World Wide Prayer Meeting

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] um [Music] [Laughter] [Music] it's [Music] so [Music] [Laughter] [Music] it's [Music] so [Music] welcome everyone tonight to worldwide prayer meeting we're here tonight at our our beautiful campus in north jersey brad and lisa geiss are the campus pastors out here and uh we're just so glad to be back here we were here for a short season when corwood first began and we've been both back to new york and now at the summit international school of ministry but it's a great privilege to be here tonight at one of our great campus churches there's so much to be thankful for i don't even know where to begin before we worship tonight i want to share with you some answers to prayer because so many have been coming in let me give you some examples from albany praise god he healed my brother peter and sis sister of covid thank you thank you thank you lord thank you cheryl for sharing that from middletown i've been delivered from a spirit of fear god allowed me to face my worst fears and you know what with him they were not so scary after all after so many years of requests i am healed thank you for sharing that with us tonight from maryland for years lifting my left arm was very painful a few weeks ago before communion pastor carter said to believe for healing to happen in our body i am healed the pain is gone from texas praise the lord with me everyone my husband was near death from covet 19 pneumonia and a high fever for nine days but god healed him hallelujah michelle we're just so happy to share in this wonderful victory with you and from finland while 2020 was very tough god answered my prayer for a suitable flat and supernaturally provided that above and beyond anything i had ever imagined or hoped for from pennsylvania a few weeks ago i sent in a request for a couple a woman needed healing from covid19 and her husband needed salvation she is now breathing on her own and her husband got saved thank you lord jesus christ from trinidad and tobago i prayed my mom and brother would be reconciled and for the first time in more than a year my brother called my mom and even attended her birthday dinner and so father we just want to give you thanks we give you praise we give you all the glory for all that you have done and continue to do as we pray you prove one more time that you are a god that answers prayer thank you so much so wherever you are at home tonight i want to encourage you to lift your heart lift your hands even if you're all alone in your living room your kitchen wherever you are even if you're on a park bench listening to this on your cell phone would you just raise one hand to god and all together all around the world all around the country we're going to take a moment and we're going to give thanks to the goodness of our god in jesus name amen and amen [Music] [Applause] hallelujah you're worthy of all the praise [Music] [Music] our god is [Music] our god was is for the sin of the world his blood breaks the chains and every knee will bow before the lion and the lamb oh everybody will bow before [Music] [Applause] is [Applause] [Music] he's [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] his blood breaks [Music] oh [Music] who can stop [Music] lord him [Music] who can stop the [Music] can stop lord lord almighty [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] his [Music] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hallelujah [Music] we worship you tonight just honor your name tonight guys [Applause] we declare you do great things amongst your people god and you will do it again god for your glory [Music] for he has done great oh see what our savior has done see how his love overcomes for he has done great [Music] [Music] you conquer the grave [Applause] [Music] oh jesus our savior [Music] and i know you will do it again [Music] for your promise is yes and amen you will do great things oh god you do great things [Music] oh [Music] your freedom [Music] lifted high oh god we sing hallelujah you have done great things you've done great things let's declare that tonight [Music] of yeah you conquer the grave you free every captain and break every chain [Music] [Music] [Applause] you have do you have the grace we were simply hallelujah hallelujah we worship you jesus we worship you jesus [Music] hallelujah amen we're so happy that you're joining us with the worldwide prayer meeting tonight i want to share with you something tonight as we get ready to go into the christmas holidays many of you are going to have family come over your house you're going to have family around your dinner and many of them don't know jesus there are many people that you're going to be with having dinner with on christmas eve and on christmas day and this verse came to my mind that i want us to pray for you and believe that god is going to give you divine appointments and opportunities to share the gospel during these holidays there was a question that the disciples asked after in matthew 19 after a rich young ruler that jesus began to confront about about his life walked away and didn't come to a relationship with them and they asked this question in matthew 19. they said these words and when the disciples heard this they were very astonished and said then who can be saved and i want you to listen to the next verse because sometimes we use this verse and forget what it's connected to here was jesus's response and looking upon them and jesus said with men this is impossible but with god all things are possible did you did you hear those words come on wherever you're at say them out loud with me with god all things are possible that is connected to people being saved that verse is connected to your husband coming to know jesus to your wife to your children to that prodigal that will come home for dinner because he wants that he wants to pacify the family to the to the aunt or the uncle to the grandparents that are going to come in that you know are atheists or agnostics i want you to know for the atheist in your family with god all things are possible i want you to understand tonight that when christmas eve comes and that pit in the stomach begins to come thinking to yourself oh what is it going to be like over the holidays what is it going to be like at that christmas table i want to believe tonight for you and those families that god is going to open up an opportunity for you to begin to whisper under your breath before the night even as the turkey's coming out of the oven you're going to whisper under your breath matthew 19 verse 26 with god all things are possible and i want to believe you could even use let me just challenge you even on christmas eve and christmas day when the times square church original movie a faith-based movie come out you may even want to say let's watch this tonight and it may even open up a door for one of those real important conversations about the gospel but i want to believe that on christmas eve and on christmas day god is going to give a divine appointment i want you right now just to think and whisper just whisper out loud who it is that's going to be around that table that needs to be born again i want you to think about it right now is it a in-law is it a father-in-law i i have a name that's coming to my mind right now that i know that we share christmas with almost every single year and i want to believe this year that today is going to be the day of salvation that god is going to end the year for you with an exclamation point say no matter what we have gone through with a with a virus with a volatile election with civil unrest that god is going to put his fingerprints at the end of the sheer and say who you've been praying for this is their time today is the day of salvation come on let's pray before we worship the lord again i want us to pray for you and believe right now as i pray this verse and pray for your families and pray for the holidays whether it's in your home or their home i want you to now begin to claim that individual to come back to the lord so come on let's pray jesus right now i thank you that with god all things are possible so father we are lifting up our families to you right now father we're lifting up in-laws we're lifting up lord god brothers and sisters we're lifting up lord god even our children we have prodigals that are going to be around that table lord god that have wandered away their faith has gone cold or they have had influences come into their life that have drawn them away from christ but we believe that all things are possible with god bring that and call that daughter home call that son home call that grandfather home those that have once had a relationship with jesus let this year end with god doing the miraculous even around that dinner table would you open up what was a volatile place what you they were afraid of arguments or afraid of of people beginning to bring up politics but i pray it would be a moment of heartfelt talk that deep is calling upon deep and the spirit of god is going to begin to call men and women home prodigals back to the father father those lord god that are even older in their 70s 80s and even 90s that have been so antagonistic to the faith this is a year breakthrough hardness break through pride break through god agnosticism break through atheism break through all those things and we believe in the name of jesus and declare tonight all things are possible with god we say right now who can be saved who can be saved all things are possible with god so god we speak that over every dinner table over every household use it even if they are the only christian at that table that night i pray you take away fear and you put boldness if they are the only believers sitting around and everybody else you make them like daniel in a lion's den shut the lion's mouth and let the prophets speak god i believe tonight that you're going to begin to put a faith and a hope in every person right now that is believing for a powerful holiday god the greatest present we receive is one of our family members receiving jesus and we believe that in your name we pray amen and amen can we do this tonight listen as raphael leads us let this next song be a victory song for you let's sing this and believe let's sing it over our our holidays that god is going to save people's lives come on let's worship together you hallelujah we worship you tonight god this is how i find my battles yes scott this is how i find my battles jesus we worship this is how i find my battles [Music] oh this is how i find my battles it may look like your sky it may look like i'm surrounded [Music] it may look like i'm surrounded but i'm surrounded by you it may look like i'm surrounded but i'm surrounded by you that this is how i find my battles [Music] yes god this is how [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Applause] [Music] it may look like i'm sure [Applause] this is how i find my battles this is [Music] [Music] it looks like i'm surrounded but i'm surrounded by you [Music] oh yes [Music] [Applause] this is [Music] this is how i find my battles [Applause] [Music] you may look like [Music] it may look like [Music] praise god praise god well one of my most favorite christmas stories actually happened to our household in our family about three years ago my son and his wife had a little boy blakey he's three and they just had a new baby and they lived in a very tiny apartment and with the arrival of the new baby that place got even smaller when you fill it up with strollers and all the paraphernalia it was a very small place and christmas rolled around and they started to feel a little guilty you know maybe we should get you know a little tree for blakey he's three for his sake and so you know when you're a a family with small children your big outing is the grocery store so off they went and they think you know what we're gonna do we're gonna get a nice little table top tree and lo and behold just as they were going in the doors there was a display of these tiny little trees on a table and they said blakey do you think we should get one of those little christmas trees there and he said it's perfect and they were so proud of themselves when they happened to look over and there's blakey looking up at a nine foot christmas tree and you know and he's going it's perfect and you know they're thinking like it's not perfect we have no room we have no room we have not even room for another baby bottle let alone a nine foot christmas tree but you know guilted i don't know how they did it between the new baby all the groceries a toddler and a nine-foot christmas tree but they got it home and they put it in that apartment and when they cut loose you know everything went flying but he danced blakey the three-year-old danced with joy because there's something when a fresh green christmas tree comes into your life it's like so many things go right for that minute and beloved i just want to say that is one of my most favorite christmas stories because when we feel that our lives are so crowded by fear and pain and loss we feel like we have no room because they crowd everything out and i just want to say that was the reaction of the world when christ wanted to invade this world and invade the hearts of men so many of them so many cynics so many people cried there's no room there is no room but beloved i want to tell you he came anyway whether they thought there was room for him or not and when he came the glory filled the skies a heavenly host began praising and saying glory glory to god and peace on to earth good will to men there was room for him he made room for himself and for all those that tonight you are feeling in this christmas season that so much may be crowding out room for jesus who is perfect who is perfect i want to say that's not true put away the voices even of centuries of centuries ago voices that said there was no room the truth is there is room there is always room for the perfect and you know this christmas eve so many young and heart will scan the skies looking for magic and looking for hope and i pray that everyone that can hear my voice tonight you will say lord jesus even though everything inside me feels so crowded and dark and hopeless i'm gonna ask lord would you make room for yourself that i may continually look up just like those shepherds on that very first christmas eve they'd looked up scanning the skies as happens every christmassy but they saw something and they found something and they are a foreshadowing of everyone tonight who will say i will not listen to a voice of despair that says there is no room for him because i find it hard to believe if you call on the name of the lord i tell you he will make room for himself and that is so tonight the prayer request that i want to pray for i want to encourage you there is room for the perfect the perfect love of god he will make room for himself in your heart if you will ask him and from aguero hills california this lady has written in my husband of 20 years wants a divorce my sister please look up please look up because he wants to fill you with hope he says he promises he will give his people strength and he will fill them with peace there is a peace for you tonight as you begin to lay it all in his hands he can do the miraculous in your heart and in your family in belfast ireland they say this person writes please pray for my mind 50 i'm 53 years old and i need prayer and that's exactly what we're going to do tonight my friend we are going to pray for your mind we are going to pray that god is able to quell everything that crowds out faith and hope and that he the love of christ the perfect love of christ will touch your heart and finally in south side alabama i have been away from the lord for some time and i want to come back to him i have made so many mistakes i'm depressed and overwhelmed right now and beloved i'm so glad that you wrote this request in because we still believe in a god who is perfect who has perfect love and will make room if we will but ask him he will make he will make room for himself in your heart and in your spirit he is the god who delights to come in answer to our prayer and so we're just going to pray for these requests and everyone right now you are losing hope you are losing ground you are feel like you're being crowded out and i thank god there's this prayer meeting tonight we will join together and we will pray to a god who hears and who answers prayer so we join with us father i just thank you lord in the mighty name of jesus and lord i just lift up every one lord who is on the brink of despair their mind and their hearts feel so crowded out that there is no room for the love of god and there's no room for hope there's no room for the mighty salvation that you bring lord jesus but i thank you oh god you proved 2 000 years ago that you make room for yourself it is supernatural you visit this world and you visit cold dark places lord because it pleases you to do so lord not because we're perfect or we deserve it oh god but because we ask you and because we call on the great name of the lord that you are pleased oh god to visit cold dark places of the human heart and the human spirit just like you came and filled up a cave lord that had a manger oh god you will fill every cold and dark place oh god with yourself and we just thank you a god you will be pleased oh god to push out the crap that the hearts and spirits that are crowded with pain and loss and despair i thank you you will visit every heart that calls on you i thank you you will be their strength not to give up i thank you you will be their peace lord when they are robbed of everything but peace i thank you god what you did two thousand years ago in coming to where you're wanted oh god i pray that you would stir up by the spirit o god this sense o god that you love us lord and that you are for us supernaturally visit them oh god and crowd out every lying voice and every deceiving voice and let them cry out to you because you will make room for yourself supernaturally one more time and you will light up the skies of our heart oh god you will fill these people with glory i pray not for our sakes oh god but for your great namesake will you visit the lonely the downcast those that are oppressed and depressed oh god tonight and i just thank you that you love to make room for yourself lord in cold and dark places and i thank you o god that you're going to touch every prayer request that is of a similar vein tonight oh god we do not pray in vain you do show up and you make way for yourself oh god so receive the glory by touching many o god hundreds and hundreds tonight with the hope of your presence and the life that you bring thank you for hearing us this christmas oh god and thank you for hearing us in this prayer meeting in jesus name amen and amen who loves me that is the place [Music] [Music] take me to the place lord to that secret place where i can be with you you can make me like you wrap me in your arms [Music] where i can be with you you can make me like you wrap me in your arms [Music] there is a god who loves us there is who wraps us in his arms [Music] [Applause] [Music] you can make me like you wrap me in your arms grab me in your arms [Music] you can [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] [Music] hallelujah lord we worship you tonight we give you the praise and the glory god and the honor god you are so good lord you've been so good to us oh god lord you have been faithful to us oh god and we praise you god almighty in the name of the lord jesus christ thank you god for all that you're doing lord thank you for all that you have done for hearing us tonight lord this is a night that you're moving this is a night oh god that you're glorifying your name lord god that you are on the move lord god almighty in the name of jesus christ lord you said oh god of your word oh god almighty lord god that you are moving okay you even said oh god i i do something in your day that if it had been said oh god we we wouldn't even have believed it oh god but thank you tonight that we come together one more time lord god praising you and thank you lord for all that you have done lord god almighty how good you have been miracles look at today we are come lord declaring oh god miracles together today we come oh god with an expectation today we come oh god crying out lord to you god for those who have written in oh god lord thank you for every man lord every woman lord every home or god every child lord today god almighty that you would touch him lord even as pastor teresa shared oh god lord god almighty in the name of that little boy excited oh god looking at that tree lord room oh god room for you lord god almighty two thousand years ago you came look god almighty and we pray lord for those today god who who are who feel crowded out oh god who feel oh god that there's no hope lord no direction oh god then we ask you lord we're asking breakthrough lord god lord when we feel surrounded we are surrounded by you lord god you said i will never leave you you said i will never forsake you and you said lo i am with you always even to the end of the age so we we praise you god tonight oh god we look up tonight oh god lord thank you for each one tonight look coming through god almighty in the name of jesus and lord i pray god is that you would glorify your name in the name of jesus and we give you praise in jesus name and everyone says amen and amen and amen hallelujah and hallelujah hello everyone my name is pastor brad geiss i'm from the north jersey campus of times square church like every like most congregations during this time through covid we've looked for creative ways to reach our community around us first we handed out mass during a time when people couldn't get them and then we started handing out food and food pantry handouts to those that really need help financially during this time and recently two nights ago we tried something new as a campus uh we had 50 of our congregation members go out christmas caroling and we got dressed festive and and went out we didn't know what to expect and we um sang did our you know the normal christmas tunes from uh oh holy night to silent night to hark the angels um sing and we had a great time and we went out to shed joy and cheer and um so many of the families actually were so excited and so thankful that we went out and blessed them and there's one house as we were walking down the street that the lights were turned off and we almost walked away from it we started to pass it and we decided to go back and take a chance and ring the doorbell and we rang the doorbell and the dogs started barking really loud and then we started seeing lights turn on inside the house and we were wondering oh gosh what have we done we woke them up um but instead a man and his wife got came through the door and they when they saw that we were carolers they were so excited and friendly they came out of their house into the cold and greeted us and thanked us so much and they they were just taken back by our our um just our the fact that we came out that night and um we sang to them and when we left we as we were about to leave we asked them if they needed prayer and the man immediately said oh yes we need prayer we are out of work and the wife said yeah i've lost my job several months ago and he did too and um we stopped we prayed for them and it was very touching because they they really wanted our prayers and received our prayers and it made us think that there's so many people out there right now during covid that are unemployed they've lost their jobs and they don't know when they're getting their jobs back many people are hoping that their their companies will open up their jobs will open up again uh states are starting to do second lockdowns restaurants are starting to close again and people are are hurting there's millions of people out of work in fact they said that during the first three months of kovid the unemployment rose higher than the first two years of the great depression many out there are hurting during this time and they don't know when they'll have a job again they don't know when they'll get money coming in regularly again during this time of christmas when it's a joyous time and i want to just say to you for before i pray and that is that you know we shouldn't get our joy from just our financial situations and i know that's hard to hear or even when you're on the other side but god gave us the most incredible gift during the season it came as a a package of a of a baby in a manger to give us incredible joy um throughout every household and if nothing else this christmas make sure that you spread that through your home um you know the word of god is full of inspiring assurances of how god will provide for his followers and he tells us that we should bring all of our cares and all of our needs to him and one of the scriptures that i've liked and i've also i've read many times even in my own situations is that it's a chapter and it's jesus himself speaking and it's a chapter where he's talking about do not worry and the scripture reads this it's luke 12 24 consider the ravens they neither sow nor reap they have neither storehouse nor barn and yet god feeds them oh how much more valuable are you than the birds tonight i want to pray for all of those who are out of work and need employment and don't know when uh you don't see any hope in sight in that respect to hang in there and uh just believe and this christmas do receive his joy fully a joy that can only be touched by him that can be given to you by him let us pray lord tonight lord god we pray we pray that you would take this prayer meeting from the supernatural into from the natural to the supernatural lord god that you would touch people wherever they are that have logged on lord god in the united states are all over the world lord that are out of work and wondering where their provisions are going to come from lord god lord jesus we pray tonight that you provide for them you are their provider lord jesus lord god then you will do it supernaturally lord and that you'll you'll receive the glory and that you even show lord god each and every person that give them a testimony of your goodness and how your provisions are lord we pray for that lord god lord many people are waiting for jobs their their companies to open up again or restaurants or whatever it is with god they're employed to open up we pray god for this economy lord god lord jesus that you would bring about work for everybody who is seeking it or god especially christians who are crying out to you tonight lord jesus lord god do provide lord god as you as uh lord as your word says lord we pray for that we pray for families tonight lord jesus then during this time who are are are struggling lord god to just to make it through in a wonderful way lord god that you would find and you would put more joy into their households than ever before and over any past christmases that they may have had lord lord god that we lord jesus will realize the real true meaning of christmas this year lord god through this pandemic through this covet 19 virus lord we pray this lord in your name amen [Music] hallelujah [Music] can he breathe in to the dust can he make suns out of us life is in his mighty hands life is in all mighty hands he can do it yes he can he will prove it our god can no one else can save us redeem us create a new life in us only jesus can yes you can yes you can [Music] is [Music] no one else can save us redeem us create a new life in us only jesus can he can do it yes he can he will prove it our god can no one else can save us redeem us create a new life in us [Music] yes [Music] can he cleanse us from within can we drink from living streams can we ever be redeemed [Music] surely we have been [Music] our god can no one else can save us redeem us create [Music] he will be [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] we're going to continue our worship through our giving right now thank you times good church for your investment and partnership in god's work through your giving one of the ways your giving is making a difference in this season is through a feeding program in egypt that is allowing us to help african refugees we partner with a learning center in cairo to help feed more than 450 kids a hot lunch and an afternoon snack every single school day the students also receive instruction in core subjects as well as access to basic health care the learning center is small and not much in terms of building size but it is large in terms of heart everyone who serves there works hard with so much joy at the opportunity to minister to these refugees they want to make sure that these kids who had to flee their home countries due to war violence and persecution can have a safe place to eat and hope for their future every time they gather at the learning center there is laughter and joy as they eat play and receive the luxury of an education that many refugees don't have thank you times church for partnering with this refugee home in egypt together we are helping refugee students for more than 10 different african nations including north and south sudan eritrea and ethiopia as well as instruction and core subjects all the students receive access to basic health care and a nutritious hot meal every day thank you for being so faithful with your giving tsc and being part of stories like this african refugee home there are four easy ways to give here at tsc you can go to our website at tsc.nyc give you can text give tsc nyc to 77977 you can download our pushpay app or you can mail your check or money order to our office thank you again for your generosity mountains [Music] yes we can see that wonders are still what you do bodies are still being raised giants are still being we are here for you come and do what you do we are here for you come and do you do me [Music] we can see [Music] is we can see [Music] you come and do [Music] to me [Music] yes [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] we are here for you coming to [Music] this is a [Music] in is room miracles raphael thank you team for leading us in such a profound way powerful way this evening we thank god for that with with all of our heart i have one prayer request i'd like to read then i'd like to share with you tonight from the word of god based on what pastor tim dalina spoke about on on sunday morning about the shepherds and there was uh if you haven't heard it i encourage you to go back and listen to it it was such a it was a banquet feast uh talking about the shepherds coming in to that particular place where christ was in human form and worshiping him it was a phenomenal message and i feel like a a crumb fell out down off the table to me off that banqueting table and i want to share that with you tonight and uh the prayer request that i want to focus on is from william in connecticut he said please pray for me and others like me working in health care we are very exhausted and burnt out and thank you times square church thank you william for sending in your prayer request to us we are going to pray for you tonight and many others that are like you that are feeling a a sense of absolute burnout in this generation because the stresses against us are are coming from almost every side the incivility in in our society today the the oppression the repression the culture as well and other things and we're looking at all of these things and just saying god what's to become of us what is our future going to hold and and and where does christmas fit into all of this and especially as we come into the christmas season is there something in this this story that seems to have captivated humanity for for 2 000 years is did i miss something is there something in here that could apply to my life and and can it carry me through and beyond just this particular season called christmas that technically ends right after december the 25th usually every year and the thought on my heart is the thought of many people's hearts is why does christmas have to end this feeling of at least if it's just even a glimmer of hope that's come into your heart maybe just a measure of civility that's coming into people a little acts of kindness that perhaps are not seen throughout the year and you're wondering in your heart oh god why does this have to end it and is there something deeper or richer for this in me that i've not considered before so if you'll turn in your bible or whatever device you have to gain access to the word of god to luke chapter two we're going to start there and uh i'm calling this um i had two different titles that were stirring around in my heart one is why does christmas have to have to end and the other is luke 20 21 as we're going into 2021 i thought this was an interesting take on luke chapter 2 verses 20 and 21 because there's a transition that happens there between verse 20 and 21 and we're going to talk about that in just a moment so father i thank you god tonight with all my heart oh god we need your word lord it is true that the entrance of your word gives light and so lord god you've got to take us beyond just the the good feeling of the christmas season that that so many of us have known to continue to know and you get to take your people into the deeper meaning of what what really transpired here and how it affects us today and so god would you help me to convey this tonight would you help us to hear this simple teaching and then as we go to the communion table lord let us go there with gratitude and gladness in our heart that doesn't have to end the day that christmas is over so father thank you for this tonight god thank you for the anointing of your spirit i recognize god i have nothing to say without you lord i have no revelation unless you choose to give it to me there's no power in my voice except for that which is of you that chooses to use this vessel to speak and so lord tonight for the sake of your people and for the glory of your own name just transcend my human weakness and speak my god into the hearts of people who are all over this country and all over the world tonight or tomorrow whatever day they listen to this lord and who are just looking for a glimmer of hope because they are exhausted and i thank you for this in jesus name now the scene in luke chapter 2 starts with a day where caesar augustus gets it in his in his heart to count the world as he knew it his his particular domain he said let's count the people you know this there's you know some versions say it was for a census the other say it was for taxation i say it was for both count the people so that we can know where they are how we can gain more uh treasure from them how we can get more taxes from the people so it was a a repressive time it was an oppressive time there was a dominant uh force that come into the holy land had overpowered in a sense god's people at that time were imposing a a world view upon the people it was not a biblical worldview and they were corralling the people like cattle all over telling them you you can't go here you can't go there you've got to go here you've got to go there it really was in one sense the coveted time in luke chapter 2. the coveted time when christ was born people would have lost employment they had that to leave where they were they had to travel to their city of their birth that means they had to leave if there was a shopkeepers had to leave and lose income carpenters had to stop making furniture people had to move there was inconvenience there was expense nobody much care just for the purpose of obeying authorities and and literally being counted so it was it was not quite the same as us today our circumstance but it was similar in nature similar in heart there would have been a despondency in a lot of the people that were there now in the country in verse 8 it tells us in luke 2 there were shepherds living out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night now historically they tell us that you became a shepherd if you couldn't get a job basically that's what you did i mean it was i'm not downplaying dishwashers god bless you if you're a dishwasher in a restaurant in the middle of the night and i appreciate the fact that you are working but realistically the shepherds were the dishwashers of their generation if you couldn't get a job you became a shepherd it's cold it's dank it's dark it's it's out at night it's it's maybe boring and there's not much of a chance of advancement i don't think in that particular career and so suddenly out in the middle of i love the fact that i've heard it said by by somebody i think it was pastor theresa said one time that jesus came to the night shift and i thank god for that he didn't he didn't appear to the movers and shakers i guess they were too busy or the the self self-possessed or those that are concerned about their own comforts he came to those who were out in the field and maybe feeling a little bit hopeless maybe wondering it just can it get any worse than it is now here we are looking after these sheep risking our lives for for mediocre pay real realistically because the sheep were attacked by wild dogs and such like and they would they would risk their safety and their life to protect them very very little reward for this particular career and then suddenly it's it's like it's like you and i maybe if we're living in an era and doing a job that we don't like and feeling hopeless wondering what the future is going to hold and then suddenly somebody just invites you to a church play or maybe online you're just you have an opportunity like a times square church to see a wonderful christmas story and you're you're kind of invited in now there was no internet back then and uh there was there were no cell phones so there's no there's no videos no television no nothing so so god just decided to put on an internet christmas production of his own and suddenly it says the angel of the lord stood before them and the glory of the lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid and the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold i bring you good tidings of great joy to all people now so these are elements of the message the angel brought this is good news and it should produce great joy to all people not just a momentary joy not just a day like christmas day can bring or the christmas season can bring but it's great joy it's beyond just this momentary joy it's a joy that's unspeakable it's a joy that's full of glory it's a it's a joy that lasts it's a joy that transcends circumstance it's a joy that's that's deeper than just anything on the exterior around us it's it's a joy that that embeds itself in the human heart when a relationship with god is now intact in the essence of this joy the angel said for this born to you this day in the city of david a savior who is christ the lord and this will be assigned to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger you will here's your sign you will find god in human form coming down and who has come down into the earth in the weakest of humanity and wrapped in strips of cloth that generally are pieces of cloth that society has discarded in some cases sometimes they're sewn together and they're made into makeshift blankets and here's here's a great joy that god has come down he's come down in human form he's god you understand he he created the universe he's god by the word of his mouth galaxies come into existence he can raise the dead he can calm the storm he can do anything he wants he's god and he chooses to come down among us not as a ten foot giant not as a majestic glorious transcended being as he could have been but he comes down as a baby in a manger to show us that he is not offended by our weakness he comes down as a baby who can't feed himself he can't talk and somebody else has to change his diapers to show us that he's not afraid of our weakness our inabilities he's not afraid of our mess he's not offended by our struggles that he has come down to dwell among us that was his name emmanuel god is with us and he didn't come down in our strength but he came down in our weakness to show us that i'm willing to dwell among you and be god to you and i'm willing to raise you up no matter how deep your struggle might be and with this truth that had just been conveyed in this incredible video presentation of god suddenly there's with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising god and saying glory to god in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill towards men so this this was a christmas production like nothing you'll ever see in your lifetime i mean there were no risers that these angels were standing on there were no wires holding them up in the sky they were floating there and i don't know what angel voices sound like but it must be they have to be in perfect pitch it has to be a choir like you've never heard ever ever at any time in history there's there's no there's no humanness in it it does the sound doesn't have to work its way through sin a sin nature to come out it it it is it is completely unhindered by that which would separate from god and they were saying glory to god in the highest glory to god and on earth peace and good will towards men this incredible song that accompanied this incredible gesture of god's goodness to you and i when he came down and prove to us and here's what he said to you i'm not afraid of your struggles i'm not ashamed of your mess i'm not angry with you and your weakness i've come to get you and not only to get i've come to live inside of you even when you can't walk and when you don't know what to say and you can't see a way forward i've come to be god to you you see this benevolence this goodness of god was so profound that the angels could not contain themselves anymore i i've often said just the way my mind works they're leaning on the canopy that kind of separates heaven from the earth and there were just so many of them pushing in to see this great sight that they tore it they broke through and they came into the heavens and they couldn't do anything but begin to shout glory to god glory to god in the highest and on earth peace and good will god's good will god's good gesture towards men and so it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven the shepherds said to one another let us go to bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass which the lord has made known to us they came with haste and they found mary and joseph and the babe lying in a manger and when they had seen him they made widely known the saying which god told them concerning this child and all those who heard it marvel at those things which were told them by the shepherds but mary kept all these things and pondered them in their heart now here are the verses i want to really focus on 20 and 21 because we're going into the year 2021. it starts with then the shepherds returned in other words you might you might really get touched this christmas you might feel a glimmer of hope in your heart somebody might invite you to watch something online because most likely it won't be in church because nobody can go there we're in a we're in a moment like luke chapter two and verse one nobody can actually meet the way they should and maybe while you're watching it while you're hearing the the choir sing and you're you're hearing that christmas story all over again your heart starts to burn like theirs did and maybe just even for a moment you'll tell people about it i just saw the most marvelous choir i i just heard the most marvelous song and i heard there was wonderful truth and i i kind of pressed in to to see it and it was it was all just about god coming to the earth in the form of a baby but you see december 26 that moment is over and on december 26 or 27th or january 1st whenever it is you've got to go back to work again so the shepherds just returned so i can just see them going back and probably really excited for maybe a day or two or three or maybe a week or two i don't know how long but eventually sitting on the cold ground again with your stick and looking at the sheep and kind of that other reality comes and tries to swallow this great truth that they had just seen this great wonder that they had just witnessed and the question must have been in their heart as it is in many people's hearts at christmas time how does this apply to me and it is such a good feeling when i was a child i i used to have that thought in my heart when i was about five i remember christmas day everybody was so nice on christmas and i wondered why can't they be like that all year why do people just smile at each other on the street and wave and visit each other's home and and everybody is is happy and everybody's telling good stories and and it's just like they they they take off those clothes on december 26th or 27th and they just put on their regular old work clothes and go back and they don't even greet each other on the street anymore and i found it odd when i was a child i was thinking why why does christmas have to end and maybe you're thinking that tonight listening to me speak and listening to the songs tonight in the prayers and maybe you are feeling something in your heart maybe there's something about the story that's that's actually stirring you and but you say well but i gotta return to the the hospital and where i'm i'm tired it's in william's case and i'm burned out and everybody i'm working with is is burned out and christmas was nice and it made me feel good and it stirred my heart but what does it really mean to me and so that's that's where we finish in chapter 2 verse 20. so that's probably where 2020 is going to finish a lot of people really going back to work if they even have work maybe having come through the christmas season where we're given just a little wee glimpse of hope that's ours and god having heard the songs and seen the videos and and listen to the testimonies and the stories and then but we have to return and go back to what it was like before the messenger first appeared to us now and that's where it finishes in 20 but in 21 you see something is happening here it says and when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child his name was called jesus the name given him by the angel before he was consumed in the womb so 2021 is where the transition takes place 2021 is where we in 20 we hear the message but in 21 the messenger is moving to his mission that the plan of god is is fully engaged the greatest event in the history of the world is about to transpire and everything is moving and everything is working just the way god said it would and so this is my message to you in 2021 as the year as christmas season is is here and your heart is glad and we're moving into the subsequent year the plan of god for you is going ahead at full speed nothing has stopped if you've opened your heart to see these shepherds opened their heart to the christ child and they they would have really no idea how this was going to work out they knew what they had seen was supposed to give them great joy and it was good news and it was for all people but they had to go back to work and they must have wondered so what did we see and how does it apply to us and what's it going to do for us and where is it going to bring us the reality is that baby that was in that manger was the son of god and he was sent by his father on a mission and he was going to go and walk among the people and as he did as a baby he was going to endure our frailties and then he was going to take upon himself our struggles and our mess and he was going to wrap himself in the swaddling close of our failure when he went to the cross he was going to open his arms and embrace us and everyone who calls out to him he promised that he would be god to us he would re he would save us that means he would wash away the all of the stain of our failure which the bible called sin and our disobedience which the bible called said he would wash the stain of it all away and he would come and indwell us just as he indulged that human body in that manger he would indwell us in our mess he would indwell us in our weakness he would indwell us when we can't change ourselves we can't feed ourselves we don't see a way forward and he was going to do something for us not just in time but for eternity he said i go to prepare a place for you that where i am there you may be also if it were not so i would have told you in my father's house there are many mansions and i go to prepare a place for you and i there's a version of the bible that says in my father's house in many rooms well i prefer mansions so you can have your room if you wanted i'm gonna have a mansion when i get there praise be to god in my father's house there are many mansions we're going to live with him not just in time but for all of eternity now your job may still be tough and yes you may still be a shepherd perhaps for the rest of your working career i don't know but i do know if you will open your heart to the son of god he will forgive your sins he will indwell you and change you from the inside out and you will be turned into another person behold he said i make all things new and that's what he will do for you he will make you into a new man a new woman he'll give you a new mind and a new heart it doesn't mean it doesn't mean you're going to be doing a different job it doesn't mean you're going to be living in a different home it doesn't mean that your circumstances necessarily around you and the exterior are going to change but there's going to be a change on the inside and that song that you heard that these shepherds heard that was only in the heavens would one day if they open their heart to christ be in their heart it would be a song that this world doesn't give and the world can't take it away it'll be a song of joy that only comes from the hearts of those who know jesus christ as their personal lord and savior and tonight it can be your song if you will open your heart you know it's it's wonderful to come to the christmas season it it's wonderful to be invited to see productions and plays and hear songs and hear the story of christ all over again it's nice the feeling it brings in our heart to be able to be kind to others and maybe they could be kind to us but it doesn't have to end on december the 25th this year or any other year christmas doesn't have to end god is willing to plant it in your heart and it can be christmas for you every day for the rest of your life i promise you this in jesus name there'll be this inner joy there'll be this inner song this inner hope this inner witness that even the momentary sufferings of this world as the apostle paul says are not worthy to be compared with the glory that god promises is going to be revealed in us there's a hope for you if you'll open your heart to god tonight and as we always tell people at times square church it's as easy as abc admit that you need a savior admit that you can't save yourself admit that you're as helpless as that baby in that manger you can't change the way you are you can't speak any different than than what your natural uh body allows you to do you can't see a way forward and in many cases some of you say like that's me i've just blown my whole life and i i don't know i feel so helpless i feel so hopeless i feel like i'm stuck in a cave and i don't know what to do about my future but just admit your condition stop trying to save yourself because you can't save yourself and believe that god in his mercy sent his son into this world and as i said not as a giant not as a as a perfected 10-foot warrior you send him in as a child to prove to you to prove to you that he's willing to walk with you to prove to you he said i'm going to come i'm going to come as the weakest of humanity so that nobody can say that i'm too weak for god to use me or i'm too too weak for god to receive me or live inside of me he said i'm going to come i'm going to start right at the bottom so that there's nowhere to go from there but up and everybody will have to know that i'm willing to give you life if you would just believe that i came and went to a cross and died for you so that you can have eternal life and if you will confess him with your mouth it's not difficult it's not a formula it's just you saying tonight or today i believe and i invite you as you invited me into the cave the shepherds could say where you were born i now invite you into my life so i can be born again so i can have new life so so i can receive the spirit of god so i can have hope for my future and for my eternity i was 24 years old when this happened to me i was an angry man i was selfish to the core of my being i was fearful i felt hopeless i was drinking and taking tranquilizers to try to handle the pain that was in my heart and one day somebody came to me and told me what i'm telling you i remember thinking oh god could this be true and i remember it wasn't even so much the forgiveness in my sins as important as that was but he told me he said the bible says if anyone is in christ he becomes a new creation the old things in his life pass away and all things become new he said that carter that's what it means to be born again you start all over again you died because you sinned but in christ you can be made alive and if you'll open your heart to him he'll make you into a new person and he'll take you and give you a new life and he'll make you what you could never hope to be and he'll give you what you could never possess and he'll take you where you could never go and i so wanted to be a good father i so wanted to be a good husband i so wanted to to have purpose in my life but i didn't know how i was like the baby in the manger in a sense i couldn't change myself i couldn't speak other than what i had become accustomed to speaking matter of fact the cursing in my mouth was getting worse all the time i couldn't control my temper i didn't know what i was going to do with the future and on august on uh it was on may 12 1978 i was on the way to work as a police officer in uniform and i pulled over on the side of the road i remember the street it was called island park drive i pulled over the side of the road and i put my car in park just for a minute and i said jesus if what irv the accomplished told me these things his name was irv and that was my prayer if what earth has told me is true i invite you into my life to be my lord and savior i give you my life i give you my future if you will come and take me you can have me and i just went to work i didn't feel a thing some people talk about they feel tinglies or they feel all kinds of stuff i didn't feel anything i didn't see angels in heaven i heard no song but i went to work and i worked my shift i went home i went to bed as god lives as god lives i get up the next morning i put my feet on the floor and i knew i was a different man and i don't know how i knew i just knew something had changed inside of me i felt a life source inside of me that i had never known before i've i felt hope i i felt like i had a future i felt like there was a purpose for my life that i didn't understand yet but god would reveal it to me as the days went on and i've been all over the world now i've i've flown as much of the angels luke chapter two and i've been all over the world telling you this simple message and here it is what jesus did for me jesus will do for you it's still good news of great joy to all people i thank god that he came and took up residence in my life and if you will open your heart he will do that for you tonight so i'm going to just lead you in a simple prayer before we go to the communion table tonight and if you will pray this prayer i promise you i promise you jesus will receive you he doesn't want perfect people he wants people who are a mess he doesn't want people who have it together he wants people who have nothing together you are the ones he came for he came to save you he came to change you and bring you home so pray this simple prayer with me tonight lord jesus christ if what this pastor is telling me is true i open my heart to you and i invite you into my life to be my god and my lord and my savior i believe that you died for me that you are the son of god that you were raised from the dead after three days in the grave as proof to me that i too will be raised from death and brought into life i give you my life because you gave me your life thank you for loving me thank you for wanting me thank you for coming to me from this day forward you are my god jesus you are my lord and i will as you give me strength i will follow you all of my days and i know tonight because you told me that when i die heaven where you are will be my home forever in jesus name amen raphael's going to come back with the worship team there's going to be a number on the screen loretta will put it there shortly and this number is the number you can text in and just text the word decided just text the word decided and somebody from times square church will get in touch with you whether by text or email or a conversation by telephone if you want to talk to somebody and have prayer but we will get in touch with you and we'll we'll help you we'll help you as best as we know how to to grow in the understanding of what it means to be a follower of jesus christ and where where do you find this place where it's christmas every day in your heart and how do you stay there and how do you live there you'll learn all of these things love you so much god bless you and i we're going to come back for communion in just a moment thank you pastor tim is going to lead us in communion tonight but i'm going to i'm going to ask you i'm going to ask you get some bread get some juice and let's have communion together and let's celebrate you tonight i just want to sell i see somebody out there i don't know who you are but i see somebody out there you really just sincerely prayed that prayer and the bible says that the angels in heaven are rejoicing over you you've come to christ tonight and so those angels that were singing above the shepherds singing that song of glory to god and on earth peace and good will towards men they're singing it about you tonight love you god bless you so much [Music] is [Music] [Music] peace [Music] stream from [Music] my [Music] christ the savior is born [Music] loves pure life [Music] [Music] with [Music] jesus [Music] jesus thank you pastor carter what a powerful word from luke chapter 2. as you're watching at home and we have some folks that are here with us say some of our elders and some of our leaders are here i'm going to ask you to get that communion ready you know the bible was very clear pastor carter made it very clear to us the motive for god sending his son was love for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that was the motive but what we're about to do tonight is the mission the motive that god came in as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes that was motivated by love but the mission was going to be the cross we talked about that last week it being the second cry this night that we'll celebrate on december 24th and 25th that christmas cry of that baby which broke through 400 years of silence between the book of malachi when all of a sudden everything went silent god broke on the scene with a cry but it was the cry of a man on the cross that brought everything together that cry that said it is finished was the mission and that's what we're about to celebrate tonight if you have a piece of cracker or the bread i want you to ask you to get it ready right now i want you just to whisper these words wherever you're at just say these words god came come on say it god came look at this look at this piece of bread know what this represents pastor carter said it best this was this was god in the flesh this is that little baby this is what the the apostle john said in first john he said when he came i could touch him i could feel him i could see him he didn't send a message he didn't write it in clouds he didn't write it in smoke he came for you and for me that bread represents when he died on a cross he died that body that he came in was scarred for you and even as you're listening right now you may need healing in your body this is what isaiah 53 when he talks about the body that was going to come that the jesus that the god man that was going to come he reminds us of the scars on that body and he says the scars that go on this body that by those stripes we can be healed right now we can be healed and i believe tonight that god as we even begin to partake of this communion i believe god can bring healing god can bring that healing so as you hold that piece of bread let me read this to you before we take it for i received from the lord that which i've also delivered to you that the lord jesus in the night who knew what she was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said this is my body which is for you do this in remembrance of me let's take the the bread together the bread means god came as you hold up that glass or that little cup of juice in it whatever you have in it right now i want you to say this for me the first one is say it with me god came and now say god cares because that's the mission god cared loved me so much that he would go all the way to the cross for me he died he died the death that i should have died because i couldn't live the life that he lived and i'm so thankful that he cared enough for me to go to that cross in my place he became for you and for me our sin bearer this reminds me god cares for me god cares for you as you hold that cup listen to these words in the same way he took the cup also after supper saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim the lord's death until he comes let's take the cup together hallelujah hallelujah now just before we go tonight thank you for sending in those prayer requests i want to remind you every tuesday night as we begin to pray we'll be back here next tuesday night i want you throughout the week even if you even if it comes right on tuesday night you can go right to our website and send those prayer requests in as they go across those lower thirds of the screen we have people praying for them in fact that's the challenge for all of us we're not only going to believe that god's answering prayer but i want you to put in if god has answered any of the prayers that you've put in i want you to send in the answers to prayer because when the prayer requests come in we're going to pray on tuesday nights and when the answers come in we're going to rejoice together on tuesday nights because we believe that god answers prayer from around the world we're so thankful for that word from pastor carter the overseer of times square church we're so thankful for raphael and the team tonight can we just sing one more song together before we leave tonight let's rejoice in what god has done the mission the motive when he came out of love the mission he went to the cross come on let's rejoice tonight as we get ready to end the prayer meeting her king [Applause] [Music] and makes [Music] and is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 6,702

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Id: eqHRL37OSJA

Length: 110min 48sec (6648 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 15 2020