me to pray and he asked us to pray because George Floyd's funeral is going to take place on Thursday at the University the Vice President is going to be there President Obama is going to be there dignitaries leaders from all over are going to be there and we want to pray for that focal we I I want to pray that God would use that moment in time to perhaps begin to bring healing rather than be another voice of outrage so we want to pray for all of the families of those mourning and listen to this we need to pray also for the countless victims of acts of racism that occur every day in our nation and don't receive national recognition you have to understand that for every person that does make the news there are dozens that didn't make the news and their hearts are broken and their families are weeping and and what has happened right now is is collectively speaking the wounds of something that happened in someone's life five years ago or two years ago or even 20 years ago all of those wounds have been open simultaneously and so I've never seen so much pain and hurt in our country like I see right now and we need to pray that God would move by his mighty power and bring healing we're gonna have we're gonna read a few verses Krissy is going to read first and then Pastor James will read second and then pastor David will pray the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 1:3 praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of compassion and the God of all comfort who will comfort us who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God for just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ so also our comfort abounds through Christ Psalm 34:18 it says this eighteen and nineteen the Lord is close to the brokenhearted yes I want to read that again cuz it's so true the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit the righteous person may have many troubles but the Lord delivers him from all of them Jesus we come to you O God the bear of our burdens you take our cross o God we thank you O God Lord that all of our pains all of our struggles Oh God Lord not one of them escapes you O God not one of them is outside of your heart and outside of your vision o God and Lord our country right now is in pain our country is hurting us our country is angry and God we just pray that the Holy Spirit would bring healing that you'd go into cities we pray that you go into Charlotte we pray that you'd go into Denver in LA Oh God in New York and Chicago zod we ask o God Lord that you'd go into Atlanta Oh God we pray that you'd go to Tampa Jesus we pray that you'd go to every city we pray Minneapolis Oh God we ask in the name of Jesus that the healing blood of Jesus would we ask Oh God Lord that you Oh God Lord I think about Hagar Oh God Lord she was abused as she ran into the desert and the thing that she said after an encounter with you as she said you were the God that sees I pray Lord that every single person Oh God I pray for George Floyd's family Oh God I pray that they would know that you see them as your body see them we pray O God bring healing bring restoration Oh God we pray at that funeral Oh God Lord that that healing would be distributed Oh God Lord that your spirit o God would be released in a profound and a deep way Oh God that the enemy would not be able to wedge his way in we pray that forgiveness would flow freely in the name of Jesus that repentance would flow freely Oh God we ask Oh God Lord even for Lord all the people that are going to be watching that and in the people that are there watching all these events unfold O God and Lord the the many people that experience racism on a day-to-day basis we pray bring healing to them mating know that you see them Oh God we pray O God Lord that you would stop hatred Oh God Lord we Oh God Lord as a church we pray heal your church your God jeez where there's racism in the church Lord we as your body we we repent on behalf of our country and the name of Jesus yes giving in to the ways of the enemy Oh God yes Jesus we're asking Oh God Lord bring healing and bring restoration may every heart especially in America on may every heart find healing in the name of Jesus you're the only answer you're the only solution and so God in this time we look to you and we pray Oh God have your way with us and bring healing to us Oh God bring healing to your people Oh God bring healing to this nation in Jesus name Amen hallelujah amen amen praise the Lord hallelujah now we're also going to pray for those that are overwhelmed by fear for their safety one of the things that has been so saddening to me is growing up as a little boy hearing for my dad that the United States is the greatest country in all the world and and now to hear people they're afraid they're afraid for their sons they're afraid in so many different ways and it's so heartbreaking that it's come to this we want to pray for those overwhelmed by fear for their safety and also for all of the pain that has divided our nation pastor Hosea is going to read and that pastor Edgar is gonna pray Essos a first chapter of second timothy verse 7 says for god gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and of self-control in Isaiah 41 verse 10 says so there not fear for I am with you and do not be dismayed for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand hallelujah Jesus Lord we come to you Jesus we come to you Lord father God and Lord we lift up all of our people all over the place oh god everyone oh god that is fearful right now father God Holy Spirit would you go to them Lord we pray for healing a deep healing in their hearts and minds Oh God and Lord we ask Lord that you Auto God lift that spirit of fear in the name of Jesus Oh God would you pour out your spirit upon them God and Lord we pray Lord that wherever there is fear Lord that you would lift it off of people or we pray that there would be a lifting off of fear Lord father God and what we pray Lord that there would be a such a profound peace that's replacing that fear father God Lord we pray Lord that people would have the peace that surpasses all understanding Oh God that it would guard their hearts that it would guard their minds Oh God Lord we pray Lord right now for your people Lord Father guys that are experiencing all sorts of pain and suffering Oh God team trauma Lord we ask father God that you would heal them Lord heal them Lord I pray for laws to be poured out upon them father God we pray for your love to be poured out upon them Oh God Lord heal the wounds that have been there for years old God heal the wounds Lord father God Lord if there's wounds that hadn't even been opened back up Oh God you are able by your love to heal it Lord pour out your love Lord father God we pray Jesus that they will just be just love poured out upon families Oh God that have been broken Oh God family that have been just hurting Oh God family's all got all over the world Oh God that have been impacted Oh God by thus the hate Lord and the anger father God and all of the things that have taken place Oh God and Lord we ask for that you would do we can't do it in ourselves Oh God so what we call upon you O God to do it Jesus meet people right where they're at Oh God whether it's in their living rooms or in the street Oh God meet them right where they're at but we pray that your love would grip their hearts right now Jesus their hearts Jesus their minds Oh God what do we pray for revelation of your love to open up their eyes Lord Lord and Lord we pray Lord that wherever they're at Oh God that there were just sense of peace Lord and love and Lord replace fear with faith Lord faith in you faith in you Jesus faith in you Lord Lord we love you Jesus who we thank you Lord that you are a God who answers our prayers Oh God we love you and we bless you in Jesus name we pray amen amen amen Alleluia now we're gonna pray for justice from our govern government we're gonna pray for police reform and for righteous leadership before we do I want to just say a couple of things about this and then we're gonna read some verses first of all we really need to pray for justice from our government instead of corruption and favoritism there's so many examples of this all over the place I was talking with Pastor Jake and he was telling me that when he was in high school this was before Christ he got arrested with a he and a friend got arrested Pastor Jake obviously is white his friends african-american pastor Jake went before the judge and the sentence was immediately suspended the other young man who didn't do anything worse it took him two years after that to get his record expunged and he he was living with tension of how that that would impact his future we could give from small dozens upon dozens of examples of how we just lack justice from our government obviously in light of what's happened over the last host of years but especially in the last three or four concentrated years of the the abuse of police officers and this is so painful to me because we have police officers in our church men and women of God who are so so godly they are amazing public servants and yet as we've seen in the last couple of weeks this this abuse from law enforcement the most painful hurt is from those who should be protecting and God has to do something and I have to have to tell you brothers and sisters we have to pray because we can shout we can express our frustration but we need God to change people's hearts we need God to move in power and bring about real reform and give us the the right solutions how do you fix this when you got to move in power help us Lord and then lastly we need to pray for righteous leadership I've been deeply saddened and grieved by the rhetoric just in the last week between our president and our mayor and you've got to know something I'm an authority guy I believe in submitting to Authority I believe that Authority is good we're gonna pray about that but when I hear words coming from our leaders our president and our mayor that are no higher than just thugs talking in the street I grew up in in the hood there was a park right down the block and and you we never went in that Park because it was so dangerous but to me I've I heard higher thinking and higher expression more intelligent conversation in that part that I'm hearing from our leaders right now and it's absolutely heartbreaking it's disgraceful I'm so disappointed and so grieved by our leaders and I respect them I love our mayor I'd love for wouldn't pray for her I love our president I feel like we're supposed to pray for our leaders and this is what we as Christians are called to do the Bible says what we pray for our leaders it will go well for us I'm concerned about the world that my grandchildren are gonna grow up in but we need God to move upon their hearts can I tell you I really wish that people in Congress and people in the Senate the people in the Supreme Court that they would read they would get the book the testament of hope it's it's a compilation of writings of dr. King's speeches and and his sermons they need to hear how someone can express themselves with eloquence and and godly sophistication and and they need to learn how to practice biblical decorum these things are important to our children and brothers and sisters we must pray about this instead of siding with Republican or Democrat we need to pray for our leaders and our I just I'm just overwhelmed the bible says like priests like people and you realize we shouldn't be surprised that our police officers are acting inappropriately when the leaders above them are acting inappropriately so I want to pray now I want to pray for a revival but but this goes beyond legislation you just need to know dr. King he understood that even though God used him to bring about a legal challenge dr. King God used him to bend the will of a nation that was practicing wickedness he never dishonored the Lord with his words but he did it but he also knew that you can change laws but now the bigger battle was before us which was to change the hearts of men that falls upon the Church of Jesus Christ this challenge this problem is our problem we have to pray and ask God to move in power I'm gonna pray for justice from our government I will pray for righteous leadership and and Heidi is going to to pray for police reform but first we're going to have some verses read pastor Christian will read some verses at pastor Jake will as well Amos chapter 5 verse 24 says but let justice roll on like a river righteousness like a never-failing stream but let justice roll on like a river righteousness like a never-failing stream Psalm 89 verse 14 says this righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne love and faithfulness go before you proverbs chapter 11 informs us the Lord detests dishonest scales but accurate weights find favor with him in James chapter 2 it opens and instructs us that my brothers and sisters believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism okay I'm gonna pray first and then Heidi will pray Lord Jesus we come before your mighty throne that we just talked about the Bible says that righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne Lord and it says that love and faithfulness go before you and Lord we pray for righteousness and justice Lord God in our government and in our leaders we ask that you would take the leadership of our country O God Lord that you would Bend their hearts toward what's right oh god you hate favoritism [Music] favoritism is so ugly oh god it's demonic Lord God we call upon your name Oh God would you bring justice Oh God would you move by your mighty power God restore justice to the land Oh God God let right judgments be rendered and let them be rendered quickly we pray Oh God no more delay Oh Lord no more pauses would you move by your mighty power God Lord we've gone on our own oh god we've we've separated us ourselves from you but Lord we repent and we say come back Jesus take charge o God of the mind and the mouth of our president and of all of our leaders of of congressmen and Senators Oh God God take charge of the minds of the Supreme Court and all the courts Oh God God your mercy triumphs over judgment Oh God let love and faithfulness go forth Lord God moved by your mighty power somehow redeem these times O God and restore justice to the land God we pray for our leaders God we don't come to you as Democrats or Republicans we come as your children and God we asked Lord that for our sake for the sake of our children and our grandchildren we ask that you would Bend the hearts of leaders we ask that you would Bend the mouths of leaders God let let let righteousness Lord let justice God flow from their tongues deliver them from this unholy on godly debase rhetoric oh god stop this ungodly rhetoric Lord put leaders in front of our children that they could be proud of we pray [Music] help us Lord help us we're looking above them to you and we're asking you to do something god I pray that leaders would be convicted of their sinful talk the Lord we say that would all the love and humility in our hearts God sometimes leaders need to repent we ask that they would repent and God we repent right along with them deliver us from favoritism of any kind you hate dishonest scales God bring the Equality that you love back to the church and back to our country bring it to this world we pray we know that with man many things are impossible but with you Lord all things are possible so we thank you Lord for hearing our cry in the mighty name of Jesus amen amen hallelujah Heidi would you pray for our police officers Jesus we love you and we thank you that we can come to you as little children with problems that are too big for us but that are easily fixed by you because you are omnipotent your Ancient of Days you are high and exalted you are the commander of the Lord of Hosts and so god we come in our weakness and call upon your power in the name of Jesus and Lord I lift up the police force to you God I lift up the system first God and father I pray where there is injustice systemic injustice that has been entrenched for generations things that have been bound by the enemy corruption from the lowest to the highest levels guys we ask in the name of Jesus that you would shatter those demonic struggles that the light of Christ would come and expose the darkness we pray where there are demonic strongholds demonic suggestions the Mahdi strategies and plans Jesus you said it is finished in the name of Jesus you said that you put the enemy to open shame and that you triumphed over him and so father I pray today for the police system where there is a work of the enemy that they will be put to open shame and that the triumph of the cross would be revealed and that those things would be cast down but I lift up those who are positions of influence who can change the system and lord I pray they have been quiet out of fear out of cowardice even out of a bullying spirit I rebuke that spirit in the name of Jesus or do you say you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free and I pray for a truth to sweep through that system Lord and where there is corruption that people would have courage to speak up and to speak out and to fight against using the influence that they have gone father I pray for those your commissioners and captains those who are in positions that can cause radical change and I ask if they have hearts that are full of sin or wickedness if they are plagued by the sin of racism or hatred or anger if they have been heard father I pray today that you would heal them that you and he live in the name of Jesus you know their minds feel their hearts rip out the money arrows that have launched and rooted in them Jesus pull them down so that you have mental clarity and mental freedom give them hearts that are moved by compassion can I think about you change the heart of Pharaoh you change the heart of the wicked and you can change the hearts of those who are bound by the grip of the enemy and so father I lift the system to you Jesus and I pray Lord you say in your word to ask for rain you say ask for rain and that you will rain down and produce fruit I ask for rain on this I asked for heavens rainfall on everybody's horse guide from those in big cities like ours to the smallest in the most rural area I asked for the rain of heaven to fall upon it right now then you would release a healing rain that you release the rain that calms the fire of the enemy and brings fruit and brings growth and brings justice and lore finally I lift up the individuals on the police force to you Father I think of all my brothers and sisters that know you that serve and protect and I pray God that you would make them radiant you say in your word that those who looks you are rainy and their faces will never be put to shame and I pray that you would use them as a mighty light in the darkness you have sent Jesus to bring justice to assist them use them Lord and father I ask for the the revival to fall among their policemen and our police women father I pray that there would be a radical explosion of the gospel that even now the gospel run rampant through the police force that even a policeman window would fall to their knees Jesus they would call upon your name and have salvation into their hearts got even now I believe in Puri Fievel this spark and every policeman and woman and Jesus we just thank you because you are a God of Reformation you are a God of justice and lore we believe that even now things are being released in the spirit you say the only bind on earth will be bound in heaven and when we loose on earth will be loosed and so we lose the spirit of justice and its Reformation in the name of Jesus hallelujah would praise you gotta we exalt you hallelujah blessed be your name hallelujah blessed be your name okay now we're gonna pray for the church and as we go to pray for the church I want to specifically speak to our church as well and there are so many things that we could say we could be here for hours but for the sake of tonight I really want to focus on two fundamental principles and let me say this that when you're hit with a crisis and pain and turbulence like we've been hit with you have to anchor yourself with the Word of God there are no other anchors you've got to go to the Bible and you've got to align your heart with the Word of God we need to be led to be guided and to be directed by His Word let me hear a loud Amen for that it's very very important and so what I have to say is not exhaustive but I think that these are two key points and I want to make this super practical I'll give you some verses but I want to start with with with very very practical points here's the first one number one we need to know that it's not the law it's our people it's not the uniform it's the person you're watching the news as you're looking on social media as you are taking in all of this craziness you have to keep clarity as a Christian okay I hope you saw that there have been I saw them police officers who are marching and protest saying this is wrong you know it's not the uniform it's the person in the uniform it's not the laws it's the people who are called to uphold the laws and the reason why that's important is because if we're not careful we can miss so here's one of the questions I want to ask you what did you see when you saw that vile image I think in the last let's say thirty years we have captured the most vile wicked image in that police officer on top of that African American man with his knee on his neck and he's looking up I think that that is arguably one of the most since the 60s one of the most vile images we have ever seen but what did you see did you see a white man is that what you saw because if you saw a white man you did not see correctly okay what you needed to see was a heart that was filled with sin and hatred that was a sinful heart the sinful heart the hatred in that man's heart was also the same hatred that pulled the trigger on Memorial Day weekend in Chicago 39 people were shocked it wasn't a color that pulled the trigger it was a sin filled heart that same sinful hatred brothers and sisters filled the heart of some young man the same week the same week that all of this stuff was swirling in the news in regards to George Floyd one of one of the sons of a member of our church the two youngest's come to the church his his younger teenage son got saved at our church but the older teenage son has not gotten saved and we've been trying to reach out to him and so he and he hasn't been coming to church well he wasn't out in an alley I think less than a mile from from this moment from this place marchers and he was in an alley buying a vaping pen or pipe whatever it's called for thirty dollars and something happened with the pen or the pipe and it didn't work and they got into an argument and I guy pulled out a knife and he stabbed him in the heart and he's and he's gone it killed our boy 16 years old bicycles they did the funeral yesterday sin and hatred is our problem brothers and sisters what we need to understand is that sin is the virus and Jesus is the cure that's what what my friend said and yes it there has this has been a systemic problem yes we have rampant racism in our country but we can't legislate our way out of this we need God to change people's hearts and as a Christian you have to have that clear because if you don't it's so easy to miss we can fall into faulty thinking that even leaders throughout history have fallen into please listen closely Moses made this mistake listen to this in Acts chapter 7 the Bible says when Moses was 40 years old he decided to visit his own people the Israelites he saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian back then it wasn't black and white back then it was Egyptian against Israelite it depends on what part of the world that you're in you know why because the sin problem is universal to the heart of man so it says he saw one of them be mistreated by an Egyptian so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them but they did not now what we have to understand is that Moses thought that God was using him but God wasn't using Moses that way you see to kill the Egyptian it's so easy to want to kill to be angry to strangle that person who's not like us and who perpetrated this hideous crime but what Moses needed to do brothers and sisters is he needed to go and get before God okay he needed to get before God and he needed to hear from God he needed the wisdom of God and the strategy of God and he needed the power of God to bend the will and break the back of Pharaoh that was the only way that his people would be set free brothers and sisters we need God to step in and set our people free we need Jesus to step in and set our people free and we cannot give in to the enemy's tactic here's the enemy's tactic it's to undermine Authority and to divide God's people if Satan can get you looking sideways at your brother and sister because they look different or they sound a little different right now you've you've been sucker-punched by Satan it's not the law it's not the uniform please listen to what I'm saying we have to understand that Authority is good because Authority comes from God if we allow our hearts to be filled with hatred and anger towards Authority there will be absolute anarchy lawlessness that comes from Satan we've prayed God change our authority but we cannot allow our eyes to get on the wrong target which is why by the way and I'm very careful about the way we post I do not believe that outrage posts especially from leaders is helpful to the people if I post my outrage even though I feel outraged if I post my outrage I can motivate someone in my congregation to do something very very wrong as Moses did we have a grave responsibility for what we put out there our responsibility is to put out Jesus the last thing we do we need to need to be doing is stirring up anger in people look if this was a black white brown problem then everybody would just hate everybody would you please look around this room right now we are brothers and sisters this is not fake we live and work together every single day you come to our church people get hugged it doesn't matter what color they are we're not checking your bank account before you get a hug here we just love you we love you because God has first loved us so number one brothers and sisters do not allow the enemy to get your eyes on the wrong target don't let it happen very very important number two number two anger and blame bring division forgiveness and prayer bring healing the Bible says in proverbs chapter 4 above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it I'm talking to you as your pastor right now please guard your heart we cannot guard your heart for you please protect your heart listen also what what James says my dear brothers and sisters take note of this everyone should be quick to listen slow to speak and slow to become angry why it's because anger listen to this how do we have it here because human anger you know everyone say human anger don't confuse God's anger with your anger there's a big difference and there's a different responsibility okay and there's a different authority so it says because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires and so we have to tame our anger we cannot give in to anger and we cannot give in to blame right now a lot of people feel like they will feel better if they will blame and if they could kind of project their anger on to someone else but I'm going to tell you right now you're not going to feel better and we're not going to honor Jesus this way I've got one more from from James listen to this but the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure then peace because you have to meditate on these things so that they can help you process your world okay here's a here's a powerful holy godly checklist are you operating in the wisdom of God or are you operating in the arm of the flesh brothers and sisters please do not get in the flesh don't use the arm of the flesh so watch it says but the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure then peace loving considerate submissive full of mercy full of mercy and good fruit impartial and sincere if we're gonna protest and I believe there's a place for protest let's make sure that when we protest we do it under the wisdom of God dr. King taught us how to protest we have an incredible example in him and in the way they did you know one of the hardest things to do as a pastor is to ask people to suffer but the Bible asks us to suffer jesus said so let's go over this the same anger and hatred that killed George Floyd is the same anger and hatred that killed our boys on the south side of the west side and that's the same a Maitre D' killed our boy 16 years old it was the same anger and hatred that nailed Jesus to the cross no different and what did Jesus say he said Father forgive them for they know not what they do as servants of Christ that is our calling sometimes we suffer I don't like asking you to suffer but we're going to have in one day Jesus is coming back for us one day and if we suffer with it we will reign with him the Bible says I want to reign with Jesus on that day we have to be willing to suffer I'm not saying that we take all of this sitting down I'm not saying that but I am saying that as servants of Jesus Christ even when people hurt us we have to forgive them and if we don't forgive them there will be no voice of reason if we don't love our enemies there will be no healing there will be no voice of reason so you don't want to say things that you're gonna have to take back when you stand in front of the person who's lived like your enemy you want to be wise just a little bit more here's the last thing Jesus said this Jesus said they'll know by this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you come on say it with me love one another we have to love each other can I tell you something no one in the church is gonna handle this perfectly I certainly don't know how to handle this right how do you handle this perfectly I don't know how I'm asking God for wisdom every day my wife and I we just love people we opened up the doors of this church and we always said Lord we don't care what color people are when they walk through the doors of the church let them feel the love of God that's been the very beginning that's the way it's always been my house has been called the house of prayer for all nations if we start accusing each other if we start coming at each other if we get divided if we lose our love let me say it one more time brothers and sisters if we lose our love we lose our witness we lose our Authority our credibility guess what if we lose our love especially for one another we lose everything so if your brother lets you down or your sister lets you down in this time of crisis if they don't handle this the way you think they ought to handle this please be godly and love please be forgiving because we're all on this very challenging difficult journey trying to do what's right trying to honor God and glorify his name I know I've said a lot but I want to close with a quote from dr. King and I actually read this last night and I think it's really appropriate to this moment listen to this whatever the cause God has been profoundly real to me in recent months in the midst of outer danger I have felt an inner calm and known resources of strength that only God could give God gave him strength and common that's what we need listen to this he said in many instances I have the felt the power of God of God transforming the fatigue of despair into the buoyancy of hope may the fatigue of despair be transformed into the buoyancy of hope Jesus if you did it for him you can do it for us you can lift our hearts you can strengthen our souls you can give us Kingdom resolve Oh God like you gave dr. King let me go on just a little bit more he said I am convinced that the universe is under the control of a loving purpose and that in the struggle for righteousness man has a cosmic relationship we have a relationship with the one that is greater than the governments greater than the cities greater than the globe we have a cosmic relationship we have a relationship with the king of kings and the Lord of lords brothers and sisters Jesus is with us he's with us he's with us right here right now he'll never leave us or forsake us we have to cling to him we have to bow our hearts until we find him listen the harder the day's get we're gonna pray now sometimes the longer it takes to find the peace of God in his presence can I encourage you to stay in his presence a little longer can I encourage you to go into the prayer closet and to wait until you've gotten the clarity from God until you can look past the news and you can look past the rhetoric and look past the hate and look past the anger and have the mind of Christ we're gonna pray now and you know I I heard something I'm gonna ask all of our leaders to stand I heard that for this coming Thursday the mayor of Minneapolis has suspended social distancing for two hours so that they could fill that room and get as many people into George Floyd's funeral and I don't have the authority to do this but we're gonna suspend social distancing right now I don't I'm married to you I don't need to put so we're gonna suspend social distancing for the next few moments if you're with your loved ones and you could take their hand take their hand if you're not lift your hands to Jesus I want men everywhere lifting up holy hands the Bible says pastor Christian is going to pray for our hearts and our minds he's going to pray for the church that we would stand and take our place the church has to stand we have to stand tall and glorify Christ that's the Christian would you pray father we come to you today with broken and contrite hearts and Lord we just confess our other need for you in all things Lord your word says that we don't even know what to pray for as we are yes Lord and Lord we confess our need for even your spirit to help us to pray God even beyond Lord our time together tonight and father Oh God Lord we just open up our hearts as vessels for you to pour your spirit in a suppression of Jesus we have schoo God Lord that you would use us as agents of peace and his love and a blessing of God Lord that you would use our hands to build up and not to tear down that you would use our words O God to bring Lord life and not death and Lord for the ways that we have contributed to the problem god we just we just ask for your forgiveness we ask o Lord that you would turn our hearts that you would turn our minds towards your will and your ways and and Lord we just repent in this moment and we ask God that you would illuminate the path that leads to yourself yes Lord your word would be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path Jesus as we seek to follow you O God does show us help us lord help us to be what you intended for us to be as the body of Christ you said by this shall men know that you are my disciples by the love that you have for one another Lord by your spirit which you fill our hearts afresh with love o God you said that judgment begins at the house of God and Lord when you visit us O God let Oh God Lord us not be seen doing the things that are being conducted in the world O God let them not even be named among us the Lord let your house be a place of refuge let your house be a place of safety let your house be a place of Prayer let your house be a place where love is given freely freely we have received and freely will again name of Jesus yes Lord let justice and righteousness flow like a river in our midst Oh God in our dealings with one another Oh God let us not harbor grudges Oh God our bitterness Oh Lord but teach us again how to forgive one another as you forgave us Lord as healing takes place in your body Oh God we pray Lord that you would use us as ambassadors for your heavenly kingdom in this world our citizenship is in the kingdom of heaven Oh God though we are in the world but not of the world and God we embrace our heavenly vocation to show Jesus to this world God even when we're hurting even when we're frustrated even as we're suffering as was said Lord we consider the present sufferings Oh God incomparable to the glory that you will reveal and Lord we labor we strive we work Oh God Lord for that day the day when you will come then you will set all things right Oh God when your kingdom Lord will truly come and your will will surely be done on earth as it is in heaven but Lord we don't want to forfeit the opportunities to influence Oh God the culture of this world with the culture of the kingdom of God Jesus so Lord would you give us that wisdom Lord that James was talking about help us to be peacemakers in every respect yes help us O God to be your image bearers in every way and help us O God to demonstrate the love Lord that covers a multitude of sin or would you heal us as the body of Christ which you allow us as your body as your hands and feet to be agents of healing Jesus we know that you are building your church yes and that the gates of Hell will not nor will they ever prevail against it so God we go from this moment Oh God not in despair not with heads Oh God that are downtrodden Oh God but with heads raised high because you are the hope of the world you are the hope of glory and you live inside of us so we pray that the life of God would be expressed Oh God every day every everywhere Oh God that your people find themselves in Minnesota in Atlanta in New York in Los Angeles it right here in the city of Chicago Lord let your light shine in the midst of every darkness in Lord let us labor got us one man contending unity as we strive to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Jesus we love you and we ask Oh Lord that you would even deepen our affection for you and deepen our affection for one another we love you Jesus we honor you can we give you glory in your name amen amen come on let's put our hands together [Music] [Applause] pastor Christian prayed what I was gonna close this meeting with he abrade according to 1st Peter 4 verse 7 and 8 read that tonight its first Peter 4 verses 7 and 8 listen to this the end of all things is near therefore be alert and be of sober mind so that you may pray above all love each other deeply yes because love covers a multitude of sins I'm so thankful tonight for the love I feel on this set there's a couple people behind the camera but god this is a representation of what God has done and only God can do and God wants to do something so special in your heart as you even turn off the computer turn off the TV tonight he wants to visit you with his presence he wants to turn your mourning into dancing he wants to replace sorrow and grief with great peace and then the world will know we're Christians because we're full of his love full of his peace and somehow because of him full of his joy so tonight we send you off with the blessings we say greater is He that's in your he that is in the world you can be sure of it greater is He that's in you then he that's in the world don't let us go come on Sunday 8:30 10:30 12:30 go to church somewhere but we invite you to be with us this coming Sunday can't wait to be with you come ready to worship come ready to pray we love you God bless you god bless you we love you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] today [Music] he's the king of kings he's the lord of lords and he's worthy of our praises so we give it to you today [Music] we soon No loud end up to amazes shunova stronger yes no strong Oh No Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we are [Music] no son against us care No [Music] no sense stronger [Music] [Music] amazing no song it's shocking great [Music] [Applause] [Music] great [Music] from allistic we're together god [Applause] you

Channel: Chicago Tabernacle

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Length: 97min 25sec (5845 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 02 2020