Training for 31 Feet | Tim Dilena

I didn't realize that almost 60 years ago that when my father saw David Wilkerson on the streets of New York preaching to the gangs and the authorities were trying to shut brother Dave down and that my father would stand up on that street corner in Brooklyn and say let the man preach that that would not only be for David Wilkerson but it would also be for me to preach one day a very good friend of mine said this they said you never know what's on the other side of your obedience that was true when brother Dave turned off his TV set and started to pray and let him - from Pennsylvania to New York and that was true from my father when he took a risk and though he outranked a beat cop he would begin to let the preaching continue was true for pastor Carter and Teresa when they left Canada to come to New York City over 26 years ago and I'm so thankful that we don't know what's on the other side of obedience and so for Cindy and I we are so grateful we are so humble and we are scared to death on the next part of this journey I'll just tell you the truth please don't shake my hand today it is soaking wet so let's let's pray father thank you so much for what you desire to do god I'm so grateful for pastor Carter and Teresa and their leadership I'm so thankful for brother Dave and Gwen Wilkerson and their heart Lord God to see a mountain move and Lord God a church a body of believers starts right here on Broadway and 51st that you would begin to bring from Canada pastor Carter and Theresa to not only lead this church but to begin to see a Bible School a a place that would train the nation's in the things of the gospel to send them out I'm so grateful Lord God for how you have begun to script and put things together we stand here today in all or god that father you are just asking us to see what's on the other side of our obedience simple steps simple things that we do we have no idea the doors that would open we have no idea what God can do through just simple people like brother Dave and sister Gwen and pastor Carter and pastor Teresa buy them just simply saying yes may you begin to bring here today a church that is always saying yes we say yes to worship we say yes to missions we say yes to Israel we say yes to what you want to do in this city we say yes to the Bronx we say yes to North Jersey we say yes to summit and we say yes to the whole fellowship groups that are watching we say yes to the prayer meeting and we say yes to 207 nations and believing that this will begin to cover every nation on the planet we just want to say yes and let you do the work God and believe that you can do it beyond that we just say yes today and so father what's on the other side of our obedience we have no idea but we do know this God is on the other side of our obedience thank you that Peter and Rita said yes to Israel Lord God decades ago and that you're using them there thank you Lord God that Pastor David Ham and pastor Patrick said yes and our here in New York City with us thank you for everyone from from Greg leading the choir saying yes to every choir member father we just say yes to you today and so lord I thank you I thank you God for what your desire to do in this place today put a yes in our spirit today in Jesus name Amen hallelujah hallelujah I I just want to say this to you I love you Cindy and I count this as an honor and a privilege for it is a miracle for us to be here just for Cindy to be sitting on a stage is a miracle she would never this took everything out of her to sit on this stage and this will be it she will not sit on this stage ever again and to her and my three girls my son had a swim meet this weekend for Liberty University was swimming at James Madison University which I am excited he just qualified for three events in the National Division one for the so that's exciting I've only said this twice the Cindy and I want to include my girls in this in moments like this when I look out over this place and look at the choir it's one of those moments where everybody when I see those three girls and I see my wife I just say to every one of you everything is in black and white except for people you're in color to me today and I thank you this is this is when I look at you guys it is it is I am I am honored to be their father I'm honored to be the husband and I'm honored to be here today so and that's all I got so let's let's go let's just I can't do this or I'm gonna be an emotional wreck so moving from New York City to down south Louisiana was a culture shock for us I'm just telling you especially when it came to animal life the only time we have ever seen animals in Detroit in New York City was in the Bronx Zoo and in the Detroit Zoo and the subway and so what has happened what has happened when you go down south in Louisiana they let all the animals just one loose and so we am amazed and down there they they run free in Louisiana they eat everything with rice and so they it's it's an amazing culture and we've been so thankful for these last five years and things that we're learning about animals that that I I would want them in a zoo but here's the part that it's helped me I've learned so much about animals since being down there that I'd never know and especially groups of animals I've learned that when you have a group of fish they're called a school a group of whales are called a pod then if you go ground and air we've seen so many cattle they're called herds and and birds are called flocks a tribe of lions they don't have that there it's called a pride this was interesting to me that when a bunch of crows gather around a roadkill that they're that they're the grin around it's called a murder is what the group is called Tigers are called a group of Tigers are called an ambush a group of ants which we've experienced is called a colony red ants down south are called demons one of my favorite is that when a group of buzzards which we've seen down there this is fantastic a group of them gathered around a dead animal is called a committee it's fantastic and now we see the problem in the churches in America so but here's my favorite and this is what I want to just talk to you about today my favorite designation for a group of animals are furry nose which can run 30 miles an hour faster than a squirrel and here's the problem when these rhinos are running 30 miles an hour they can only see 30 feet in a head of them so can you imagine this large fast-moving group of rhinos 30 miles an hour and they can only see 30 feet have no idea what's at 31 feet and you would think that they would stop at 30 feet because they don't see and with that horn that weight and that power a group of rhinos is called a crash I love that name because anything that God wants to do is usually 31 feet ahead of us and you can't see what's on the other side and God goes you may think you're going to crash but what we find out is on the other side of our obedience God is always there waiting for us see most church people think they're following Jesus but really they've invited Jesus to follow them let me say that again because some of you missed that most people think they're following Jesus but what we've normally done is invited Jesus to follow us because when you follow Jesus you'll go 31 feet into places you never thought you should be going see we want everything God has to offer us without giving anything to him and we want to we want to buy in some many times to God without selling out to God Carter Conlon leaving Riceville for New York City that's a 31-foot move pastor Teresa saying let me do some it that's a 31-foot decision David Wilkerson coming to New York City from Pennsylvania that's 31 feet see great things and God things usually go beyond that 30 foot threshold and God is challenging that's this the things you can't see the 31 feet is the stuff that changes your life and changes your destiny and that's why many of you even sitting here today thirty front one feet is where there is the unknown I don't know if this is gonna work this 31 feet is when you say this is when you're thinking am I crazy for doing this and I crazy - applying to Columbia or to Harvard or am I crazy for even thinking that I can use this gift that God's given me to go on Broadway or even an author a book it's it's that spot that says I'm not sure I can do this when you're sitting here today thinking should I apply to summit and be ready to go on the next semester it's you saying I don't really even know anyone and so really do I want to try out this new church or even join a small group here and a lot of Christians finish their life at 30 feet and never see what God can actually do beyond that place great things that God wants to do I want you to understand I want to give you a few ideas to push you to 31 feet I want it I want to put you in the group of rhinos that just don't care and I want to push you to that spot and I have a Rhino verse for you today where two guys are challenged to go 31 feet but only one goes the 31 feet they both had a chance to become part of David's crash David's Rhinos that were called the mighty men in the Bible and it's something that has become dear to my heart to go god this is what I want to do every time whenever I'm getting comfortable with 30 feet it is you pushing me beyond 231 feet when Pastor Carter called me and said what the Tim this is what you're supposed to do literally he was telling me well let me tell you what his words were he said Tim coffee break is over it's time to come back to New York is what he told me what he was saying was it's time to go 31 feet is what he was saying to me says it's you're done now it's time to come back and and and that's where the fear comes in because that's pastor Carter was going it's time to step into a role that you know nothing about that you need God to do this it's the mighty men that spent their life 31 feet with David it's the mighty men that never really knew what was next except that God was leading and taking them to that place and so I want to show you something in 1st Samuel 26 6 one verse that has two names and only one of those names joins the crash goes 31 feet we'll only one of those names begins to say let's do this and both presented with the opportunity but I want to show you how to do 31 feet today whatever God has gifted you and asking you to do in this place and in fact what you are gonna feel I want to just prep you some of you today what what some of your 31 feet is today is God is gonna challenge you to a relationship with him called being born again God is gonna challenge you with that because that's gonna be stepping it to something that you're going and this is scary I don't know what to do I thought just coming to church was good enough God's gonna move you into a relationship beyond religion and move you into a relationship today First Samuel 26-6 is a story that I'll give you the background but let me read to you the opportunity it says that David said to a hymn elec and to a Bosh I those are the two candidates that have the opportunity who will go down with me to Saul in the camp and Abbess I simply said I will go down with you let me give you the quick background and then I want to challenge you today with a couple thoughts David is in the middle of fulfilling prophecy that will literally be the next king that he will be the next king of Israel but David was who was told by Samuel this prophecy was all the way back in 1st Samuel chapter 16 David is not gonna put a crown on his head until second samuel chapter 5 and so you today are reading in between not just in between you're reading almost 17 years between 1st Samuel 16 and 2nd samuel 5 almost 17 years with what God needed to do inside keep this in mind God didn't need David simply to knock down a giant to get him ready because some of us think you knock down a giant put a crown on his head God goes a giant killing is not gonna make you King it's 17 years of you beginning to know that people are gonna try to kill you and that you are gonna walk in forgiveness you're gonna walk in trust you're gonna walk in faith he says that's what's gonna prepare you for what you're supposed to do next so Saul who is the present King Time Square church literally finds out that David is going to become the next king and he wants to kill him because he is threatened by him and on one of those killing missions is right here in 1st Samuel chapter 26 David is surrounded get this now by 3,000 of Saul's finest men so David once David has this idea there's 3,000 men surrounding us let's go into Saul's camp in the middle of the night we're gonna take his water jug and his spear we won't kill Saul just the show that we have integrity and honor and that we're not here to retaliate but they want to walk right in the midst of 3,000 soldiers that have one mission and that's the kill David now think about how bitter this man Saul is you have hired you have 3,000 salaries and 3,000 health insurances to kill one man that's called bitterness now let me just say this he doesn't just want to go into Saul's camp alone so he's asking for a volunteer in first day I'm gonna 26-6 what can happen if you say yes to this mission this is 31 feet folks what's gonna happen if you ask one of these two men to go with you and he's really putting together his crash guys who are not afraid to go into 31 feet and you're gonna see these two men in this verse one is a thirty foot man and one is a 31-foot man it's a bash eye and a him elec and David simply asked the question who will go down with me to Saul in the camp and a Bosh I said I will go with you I want you to take note of just one thing before we become practical today this is both of these guys a him elec and abba Shai think about this now Bronx New Jersey listen to me close this is both of these guises first time they ever appear in the Bible this is their moment this is the big ass this is the challenge and it will be the last time that one guy never appears again he had his chance to go 31 feet and you read his name he got his verse and that's it never you'll never hear from him again and that's where I want to challenge you today on how to become that 31 to take the next step of what God is asking you to do today and I want you to see what I see in this passage of Scripture I want you to jot these down pull out your phone like Oh old people pull out your pad and paper most of you have money in your wallet like pastor Carter pull pull out something to write with because I want to give you just three quick thoughts from this passage what I see that helps you to step into what God wants you to do what God wants Cindy and I to do even this next step for pastor Carter is under this is 31 feet he has no idea what's ahead of him he has no idea what God is opening up in Washington and around the country and calling a nation to prayer this is 31 feet for pastor Carter and so this is where I think we have to understand three easy thoughts three simple things at least on paper it's simple but let's begin to go through these number one say yes to God a lot just say yes listen listen see us Lewis said it like this I didn't go to Christianity to make me happy I knew I can get that out of a bottle of wine he said if you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable I don't suggest being a Christian it was what he was saying was when God asks you to go 31 feet just say yes listen that is difficult for us as Americans the number one chair in America is not called risky boy it's called lazy boy that's why we have to understand how important this is he's not asking us to sit in the chair he's asking us to go wherever God is leading us to go when David Wilkerson asked me at 19 years old in between semesters at bay université gonna follow in the footsteps of my father to go into law enforcement and said why don't you come to Detroit Michigan and work with my son Gary on the streets for two months this is risky boy this is this is then the home we go into the house that he puts us in that the Wilkerson's decided it's the proper place for us the basement was painted all red and flames were painted all over the house and I said who use delivery they said don't worry about it just demon worshippers it isn't it a big 31 on top of the house all of us have the potential to be an Abba shy or ahem elec always say yes to God because when you do you fight against an ahem elec bent which all of us have yes to missions trips that are missions Department here is saying yes just small groups that we are making available online yes the summit yes to tithing these are 31 feet yes this what is the bed listen to me close when David asks don't miss this now time scriptures when David asked who will go down with me get this now ahem elec didn't say no ahem elec didn't say anything that's the danger the danger is he didn't even say anything because some of us are smart enough as Christians we would never say no in fact pastor Peter I from Japan right this is what I always learned my favorite line from a Japanese missionary is you you people in the West don't know how to read the Bible this is what they said they said in in Japan or in America you read the Bible like this but in Japan and China you read the Bible like this [Applause] [Applause] ahem elec gets one verse never says no just didn't say anything that you can hear the challenges whether it's from an announcement whether it's from Pastor David or pastor card or whether it's from Pastor Teresa on Summit Sunday going we challenge you to come to summit and we know better not to say no we just won't say anything and what it is is a him elec gets one verse and he's done it's amazing when you ask God for something he never seems to make it easy he always is going you want to say yes here it is I was in Indianapolis and the hotel I was staying at at this conference the Indiana Pacers are playing the Houston Rockets and I saw I found out because their bus was out there and I saw some of the equipment and a SAR and welcome to the Houston Rockets I asked God I just go hey God give me an opportunity maybe to share with them the gospel whoo so I'm in it with a friend where we're coming we're getting ready to get in the hotel we were on like floor 20 and while we were getting ready to give him the elevator higher up in the in the kind of the key floors the door opens up and all we see are legs in the elevator the whole starting 5 of the Houston Rockets are in the elevator and I have 21 floors to say yes so we walked on this elevator with the starting five all around us and soon as the door shall I go God give me wisdom I'm gonna say yes I'm gonna say yes I'm gonna say yes as soon as the door shut I looked at my friend and I said so this thing about the gospel of Jesus what you're telling me about is if I give my life to Jesus right here in this elevator I can be born again right here on this elevator because Jesus that I'm looking for 17 floor 16 and I got 16 floors to get the gospel out so I'm going so if I say yes that I can kneel right here we even land on the bottom and Jesus who came God sent him died for me on the cross for my sins that I could be born again right now he goes he goes oh yeah yeah yeah you could be born again right here so literally I said okay price that I knelt down in the elevator and I'm going Jesus come into my heart I want to be born all these guys oh look at me going what is going on down here and when those doors opened up I thank God I'm born again again and I thought to myself when I walked out hearing it here's what I thought I go I don't know if they did got saved but I do know they heard the gospel for 21 floors just say yes to God don't ask God to guide your steps if you're not willing to move your feet because he's going to give you 31 feet yeses sometimes and this is the challenge one yes from ABBA Shai gives him verses for the next 41 years of his life one yes a hymn elect gets no more verses after this one one yes for a beside means for decades one nothing said means one verse and you're done Time Square Church say yes to God say yes a lot to God when Greg comes up here and says let's worship just go yes it's time for me to worship yes to God every single thing I'm telling you you never know what's on the other side of your obedience number to jot this down do things that need a miracle do things that need for God to show up when you say yes when David was saying I need someone to go down with me this wasn't a Starbucks run this wasn't like who wants a flat white no foam upside down it wasn't that this was you could die this is something that he could change his life if God doesn't put 3,000 men to sleep when they sneak in to look to Saul's camp this is their last mission God has to put them to sleep and which he does and so many times we do what we can and leave the god factor out but God is going I want you to say yes the things that you need me to be there for those things saying yes to a mission saying yes to summit know what that says god I don't even know where the finances are come God goes good now it's me time for me to do my job when you say yes to a mission trip when you say yes to those things to one of the 60 ministries that are here at Times Square Church you're going God I'm unnaturally shy God I'm gonna sign up for children's ministry but I just don't like kids God goes now it's time for me to teach you to love everybody this is God stepping in this is you going I want to sing in the choir but I can't sing I'll take that at that moment there's another ministry for you but listen I'm just trying to help you out and trying to help you out of here this is God beginning to say let's put you in a place that you need for me to show up this is when God does and and one of our fundamental problems sometimes spiritual problems is we want God to do something new while we keep doing the same old thing we want God to change our circumstances without us having to change at all and this is where God begins the challenge when God goes no no no I want you to do something that you need for me to show up that's why when brother Dave goes I want you to come to Detroit at 19 years old Gary Pastor Gary Wilkerson brother Dave's son cut from the same cloth as his father brother Dave's go and go to Detroit at 19 Gary was going now I want you 19 years old to do a Bible study in a prostitution hotel I'm 19 I grew up in the church I want you to understand something and I'm excited I want you to listen parents I want you to listen students I want you to listen this is important especially with dealing with student ministry here and all that's happening from from the college on Friday nights the student ministry I want you to understand I'm so thankful I grew up in the church I'm so thankful I had godly parents I want to tell you when I went to Detroit I've never been drunk in my life I've never used drugs in my life I've never smoked a cigarette in my life III was a virgin till the day I got married at 33 and Gary goes you get the prostitution Hotel I'm going okay I think we have I think we have a problem here prostitution hotel because that's where you're gonna preach I played the guitar I knew three courts and they want me to preach every Thursday night and people would come at 7:05 they've come to get their stolen Gideon Bibles show up at 7:05 because they had to get also their lottery numbers at seven o'clock they'd show up and then here was i with with three chord songs G a and D and and me having to preach everything this is I don't know what I'm doing but I needed God at this moment because this was my Bible School this was summit the city are going I don't even know how to prepare a message and now you're putting me in here in front of pimps and prostitutes and drug addicts this is the church this is the people of the and only God could do something like that only God can and then he goes now it's time to buy a xxx theater and start a church I couldn't this is insane everything and is there anything simple like I'm thinking everything has to be so crazy and God goes because if I'm not in this you can do this in your own strength but when you rely upon me as you take those next steps it's you saying so listen little David if God doesn't put those 3,000 men to sleep it's over if me going into a prostitution or me going into a xxx theater and starting a church if God doesn't show up it's over but here's the good news every time you say yes God shows up God shows up every single time he's always there when we started our first prayer meeting it was there wasn't 207 Nations we started our first prayer meeting we had five it was me this guy that just would always read the Bible to ladies that would pray and a demoniac and that was every Friday night it was the worst prayer meeting in the nation but I wanted a prayer meeting I'm just going okay so I'd go let's pray so the two ladies God come revival the one man would never pray just open up the Bible and read and then the demoniac was doing in manifesting so it was always the same thought so I'm just going god this is the worst prayer meeting but we did it every Friday night we did this prayer meeting because I made a commitment to say yes and only say God I I want to say yes but I want to trust you that when you asked me to do things I want to do things that are gonna need God for show to show up it's amazing what God puts you in and the challenges he gives to you so while we were there one Friday night those two ladies who are always praying almost ruined the prayer meeting they bring in a person off the streets that got beat up the night before and said he got beat up he broke three of his ribs he needs healing I'm gonna bring to the hospital they go no we're gonna pray you pray that God heal him so the guys reading the Bible demoniac two ladies and I'm sitting here going god I go God I believe in healing when I read about it I believe it I believe it I said but this is just this this is a because you can't fake it you just can't go like so I so I have an asterisk when I pray for healing it's and it goes like this and go God you love this man and here's asterisk if it's your will you always say that because if nothing happens you can go it's not as will and so I just go if it's your will because this is this is this is a bash i stuff this is needing God to show up this is 3,000 men so these ladies are looking hands on him he's I'm willing and this is what I prayed and I'm not proud of it I said God the real healing he needs is the healing of the soul it's true but it's not what and he's groaning and I'm just going because I knew if you do soul healing then I can't be judged but if you pray for ribs which I don't have a rib prayer I'm going I don't know if this is gonna go well and finally I threw an asterisk but God he needs he needs healing of the soul but if it's your will we just pray you would you would just heal him and then we just go okay I go let's join back together for pray and also the guy goes he goes I'm healed I said no you're not he goes nope he said when you pray for me like I'm healed right now I said then he goes punch me I said wait a second I said I can just see me on Judge Judy he punched me he's on judge judy and Here I am and I'm going oh my goodness he's healed and it works God actually shows up when you say yes and when you say god I need you to do something that I cannot do in my own strength God actually shows up for us he'll do it even when we're thinking to herself how do how can I and scheming how to fix this thing God goes even when you don't even know what you're doing watch what I can do for you and I don't want to be a him elect that sits in this place and never says no but just doesn't say anything god yes God you've got to show up and let me just give you one final thing as Greg and the team comes I want you to listen to this I don't know any other way to say it but who you hang with is what you'll become until listen to me close who you hang with my friend a chaplain for the Oakland A's in California couldn't have said it any better he says show me your friends and I'll show you your future students college students parents show me your friends and that determines your future now think about this here's a Bosch eye who says yes when David said do you want to go with me he wasn't just saying for this mission but he says there's a lot of more 31 feet there's a lot 31 feet things that are on its way and I want us to do this together when David says who will go down with us he wasn't just saying one time he was saying this is gonna be our journey together we're gonna this is our crash this is us as rhinos doing this thing you can ask my three girls and my son from the moment they were leaving our house and going to school you can ask them we pray three things every morning I'll tell you the first one of the things that we pray for them every single morning we said God give them God honoring friendships and then we say this you can ask them because first Corinthians 15:33 says and then they say it not joy fully but they will say it bad company corrupts good character every single morning what am i saying to them what does Cindy am i praying over them before they leave our house and head off to school we're saying to them show me your friends and I'll show you your future that relationships matter but you need to find people that are willing to say yes to God you need to hang out with people that are willing to say we're doing this and we need a miracle from God to do this because who you partner with is what you will become you'll talk that way you'll think that way and you will do things that way they think how important this is that's why parents with new children we were really careful I want to just say this as a father we were really careful one on who we hung out with and number two who we let them sleep over because I'm not gonna do all the work and then somebody mess it up on one night staying over their house mm-hmm that's not gonna happen can I sleep over so-and-so I said absolutely not but they can come over here I said we'll make brown which will give you all the sugar and pizza we'll give you everything but it's going to be over here on our terms because with we're doing this we want to make sure we do this thing right and it was just a big deal to us because we feel like those relationships absolutely matter David is no listen to me David is known as a giant killer so what would you expect from a bash I the last giant David faced he didn't kill but I want to tell you who killed the last giant listen to the last chapter of Abba shiz life with David this is 1st and 2nd Samuel chapter 21 almost 40 years later listen to these words still the Philistines now when the Philistines are at war again with Israel David went down and his servants with them and they fought against the Philistines David became weary then listen to the name of this Giants not Goliath issue be knob who knows what that mother was thinking who was among the descendants of the Giants intended to kill David but Abba shy who hung out with giant killers helped him and struck the Philistine and killed him why because proverbs 27:17 says iron sharpens iron you hang out with godly people you get closer to God you hang out with listen just sit next to somebody here and Greg goes let's sing the song if you have people on both sides of you go we love you it's tough to sit there like this but sitting next to people like this you get like this sitting it's the people with their hands up that has written right inside of your ear space and moving and touching you and all this stuff then you just go why not let's just go ahead and let God do and only God to do what why do you think when Pastor Carter goes hey costly break is over 31 feet and why do you think when we talk to go please do the prayer meeting on Tuesday nights please you know what I was doing I'm hanging out with the Rhino I'm hanging I'm hanging out with the crash because I know this is a 31-foot man that's why I'm going you think you think oh good he's here for the prayer meeting I'm sitting next to the Rhino going like this going okay I'm with you through this because I because who you hang with is what you become and if I can get closer to him if I can stay closer to him man I get to learn to pray like him I get to learn to take the risks like him I get to learn how to say yes like him I get to begin to say yes like she did when she said you go to summon if I can keep these two in my crosshairs I'm going I'm a very wise man I'm telling you that right now oh come would it be for someone to step in you're going I got it from here let me tell you that it's that's called dumb I need them we want them that's my crash those are my 31 feet people those are the ones that help us to do this say yes to God a lot say yes where you need a miracle from God and let's hang out with people that bring us closer to God in every single thing that we begin to do I was speaking at the University of well I was speaking at a university in Minnesota a few years ago I was sitting next to one of the was a vice president of something I don't know academics or something we're having lunch together I don't even know what the topic was but to this day over a decade later I remember what he said to me I think we just stepped into the role of buying this theater in Detroit we just said yes 231 feet you know I don't even know what to expect God and here's he's a Tim can I share with you a piece of over a thousand year old prose from a from a from a Greek philosopher said sure and I'm whatever this is what he said he said just listen to these words I'll never forget it to this day he said come to the edge and they said we won't he said come to the edge and they said we can't he said come to the edge they said they will he pushed them and they flew when God gets you to the edge you may feel like he's about to push you but he can begin to take you to places they can't get you on your own he literally can get you he is about he he is about to push the senior member of our crash into places that he can't go on his own and pastor Carter stepped up just like he did from Riceville and God pushed them and for 26 years God gave him the strength to fly and now God is about to push him again and he is about to soar in this next season it took him about three years as we just kept talking and talking and finally he just said Tim this is what you're supposed to do coaxing me to the edge no I was that come to the edge no come to the edge I can't come to the edge they came push them and they flip just say yes just say yes to God just say yes I want you to listen for a moment because whether for some of you that are born-again that means you know I'm gonna say I'm gonna say yes to this challenge for summit for college days or for being part of this or to apply or to even challenge my children to be part of it maybe it's the small group that you're just going no we need to do that we need to go on the website go to the TSC website find that small group and go I'm the man 30 feet is comfortable for me maybe God is just challenging maybe maybe you're a student here from Columbia or NYU and God is challenging to be part of that with staying on on Friday nights with it with the the young adults of the youth or maybe it's just to serve here one of the ministries and gotcha thank God just take you to the edge but let me tell you one of the biggest things that God may be asking you to do today I want you to listen to me close those in the annex balcony main floor it's the most important question I can ask you because it's a 31-foot question and the question is not who will go down with us that was an Abba scheisse question your question is this 31 feet here it is have you been born again have you been born again it's the most important question who is here's what 30 feet for us is I'm Catholic I'm Protestant I'm Baptist my parents were religious I come from the Philadelphia Church or I'm I'm Jewish or a Muslim or non-religious some people say and these are all 30-feet things good things but 30-feet things it's like this I've been baptized I've been christened I've been dedicated I go to church I'm a good person those are great 31 feet says I need you to come into my life and change me from the inside that's 31 feet that's born again because City contrary to popular belief just taking communion with us on Tuesday night's run a Sunday doesn't get you to heaven and it's just juice and a cracker that's all it is the water that we baptize with on a Sunday night can I just tell you it's not magic water from Jordan pastor Peter can tell you that we don't pipe that in it's good old New York reservoir water that you know doesn't change anybody they can go down and come up and if you are a sinner when you go down you're coming up a wet sinner it doesn't change you and neither do these red seats change you but you know what we love about water communion red seats Church and our own goodness we're comfortable with that but for someone to ask the most important question you can ever be asked is have you been born again now it's out of our hands and the challenge is to say yes yes to something that needs God to do the work on the inside I should Tim how does that happen and I'll always remind you it's as simple as ABC it's a admitting that we're all broken people starting with me we were born broken and couldn't fix our we could not fix ourselves we couldn't fix ourselves like promises we couldn't fix ourselves by literally going to a priest or a pastor or even going to a program those things are great but it can't fix the inside only God can do that a pastor Tim how did God do that that's the great part of the story that's the B part which says believe that God sent his son to die in my place who lives the life I couldn't live died the death I should have died to give me a reward called heaven I didn't deserve but only God can do it only God like pastor Carter talks about all the time Pastor David Ham God is the one that changes us comes in lives inside born again just as you had a birthdate a first birth in a hospital you need a second birth date and today can be in where it's not in a hospital but it's right from the inside out God comes in and changes us from the inside out you're saying by believing in Jesus that he died for me that's the beginning of the journey and then see confessing him as Lord which is so important this is the buy-in this is you going you're in charge now Jesus did not die 2,000 years ago to get you to sit for two hours in a church on a Sunday he died to have a relationship with you every single day 30-feet Christianity with communion and water baptism those are all important on the other side of being born-again but to try to be good to get to heaven it'll never work to try to be baptized to get to heaven it's impossible working then Jesus couldn't have had to die if if to get to heaven relied upon you then why would God have sent his own son he sent his son because we can't get ourselves there but he died to get us there by changing us on the inside today could be that day would you bow your head and close your eyes right now and it's balcony main floor over at the Bronx Campus North Jersey everybody just bow your head for just a moment it's the most important question that you have to ask they it's a 31-foot question 31 feet and remember who you hang with is what you become and here's my promise hang with Jesus you become like Jesus through the word through prayer through his people that's what changes us so if you're here today with every head bowed and every eye closed and just say pastor Tim man I want to start that journey with God I want to be born again if you're here today and say pastor Tim I know you're gonna pray a born-again prayer prayer that that starts the journey doesn't make us perfect we don't leave out any but we leave with the right relationship with God we want to start that journey today that's you and you just go pastor Tim man I I want to take that 31 foot the next step I'm so thankful to be here but I know to note I could be forgiven of my sin to know that I'm going to heaven to know that this is not a religion but a relationship to know the Times Square Church can't change me only God contribute if to know that today and I want to I want to take that pastor Tim I'm not perfect exactly none of us are perfect people don't go to heaven forgiven people go to heaven and if you're here today and say pastor Tim and I want to be part of that next step I want that 31 feet I want to be born again today just for a moment with every head bowed and every eye closed if you're here today and say I want to take that next step if that's you all over this place I want you just to raise your hand say put me in that prayer today when you pray hold it up I I want to make sure I see every hand that's up keep them a pie keep them a pie every hand that's up every hand that's up keep them up and then annex okay here's what I'm gonna ask you to do this is gonna be the challenge man there's there's so many hands all over this place okay you could put your hands up this is Fanta you this is incredible if you raised your hand here's what I'm ask you do and I'm gonna tell you you don't have to feel embarrassed you've got a lot of people there about to cheer for you if you raise your hand I want you to stand up to your feet right now quickly wherever you're at in this place stand up wherever you're out in this place quickly stand up balcony open this here to stand up wherever you're out kick come on let's get going for everyone that's here today okay if your hand is raised here's what I've been asked to do I want you to do this you're gonna see uh sure's and yellow coats I want you to get this is your third assist here it is 31 feet you got to take that step 31 feet I want you to get out of your seat and come down here and meet me I want to pray with you right now come on you're gonna cheer you on come on the balcony come on in the balcony come on down down here come on can you cheer for them was it the Psalter let me just say something you took the 31 feet step that's what she did today he took the 31 foot step that's what blows me away that every single one of you took the 31 foot step this is the mystery you're going like man I've never done this before it you've got people here all of us in this place have taken that 31 foot step we just go God only you could have done this in our lives you're saying yes to God number one number two you're saying got it you're doing what I can't do I need a miracle I'm doing something that needs God to do a miracle and number three always remember I become with who I hang with and when you you get to become more like Jesus because you hang with them through prayer the word and also with his people all over this place I want us to close our eyes for just a second and I want all of us not just these at this altar I want us to pray this together come on say this out loud with me 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 heartaches and you died for it you faced hell from 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 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 come on [Applause]

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 22,819

Rating: 4.8273811 out of 5

Keywords: Tim Delina, Sermon, Times Square Church

Id: uzncoULNFuw

Length: 53min 56sec (3236 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 26 2020