(Sweden) God's Controversy With the Evangelical Church of Sweden — David Wilkerson

I don't know what my son preached in the previous service. He preached a new message I've never heard. He's never heard what I'm about to speak. Because I didn't know till one o 'clock today. I went home to my room.

I went back to my hotel room. And I sat in a chair. And the Lord spoke. I have a controversy with the Evangelical Church of Sweden. I said, what does that mean? What's that mean to me? I don't know anything about the Swedish Evangelical Church.

I've not asked questions. I know very few pastors. And when I talk about the Evangelical Church, I'm talking about Lutherans, Pentecostals, Baptists, Salvation Army, all Evangelical churches. And God spoke to my heart.

A Prophetic Burden for the Evangelical Church of Sweden

I have a controversy with the Evangelical Church of Sweden and Scandinavia. So what do you want me to do about that? I don't know what your controversy is. I've already chosen my message. And the Lord said, you have to prophesy.

I have never believed I was a prophet, never claimed to be a prophet. I'm one of His many, many watchmen. And what I have to say, I don't want to say in my flesh. And my heart is palpitating. And I would like to just bless you.

I would like to just encourage you. But if I don't do what God has told me to do, and I'm not trying to be dramatic, I have the holy fear of God on me. Because God loves His church. He loves the Evangelical Church in Sweden.

And that I am sure. And I'm not here to offend anybody. When the Lord showed me what I had to share, I said, I can't do it. Who am I to come into Sweden and bring a correcting message? Or to bring such a strong word?

I'm not an American preacher. The Lord said, if you don't do it, you need to remember what I said to Ezekiel. If the righteous sin, and you don't warn the righteous, He said, you cannot deliver your soul.

And I hold you accountable. And with much trepidation, trembling, I want you to hear what God has to say. I won't bring it in fury, but in brokenness. God has a controversy with the church, Evangelical Church in Sweden.

Amos’s Prophetic Word Against God’s People

Go to Amos, the third chapter. This is where God led me. I'm going to read the first eight verses. I'll read one verse, and then it will be interpreted. Here this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt.

Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt. Only you have I known as my people, of all the family of the earth.

Therefore I will also punish you for all your transgressions. Can two walk together except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den if he has not taken nothing?

Can a bird fall into a snare upon the earth where no net or gin is for him? Shall one take up a snare from the earth and have taken nothing at all? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid?

Shall there be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it? Shall one stomp in a city without the people being frightened? Shall there be misfortune in a city without the Lord having done it? To the Lord, the Lord does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants, the prophets.

The lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy? Heavenly Father, I'm asking you now to come by your spirit and power. Sanctify my mouth and my heart. Let me speak only the word that you put in my mouth.

I humble myself before you and this congregation. And I acknowledge that I'm only a voice. A voice crying in the wilderness. Oh God, if you've ever spoken to Sweden, speak now. Speak clearly. Speak with conviction.

Speak for the sake of healing. And revive us again. In Jesus' name. Amen. Verse one, Amos 3. This is a word against the whole family. To those God has placed his hand upon. Those which he has delivered.

Verse two. You only have I known of all the families of the earth. He said, you're the one that I love. He's speaking to his own people here. I have done a work in you. And I have chosen you. And I have blessed you.

You're my family. And because you're my family, I'm going to deal with you unlike I would deal with anyone else. Because whom I love, I chase him. This is a sign of my love. God is saying to Israel, I could leave you alone.

I could let you go in on this iniquity. If you were of the world, I would not correct. But because of my love, because you're my family, therefore I will correct you for iniquity. Verse three. Can two walk together except they be agreed?

See, that's the introduction of a controversy. God says, you are my family. But you're not in agreement with me. I have a controversy with you. And two cannot walk together unless they are agreed. And I cannot walk with you the way I want to walk with you.

I cannot do with you what I want to do with you unless we are one, unless we are walking in agreement. Will a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den if he has taken nothing?

Apathy as the Church’s Central Problem

Let me go back to verse three and let me tell you what I believe the controversy is. It is not apostasy. It is not some vile wickedness. That's not the issue. That's not the controversy God has. The controversy God has with the Evangelical Church of Sweden is one word, one issue.

I give it to you as God gave it to me in one word. Apathy. Apathy. He said, I can't walk with you. I cannot do what I want to do in spite of the call for revival. In spite of all of it. I see apathy, the Lord says.

I don't know this in my flesh. No one has mentioned that word to me about the church in Sweden. I said in this audience and I felt nothing but the Holy Spirit. And while I sense the Holy Spirit so powerful in this meeting, I said, how do I say that?

How do I bring such a word and say apathy? God said, you speak what I tell you. I see the heart and you don't. He said, I'm speaking to the whole Evangelical body. He said, I see in my church those who are my family look to the cults and look to dead formal churches and say to them with a pointed finger you have a form of godliness without power.

And I hear the Holy Spirit with a loving hand say no. That's not right. It is you, my church. It is my family. Those called by my name. Those related to me. You, Church of Sweden. You, Evangelicals. You've come to this point where you have a form of godliness but you are losing the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Because of apathy. Satisfied now to come to the house of God. Go through the motions and the programs. Organize to try to find power and authority with society. And you become tolerant and the word that God hears from the lips of the government and the lips of the church is we are a tolerant people.

No, he said you are lukewarm people. You tolerate your government to tell you you can't speak against homosexuality from your pulpit. And no one is falling on their knees and using the weapon of prayer to bring down those strongholds.

There are no tears. There are no anguish. Because we, Evangelicals are tolerant people. No, the Holy Spirit says it is apathy. And let me tell you what happened. Go to verse chapter 2. First let me go to verse 4 and chapter 3.

Beloved, I have no notes. I'm speaking only as I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking through me. Will a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? The lion is roaring in Sweden. This is not the lion of Judah.

This is the roaring lion out of hell. And he is roaring as he has never roared in this nation in history. A lion only roars when he has a victim. When he has a prey. And drags him to his nest. And looking at that dead prey before he devours it he roars in victory.

And the young lions are being fed the morsels and the pieces I was driving to church yesterday to this meeting and on the headlines Pentecostal preacher something about murder and I've asked nobody to tell me the details.

I don't need to know the details. All I know is what the Holy Spirit is saying to my heart. The devil is roaring because he's come against the church of Jesus Christ and he thinks he is now king of the evangelical movement.

I have gone into the midst of it and taken my prey. There was not one arrow shot at me. There was no power to withstand me. There was an apathetic people and something has happened and I had a free reign and now in your newspapers and on television the devil is roaring as if he's won victory and he's feeding the press the young lions who feed on this corpse.

Israel’s Deliverance, Prophetic History, and Lost Fire

Now go to chapter 2. How does this happen? I brought you up from the land of Egypt and led you 40 years through the wilderness. Verse 10. It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt and led you through the wilderness for 40 years.

Now I know he's talking to Israel. But Paul the apostle said this. These things were written for our teaching. They are written for our examples. He said You have a history with me. You have a history of deliverance of mighty deliverers who brought you out of bondage.

Verse 11. I raised up of your sons prophets and of your young men for Nazarites. Isn't this so, all children of Israel? I want you to hear what God is saying. I had mighty leaders among you. Men with fire in their bones and under their ministry.

I raised up prophets and I raised up young men who were Nazarites who were separated from this world. Fiery young Nazarites young prophets who were going to set a whole nation on fire. My hand was upon them.

I was in the office of this church. I see a picture of brother Petros surrounded by 55 deacons and elders. You can see and you can feel the very presence of God. I was in this pulpit in the early seventies right here where I stand and I saw hundreds of young people burning on fire.

I saw holy prophets of God. I heard a sound a glorious sound. God was raising up a new generation. God's plan for this very day this very hour that these prophets would now be going to your nation. These separated young people would be bringing the message to thousands of young people.

They would be traveling the world right now bringing millions of people to repentance. But a spirit of apathy fell a cry for prosperity. And now the cry was a good job no self-denial but to get the comfortable house.

And we had television introduced into our homes and all the gadgets that bring the whole world into our living rooms. So we let that generation sit in front of television and saturate their minds with filth.

We turned prophets into puppets of the enemy. It's in verse 12. You gave the Nazarites wine to drink. You commanded the prophets saying prophesy not. They said you get tired of hearing messages of gloom and doom.

You want to sit comfortable in church now. You don't want to cry and weep. You don't want to spend two hours in prayer meeting. Now it's hours in television and theater and go to the house of God with no burden of the Lord.

And you gave your young people their nice clothes. And you said no the ministry is not for you. You'll be poor the rest of your life. You didn't want the Nazarite life for your children and you've given them the wine of prosperity.

Don't disturb us. Don't move us. No weeping prophets among us. Give us smooth words. He said behold I'm pressed. Verse 13. I'm pressed under you as a cart is pressed that's full of sheaves. Do you know what God is saying?

Do you see what God is saying here? God said I gave you a cart full of sheaves. A harvest of young people. The prophets said who wanted to serve God but it didn't go all the way to me. Because now the evangelical church in Sweden has a cart full of sheaves.

A wagon load of sheaves. A past harvest that has never been turned into bread. It's mired down in the mud of apathy. The fields are ripe for harvest. There's a hungry generation out there ready to turn to Christ.

But you see you have nothing now but the historical reapings. We talk about the past. There's not a denomination representing the past that didn't start with fire. Those who brought to birth your groups they had fire in their soul.

They would weep between the porch and the altar born in intercession calling the young people to ministries around the world. But now the cart holds the harvest bogged in the mud of apathy. The prophet Joel said the seed will turn rot.

Television, Prosperity, and the Loss of a Generation

He said I'm pressed under you. He said I'm burdened for you folks. We've lost a whole generation not just in Scandinavia but all over the world. Mothers that used to weep for their children now laughing in front of a television set.

The mother comes to me weeping over her son because his grandmother who was a missionary for 50 years a mother of Zion comes home from the mission field and sits in front of television. This young grandson loved his grandmother.

He said that's the kind of faith I want my grandmother's faith. He was a teenager and for weeks and months that missionary sat in front of television until she lost her touch of God. No more praying no more seeking God just watching television.

He left for college but before he left he knelt in front of his grandmother's chair in front of a television set. He said grandma you were my hero. I wanted to be a missionary. But if this is how it ends if it ends up in front of a television set no fire no burden of the Lord.

I want nothing to do with your Christ or your religion. And the boy back slid and turned away from God. And what is the result? Verse 14. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift. And the strong shall not strengthen his force.

Neither shall the mighty deliver himself. Do you understand what the prophet is saying? He said if you don't wake up he's saying church. If you don't deal with this if you will not come back to a broken heart and a contrite spirit then it will grow weaker and weaker.

Your young people who were once strong will grow weak. They will flee from the house of God. Verse 15. He that stands that hands the bow. In other words he that's in the army of God whose turn to the Lord will have no weapon.

He that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself. Neither shall the mighty. He that rideth the horse deliver himself. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord there's going to be.

The Lord says a mass exodus. And in the process of just being satisfied with the status quo and in the process of just getting by and without a spirit of anguish of heart you will see nothing but weakness spiritual nakedness and no armor against the powers of hell.

He said. Now pastor David you've painted a very bleak dark picture. Let me tell you the cure. Let me tell you what God wants for his church. Nehemiah. The first chapter verse 1 said. These are the words of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah’s Model of Repentance and Spiritual Burden

If you look this way for just a moment let me give you the historical picture. Jerusalem is in ruins. The walls are down and it's all been caused by apathy. The prophets all prophesied them. He said you've left off building my house.

Now you're building your houses. You've become interested now in your own livelihood. The sacrifice for my house is not there now. Now you want your precious houses. Now God is not against blessing and prospering his people.

But you see when that brings upon us the most dangerous thing in the church is prosperity. I was in Germany over 35 years ago. Pastor pointed to his church. We were walking by it. There were a few old cars out in front and some people were having a service.

And it was in Russian. And this was a German church. And I said who are those people. He said they're immigrants from Russia. Some of the poorest people from Russia. They came with sacks on their back and sausages.

They were helped to get a place to stay. We were helping them get jobs. I came back a few years ago same walk, same pastor. And the place was full of Mercedes and BMWs. Now God is not against you driving a Mercedes or a BMW that has nothing to do with I'm saying.

And I said who are these. They're the same people. I said why am I weeping. I started weeping. He said you're weeping for God's pain. You're almost all businessmen now very prosperous. You're not praying.

Now you're inside that building trade secrets business making business deals. Now the fire is gone. They come to near my Hanina. His brother comes. He said Jerusalem is in ruins. The walls are down. Everybody is out for themselves.

And the scripture says they said to me there's great affliction and reproach. Verse 3. There's great affliction and reproach on the church. The walls of Jerusalem also are broken down and the gates are burned with fire.

How did God change things. How did God revive Jerusalem. How did he build up the walls and the temple. How did God do a new thing in the land. Verse 4 is the secret it came to pass when I heard these words.

I sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Verse 6. Let now your ear be attentive and thy eyes open that you may hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before you night and day for the children of Israel thy servants confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against thee.

Both I and my father's house have sinned. Verse 6. Let now your ear be attentive and thy eyes open so that you may hear the prayer of thy servant day and night. I pray to thee for the children of Israel thy servants and confess the sins which we the children of Israel have sinned against the antidote for apathy is anguish.

Anguish, Fasting, and Intercessory Prayer

Not many in the church want to hear that word. We don't want to weep. We don't want to profit delving into the depths of our hearts. I am so tired of hearing about revival. That's all talk means nothing anymore.

Because if we wanted it we would have prayer meetings in our churches. It would be one of the biggest things the biggest nights in the church. You go to Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn Tabernacle by Tuesday night prayer meeting 3 ,000 people weeping crying out to God for a wicked city.

You come to Times Square Church Tuesday night when we pray and intercede church is packed and people in the overflow room anguishing, crying out to God. Because let me tell you what I believe when terrorists struck New York City and brought the towers down that happened on the 9th month the 11th day.

So we Americans refer to it as 9 -11 the day that changed everything. Here's what I've been told to tell you for the church of Jesus Christ this is your spiritual 9 -11. It's a call. It's a wake up. Now the devil's roaring but God's blowing a trumpet.

It's what it says here back to Amos. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid. Won't you understand and see that a trumpet is blasting. I'm getting your attention now in the King James English version.

This is what it says further in verse 6. Shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it. And what that means. If there is evil in the city advertised evil has the Lord not exposed it. Do you understand that he said the trumpet is sounded.

And he said I'm getting the attention of my church. That's what I preached in America the Sunday after our 9 -11. It was a warning and we didn't accept it. And I warned it right from this prophet Amos.

They said we will rebuild bigger and better construction's about to begin the same site for a spire a crystal spire taller than the World Trade Center fulfills the prophecy of Amos to the letter we will build bigger and better pride.

The sin of America is pride. The sin of the church. Evangelical church in Sweden. Scandinavia is apathy. The only way it can be awakened is for young men young men and women of God to say I don't want what I see.

I am not putting down the church in Sweden. I am not putting down the church in Sweden. I am not putting down the church in Sweden. I am not putting down the church in Sweden. But young men. There has to be something in you saying I am willing to sacrifice and deny myself take up a cross.

I want what I saw my fathers have. I want that holy fire. God break me. Bring me into that Nazarite life. Separate me from the world. Oh may God raise up prophets. I don't mean these good time prophets go around blessing everybody preaching smooth things.

The Bible defines a prophet this way they will show my people the difference between what is holy and what is profane. I have a weeping in my heart your flesh and my flesh can't produce brokenness but it happens when men of God and women of God appear before me and say oh Lord break me.

Let me feel the responsibility let me be one who is awakened let me be one who seeks your face with this. I close when I heard of the ruin Nehemiah said. And he's speaking of the ruin caused by apathy.

I'm not saying the church is in ruin, but that's where apathy takes us. But Nehemiah said, when I heard about it, in other words, when God confronted me with it, and the word in Hebrew is, I came under anguish, night and day, and I wept, and I fasted.

When's the last time you fasted for your country, for your church, your children, your marriage? When's the last time? Even one day? One meal? God is yearning. He's pleading. He wants to pour out His Spirit.

And He's creating a cry. And the Lord told me, if I would preach this, and not be afraid, He would send this message throughout all of Scandinavia, and He would revive a multitude. Everywhere this tape is played, I don't get a dollar, I get nothing from tapes.

And I'm not promoting tapes. But we have got to get a message to the people. You as pastors cannot do it alone. Every elder, every deacon, and every member of your church, call a fast. Call your people to prayer.

And get on your face before God. And say, O God, now, You have spoken to us. You have given us our awakening call. And You have blown the trumpet. And we will not let the devil roar. Our weapons are mighty through God to pull down the stronghold of Satan.

Search of Jesus Christ, wake up. Take authority over the power of Satan. And I want you to stand with me now. And I want you to pray with me. And in this meeting now, God will break the roar of the lion.

Closing Intercession for Sweden’s Awakening

Raise both hands. Call out to God with me, please. Hear the call of the Holy Ghost. O Holy Spirit, the newspapers are full of the roar of the devil. He has taken the prey. But O God, You said he's defeated.

We take Your authority over the power of the lion. O Lion of Judah, rise up and protect Your name. Rise up for Your namesake. Bring us to our knees. Forgive us our apathy. And meet us once again. Oh, I believe that.

God, You have something for Sweden. For Scandinavia. O God, we cry to You. Do it again. Do it again. Call out Your Spirit.