The Reproach of the Solemn Assembly - Part 1 — David Wilkerson

The message I'm going to preach this morning, I'm afraid, will cause maybe just a handful of people that hear it to never come back to this church again. Now, folks, it's not a laughing matter, I mean it, I'm not trying to be theatrical.

It's because what I preach about, I know to be a fact that there are some people still in this body who come to the Times Square Church are involved in what I'm talking about because they have handed me tapes and books and I know that they're involved in the kind of thing I want to expose this morning under the help of the Holy Ghost.

The Reproach of the Solemn Assembly in Zephaniah

So I want to talk to you about the reproach of the Solemn Assembly. Now that's a long title, but you'll see it very clearly, I want you to go to Zephaniah, the third chapter, Zephaniah, the third chapter.

I'm going to give you time to find it, okay? If you get to Haggai, you've gone too far, and you get to Micah and Habakkuk, go one more chapter and you are in Zephaniah. Now folks, this is serious business this morning, I want you to pray that the Lord give me the brokenness to preach it the way he wants it preached, not out of arrogance, not out of brokenness before the Lord.

There's something that's burning in my heart, and I've been asking God to let me deal with this for a long time, and he's released me to do so this morning. The 18th verse, chapter 3, Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 18, there's an amazing prophecy by the prophet Zephaniah, I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Heavenly Father, I know that you have burned this into my soul, but I've got to have a broken spirit and a contrite nature, that this is not preached in any kind of arrogance or self-centeredness, but Lord, that you are trying to accomplish a purpose this morning.

I ask you to anoint me in a special way, let the fire of God come forth this morning and ignite the word of the living God, and don't let any of us, anybody in this building, try to put away or just to put off what is being heard and spoken here from this pulpit this morning.

Lord, I ask you to give me the courage to speak it rightly and boldly, and I pray, Lord, that you deal with any of these issues that are in this church this morning that we're dealing with, I pray in Christ's name, amen.

I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Now, this is a dual prophecy by Zephaniah. It has to do with the children of Israel, that's Jerusalem, and also with spiritual Zion, which is the church of Jesus Christ on the last day.

First of all, he was speaking to Jews that God was going to gather together and disperse to all the nations, but he was only going to bring back those who had a broken heart for the sad condition of Israel, who carried a burden for restoration, who blushed over the sins of God's apostate people, and he would remember all who carried the reproach, all the shame, all of the blasphemy, all of the horrible things that were going on in God's house, those who carried the burden of it, all those who were sorrowful and grieving in heart over the condition of the body.

He said, I'm going to gather you, and he made great promises to these, and I'll show you what those are in a moment. But this prophecy is primarily to the church of Jesus Christ on the last day, to the Solemn Assembly.

The Old Testament Solemn Assembly and Its Spiritual Fulfillment

Now, in the Old Testament, the children of Israel were called to their festivals for seven days, and on the eighth day was called the Solemn Assembly. That was when they met especially together, putting everything aside and focused worship and praise to the Heavenly Father.

The scripture says, on the eighth day you shall have a Solemn Assembly, and you'll find the Solemn Assembly all through the Old Testament, representing the congregation that is separated unto God, meeting to meet the Lord.

This is the church of Jesus Christ on the last day. Now, according to Zephaniah, the house of God in the last days is going to be under reproach, and the Hebrew word here means shame and disgrace. There's going to be shame and disgrace in the house of God.

Distinguishing Apostate Churches from the True Church

Now we're not talking about the backslidden, liberal, modern church. I'm not talking about the kind of church in San Francisco called Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, that's recently taken the cross down because they said Jesus isn't all of us, and we are the cross.

It's a church that glorifies homosexuality and abortion, and it is an absolute church, an apostate church. I'm not talking about churches where the minister doesn't believe in Christ anymore, doesn't believe in heaven, doesn't believe in hell.

I'm not talking about that apostate church, the Metropolitan Community Church, the homosexual denomination. I'm not talking about that church. Folks, some of the worst blasphemy in the world is not coming from atheists.

It's coming from the pulpits and the pens of backslidden, ungodly preachers. We're not talking about that kind of church. That is not the solemn assembly. So save your grief. I don't shed a tear. I have no burden for that kind of church.

The Lord said on the judgment day, he's going to deal with that church. We can pray for them, but we're not to spend any of our grief on that which is not really the church. Now, God is looking, the scripture says, according to Zevaniah, God is looking for a people who will sorrow and grieve over the reproach that is being fostered on the church of Jesus Christ in these last days.

I'm talking about the church that was born at Pentecost. I'm talking about the church that was born in the teaching of the Apostle Paul and the Apostles, the church born in the doctrine of the Godhead of Jesus Christ.

That church, that born-again church is under attack. That born-again church is suffering reproach. It's been prophesied that in this day of reproach and shame and disgrace, God is going to raise up a holy remnant who are going to grieve and weep over this defilement, a people to whom the reproach of it has become to them a burden.

A Burdened Remnant That Grieves Over the Church

I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly. God said, I'm going to have a remnant who are not just going to sit idly by while all of these things invade the church. I'm going to have a people that are not going to be satisfied to go their merry way and just ignore what is happening as charlatans and money-mad prophets, false prophets are coming into the house of God and destroying everything in sight.

He said, no, I'm going to gather a people who grieve over this. I'm going to have a people who take it as a burden. They're not going to be complacent anymore. If you truly love the Lord and you love his church, you cannot look honestly at what's happening today.

And I'm going to name these reproaches this morning. And if after you hear what I have to say about this reproach and you can walk out of this church and you can say, well, I just stand on, on Matthew 18 chapter, the gates of hell set up prevail against the church.

I'm going to worry about it. God has everything under control. That's not enough. God uses people. God uses people to perform his work. He doesn't send angels. Angels weep over it, but God doesn't use angels to accomplish his purposes.

He uses burden, brokenhearted, weeping men and women. The prophet Joel cried out, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord, your God, and cry unto the Lord, alas, for the day, for the day of the Lord is at hand, as the destruction of the almighty shall it come.

Joel’s Call to Repentance Before the Day of the Lord

Joel was saying judgment is at the door. Jesus is coming. The day of the Lord is at hand. Wake up elders, wake up pastors, wake up shepherds, take a look at the church, get the burden, carry it. But why should we take on the burden of the reproach of the solemn assembly?

Joel said because there's a rotten seed being planted, a gospel is being preached that is withering, everything that's in sight, everything that's green and godly and pure is being withered. He said the seed is rotten under the clods, the corn is withered, the storehouses of the right gospel is barren and desolate, there's a famine of hearing the pure word of the Lord.

The cattle, in other words, the sheep, the congregation are perplexed because there's no pasture. The flocks are desolate and hungry, the rivers are drying up, a strange fire is devouring the pastors.

And if you listen to Ezekiel, he's saying it's shepherds who are trampling down the good pasture and eating the best for themselves. Joel 2 .15, he cries, gather together the congregation, the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep in sorrow, get the burden, cry, pray, O God, spare your people, give not your holy church to reproach, don't let the heathen rule over your flock.

The Prosperity Gospel as Rotten Seed

Now, what is this reproach of the solemn assembly? What are these shameful, disgraceful things that are happening in the church of Jesus Christ today? First of all, it's the rotten seed that's being preached by covetous shepherds.

This is known as the prosperity gospel. This is one of the greatest reproaches of the church of Jesus Christ ever perpetrated since Christ. This perverted gospel is poisoning multitudes, even in China, Africa, and all over the world.

It's an American gospel invented and spread by rich American evangelists and pastors. Rich. And it alarms me that so many people can hear the tapes and see the videos that are coming out of these prosperity conferences, and not weep over them, and not get the burden for what is happening to the church.

This poison is spread all over the world. Cuba's about to open, and they are itching to get in there right now with their prosperity gospel to tell, you've been poor enough now, God wants all Cubans to be rich.

This past week, I was given a videotape, recently recorded, I think in this past January, in Kenneth Copeland's meetings, and I listened to the speakers, and I was dumbfounded. Folks, you read the New Testament, you'll find Paul the Apostle named those who he believed were false prophets.

He warned, and he named their names, and I'm telling you now, if you can listen to what I'm about to tell you, and not be grieved, then you're blind, you're spiritually blind. You have a hard heart. You know what a hard heart is in Hebrew?

A heart with a shield on it, so that the gospel, the pure gospel, cannot penetrate it. It's been so, the mind has been so saturated with this unbalanced gospel that you cannot come to many of them. You cannot preach the truth, you cannot show them anything else in the scripture, because they have a shield over their hearts, hard hearted.

And some of you will not receive it, and if you've been feeding your soul on Copeland's tapes, or Hagen's tapes, you're not going to like what you hear. But folks, I'm a shepherd, I've been called by God, and I made this church a promise.

As long as we're in this place, now listen, no clapping. Folks, please. Please don't clap. I made this church and this body a promise, as long as we're in this purpose. If we saw wolves in sheep's clothing coming to rob the flock, we would stand up and cry out against it.

Now it's up to you to do something about it. And I say this with a broken heart, but I sat this week and I listened to the speakers in this conference, and I was so shocked, I was so hurt, weeping, the burden of the Lord came on me as I'm preaching this message, I grieve over it.

Manipulative Giving and the Idol of Ministerial Wealth

Let me tell you, I quote word for word what was said. First of all, all the speakers could hardly get by because people were running up stuff in their pockets with money. And the reason they do that is a new doctrine has just come out, which says if you want to be blessed, you have to find the most blessed evangelist or pastor you can find, because he that has been given much receiveth much, he that has little, even that which he has will be taken from him.

You find the most blessed and prosperous preacher and you give him money, you will be blessed. And the more blessed he is, if you give to those that are most blessed, it's a pyramid scheme. If these men were in the secular world, they'd be in jail, Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes.

The man at the top who appears to be the holiest, godliest and speaks the loudest, hundreds of people running up until the pockets were bulging and the sinner says, is this the free gospel? Is this the gospel?

Dollar bills! Listen to what was said, the speaker got up and he said, if a poor widow on welfare hands you five dollars, you better take it. Elijah took the widow's last meal. You are the anointed one, you deserve it, you take it.

The same speaker said, I live in an 8 ,000 square foot house. I'm going to build a bigger one now, one that King Solomon would be proud of. I just paid $15 ,000 for a dog. You see this gorgeous ring on my finger?

I was in Jamaica and just paid $32 ,000 for it. He said, I want you to know that when the people in my town come past my mansion and they see my Rolls Royce standing, sitting in the driveway, they know there's a God in heaven.

Now you tell me that's the gospel. You tell me you can't wait for that. One of the speakers got up and he said, we made a covenant along with Brother Copeland that for the next year, 365 days, none of us are going to suffer for a single day.

We will not know a moment of discouragement. We will never be sick or in need. We're going to enjoy all the blessings. We reject all suffering, all pain, all financial problems. That's fine if you're on the top of the heap.

Here's what grieves me most. This was preached. The Holy Spirit can't be poured out upon you until first you're in the money flow. Until you are prospering, the Holy Ghost cannot do his work. How does this affect you?

What does it do to your spirit when you see poor people who are living from paycheck to paycheck? And suddenly he says, run for the money. And people are running wildly everywhere, running, and they say as they run, they are claiming the riches.

And then I see people withering like snakes out of their seats from the floor. I see the evangelist going up like a snake, and people falling everywhere. Folks, what's going on? We, the folks of the solemn assembly, you know what the prophet called them?

He said they're greedy dogs, ungodly watchmen. Folks, if you had the heart of God and the burden of the Lord, you'd be crying out with Isaiah. They are blind watchmen, ignorant, dumb dogs, sleeping, loving to slumber, yay, greedy dogs which can never have enough.

I've got 8 ,000 square foot, but I'm going to sell it and I'm going to make one. And now the King Solomon could live in, never getting enough. He said, shepherds that cannot understand, they all look to their own way, every one for his own gain from his quarter.

Ezekiel’s Judgment Against Shepherds Who Feed Themselves

Jeremiah spared no words. He said, my people are lost sheep. Their shepherds have caused them to go astray. Go to Ezekiel 34, please go to Ezekiel 34, I'm telling you, listen, you say, pastor, you have no right to speak so strongly on this subject.

If you think I'm strong, you listen to Ezekiel, Ezekiel 34, verse 1 through 10, verses 1 through 10. And the word of the Lord came into me saying, said a man prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, say to them, thus says the Lord God to the shepherds, woe to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves.

Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat. He's talking to shepherds. You eat the fat and you clothe you with the wool. Yeah, you take your, the $5 from the widow and you buy $15 ,000. You take the paycheck from the widow and the poor and you tell them that they don't have enough faith.

That's why they're not prospering. And you feed, you take the very wool off the back of the sheep. The disease have you not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which is broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away.

Neither have you sought that which is lost. You're not out for salt, you're out for money, but with force and with cruelty, have you ruled them? They've scattered because there's no shepherd and they became meat to all the beasts that filled when they were scattered.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill, my flock was scattered to the face of the earth and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, you shepherds hear the word of the Lord as I live, says the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey and my flock became meat to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not the flock.

Therefore, oh, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. Thus said the Lord God, behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my flock at their hand. They cause them to cease from feeding the flock.

Neither shall their shepherds feed themselves anymore, for I will deliver my flock from their mouth that they may not be meat for them anymore. If it takes the depression to do it and God bankrupts it all, he'll do it.

The Misrepresentation of the Holy Ghost

I'm going to deliver my flock from the teeth of these men. My God help us. Number two, the misrepresentation of the blessed Holy Ghost. What a reproach. This is the worst reproach that should make us fall on our faces.

The way in the manner in which the Holy Ghost is being represented to the whole world. Sad to say there's so little discernment left in the church and among so many pastors and even church leaders, they don't even know when the Holy Ghost is being misrepresented or blasphemed.

There are thousands of Christians that go to church, you go to crusades and healing crusades and they see things they think of the Holy Ghost and they don't even know that they're sitting on the ministry, they're clapping and they're praising God while a man stands up, they're blaspheming and misrepresenting the Holy Ghost and they don't even know it.

Entire charismatic denominations, including the Assemblies of God are being torn apart, literally torn apart by pseudo revivals. All kinds of things that are happening and there's something new being introduced almost every week and the leaders don't know whether to embrace it or to curse it, they don't know what to do.

Pastors write us, we get letters from hundreds and hundreds of pastors from all over the world. They say, what is right and what is wrong, where are the leaders, where is somebody to tell us? Folks, what we're seeing today in what is called so many revivals and things that are happening, being attributed to the Holy Ghost, cannot be found in the scripture.

Anything that cannot be found in this book has to be rejected outright, has to be rejected, totally rejected. I weep when I see these videos that are sent to me from all over the country, whole groups of bodies jerking out of control, falling on the floor, laughing hysterically, staggering around like drunkards, writhing like snakes, howling like wild animals.

We have evangelists that stand and blows on people to knock them down, as if the breath of the Holy Ghost has now incarnated him, throws his Brioni jacket at people and says, that is the hand of the Lord, and now a new gospel has just hit South America.

Rejecting Unscrip­tural Revival Practices

Now folks, it's very rude and crude, but I have to tell you. The newest thing now, because folks, when you get into this kind of thing, when you get away from the parameters of the scripture, when you just get up and say, oh, it's a new thing, it's a new thing, God's doing a new thing.

I don't understand it. It's not in the scripture, but I don't want to, I don't want to stand against the Holy Ghost. Folks, if it's not in this book, you must stand up against it. And now the new thing is that you can't enter the kingdom of God except you become as a little babe.

And now they're asking there, and the people come with diapers under their outer clothing so that they can defecate and urinate in the meetings. This is the new thing. Folks, where does it end? Like pastor Simba, I heard him preach the other day.

He said, is it come down to this at one day, some evangelist stands up and says, I've got a revelation from the Lord. It's time to add Mary to your worship. That's what it's going to come to. The evangelist calls himself the Holy Ghost bartender.

He says, belly up to the bar and take a drink of the Holy Ghost. And they call that drinking the new wine. And folks, I hear ringing in my ears the prophet that said the day of the Lord is at hand. Wickedness abounds, weep between the porch and the altar, put on sackcloth fast and mourn for the backsliding of my people.

Jesus is about to come and the masses are unreached. And when I see Christians belly up to what is called the Holy Ghost bar, staggering like drunkards, Job, Joel's words come to me loud and clear, awake you drunkards and weep.

All you who are drinking new wine because the harvest, the field is perished. He said, souls are dying by the thousands all over the world. People are dying. What are you laughing about? Folks, anything that is of the Holy Ghost has to work anywhere on the face of the earth.

You've got to be able to take it into the most most vile, wicked places. You've got to take it into poverty nations. You've got to take it into the dregs of humanity, and it's got to work there. It can't work just in prosperous America.

It has to work everywhere on the face of the earth. I dare you. I dare these men, and I said lovingly, I dare them to take this gospel. I dare them to take the laughing gospel into the Balkans now and go into those refugee camps where wives are crying because they saw their husband shot.

Their daughters have been raped. Their children are hungry. They've lost their homes. They're homeless. And go in there and ask them to belly up to the bar the Holy Ghost wants you to laugh. And this so-called revival is coming to Madison Square Garden this summer.

The Church’s Witness Before a Watching World

Knowing what you know about the scripture, carrying the grief and the burden for the solemn assembly, how do you even conceive of embracing such a doctrine? Let me tell you who's laughing. The world. The ungodly, the heathen.

It's become a spectacle at a time so close to the coming Lord, when the church of Jesus Christ ought to be shut and lay in the secret closet of prayer, where there ought to be weeping for the lost, where there ought to be a desire to forsake all and follow Jesus, where there should never be a mention of the dollar bill, the American God, the American idolatry.

We have the world looking at this foolishness. And you know what they're thinking now that the Holy Ghost is a circus, the Holy Ghost is the ringmaster. And it's a charismatic circus. I don't care what anybody thinks anymore.

I don't care if people drop off the mailing list. I do care for their soul. I care for the fact that many are into this blindness. But I have a duty before God to stand before the congregation has called me to minister to and warn you and tell you that these are reproaches of the solemn assembly.

And the Bible said you're to be sorrowful about it. He said the elders are to be sorrowful about it. The congregation, the pastors, the ministers, the evangelists. This is the end of side one. You may now turn the tape over to side two.