Renewal Conference Restoring Your Passion for Christ - Part 5 — David Wilkerson

We're delighted to have you and we trust that this day will be the best day you've ever had with fellowship and hearing and receiving the Word of the Lord and go back to your places of ministry encouraged and strengthened in the Holy Spirit.

We've we've been honored to have you with us. We trust that if you've had any dealings with Times Square Church over on 51st Street, they've been pleasant and heartwarming to you. Service at 1 30 and then the closing service tonight at It's 7 30 7 30 tonight.

All right. Well, I Send a message out to our many list Weeks ago. It was one of the greatest responses. We've ever had in all the years that we've been sending messages out and It's one thing to read.

It's another thing to hear it. And and much prayer about what I should bring to you this morning. God spoke so clearly in my heart that I had to bring this message. I'm speaking and you have read this and I hope it may have had some impact on you.

Feeding Christ Through Fellowship With God

It's called feeding Christ feeding Christ. Heavenly Father, I pray for open heart in My own delivery and I prayed for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I've never judged the anointing by how loud I could preach or how many tears I could shed but Lord by the strength of the word itself and bringing forth through a vessel that has been totally cleansed by the blood and Lord, I know that there's nothing standing between me and thee and I know that the channel is cleaned by the blood.

And I pray Lord you give us clear channels to hear let us hear what the Spirit has to say and Lord I believe that what we hear this morning will change our prayer life. For ministers will change how they prepare messages and how they receive their messages and Lord I believe it will relieve the struggle of trying so hard to find a word Lord because it would begin to come from your heart and from your throne.

We thank you for these have taken time Lord some who pastor very large churches medium-sized churches those who are in Pioneer works those who Lord who doing street work Lord people from all walks of life teen challenge and other Ministries.

Oh God to hurting people and we pray Lord that you quicken and encourage and let this be a life-giving word. We pray in your name Amen. Feeding Christ and gentlemen ladies and gentlemen this word that God gave me his truly changed the way I'll pray and change the way I seek the Lord for his word.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus had to go through Samaria and on his way he stopped at Jacob's well. You remember the story? Well Samaritan woman comes to draw water and he says to her give me a drink and in the process of Jesus Sitting there waiting the disciples had gone into nearby village to purchase some food.

And I don't know how long they were gone, but it must have been quite a while. Jesus held an extended conversation with this woman and He began to talk to her about worship. Talk to her about her sins, and he really dealt with this woman in a wonderful and loving way the scripture says Jesus saith unto her give me a drink.

Well, it's been a most interesting dialogue that Jesus had by the remarks. He made to his disciples when they came back. By the way, she said I know that the Messiah is coming which is called Christ when he's come.

He will tell us all things Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he. He gave a revelation of who he was she received a revelation of Jesus Christ there at Jacob's well. He revealed his divinity.

The disciples come back and they prepare the lunch or the meal and they offer it to Jesus and they say master, please eat and He said I've eaten I'm full and They're wondering well who brought his food to him.

There's no evidence of anyone being around but this Samaritan woman and they were very shocked and surprised that their Jewish Messiah was talking to this Samaritan Gentile woman. The very fact that she was Gentile the very fact that she was a woman.

He's he's saying to disciples. There's something about me that you don't know. You don't know what it is that feeds me. You don't know where I get my food. But I'm telling you I have been fed. I have been wonderfully fed he said my will is to do the father and to finish his work and We know that that's reaping sowing and reaping.

We know that that is so winning and and God's plan from the very beginning was to raise up a body of believers who would be Fellowship who would offer fellowship and would be really the food of God the food of Christ in that Relationship in in that given that take in conversation in Revelation Jesus said this woman was converted because the scripture said she went out said is this not the Christ.

Fellowship With God in Creation and Redemption

I Am full I have been fed. God created man for fellowship the scriptures and all things were made by him and for him. His son whom he appointed heir of all things by whom he also made the world's. The same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made.

Christ remember was in God so he was in fellowship with Adam and that fellowship was broken because of sin and soon after The story of Adam you come to Genesis 5 and you read the story of Enoch who was taken up into heaven after fellowshipping with the Lord for over 300 of his 365 years and The scripture said Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him.

And I was praying about that one day and the Holy Spirit says do you know why I took him in in what would be? Midlife because all of his peers were living to be six seven eight and nine hundred years of age.

Why would I take him in the prime of his life? You see the Bible says he walked with God. He fellowshiped with God. Christ was in God the Father and it was this fellowship. It was this man giving the food of God and this man evidently had been in such fellowship with the Lord.

He became so close in this fellowship. The Lord says I'm going to translate you into my kingdom where there's no day. There's no night and I can have endless fellowship with you. I want you closer to my heart.

You have won your way into my heart. You have been such food to me. I want you near me. He brought him in because of the power and the depth and the intensity of his fellowship with the Lord. Then the Lord says why did I call Moses?

To me when he was full health and strength. It was because of his face-to-face encounters and meetings and fellowship with the Lord. You see He comes down out of the mountain after 40 days and 40 nights and there's a shine on his face.

Now the law can't put a shine on anybody's face. It was fellowship. It was that time alone with God. He was feeding the Lord and I believe Christ was on that mountain. I believe with everything in me.

Christ in God. Jesus in the Father. Was there with his father and there was sweet fellowship and The Lord takes him in the prime of his life. Because of the same thing. He said I want with you Moses not just because you have sinned against me in Not honor me before the people.

But I need you. I need you. Please don't get scared if you get to the throne and mountain God just going zap you home. Now folks to me that's a great idea because Paul said I'd rather be with the Lord because of you.

I have to stay here. To me, that's a wonderful thing of the Lord. Just take take us home to glory. We can be in sweet fellowship for eternity. You see we come then to Elijah. And God sends a chariot for this man.

This immediately after he's had this great revelation. There's still small voice on the mountain. He's come out of his depression and and God has reinvigorated his ministry and telling him to he's got an associate now and he's got Kings to work with that.

Really? We're under his spiritual authority and yet in the middle of that great activity that God was leading him into the Lord sends a chariot and brings him home and That brings to life that scripture where two or three are gathered in my name there Am I these are the three that he gathers for this fellowship in?

Glory, he brings them to himself. You go to the Mount of Transfiguration. And there are three human beings are three men Peter James and John and suddenly Jesus is transfigured and the glory of the Lord comes Upon our Savior and the scripture said his face did shine as the Sun and his raiment white as light.

And behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Talking the word in Greek is soon and what that means union and fellowship. Moses and Elijah our fellowship. Now, this is a condemned man he's about to be condemned to cross and a condemned man gets his last meal and This was something of a gift from the Heavenly Father.

He brings these godly men and They have a time on that mountain of fellowship. Now. This is not for the disciples. It has nothing to do with trying to impress them with the glory of God or who Jesus is because they were told go.

Tell no man what you see this this has nothing to do with you. Has to do with me. Fellowship. What my last meal. I Don't know what they talked about. He knew the cost he knew the covenant plan of the father from the foundation of the world.

But this is a gift of his Heavenly Father. He's being fed that he had the strength to go through what he's had and he draws his strength. He draws his food from man resurrected who come and minister to him on the Mount of Transfiguration go to.

The Servant Who Feeds the Master First

We go then to Luke. I'd ask you to turn your Bibles, but the lights are down. I don't even know if you could see you read but let me read it to you. Luke 17 7 through 10. There's a wonderful touching story that really is the heart of my message.

Which of you having a servant this is Jesus speaking which of you having a servant plowing or feeding cattle? Will say unto him by and by. When he's come from the field. Go and sit down to meet and will not rather say unto him make ready.

We're in. I may suffer with. I myself gird thyself serve me till I've eaten and drunken. And afterward thou shall eat and drink. That he thanked that servant because he did the things were commanded him.

I trow or I think not. So likewise ye when ye have done all the things that are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants. We have done that which is our duty to do and if we understand what Jesus is saying here I know what it's done in my life.

It absolutely revolutionized my prayer life. I thought I had a Plan. I thought I had something worked out in my prayer life before the Lord. But When I saw this and the Holy Ghost began to open it to me it changed everything.

The way I approach him the way I speak to him the way I pray. You see this is all about feeding Christ. He himself places. This is our highest calling. It's not just soul winning. It's not just ministry to people.

It's ministry to him. It is feeding him. He puts this our high calling in Christ Jesus not for Christ Jesus, but our high calling in Christ Jesus. And I couldn't understand what Jesus was saying till I put myself in the picture.

You and I this servant we've been out laboring for him. We've been working hard and we're hungry and we're thirst and we come into his presence. Hmm we come into his his banquet table. We come into the banquet hall where we're to be fed where all the servants are fed.

It's mealtime and Walk into this great banquet hall and The food is on the table and we wait for him to say sit down. And I come in and I'm tired and I'm weary and I need help and I need strength and I need food and I need drink and I look famished and I just look at the master's face to have him nod and say sit down.

I Know you've worked hard. I know how weary you are. I know how tired you are and I know what you need. But I want you to feed me first. I Want you to gird yourself up and I just came in from the field Sweating and tired and wearing the Lord said I'll gird yourself up and serve me first.

And then you eat and I stand there waiting expecting him all along to say sit down and My eyes are pleading. I'm in need and Instead he says make ready prepare my will my meal first. Now, you know that Christ is the master in this story.

But here is proof positive that we ought to feed Jesus Christ first. Remember what Elijah said to the woman make me a cake first then you may eat. In other words seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things shall be added unto you.

But folks if you understand this parable, it'll melt your heart. It'll change everything in your spiritual life. If you see it in the Holy Spirit and ask God give you eyes to see it nears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

Friendship With Christ and Sitting at His Table

In another place Jesus had said you're my friends. If you do what shall I command you you're my friends henceforth. I call you not servants, but I've called you friends. And you see when I come in off the field now and I need me.

I want to hear the word and I want to. I want to be encouraged and I want to be lifted up and they do the Food to go back to the field and work. But he's saying now I stand there and I'm not his servant.

I I'm his friend and When he says guard yourself, don't get a picture, please of a man putting on his apron. Guard yourself he's not putting on an apron and he's not running into the kitchen in the refrigerator and Finding what the cook has and and bringing it out.

He's got a napkin over his hands and says here Jesus. Here's your plate. No, that's not the picture at all. The picture is of a father Whose Servant is his son. His sons and his daughters and they're his friends.

I have two sons and two daughters and they're my friends. My friends and In Ezekiel 44 he talks about Isaiah priesthood. He said these are my holy priests. These are my friends. These are those who have never gone astray.

These are those who have a heart for me and he said they will sit at my table and they will minister to me and all they're doing is sitting there and What this picture is all about is the master looks at you you're tired and we're in here I am I'm famished.

I want to eat and he is saying to you come and sit at my table just come. I have missed you. I have so many things while you've been out on the field to tell you that will give you strength. And I just want you to come and sit at my feet sit at my table and let me talk to you.

Let me minister to you gird yourself with patience. Gird yourself just put aside all your own desires put away all your hungers and all your thirst and all your problems. And just come because I have something on my heart.

I want to say to you Jesus said I will come in remember Revelation 3 20 and sup with you and you with me. Luke 20 Luke 17 verses 9 and 10. It says that he thanked the servant because he did the things commanded him.

I think not. So likewise ye when you have done all these things which are commanded you Say we are unprofitable servants. We have done that which is our duty to do now. Think of that God saying Lord say gird yourself come and feed me.

There's no thanks. He's commanded it's his duty. He said call yourself an unprofitable servant. Sounds to me very uncharitable of the master. But when you understand what God is saying here and you understand the Greek meaning of the words the Greek word unprofitable here means unmeritorious in other words There's no merit in what I've done and the Greek word for duty is benefit and you put it together.

And this is what it says after you have come and patiently fed me. Because my food is giving my heart to you someone who takes the time and the patience just to be shut in at my table and listening to what is on my heart.

Not just working for me. Not just winning souls. But you're feeding me and this was what they were commanded to do. This is their duty. But the Lord says there's no merit in that. Don't think you have Merited something that I have to do something for you because you've done this because the word duty there means Benefit you put it together.

So then say we are unmeritorious Servants we've done only that which benefits us. We have done only what is for our benefit. Folks there is no merit in Bible reading. There is no merit in prayer, but there are promises.

Every time I go to God I say Lord. I know that no matter how much time I spend with you know what no matter what the intensity of my prayer is and how Close I draw to you. There is no merit. I have heard nothing.

It's for my benefit. I haven't married in anything, but Oh God, I hold it your promise. You said if I seek it all my heart I'd find you there are promises in that and I lay hold of those promises. And hold God to his word.

Hallelujah now this message was born out of an awesome experience. I had in prayer. Probably this is the way we all go to him. We go into his courts with praise and thanksgiving first as commanded. And then we make our petitions known to him.

I pray for Times Square Church first and that the glory of the Lord in his presence always be there and that God protect his people and pray for my friends and associates those. We're a team and we pray for one another and we then I pray for the widows and the fatherless.

I pray for the Elderly pray for the poor. I pray for all the her requests that people come. I pray to the Lord of hosts that he would send his host out and I pray diligently for those when we Say to people send in your prayer request.

We meet and we pray over it. Our church praise our office staff praise and I pray privately over all of that and I spend my my time in that. And on this particular day after I had made all my petitions naming my children and grandchildren.

My prayer every day is Lord keep my sons and my daughters from the wicked one that's the scriptural prayer make my sons as Oaks beside the waters of God and make my daughters and my my grandsons and granddaughters pillars in jewels in your palace.

Now pray those prayers and I intercede and sometimes quietly sometimes so loud you could hear to block it away. I don't know if you scream at God, but I scream at God sometimes not in anger, but Sometimes just screaming with delight and after I was done I took about 15 minutes just just in his presence and it was sweet.

Waiting on God for a Word From His Heart

Wonderful time and I got up to walk out of my prayer room and I put my hand in the door and as clear as anything I've ever heard in my life the Holy Jesus whispered to my heart. David, please don't go.

Don't go yet. There are so few stay with me. To truly hear my heart. Don't go. I need you. Feed me. Why would Christ Want to share his heart with me, why would he want to share it with us? Think of the majesty that think of the power and the glory of that that God would say to you.

Don't leave me. I Turned around walked and I sat down and I said Lord I Don't know what this is all about, but I'm here now for you. I'm not here for any other man. I'm not here for myself. I'm here for you.

And I put my watch in my pocket and I said Lord Unlimited time. I don't care. How long you want. I'm here for you just you. Because I knew God had something on his heart you see. Just sitting there in his presence just worshiping and praising said Lord, I'm just going to wait if you have a word I'm gonna believe you.

I'm gonna love you. I'm gonna meditate on your majesty and your glory. You told me you want to speak to me. So I come to your table now and I gird myself with patience and I'm here. I don't want anything but you.

I'm here to hear from you. Tell me what's on your heart. Speak to me. No. Half hour or so later. Sweetness. When time is no longer a matter everything waits. Because you're there just him. God began to speak some glorious things to my heart.

Things that were on his heart things. He wanted me to say. And he said it I've got so much in my heart and if you will come here every day. Make your petitions known at gladness my heart. Pray and seek me with with all that is in you for if you you seek him with all your heart your mind soul and Strength you find him do all of that.

That's to my glory in my honor and for your blessing. Please don't leave till you feed me. Because you see his food is that you know, we go into his presence and we talk talk talk talk we. We're Unburdening our hearts and we're getting everything out of our spirit and we're we're Speaking to him and folks were being fed.

That's food. You come out of that encouraged and life-giving. But he said I want to sup with you. It means I want to talk to you. This is two ways. This is called waiting on God. It's called waiting on the Lord.

Christ Meets the Disciples on the Emmaus Road

There's another very touching story in the Bible in Luke 24 Jesus is now in his resurrected body. He's still man, but now he's glorified. Think of this now, where does Jesus go for his first manifestation of who he is in his resurrected body?

Where does he go? Who's he going to talk to? Well, if I had my way He'd wake up campus tap him on the shoulder and say look at these nail-scarred hands you crucified God. I I'd like that satisfaction.

I'd like him to go into the temple where all of these who said Crucify him and cried and now they're there trying to find God in their blindness. And I'd like him to stand up once again and show his wounded side in his nail-scarred hands and says I am the Christ.

And have great joy in that in this flesh. Where does he go? The two Disciples downcast disciples on the way to Emmaus. He's hungry. He's hungry. And what is this food a give-and-take of a patient man?

Woman who lets him unburden his heart so he falls in line with these two disciples on the way to Emmaus and Scripture said Jesus drew near and went with them. It's about six and a half miles from Jerusalem.

But their eyes were were holding their blinded that they should not know him. In other words in the Greek it says that they were seized with grief. Their eyes were seized with grief. When Jesus stopped by and said, what are you two talking about?

They said you've come just come from Jerusalem and you don't know what's happened. They've crucified the man that we thought was the Messiah. And Jesus said to them all slow of heart to believe. Then beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all scriptures the things concerning himself.

Do you know what Jesus is doing? He's hungry. He's glorified, but he's still man. Folks, I want you to know that he's in glory and he's still man in glory. He kept his manhood. That's how he's so touched with the feelings of our infirmities.

There's a man in glory. Beginning of Moses and all the prophets. He said Jesus did all the talking. They were feeding Christ because they patiently with hunger and with thirst. They said didn't our hearts burn as he spoke.

Folks when you get alone and he talks to your heart will burn. Oh Yes, it'll burn and it's not toward evening and They're stopping at an inn. And Emmaus and the scripture says he made as though he's going further.

He made his out as though he's going on. In other words He didn't want to go. Because you see they hadn't had a full revelation yet. There was so much more the Lord wanted to show them. Please don't ever Let Jesus make out as though he's going on.

When you get his ear and you get his heart stay with him. Don't let him go. He made as though they were going on and folks. He would have gone on if they hadn't stopped him if there hadn't been something their heart said.

Oh god, this is just the beginning. There's so much more. I Don't know they didn't know yet who he is. They didn't know who he was. They didn't know that they were in fellowship with him folks. They could have gone to sleep that night.

Jesus would have passed them by. He would have gone on somewhere else to to find someone else to feed his hungry soul. They could have gone back to Jerusalem. With a full head knowledge of who Jesus is because it had been revealed to them from Genesis to all through the Old Testament.

They could have gone back to the disciples in the upper room and said all we have learned so much about Jesus. Well, did you see him? Did you touch him? Is he alive? Well, well, we don't know but I'll tell you we know what Moses said about him.

We know what the Old Testament says about him. We know everything about Jesus. They would have had a head knowledge and that's all you're going to catch unless you learn to feed Christ. You're going to be able to explain who Jesus is.

You can preach powerful message. An Agnostic preacher from New York City years and years ago wrote a book. I won't name his name. One of the most powerful books about the man Jesus, but he didn't believe in the virgin birth.

He didn't believe in the divinity of Christ, but he could tell you everything about the man. It was an agnostic. They could have gone back and had this great this great Bible knowledge. You can go to churches and you can be in a Bible church evening and you can hear some wonderful messages about Jesus.

But sometimes the revelation of who he is is not there. The scripture says that they Constrained him saying abide with us. And in the Greek it means they would not let him go. You must stay with us. In fact, the Greek word says it suggests they forced him to stay.

This is what the Lord was waiting for. Because he had so much for them and the Bible said and he went in to tarry with them. Oh God help us Jesus. So, all right, what do you do. He goes to the table he breaks bread.

And suddenly their eyes are open. You're Jesus. You're the resurrected Christ revelation the resurrected God. Because they wouldn't let him go don't go. He made as though he would go on. And many people are satisfied with that they have just the Bible knowledge and and they're not going to spend any more time.

They're going to go back and deliver the word and focus on their preaching. Thank God for preaching. Thank God for all that. But folks when they got to Jerusalem this time, they weren't talking about head knowledge.

They said we saw him. We touched him. We ate with him. We know him. He's alive. Think of what they would have missed. And it came to pass as he said it meet with them. He took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to them and their eyes were open and they knew him.

He vanished out of their sight. Bible warns is going to come a falling away in the last days. And the Lord wants to know how precious He is to you and to me. I think Everything changed for me. When I came to the place where I said Lord.

You're so precious to me now. Unlimited time and my wife knows when I go into that Place where I pray. And no one on the face of the earth. Never interrupt it. No crisis. Nothing. No telephone calls nothing and when I said in my heart said my heart Lord.

This is your time. I'm not here for anything, but you. That's when he began to say. All right. Now, I'm if you want my word read. Faithfully dig diligently into this word. Don't read it to get a message.

You read the word and pray over it. If there's anything that sticks out fine, bring it to me and I'll explain it to you. I'll open it to you. But I'll give you your messages from my heart. From my heart.

I'll speak to you. I'll give you direction. I'll talk about your family. I'll talk about everything you need to hear if you would just commune with me if you'll just give me that time that quality time and You feed me.

I'll feed you. I'll feed you the word. I'll feed you the message that I want spoken and I give you an example and then with that I'm gonna close two weeks ago all week I had. It's been a busy week and I hadn't had The kind of quality time and this is a struggle.

It's a battle you have to keep at it. Because there's so many things there's there's a conspiracy of interruptions out of hell. He'll conspire to interrupt you. Have you heard of that conspiracy? Have you ever had that conspiracy at work in your life?

Headed right for the prayer closet full determination and then comes a something comes up. Conspiracy right out of hell you head for your prayer closet you determine devil will throw everything at you but I got a message on suffering and Gonna preach the church and then bring it here and preach it to you.

Preaching From Intimacy Rather Than Mere Sermon Preparation

And I got my message. I didn't hear it from heaven. I got it from the book. It's just reading and I just worked it out. With the help of some commentaries. I looked at it and said Lord, that's a sermon.

That's not a message in your heart and I tore it up. I Got another one my first one was the awful sinfulness of unbelief or Discouragement awful sinfulness of discouragement. That didn't work. As the Lord showed me something else in the psalm and my next message was the blessedness of Discouragement and I said well That doesn't sound right.

I tore that message up. I got a third one in between. And I went to church Sunday. And I was speak to speak Sunday night and now before the service so uncomfortable because I knew in my heart I hadn't heard from heart of God.

And it was this time I got into Elijah. And how after his great sacrifice On the hill and the mountain and he comes down and outruns Ahab and then Jezebel faces him and he ends up wanting to die Discouraged and that was my message.

When Elijah's example had it all worked out. That was pretty good sermon an hour before service my heart sinking and I opened up and between services Say God, that's another sermon. I Can't preach it.

I've got nothing to say. I'm gonna walk out there and I don't have anything to say but if I have to go out there and just make a fool Of myself and tell the people I don't have a word. I'm gonna do it and The Holy Spirit said read it again read about Elijah go to the mountain again.

Just read it and I started reading and I came to these four little words. That so shook me fell on my face weeping. You know the story when he told the false prophets you build your altar and you put your fire on it and you call fire down and then I'll Build mine and the God who answers by fire is the God universe.

And you know the story they danced and they Beat themselves until the blood was gushing. And I read these four words and Elijah mocked them and I started weeping. And walking around because the Lord said that's you David you've been mocking ministries for years.

He should have looked at their blindness. He should have seen how horrible their condition was and how foolish and how Awful, this is to be so blinded. He should have been weeping Before he went to his altar.

I I Still believe that the prosperity gospel is unscriptural. With everything in me, but folks there are times I have railed and named names and then God reminded me that about 25 years ago when all this started I heard a Radio interview with one of the top leaders of this movement one of the two leaders and the wife was asked Why are you teaching something that seems so unscriptural or appears to us unscriptural and almost with tears?

She said it's because nobody's been to us to tell us anything. It's all we know. It's all we've been taught. And I didn't go in love and say here's what I see and here's what I think you need to consider.

I've made fun of the seekers. What they call them seeker friendly churches call them sinner friendly. I went to Italy last month for Crusades and Leader of one the denominations forbid the whole Pentecost organization.

They couldn't come to my meetings and I called him the Pope. And I went all through. I said what's the Pope have to say today. I was mocking the man you see I didn't get it from. If I had really gotten that word from the Lord he would have.

There would been no mockery. There'd have been no. You see I really believe now what with all my heart that when God's hand came upon Elijah and he outruns the chariot. God has a word prepared for him.