Right Song, Wrong Side — David Wilkerson

Israel’s Deliverance at the Red Sea

I'm reading from Exodus the 14th chapter starting at verse 31 in Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the people feared the Lord and Believed the Lord and his servant Moses.

Moses’ Song of Triumph

Chapter 15 then sang Moses and the children of Israel. This song unto the Lord and spake saying I will sing unto the Lord. For he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and the rider is thrown into the sea.

Now this is a beautiful song, isn't it? Verse 2. The Lord is my strength and song. He's become my salvation. He is my God and I will prepare him a habitation my Father's God and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war.

The Lord is his name. Heavenly Father speak to us. There are many here today bound by a spirit of fear. We're asking you Lord for a miracle that not one of those who come here with an open heart will leave as they came.

In Christ's name I pray. Amen. This is a very familiar story. You've heard it all of your church life. Children of Israel are led by the Holy Spirit and by the cloud of witness into a horrible crisis a terrible situation.

Israel’s Panic at the Egyptian Army

Surrounded by the enemies and you know the story how? Panic set into the camp and They rose up that people rose up and said to Moses in. These words he says and in summing it up. Why did you drag us out here?

Did we not tell you when you first challenged us that that this would happen? Are there no graves in Egypt that you come and let us die in this miserable state? And there was a cry. Can you imagine the roar of that crowd?

They rose up against Moses. Moses was in on the story of deliverance. The Lord had told him that that the sea is going to be opened and yet He was so overwhelmed by this cry and this despair he fell on his knees and wept and the Lord God said Moses, why do you cry up at me?

Why do you cry? Why are why are you burdened by this tell the people to move on and you know the story they? That night of the roaring of the wind and the open the wind opening up the sea and they went over on dry ground.

You know the story this is the song that they were singing. They were saying then the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians. And they saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. Israel saw the great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses.

Now they believe. Now that they've seen the miracle. Now that the sea has been opened they walk on dry ground. Outcome the tambourines outcome the dancers. And they sang a beautiful song. They sang the Lord has triumphed.

He's my strength. He's my salvation. I will exalt him who is like unto thee O Lord fearful in praise and doing wonders. Right song wrong side. Did you hear what I said? They they sang a beautiful song, but this was the song God so yearned for on the testing side.

Praising God Before the Victory

Anybody can praise the Lord after the victory has come. Anyone can dance when the prayers have been answered. What about facing the darkness? What about facing a future that you can't understand and it looks so dark and it looks so hopeless.

And then I have kind of argued with the Lord at times and say Lord It's only natural to fear if I was there that day In that particular crisis. I too would have trembled. I my faith may have wavered and even me may have failed Just like the children of Israel.

Now God is a tender loving father and there's a time to weep. There's a time To vent our fears the overcome by these human fears of the future and how we're going to make it. When I was praying about this I Felt the Holy Spirit saying to my heart that What I wanted God to do is give some slack Lord they're human.

They are you commanding? Are you demanding that God's people rejoice and praise the Lord when everything is bleak? When there's unemployment people losing their homes and people are in despair and God's people tremble because God's people suffer rains on the just and on the unjust and And I'm saying to the Lord you mean to tell me because there been times I've been there and and go through this and I don't feel like praying.

I don't feel like singing. I sure don't want to dance and I'm saying Lord you you're asking people to to Make a death-like decision that they're going to walk toward the water and they're going to step into it without any evidence at that point and when I when you study this book and when you see the Lord speaking to his disciples and and Rebuking them for the unbelief and saying where is your faith over and over again?

It comes out and it comes out here. It was was God unjust was he mean-spirited when he talks to his servant who Moses who who went through so much to come to this point and had exercised so much faith and spoke clearly the heart of God and Here he is it's not a rebuke but the Lord's saying what why are you crying get up?

I Wonder if the Holy Spirit is saying that to somebody in this service this morning. Why are you on your face just weeping and sorrow? Why are you mourning? Have I failed you in the past? I did you not see all of these deliverance.

Do they not count? Folks we have heard so many sermons on faith. We have we have had so many sermons on willingness experience. We've had so many messages. We have five pastors here five preaching passion one, two, three, four, five six including me.

I Don't know if there's angle angle about this. It hasn't been preached over and over again. When do when do we come to the place where we say God. I'm going to take a stand this time. I'm not gonna let the devil take me into a pit of despair.

I'm not going to let this get me down and there has to come a point in our lives Where where we say is Job did though you slay me yet. I'm going to trust you. This Jenner, I'm not going to preach long, but I want to get this through to you.

Singing in the Midst of Captivity

This world demands a song in hard times in the story of the Children of Israel goes into Babylon taking captive because of their iniquities and In Psalm 137 They're in Babylon now. And I was reading this yesterday and I picked it up again this morning.

And they're sitting by the river and they're weeping and they've hung up their Harps now remember these people that are sitting there by by the river. These people are known around the world caravans came and trading caravans and into Jerusalem and out in other cities of Judah and they had heard the joyful singing in the tambourines and the harps and the joyful praises unto the Lord their God and Always boasting on their God how he was a keeper and how he was above all other gods and the power of the might and the majesty of their God and Here they are.

Now. They've hung their Their harps on the willow trees. Those are weeping trees and they're weeping and crying and It says by the rivers of Babylon there. We sat down. Yeah, we wept when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they they that carried us away captive required of us a song and they and and they That wasted us required of us mirth. That's joy.

Sing unto us. They said one of the songs of Zion. I don't know if these were soldiers but I think it was general populace it came up it could you imagine these thousands of God's people sitting there mourning and weeping and Yes, they had they had lost their homes.

They had lost everything and there is a time to weep but these Babylonians come having heard that now remember the Bible said to the wicked. There's no peace. And I don't care what religion it is. The one thing that they cannot produce is the true joy of God.

They cannot produce joy. They cannot produce peace and that's why Many religions are trying to bring believers into captivity through arms and through murder and trying to force people into their religion.

These people I know are hopeless. These people have heard that this God Takes you through hard times. This God puts a song in your heart. Even you're facing incredible times. Says they came and they demanded of us a song hear me this generation to Is commanding demanding a song it is so empty.

A Testimony of Hope to a Fearful Generation

I Saw the headlines of a magazine and grocery store the New York City party every night. It's talking about Wall Streeters now the same thing we heard about happening in Scotland and and. And you can hear on Friday and Saturday night you hear the wailing I mean two and three o 'clock in the morning.

You can hear the wailing of people. Alcohol, I don't know if drugs alcohol whatever be and you hear this this cry. You you hear the wailing the emptiness of the hopelessness. You go to the hospital to go to any emergency ward in this city on Friday Saturday night and look at those laying out on beds and some of them that just trying to get into the wards and they're oh, they're overdosed and they're drunk and The the countenance is so incredible you know these People Demanding a song Wanted to hear and it said they demanded mirth.

How can you sing? How can you have? Joy when Something in your heart is rising up say how am I go? How are we going to make it? How are we going to make things are changing things are changing fast and you you hear about a new health Order and you're wondering When I'm older and if you're old what's going to happen to me?

What's going to happen to us and there comes a time? That the oh you we have to realize the only testimony. The only hope see they don't want a miracle. They don't want to go to church and see a miracle.

They don't want to see blind eyes open. They don't want to see somebody that gets up off of wheelchair. They don't want to see that. They don't want to see your miracles in my and they don't want to hear Heavy preaching they don't want the doctor right now.

And I thank God for doctor and I believe in miracles. God does open eyes, but they've seen so many medical miracles. They've they've seen transplants of hearts and they've seen limbs that are attached and Fingers that are attached that have been cut off and they see all of these medical miracles.

No, no I I don't want to see a miracle. I Want to see somebody? Just an ordinary person like me. Who's going through a hell on earth? Who's going through a trial and I want to. I want to see and hear something of hope.

I want to see. That's what I want to see and that's what this generation say. They're demanding a song. I'm not talking about Dancing around your apartment. I'm not talking about Singing out loud some of the loudest singing I've ever sang you wouldn't hear.

It's quiet and the groanings I've grown you wouldn't hear and Some of the prayers I pray you wouldn't hear but I have made up my mind and I'll be tested. I want about to tell you but I had made up my mind that I will I This is not you have we have to do this first.

We have to set our minds fix our mind. He will keep him in perfect. Peace whose mind is fixed on the Lord. You have to fix it. I have to fix it. Our will has to be involved no matter how dark no matter how unbelievable it gets there has to be something rise up and These people saying You you said that your God Can take you through any trial.

Now was that just a fable. Was that a figment of your imagination? Were you lying? That's what I hear the Spirit. Say to me lovingly to a loving father and a blessed comforting Holy Spirit. David are you going to believe me now?

Even by What you see and what you can't see and what you fear. I don't want to stand before God on that day with a Back pack on me full of fear and doubts and unbelief that I've allowed to take root. These Babylonians walked away dismayed.

They're just like us Folks, I'm not rebuking anybody. I'm preaching to myself. They walked away. See their God doesn't hear and there's this total hopelessness there. Years ago We started this church started in a Nederlander theater on 441st Street.

We only had 12 and a choir. We had a house full but small choir and one day one of the men in the choir came to see me. He said pastor Dave. I Was I had a high-paying job in media? And he said they did.

He asked me to make a compromise and I couldn't make the compromise so I had to quit my job. He said it was months ago he said and I I Have tried and tried. I've sent out resumes everywhere I could think of and he said I'm hitting a wall.

There's no unemployment. At that time there was a lot of unemployment here in America and that was 1989 -90. He said I I have prayed I have doing everything, right? He said I have friends that Try to encourage me, but then I have some that asked me to search my heart to see if there's something they're hindering.

And he said it's. It's one thing to counsel people. He said But until you live in my shoes until you know what it's like. You can't know what it's like to be unemployed and not be able to find a job. About my manhood about my wife about the future.

And then he said pastor Dave I know About testing. I know about trials. But he said if if if God's saying something to me I'm not getting it yet. If I'm being tested, I don't know the solution. I don't know where to go.

But he said I there's one thing I know from being in this market and Having had such a good job, but he said I know that and I know that what God needs now is a testimony of an ordinary person like me and he said I don't.

I'm not if I get another job right now without learning this lesson without Knowing that I'm a testimony and that all around me knew what I was going through and yet I didn't murmur. I didn't complain.

He said that's where I want to go. I want to be that testimony if I just get another job. I've not learned anything and then there's another test now keep you gotta keep trying to get through to me. He said I want God to get to to me now and I want to learn this.

I don't want to be murmuring anymore or complaining and his heart was right with God. Now it was a number of months before he got another job but he he was that testimony and I Was. I'm gonna close in just a minute, but I have to say this in prayer last last night I'm saying Lord.

What do you really want to say to this congregation? What are you really wanting me to. To pour out as your instrument. And Lord spoke to my heart. The Holy Spirit said that there were many would be attending here this morning.

Confronting the Spirit of Fear

That are bound by a spirit of fear. You're bound by it. No, no folks fear is a spirit. It's a tormenting spirit. And it can put you in a pit of despair and I'm telling you now you're gonna have to get out of it today.

You can't go another day going deeper and deeper into fear. God said I've not given you the spirit of fear, but love and power and a sound mind. And I'm not just going to give you a script. I'm just telling you what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying God led you it just assures.

He led Israel to this crisis. God has led you to where you're at. And if you don't understand that if you won't grip that you can't get out of the pit. You can't get out of that pit until you say God.

You've led me all my life. I've Testified to that and I don't understand what I'm going through. I don't understand and the future looks so bleak. But you see if if we don't will if we don't take a stand.

When we you don't feel like praying. When you're tired of all the voices, but you stand up and say no. You take authority over the spirit of fear because hell has unleashed now principalities and powers of darkness and evil spirits.

Millions of evil spirits are loose in the land right now and the devil is looking at anyone who is lingering in in this area of Fear this fear he uses fear to drag people down. It comes to the place that you can't eat.

It comes to the place where? Even your friends around you can't bring you out and you're going down into that beloved understand. It's a spirit. First of all, God has led me here. God has kept his hand on me before and God still has his eye on me.

God has never taken away and I can't see through the storm. I know there's another side. I know that God. God will not fail his word. But there has to come a time you make almost like a death-like decision.

I Am going to trust God through this. Then you have you have the authority for the next trial. How long are we going to allow the devil to trample our minds and our thoughts? And bring the fear and the loneliness and the emptiness.

How long do we put up with it when Jesus said I give you power to cast out evil spirits. I give you power over the devil. You take a step. Folks, it's time to rise up and take a stand and I'm going to pray in just a moment and I'm going to pray against.

Every evil spirit that doesn't mean you're possessed. It means you're harassed. You're harassed and you can put the devil to chase. The Bible says you take a stand you resist him. He will flee from you.

Now. That's God's Word. It's not my word. It's God's Word. You're not gonna let the devil do it anymore in just a moment. We're gonna stand. I Am gonna pray and I want you to pray now if you don't know Christ is your Lord and Savior.

Invitation to Trust Christ

And believe me. Without Jesus, where do you go? Where do you find comfort? Where do you find forgiveness? How do you face what's coming? If you don't have Christ the Savior and the Holy Spirit abiding in you.

I invite you in the annex and overflow rooms. I Invite you and those in a balcony here if you don't know Christ. In just a moment while we stand I invite you to get out of your seat and come boldly take a stand for Christ and He will meet your heart's cry in this service before you walk out.

And I'm going to talk about those Who've been harassed with a spirit of fear that's from the enemy. That's an evil spirit. Trying to scream into your head into your mind thoughts that will bring you to despair and Unrest he said there's a rest that remains for his people and you can enter into that rest today.

Taking Authority Over Fear

Will you stand. I'm going to ask you? If you have a spirit of fear that is harassing you. Harassing your mind. I want you In your seat, you don't have to. I'm not. I'm not asking if I if I ask you to step forward to be hundreds.

We wouldn't have room. I'm asking you to take authority over that assigned evil spirit if you beloved Paul Said it right. He was pounded by messenger from Satan. There are assignments that principalities and powers are under under the command of Satan.

To bring you down to destroy your faith and Bring you down the pit of despair. So that you have no hope left. And I'm telling you I have the mind of God. I have the mind of the Holy Spirit right now. God knows if you take that stand.

All the power of Jesus Christ and all the power of the Holy Ghost will be on your side. You say that's mind over matter. No, that's Bible over devil. I'm Going to ask you if you're backslidden if you've been you've Turned away from the Lord and your heart is cold and empty and you want to return to Christ.

Come and join these. Doesn't matter how many are down here. I just want you as Christians as believers to be set free. I Want you to pray and cheat these are in this use your own words, but Satan. I Take authority in Jesus name.

I'm gonna pray it and then you pray it Satan. We come against you and the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. You have bound your people long enough. God's people long enough. You have harassed long enough.

You've cast so many horrible thoughts into the minds and then you've tried to come back again and again and again. But we are not ignorant of your devices. We don't cast you out the Spirit of the Living God in us cast you out.

In the name of Jesus Christ in the name above every name on earth in heaven. Satan go and flee from this house flee from this place. Flee from the hearts and the minds of your people. Go in Christ's name and never return.

Prayer for Deliverance and Renewed Faith

You pray that prayer now in faith you pray it out loud and you you have power and authority. God has never rescinded that offer casting down every evil imagination. And every thought that rises up against the truth of God's Word in the name of Jesus Christ.

Casting out the spirit of fear. In the annex rooms the Spirit of God is there just like it is right here in this auditorium. And he wants you right now to take a step of faith and say Lord. I will believe you.

I am weak, but you are strong. Strengthen my faith be with me and let me hold fast. Beloved take your stand right now. Take your stand by faith those that need Christ. You don't need me to give you a prayer.

You just say from your heart Lord. I need you and I Repented my sins, and I'm here to take a stand to say I need you Lord, and I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Now that's where it begins right now.

Pray it from your heart pray it in your heart before the Lord and those that have been called to the Lord just. The Lord knows your heart if your heart is open the Spirit of the Lord is here this morning to bring you back to your first love.

You don't need somebody laying hands on you. It's your faith. It's your open heart that accomplishes this. Hallelujah if you believe. If you believe that God delivers us. From every evil spirit that's turned loose in the world right now I want you to raise your hands and raise your hand and keep it there.

I just keep raise your hand and say to him Lord. I will trust you. I Will believe you and I take my stand. I Will not fear. What is to come and what is now? And I will no longer. Fear the enemy. Because I am more than conquer.

Through Christ Jesus my Lord now give him. Thanks.