Finishing how we Started： God's Presence — Carter Conlon

Finding Joy in the Will of God

Because this is where I started years ago. There was my brother-in-law on guitar, there was me and my son Jason, and we would go to church and we started a Bible study out in the middle of nowhere. I mean, you had to be lost to find this church.

There's no other way you could find it. They called it Pendleton. I don't even know why they gave it a name. There was one house there and the church. That's all that was there. And it was honestly miles from anywhere.

And we were led of the Lord to start a Bible study there. And so every Wednesday night, we would go to this little church in Pendleton and I'd have to shovel the snow and sometimes light the fires, greet the four people that showed up at the door, lead the worship with my guitar, and then give the announcements and then do the Bible teaching, then dismiss the service, then go to the back door and shake the hands of the same four people as they left, then take out the vacuum and vacuum the carpets.

And we were so filled with joy. Pastor Teresa remembers those days. We were just so filled with joy because we were in the will of God doing something that we felt was pleasing to Him. I don't even know how else to say it.

And we felt it was going to, if we would stay faithful, that it would lead somewhere. And it's such a privilege for me tonight and for Pastor Teresa. And I know I speak for others to just be back to where we began.

Losing and Recovering the Presence of God

Because from there, we, of course, traveled. The church has expanded. They grew. We had a missions program. I started traveling the country, ended up in New York City in this magnificent church on Broadway and 51st.

And then God in His mercy will bring us back to where we started because you see, all we ever had was Him in the beginning. And you can finally, you can actually lose that with all of the voices and all the budgets and all the programs and all the mirrors and smoke and everything else that goes along with present day religion.

You can actually lose the presence of God and not even be aware of it. And I'm just so thankful. I wish you were actually in this room tonight. There's only about 10 of us here, but the joy of the Lord is here.

I don't know what else to say. I feel like shouting. I feel like running the aisle. The presence of God is here. And I felt tonight just the way I used to feel in the days when we were in that little Bible study out in the middle of the country.

I would wanna dance when it was all over and I didn't know why, but God had come and He was there and He was the strength in my life. And what a privilege it is to finish the way we started. Which brings me to Acts chapter two.

The Church Began in Prayer and the Power of God

The church started in the power of God. The church started in a prayer meeting. The church started with 120 people hearing from God and literally hitting the public forum and declaring to people who Christ was and what He was speaking to their hearts.

That's the church that bent the knee of the Roman Empire. That's the church that brought us the torch of light. They started with nothing physically, but they had everything because they had the presence of God.

Recalibrating the Church to the Gospel and the Lost

And we are in a good place. I think it's good that God's stripping it all away. I really do. Because the joy I have is not based on the fact that I got a 250 voice choir behind me. The joy I have is not based on that everything technically is going right all the time.

The joy I have is that He is here. His presence is here. His word is here. He is guiding us into the future. He's recalibrating us. What do they call that on the GPS, Pastor Patrick? What is that called?

Recalibrating or whatever my car always tells me because I'm always going the wrong direction. And it tells me that your journey is being recalibrated. Well, maybe, just maybe. Has it ever occurred to you that God just might be recalibrating His own church?

And recalculating and bringing us back to basics, bringing us back to the place of prayer, bringing us back to the simple gospel of Jesus Christ, bringing us back to the winning of the lost, which is the work of God on the earth.

It's not just to put on a big show and have everybody say, oh, what a marvelous church that is. No, it's the winning of the lost to Jesus Christ. That is the passion and the burden of the heart of God.

Praise God. I have just done an Easter special radio program called The Resurrection of America. And this program is going to go across the country. It will be playing it in at least 305 stations, probably a whole lot more than that, but we know 305 for sure that regularly play the program A Call to the Nation.

It's going to be called The Resurrection of America. It's an Easter special and you can listen to it on our website or you can go to itstimetopray .org and you can get the program there. I really do encourage you to listen to it.

It's a powerful, powerful radio program dealing with our time. Our Bible School, Summit International School of Ministry is accepting applications now for the fall of 2020. If you're interested in more information, how to start the application procedure, or to find out if you qualify for a scholarship, text the word SUMMIT to 484848.

That's SUMMIT to 484848. Even I can remember that at my age. The admissions team is ready to chat with you and to answer all your questions. Now don't forget, we'll be here Sunday morning at 10 a .m. Eastern Sunday streaming on our website and you can go there or you can go to YouTube channel or you can go to Facebook.

You can get our live service at 10 o 'clock this coming Sunday at either one of these. We will also be having communion together on Sunday morning. So you might want to have some crackers or juice or bread, whatever you got in your house ready so that we can have communion together on Sunday morning.

Please invite your family, your friends, your neighbors and your coworkers to tune in with us live online for this coming Sunday morning Easter service. I wanna thank you again for your generosity and your continued support.

If you'd like to support the work of Times Square Church, you can give online to tsc .nyc slash give. You can go through our, donate through our push pay app or you can text give tscnyc to 77977. That's give tscnyc, Times Square Church, New York City to 77977.

Praying for Souls and Guidance

Father, thank you. God, thank you. Lord that I believe as Hudson Taylor, this great missionary to China once said that work done God's way will never lack God's supply. So thank you Lord that you will lead us.

You will guide us Lord. We are wanting to do your work. We're wanting to do it your way and we are asking you Lord for millions of souls in the coming days. Millions Lord, millions God that would turn to you too numerous to even count.

Give us the grace my God, lead us and guide us. We thank you in Jesus name. Raphael and his one man band are going to lead us in one more song. Then Pastor Teresa has a word for us tonight from the Lord.