Donkeys, Dirt And Demons

Summary

Podcast Summary: Times Square Church - Sermons

Episode: Donkeys, Dirt And Demons

Host: TSC.NYC (Pastor Tim Dilena)
Date: March 29, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This Palm Sunday message from Pastor Tim Dilena challenges listeners to never lose the “awe” of God, using the memorable theme of “Donkeys, Dirt and Demons.” Through powerful storytelling and scriptural reflection, Pastor Tim explores what happens when God’s people become complacent, letting their wonder fade into routine. Drawing on biblical references and personal anecdotes, he urges believers to remain sensitive, obedient, and enthusiastic in their faith, so that God never has to resort to speaking through other means—donkeys, dirt, or demons—to get their attention.

Pastor Tim calls the church to a renewal of reverence, lively worship, and wholehearted devotion, using vivid stories and honest questions to address the dangers of spiritual apathy.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. The Importance of Awe and Wonder (05:25–06:45)

• Palm Sunday’s Contrast:
  The crowd goes from shouting “Hosanna!” (a cry for salvation) at Jesus’ entry to “Crucify him!” in just five days.

  “I have this suspicion that those who shouted hosanna would soon shout, crucify him.” (05:55, Pastor Tim)

• Losing the Awe:
  Pastor Tim asks what causes our sense of awe before God to fade, warning against letting worship or church become routine or obligatory.

  “When awe turns to a yawn, we’re looking at a clock instead of looking to heaven.” (06:08, Pastor Tim)

---

II. Donkeys: When We Don’t Listen to God (19:00–26:47)

• The Story of Balaam’s Donkey (Numbers 22):
  Balaam ignores God’s clear instructions, so God uses a donkey to intervene.

  “Balaam, who wouldn’t listen to the voice of the Lord, was now going to have to listen to the voice of a donkey.” (23:13, Pastor Tim)

• Application:
  We risk hearing God only through unexpected or even uncomfortable channels when we ignore His Word.

  “May I never need a talking donkey to get me on the right path.” (25:03, Pastor Tim)

• Another Voice:
  Sometimes God uses judges, jail cells, or even hardships to reach those ignoring Him.

  “What is it going to take for some of us…that we have to wait for another voice to get us back on track?” (26:13, Pastor Tim)

---

III. Dirt: When the Sacred Becomes Common (27:18–37:03)

• Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6):
  Uzzah, who lived for 20 years with the Ark in his house, lost reverence and reached out to steady it, resulting in his death.

  “He sees it every single day. The Ark of the Covenant…20 years you have the presence of God there, and…you’re no longer awestruck.” (32:08–32:53, Pastor Tim)

• Stages of Familiarity:
  Pastor Tim uses a personal story of a cherished wedding gift that became disposable over time as a metaphor for how the things of God can become routine if we aren’t careful.

  “First it’s valued. Then it becomes common. Then it’s disposable.” (33:30, Pastor Tim)

• Letting the Ground Obey:
  Uzzah should have let the Ark fall—dirt would obey God’s order whereas irreverent familiarity leads to calamity.

• Warning:
  Church, worship, and even scripture can go from treasured to taken-for-granted if awe is lost.

---

IV. Demons: Faith Without Fear (38:47–45:32)

• Demons Know and Fear:
  Demons believe in God’s reality and shudder (James 2:19), but their belief does not lead to obedience.

  “When was the last time your belief made you shudder?...The demons also believe, and it makes them shudder.” (39:24, Pastor Patrick)

• A Call to Responsive Faith:
  It’s not enough to believe; genuine faith produces awe, conviction, and responsive worship.

  “Believing in Jesus but not obeying Him is exactly what Satan does.” (41:49, Cindy via Pastor Tim)

• Don’t Let Stones Praise for You:
  If God’s people don’t praise, creation will—so don’t lose your voice of worship in complacency.

---

V. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Routine Replacing Awe:

  “When the awe of God is lost, then God begins to challenge us with donkeys, dirt and demons.” (18:53, Pastor Patrick)

• On God’s Prescribed Order:

  “Who cares if there’s 30,000 men and a new cart? God’s going, that’s not the way I prescribed this thing.” (31:34, Pastor Tim)

• On Middle C (Jesus as the Standard):
  Pastor Tim tells a story from the book/movie “The Robe” about a music teacher using a tuning fork for Middle C as a metaphor.

  “Jesus is my Middle C...no matter who’s flat or sharp, He’s the standard.” (48:11, Pastor Tim)

---

VI. Calls to Worship & Repentance

• Worship Should Be Enthusiastic:

  “My belief in God makes me want to shout...What He has done for me, my wife and my children makes me have to stand up and just go, God, you are worthy to be praised.” (44:25, Pastor Tim)

• Don’t Let Others Replace Your Praise:

  “I don’t want dirt to speak to me. I don’t want rocks to praise for me. I don’t want donkeys to see for me or speak for me. I want to do it for God.” (44:57, Pastor Tim)

• Invitation:
  Pastor Tim invites those who want a renewal of awe in their lives, or to return to God, to raise their hands and pray for a fresh start.

  “You are the king; you overcame death, hell and the grave. Reign in my life. In Jesus’ name.” (59:30, Pastor Tim)

---

VII. Notable Timestamps

• 05:55–06:08: Discussion of the rapid shift from “Hosanna” to “Crucify him.”
• 19:00–26:47: Balaam’s donkey and learning to hear God’s voice.
• 27:18–37:03: Loss of reverence illustrated by Uzzah and the Ark.
• 38:47–45:32: Demons’ belief and why real faith is obedient and awestruck.
• 48:11–49:59: The “Middle C” illustration and Jesus as the unchanging standard.
• 54:49–59:30: Call to renewal, prayer, and corporate worship.

---

VIII. Tone and Style

Pastor Tim’s energy is passionate, direct, and often humorous, but always rooted in a call to authenticity and awe before God. The message is filled with relatable, down-to-earth stories but challenges listeners to take their faith seriously and never let routine, complacency, or religion steal their worship.

---

Conclusion

Don’t let your faith become “flat” or routine. Rediscover awe so you don’t need God to get your attention through donkeys, dirt, or demons. Let Jesus—unchanging, steady—be your “Middle C.” Prepare yourself for worship that is vibrant and real, holding nothing back for the King.

---

For further information and resources, visit tsc.nyc.

Transcript

[Pastor Tim]

Hallelujah. Come on, stand to your feet. Let's just praise him one more time for everything he has brought us through.

[Pastor Patrick]

We give you the praise.

[Pastor Tim]

Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

[Pastor Patrick]

What a blessing. God is so good. Amen. We're so thankful that you're here today. We're so. We welcome not only those that are here in the sanctuary, those that are watching from our annex and our overflow, and those from our Jersey campus. We welcome all of you. We also say hello to those watching around the country, around the world. States, the United States, and also universities. We welcome all those that are watching. These are live with us from around the country, around the world. We say hello to Malaysia, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Madagascar, Tunisia. We say hello to Uganda, Neswatini, Rwanda and Zambia. We welcome the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Finland, Germany, Poland, France, Greece and Norway. We welcome Sweden, Austria, Belgium and Romania, Scotland, Ireland, Belarus and Anguilla, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Portugal and Italy. We say hello. We don't have that many Italians. I'm just letting everybody know. You make me have to put in

[Pastor Tim]

a little asterisk here. Someone's going like, is this an Italian church?

[Pastor Patrick]

The New Zealand, Australia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Canadia, Canada, Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, French Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. We welcome Saint Lucia, Barbados, Panama, Trinidad

[Pastor Tim]

and Tobago, Grenada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

[Pastor Patrick]

Would you welcome all those watching from around the world?

[Pastor Tim]

We welcome some 61 countries. We welcome 48 states.

[Pastor Patrick]

Those other two states, you know who you are. And so we also say hello to those that are First Nation. We are always blessed to have the key First Nation, Eue, Ishti territory and the Navajo Nation. Welcome them.

[Pastor Tim]

And then my favorite part is the welcome.

[Pastor Patrick]

All the universities say hello to Carnegie Mellon University, Florida A and M University, Old Dominion, Norfolk State University, University of Texas, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of South Florida, University of Delaware, Florida State

[Pastor Tim]

University, Hunter College, McGill College in Montreal,

[Pastor Patrick]

Sam Houston University, Spelman College.

[Pastor Tim]

My favorite, the U.S. naval Air Station in Pensacola. Would you welcome all those that are watching?

[Pastor Patrick]

Thank you. Thank you for coming.

[Pastor Tim]

What a blessing.

[Pastor Patrick]

You also remind you of our noon prayer meeting every. Every Wednesday when you pray that song. We need a move of God. That's why we meet on Wednesdays. So from noon, if you work in New York City, it's not. It's not a prayer meeting that's online. It's a prayer meeting that we are praying for our city. So it is. And if people are going well, why don't you put it online? We then encourage you get your own prayer meeting and pray. Pray for your city and just and do it at noon on Wednesdays. We fast, we pray and we are as Ricardo, let us we are believing for a move of God. Amen. Finally, I want to just say this to you. They they've tasked me with this and I'm so happy they did. Our our sister ministry, David Wilkerson, who started Times Square Church Teen Challenge, also started World Challenge. World Challenge. It's now run by his son, Gary Wilkerson. And so we want to invite you on April 23rd, which is a Thursday night, we're going to do a special service here with and 4World Challenge, which their key goal one of the the reason why World Challenge was was established was for widows and orphans. And they are we're going to hear stories on that night. There'll be worship. They'll be preaching. Myself, Gary Wilkerson will be here. But it's called a light, a light for the forgotten. You're going to hear stories of the orphans and widows that are being ministered to all over the world. That's on April 23rd at 7pm I just wanted to let you know that the word hosanna is such an important word because it's a word that's associated with Palm Sunday. The word hosanna means save us, we pray. It means please deliver us. And it's a word that is associated with this day that's here. It's a shout of praise that's here. It's the Palm Sunday word. Here's what it says in Matthew 21:9. The crowd's going ahead of him. And those who followed were shouting hosanna. If you could go to the next verse. Go to the verse, please. The crowds going ahead of him and those who followed were shouting hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Here's what's amazing. The time from that triumphal entry that Pastor Patrick read, which is Palm Sunday here to the crucifixion. Good Friday is literally considered just five days. Five days. So think of this for just a moment. In five days, you're going to hear this shout in Matthew 27. This is just six chapters later. Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? And they said, crucify him. And he said, what evil has he done? But they kept shouting all the more, saying, crucify him. I have this suspicion that those who shouted hosanna would soon shout, crucify him. That the same voices that would begin to say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord, the Psalm 18 would then eventually begin to shout, crucify him. I want to talk to you about something that God's put on my heart in prayer. I want to talk to you about when you see that dichotomy, that five day change from crucify, from hosanna to crucify him. I want to talk to you about when God is no longer awesome. I want to talk to you about when we lose the wonder and no longer are awestruck. Or in a sense, when awe turns to the yawn, that we're looking at a clock instead of looking to heaven. We're looking to see, when do we get out of here? Some of you are looking, going like, oh, man, the. Okay, listen to me carefully this. Some of you are already looking good. If the choir went over, that means Deline is going to go over today. Okay, look at me.

[Pastor Tim]

Absolutely.

[Pastor Patrick]

I want you to understand that.

[Pastor Tim]

Absolutely. If God's moving, who cares about the clock?

[Pastor Patrick]

We want it. We want heaven to come and do something. That's what we want to do.

[Pastor Tim]

So if already you go like, I

[Pastor Patrick]

have lunch plans, how about a meeting with God today?

[Pastor Tim]

How about encountering God today?

[Pastor Patrick]

When the awe turns to a yawn, then God will challenge us with these three things. And today I felt so strong. I want to talk to you about donkeys, dirt and demons. Donkeys, dirt and demons. That's my message. Let's pray. Father, in these next few moments, I know what you spoke to me. And I know that God, when you have lost in our minds, not that you ever lose anything, but when we, in our minds and in our lifestyle and in our busyness, when God is no longer awesome and we're no longer struck with how incredible God is, Lord, there are times to catch our attention. You'll turn to donkeys, dirt and demons to remind us, oh God, that we serve a great God. And so, Father, as we've asked you many times from this pulpit, I ask you that when everything's said and done, no one's going to say how great the music was or how great the choir is. No one's going to say how great the preaching is or how great this building is. They're going to say how great God is. So come in a special way. I praise you and I give you the glory in Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. You may be seated. Thank you. Guys, thank you so much. Thank you, choir. I was rereading some of our history over the last couple days. I was rereading some of the miracles from the Cross on the Switchblade. David Wilkerson, our founder of this church, was also the man that came to New York City in 1958 and began to work with the gangs of New York City. And then we began to see some of the most incredible conversions, but also the starting of a Teen Challenge that would birth out of this would be World Challenge, which will happen in April that will talk about what God is doing through that ministry that has been going on for decades. And truly folks, we sit here today as a miracle of what took place in 1958. You, you have roots and a legacy found in a miracle. I spoke and I'll tell you what some of it was, was precipitated. I was spoke on Friday night at a Teen Challenge banquet in Delaware. And it was exciting to see what God is still doing 66 years later from the founding of Teen Challenge that men and women who have been addicted to drugs, alcohol and life controlling issues are still set free by the power of Jesus Christ. It's so exciting to look at those young men and young ladies and to see what was happening was incredible. The stories and the testimonies never get

[Pastor Tim]

old, but I want to tell you

[Pastor Patrick]

about a story that I read that

[Pastor Tim]

started to bring that awe.

[Pastor Patrick]

And I said, God, don't let that awe ever stop inside of me. As I was reading the Cross on the Switchblade, I was struck with an early story that I forgot about. It was the Luis Alvarez story. The Luis Alvarez story, which happened early on when David Wilkerson came to New York. The first time he came here when he looked at a Life magazine article and saw the seven boys that were being tried in a New York City court for murder of a defenseless young man in a wheelchair, a quadriplegic. And these seven gang members were going to be indicted. Not only indicted, but they were going to be go to court and sentence. And it was there that David Wilkerson looked at that Life magazine with those seven boys in it. That 1958 Life magazine. I got it hanging on my wall. I, I have the, the recorders, the artists, the court artists, sketching of those boys from that article on the wall of my office, that this young man, Luis Alvarez's picture is on my wall. That's why it caught my attention. He's one of the seven boys. And I want to read to you the story that took Place. This is David Wilkerson coming to New York City. It said, David telephoned the district attorney's office and he was told if he wanted to see those boys, he would

[Pastor Tim]

need written permission from each of the

[Pastor Patrick]

parents in order to see them. He couldn't just walk in. This is the second time he would come to New York City. Fine, said David, could you give me their names? And he said, soon as he was saying, could you give me their names? And they. The district attorney hung up the phone on David Wilkerson. He said the line went dead. I stepped out of the phone booth and he said, I smoothed out this crumpled page from the Life magazine that I have hanging on my wall. He said, the leader of the boys names. The leader of that gang was Luis Alvarez. Listen to this. So Wilkerson. David Wilkerson went to call every Alvarez in the New York City phone book. Anybody remember what a phone book is? I just want to make sure he went after to call every Alvarez in the New York City phone book.

[Pastor Tim]

He wrote.

[Pastor Patrick]

In each case, the answer was indignant. No, of course, Luis is not my son. They didn't even have a son named Luis. He said as he. As he kept calling. And this is what he said.

[Pastor Tim]

He said Dave was running out of dimes and there were still 150 Alvarezes to call. He gave up and he stepped outside praying, all right, Lord, I just don't know what to do next.

[Pastor Patrick]

If this is your business I'm on, then your spirit will have to show me what to do next.

[Pastor Tim]

So David Wilkerson got into his car

[Pastor Patrick]

and he said, both out of frustration and out of just hoping the Lord would lead him, he said he started to drive aimlessly through New York City and eventually found himself in the heart of Spanish Harlem. He was tired of driving and then finally parked in the first empty spot on the side, on the. On the street. He said, I'm just tired. I can't do this. He said he got out of his car and as soon as he got

[Pastor Tim]

out of the car, he asked some random kid on the street, do you know Luis Alvarez? And the boy goes, luis Alvarez says,

[Pastor Patrick]

you parked in front of his house.

[Pastor Tim]

David Wilkers goes, what did you say? Dave put his hands on the boy's shoulders, says, thank you, thank you, and thank you, Jesus.

[Pastor Patrick]

David Wilkerson climbed to the fourth floor, found the Alvarez apartment, knocked on the door, come in, he heard. He pushed the door open, saw a tired looking man sitting on an overstuffed chair. Listen to these words. Mr. Alvarez barely looked up and he

[Pastor Tim]

said, ah, here you are preacher, I've been expecting you. I saw your picture in the paper. I said my prayers that you would

[Pastor Patrick]

come and here you are. David said early the next morning he went back to the city jail with seven written permissions of the of the seven boys parents.

[Pastor Tim]

It's amazing what prayer can do. God takes over the process of prayer. I read this and I stood in awe of what God is able to do. I said, lord, don't ever take that away from me, Lord, don't ever let me get yawn when there should be an awe of who you are. That's, that's what Jesus did. I was reading this and I. And I felt the same thing when I read John chapter six. I was in awe of Jesus's prayer when he. When he turned loaves and fishes into 5,000 meals. Listen to it for just a moment

[Pastor Patrick]

in John chapter 6.

[Pastor Tim]

This is what it says. It says John 6:5. When Jesus looked up and saw a

[Pastor Patrick]

great crowd toward him, he said to

[Pastor Tim]

Philip, where shall we buy bread for

[Pastor Patrick]

all these people to eat? He asked this only to test them, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

[Pastor Tim]

Wait till you see what he did.

[Pastor Patrick]

Philip answered and said it would take

[Pastor Tim]

more than half the year's wage to buy enough bread for each one of these to have a bite. Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke. Here is a boy with five small barley loaves, two small fish.

[Pastor Patrick]

But how far will they go among so many?

[Pastor Tim]

Jesus said, have the people sit down, there's plenty of grass.

[Pastor Patrick]

They sat down. About 5,000 men were there, which didn't even count there the women and the children, so there could be well over 5,000. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. And he did the same with the fish. Leave that on the screen for just

[Pastor Tim]

a moment because it's so easy to

[Pastor Patrick]

read through this because we read it so many times.

[Pastor Tim]

Jesus took the loaves, those five and two gave thanks and then without missing a beat, and distributed them to those who receive it. We just it. That's, that's where we can lose the awe. That's where the yawn can come in because it just goes. He gave thanks and distributed them. I just kept asking this question, so what happened between dear Heavenly Father and Amen? I want to know what was going on. I could just see Jesus going, dear Heavenly Father.

[Pastor Patrick]

And the Bible says he gave thanks. I want to thank you for this meal and whatever he said.

[Pastor Tim]

Then he just says, amen. And there it is, the food. Is there a miracle that that in a sense skipped a lot of steps to begin to do something so miraculous. Five loaves and two fishes. Skipped all these steps in the midst of bow your heads, let's give thanks and amen. Jesus skips this process. He skips all of this stuff. And I wrote this down. Allow me just to read what I wrote in my notes when I said what happened. Because in order to take food, in order to get bread into your hands and all you have is five loaves and two fish. Let's just take the bread part, forget the fish part. Think about what would it take to gain over 5,000 meals. I wrote this down.

[Pastor Patrick]

It may not make sense to you,

[Pastor Tim]

but it may be put me in awe. He says, I put down to make bread and put it in the hands of the people is a huge process. Seed had to be planted, wheat had to grow. It was harvested, sent to the mill, mill, turned it into flour, sent it to the bakers, kneaded with other ingredients that had to be grown or made, sent to the site to make the dough. Then the oven had to be built, put together, was turned on by electricity.

[Pastor Patrick]

Who knows what was going on then

[Pastor Tim]

to 350 degrees, was baked for a few hours till it was brown, not burned, because it had to be good bread. Jesus was serving it, cooled off, put in a basket. Trucks had to be built in order to gas that up, then put it in commission with drivers that have to get their CDL license and driven to the food store to be picked up by people who went to the site and needed the bread. And Jesus does that between dear Jesus, dear Father, Amen. God sped up the price skip like 20 steps to get the answer. To see that thing take place, folks, I'm just telling you, it's incredible because God is incredible. I understand some of you going like there was no electricity or trucks or CDLs at that time. I was just thinking in my terms, that's the power of prayer. It's the power of reminding ourselves that God, when God is present, anything can happen. We talked about this last week about the shout of the King. Pastor Carter texted me and he says, I was watching online from the west coast as he's preaching today and he

[Pastor Patrick]

says, tim, don't forget.

[Pastor Tim]

He says, I don't know if any

[Pastor Patrick]

other Broadway theater has this.

[Pastor Tim]

He said it was a reminder to David Wilkerson. It was a reminder to us that

[Pastor Patrick]

there is a shout of a king in this place.

[Pastor Tim]

He Says that God put a shout in this place and remind us that this is God's house, that this belongs to the king. Okay, just for a moment. Look at me for a second.

[Pastor Patrick]

And this is what David said.

[Pastor Tim]

He said, if you ever think if Jesus is king, he said, why would

[Pastor Patrick]

God pick this thing, theater in all of Times Square, and has a crown

[Pastor Tim]

all the way up at the top of this place to remind us he is the king and he is in charge. He's the one. That's why David Wilkerson would say, sometimes when you're looking at the stage says, look higher and see the king is in charge of this place. Hallelujah. But when the awe of God is

[Pastor Patrick]

lost, then God begins to challenge us with donkeys, dirts, dirt and demons. It's a challenge that begins to come. It was a challenge that came to me, that donkeys, dirt and demons do what God says when we're not doing what he says. Let me explain it to you this way. I'm gonna show it to you in the scriptures. The Bible will tell us that donkeys know its master. The Bible will tell us that dirt will obey its master. And I'm gonna show you all three passages. And the Bible tells us that demons fear the master. It's a reminder to us of what we're supposed to do. It's a challenge for us to obey the Lord. It's a challenge for us to fear the Lord. And it's a challenge for us to know the Lord today. Let me explain what I mean and what God began to put upon my heart. Pastor Patrick brought up a verse that I'm going to close with. When the religious people, who lost awe, but they loved control, began to tell the people to be quiet with their hosannas, turn it down. It's when they lost the awe that God says, then I will use rocks to cry out if you don't do it. Folks, this is the challenge to me. What happens when we lose the awe? The yawn replaces an awe. The first thing is this. We're reminded of the donkeys that know their master. There's one name in the Bible that gets associated with the donkey in the Bible other than Jesus, and that is balaam in numbers 22. Let me read to you his story, if you don't, are not familiar with it. The Bible says, but God was angry because he was going, this is a prophet that was being. That was being offered money to curse Israel and he was on his way. When God was angry because he was going, he was going to Take the bribe. But we talked about this last week, that God would not allow him to curse Israel. But God was angry because he was going. And the angel of the Lord took a stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand,

[Pastor Tim]

the donkey turned off from the way,

[Pastor Patrick]

went into the field, was. But Balaam struck the donkey to turn him back into the way, which means you're going to go right into the angel with the sword.

[Pastor Tim]

Then the angel of the Lord stood

[Pastor Patrick]

in the narrow path of the vineyards with a wall on the side and a wall on that side. And when the donkey saw the angel

[Pastor Tim]

of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. The angel of the Lord went further

[Pastor Patrick]

and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to

[Pastor Tim]

the right or to the left.

[Pastor Patrick]

And when the donkey saw the angel

[Pastor Tim]

of the Lord, she laid down under Balaam. Balaam got so angry he struck the

[Pastor Patrick]

donkey with a stick.

[Pastor Tim]

And then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, what have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?

[Pastor Patrick]

Look at this now.

[Pastor Tim]

Then Balaam said to the donkey, because she made a mockery. Okay, I have a problem with that, because I think the next verse should say, what are you speaking? But he's, he's, he's talking like this is normal, that that's the insanity of sin, that you're talking to animals. Now look at this now, what have I, what have I done to youo

[Pastor Patrick]

that you struck me these three times?

[Pastor Tim]

Balaam said, because you have made a mockery of me, there'd been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now. Then the donkey said to Balaam, this is a full conversation. Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all these days of your life? Have I been accustomed to do so to you? And he said, and he said, no.

[Pastor Patrick]

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and when he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, he bowed all the way to the ground. This is the part that got me. The donkey saw the angel. If you look at verse 23, 25, and 27, it says three times, the angel saw the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, the donkey saw the angel of the Lord. And then the Bible says in verse 31, that God had to open the eyes of Balaam to see it, that

[Pastor Tim]

it wasn't natural, he needed a supernatural

[Pastor Patrick]

focus to see this angel.

[Pastor Tim]

I was amazed at that. Because Balaam, who wouldn't listen to the voice of the Lord, was now going

[Pastor Patrick]

to have to listen to the voice of a donkey. Let me say that one more time, because some of you missed that, that

[Pastor Tim]

Balaam, who would not listen to the voice, look, because God did speak to

[Pastor Patrick]

him and says, do not curse these people. These people are blessed by me.

[Pastor Tim]

And since he wouldn't listen to what God's word had to say, he was going to get God's word from a donkey. It says in Isaiah 1:3, even as

[Pastor Patrick]

an ox knows its owner and a

[Pastor Tim]

donkey recognizes its master's care, Israel doesn't even know its master. My people don't even recognize my care for them.

[Pastor Patrick]

Balaam didn't understand that. Balam didn't recognize that.

[Pastor Tim]

Let me say it again. Because Balaam wouldn't yield to the voice

[Pastor Patrick]

of God, whether the voice, that voice came audibly to him.

[Pastor Tim]

Don't go.

[Pastor Patrick]

Don't curse my people. And Balaam decided to go.

[Pastor Tim]

But God, in his care and in

[Pastor Patrick]

his mercy, would open up his standing there and is going to kill him. And but a donkey, God opens up

[Pastor Tim]

one last opportunity, the mouth of a donkey. Maybe if he's not going to hear God, maybe he'll hear a donkey. And folks, I kept thinking about that, that when all of a sudden he's talking to God, God is speaking to him. Don't curse these people. He still goes. God is angry, sends an adversary to stop him from going, which is the mercy of God. And then to add more mercy, he opens up the mouth of a donkey and opens up the eyes of a donkey. That's what's more amazing. The donkey not only speaking, but the donkey seeing angels. And all I kept thinking about is this God, may you, may. I never need a talking donkey to get me on the right path. What do you mean, Pastor Tim? That when I don't listen to God, God will have to use other strange voices to get me back on track. When I've lost an awe for the word of God, when I am not in this word, when. When church can easily be replaced by a date or by an appointment, when all of a sudden the reading of the Word can be quickly overtaken by ESPN or the New York Times, and this word doesn't become. And all of a sudden the awe of the scriptures becomes a yawn. God in his mercy will begin to open up other mouths to get us back on track. This word keeps us on track. This word keeps us in the spot we're supposed to be going. But I'm telling you, I've seen it. I've watched people who have walked away from God, starting by now here, they're no longer awestruck what prayer can do, what the word of God can do. But maybe once in a while, then God will open up the mouth of somebody else. I've watched it. I heard the stories at Teen Challenge that God would use a judge because

[Pastor Patrick]

they wouldn't listen to Jesus.

[Pastor Tim]

I've watched God use a jail cell because someone got sentenced because they didn't listen to what God had to say. I've watched God use homelessness and sickness to wake us up. And this is what I said. I said, God, may my eyes be open and my ears be open every time you speak. May I not need another voice. But this word to listen to what you're saying. Oh, God, help us. What is it going to take for some of us here that we have to wait for another voice to get us back on track? And God. And here's what's amazing. And God will do it. But in the middle of it, you got a crushed foot and the donkey that's sitting on top. I don't want a crushed foot. I. I just want to listen to God. Now, don't let this word get old. But, oh, God, keep us in awe of who you are. When we don't listen, God will use

[Pastor Patrick]

other voices like that donkey.

[Pastor Tim]

The other thing I kept thinking about is how God would use dirt.

[Pastor Patrick]

Dirt obeys the master. Let me explain. The Ark of the Covenant was in enemy territory. It was killing. It was in the Philistine territory. But the Philistines didn't want it there because having the, having the Ark of the Covenant, all their stuff was getting messed up.

[Pastor Tim]

Dagon, their God.

[Pastor Patrick]

Every morning they'd wake up, another limb

[Pastor Tim]

of his was gone. They put the Ark of the Covenant next to Dagon. They'd wake up and his arms were gone. They'd wake up the next morning and

[Pastor Patrick]

it was just a stump. They'd wake up the next morning and

[Pastor Tim]

he's laying on the ground. They're going to. We gotta get rid of this ark. In fact, there was one part of the scriptures. I'm just telling you what it says. They were all struck with hemorrhoids. Get rid of the Ark. I'm just telling you right now. And they said, we gotta get rid of this Thing and they take the ark and they get it out of Dodge and they bring it. They get it out of their nation and they bring it to the house.

[Pastor Patrick]

They can get it as far as a house and.

[Pastor Tim]

And it tells us of this guy named Abinadab and it's going to stay. It didn't get to Jerusalem.

[Pastor Patrick]

They just said, get it out of Philistine.

[Pastor Tim]

We can't take it, we can't take it. This Ark, which represents the presence of God, is killing everything and it's powerful. In two decades, this Ark will not be in Jerusalem.

[Pastor Patrick]

Listen to this. 1st Samuel 7 and the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord, brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the Ark of the Lord. And from that day the Ark remained in Kiriath Jearim. And the time was long, for it was 20 years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

[Pastor Tim]

So this ark is now 20 years, two decades in this guy's house. Can you imagine? You have the Ark of the Covenant people coming over. I've got something to show you. And he brings them over and shows them the Ark of the Covenant. Like the Ark. It's unbelievable. David is now king and says, we're going to get the Ark back.

[Pastor Patrick]

It's been gone for 20 years. We're bringing it back to Jerusalem.

[Pastor Tim]

Now remember whose house was the Ark in Abinadab? Remember that name. The Ark was in the house of Abinadab. Let me read to you the story. Now David again gathered all the chosen

[Pastor Patrick]

men of Israel, 30,000.

[Pastor Tim]

So can you imagine? You've had the Ark for 20 years and then one day a knock comes on the door and 30,000 men are outside your door going, that belongs to us.

[Pastor Patrick]

Listen to this.

[Pastor Tim]

David arose, went with all the people who were with him to BAAL Judah, to bring up from there the Ark

[Pastor Patrick]

of God, which is called by the name, the very name of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned above the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God in

[Pastor Tim]

a new cart that they might bring it from the house of abinadab.

[Pastor Patrick]

That's the first Samuel 7, which was on the hill.

[Pastor Tim]

And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of

[Pastor Patrick]

Abinadab, were leading this new cart, verse 4.

[Pastor Tim]

So they brought it with you, brought it with the Ark of God from

[Pastor Patrick]

the house of Abinadab which was on the hill.

[Pastor Tim]

And Ahayah was walking ahead of The Ark. Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with

[Pastor Patrick]

all kinds of insurance made of fir

[Pastor Tim]

wood and with liars, harps, tambourines, castanets, and symbols.

[Pastor Patrick]

So there's this great joy that happens.

[Pastor Tim]

But I want you to see verse six.

[Pastor Patrick]

But when they came to the threshing floor of Nakan, Uzzah. Uzzah reached out toward the Ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it, meaning the ark.

[Pastor Tim]

The ark almost tipped over from this cart, was about to fall off the cart.

[Pastor Patrick]

So Uzzah straightens it up, and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah. And God struck him down there for his irreverence and. And he died there by the Ark of God.

[Pastor Tim]

Wow, what a story.

[Pastor Patrick]

And there's so much wrong here that that happens. David takes men with him to collect the Ark rather than giving it to the Levites, rather than allowing the Levites to bring it. There was a great mistake. Since it was never to be put

[Pastor Tim]

on a cart, old or new.

[Pastor Patrick]

It was supposed to be borne on men's shoulders according to what Exodus has to say. Supposed to be carried by Levites and only of the family of Koas. You see that in number seven, in Exodus 25, God had a plan and

[Pastor Tim]

a prescription for how it was done.

[Pastor Patrick]

And all of a sudden you have this guy, Uzzah.

[Pastor Tim]

David brings it 30,000 men. Who. Who cares if there's 30,000 men in a new ark, a new cart? God's going, that's not the way I prescribe this thing. So here's the question again. Whose house was it in Abinadab and who touched it and died?

[Pastor Patrick]

Now, here's what's amazing. Who is Uzzah? Uzzah was the son of Abinadab and saw the Ark every day for 20 years.

[Pastor Tim]

Don't miss this Uzzah that tells us in the story. Uzzah is the son of Abinadab. He sees it every single day. The Ark of the Covenant. He looks at it every single day. 20 years you have the presence of God there, and for some reason you decide that it's no longer. You're no longer awestruck that you decide to put your hands upon it. Think of this for just a moment. I read this story, and I was brought back to a piece of furniture that Cindy and I received from an artist in our church. It was just a local artist. When Cindy and I got married, this local artist, it was. It was just so special to us.

[Pastor Patrick]

She.

[Pastor Tim]

She Bought and stripped this, this table and a mirror. She painted it. She painted it with our house in Detroit.

[Pastor Patrick]

Put.

[Pastor Tim]

Put pictures of us on this thing. It was, it was just so. To us, it's price. It was priceless.

[Pastor Patrick]

And so as we have this thing, I'll never forget, like the first year,

[Pastor Tim]

it's like, don't put anything on there.

[Pastor Patrick]

That's. That's the.

[Pastor Tim]

That's the artist and that's the pictures of us. And if you look at the top

[Pastor Patrick]

of the table, there's me and Cindy at the. In this house waving, and there we are. And so we would never think of putting coffee on top of our head.

[Pastor Tim]

And so don't put anything on this table.

[Pastor Patrick]

Don't put anything.

[Pastor Tim]

Don't put clothing. When you'd finish with laundry. Don't put laundry on. And here's what's amazing for that first year. It was like, don't touch it. Just notice it. And then all of a sudden, you know what it's like. After a while, you put the laundry basket on it. After a while you're just going, kids

[Pastor Patrick]

are putting their cars on it.

[Pastor Tim]

And then, and then, then all of a sudden. And then, let me just tell you, when we moved to New York, it didn't even make the cut. We threw it out. What, what happens on that? Because years can begin to start to take something lower in our eyes. It could take something that we prize and make it common and then make it in some point, it makes it. If you want to just put it this way, it makes it that it can be thrown out, it could be cast out. We don't even need this anymore. It becomes the word will be disposable. First it's valued. Then it becomes common. Then it's disposable. And that's what happens here. Think about this. You have an ark, which you're going like it's the Ark of the Covenant. Then all of a sudden, I have to believe after 20 years, it becomes common. And then all of a sudden it just becomes so common that you could put your hands on it, touch it. Before it was like, don't go near the ark. That's the presence of God. Inside that ark are the Ten Commandments, the manna that came down and, and also Aaron's rod that budded. And all of a sudden, after 20 years, it becomes common. It's the same thing that can happen in church. I watch it all the time. First it's like, I'm going to be in God's house every single time. The Doors are open. Then all of a sudden, it becomes common. It's just part of the schedule. And after a while, it's disposable. Oh, we've got to go do the soccer game. Oh, the Giants are playing. And so you go through all this stuff, and we got tickets to this, and. And now the house of God becomes disposable. Now we're no longer in awe. We yawn because we got other things that are going on. So what should have ooze have done? Here it is. If you're not going to listen, if you're not going to do what you're supposed to do, God goes, I'll speak through dirt. You know what he should have done? Let it fall. Let the ark hit the ground. Some of you going like that seems, no, no, no, no, no. God goes, let the dirt catch it. Because the dirt will obey me. When it rains. It doesn't sit there going, I'm not getting muddy. No, no, no, no. That dirt will obey you. Rain on it. The dirt becomes muddy. You sent the sun on it. The dirt becomes hard. You step on it, you can see a footprint in it. Because the dirt will obey. The dirt is an obedient creature. Uzu wasn't. Abinadab wasn't. Let it hit the ground. Why? Because the dirt speaks of something that obeys what God wants to do. I'm here to tell you this. Don't sit in this house. Then all of a sudden, songs become old. The presence of God becomes old. When you're looking at the choir singing this amazing song of moving forward, and all of a sudden you're going, there they are turning around to the east, the west, this north. And you go like. And some of you are going like, I saw that already. I've already seen them do that. It's like you want something new. I've heard Ricardo sing that song. I've heard Pastor Tim tell that story. I've even been spit on by Pastor Tim.

[Pastor Patrick]

Let me just tell you something.

[Pastor Tim]

We need God. We need him every single time. God help us. I've been serving the Lord. Now it's going to be close. Listen, it's going to be. It's going to be over 50 years I've served him. And I'm telling you, he gets sweeter every single day. Those music, those songs make me stand in awe of him. But some of you have lost that. You show up at church going like, wow, they're sitting in my seat. Here's a thought for you. Who cares? Who cares? Can I Just help you when you die. We're not putting a plaque there. You will get no plaque. When you die, you won't care because you'll be in the presence of God. We're not gonna put, hey, JoJo sat here. The people are gonna go, who's JoJo? But nobody's gonna say, who is God? He is the king of this house. Charles Finney described revival best when he said, revival is nothing else than a

[Pastor Patrick]

new beginning of obedience to God.

[Pastor Tim]

It's obeying him within, a new heart, a new life. And many times it's the same old, same old.

[Pastor Patrick]

Let's pray, let's read the word.

[Pastor Tim]

Let's ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. It's a new beginning of obedience.

[Pastor Patrick]

Not new commands, but just a new beginning of obedience. When God loses the awe, he'll speak through donkeys.

[Pastor Tim]

He'll speak through dirt.

[Pastor Patrick]

And let me close with this as the musicians come, he'll speak through demons, demons that fear the Master. Let me just stop for a moment and talk about demon faith for a moment. It's amazing.

[Pastor Tim]

Demons have seen more.

[Pastor Patrick]

No more than you or I will ever know. Yet they only believe, and their belief makes them shudder. What do you mean, Pastor Tim?

[Pastor Tim]

Listen to.

[Pastor Patrick]

Listen to what James says. You believe that God is one. Your theology is all together.

[Pastor Tim]

You do well.

[Pastor Patrick]

But the demons also believe, and it makes them shudder. It makes them quake inside. Think of that for a moment. Just a question. How many are here today online, around the world? You would say, I believe in God. Would you raise your hand? I believe in God. Okay, put your hands down for a second. When was the last time your belief was so strong that you shook with conviction, that you just gone, like, ah. Something quaked inside of you because you were shaking with conviction, going, I shouldn't have watched that. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have set my eyes on that. I shouldn't have been looking at that on my phone. I shouldn't have gone to that website. I shouldn't have said yes to dating that guy that I knew wasn't right from the Lord all of a sudden. When was the last time you shuddered because your belief was so strong? When was the last time your belief made you say no to your calendar and yes to God's priority? When was the last time your belief made you apologize, made you weep, made you witness, made you worship and maybe made you shout that your belief in who he is. He says the devil. Demons say they believe God is one. What is he talking about? It's a Trinitarian verse. God is one. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. And all of a sudden, those demons back off and start to quake.

[Pastor Tim]

What is it?

[Pastor Patrick]

What is it, seminary professor?

[Pastor Tim]

What is it?

[Pastor Patrick]

M. Divorce. You hold these doctrines with such a

[Pastor Tim]

strong grip, but has that which you've held onto made you shudder? Made your belief challenge you?

[Pastor Patrick]

Maybe you're sitting here today as a. As a pastor, as a leader. When was the last time I had to question myself today? Cindy sent me a text last week. I think it was the beginning of the week. And it just simply said this. Believing in Jesus but not obeying him is exactly what Satan does. She wasn't speaking about me, hopefully, but she was just.

[Pastor Tim]

But she did send it to me,

[Pastor Patrick]

and I could just. I could just send back. I just sent back.

[Pastor Tim]

Wow.

[Pastor Patrick]

Oh, my goodness. Believing but not obeying. Believing but not obeying. It's exactly what James 2:19 says. That's what happened on the Palm Sunday. Let me read it to you. They brought the colt to Jesus. Then throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. And as he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street right at the crest where the Mount of Olives begins its descent. This is what Pastor Patrick was reading. The whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works that they had witnessed. Blessed is he who comes, the King of. In God's name, all's well in heaven, Glory in the high places. This is Psalm 18. It's the only time hosanna is mentioned in the Scriptures, and It's in Psalm 18.

[Pastor Tim]

It's the.

[Pastor Patrick]

It's this praise for the coming of a king. Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, teacher, get your disciples under control. But he said if they keep quiet, the stones would do it for them and those stones would shout praise. You know what he was telling them? Listen for just a moment. These men are so bored with God and so enthralled with their positions that they forgot. They forgot who the king was. While the religious are telling the crowd to be quiet, what they were doing was they were putting their hands on the soundboard, saying, turn.

[Pastor Tim]

Turn those kids down.

[Pastor Patrick]

Turn those people down.

[Pastor Tim]

It's starting to get too loud in this place. It's starting to get.

[Pastor Patrick]

And for some of us, that.

[Pastor Tim]

That may even make us feel uncomfortable.

[Pastor Patrick]

When you come early for prayer at 9:45 and all of a sudden you hear people praying and you're going, like, I'm not used to this. I'm just used to quiet prayer. Turn that down. All of a sudden, Pastor Patrick comes up and reads that Luke 19. And the shout happens in this place. You're going, we don't do that. I don't come from that kind of. Turn that. Turn that volume down. Let us not lose all of who he is.

[Pastor Tim]

Can I just tell you?

[Pastor Patrick]

My belief in God makes me want to shout.

[Pastor Tim]

My what I know about him makes me want to cry out what he has done for me, my wife and my children makes me have to stand up and just go, God, you are worthy to be praised.

[Worship Leader]

It does.

[Pastor Tim]

It makes me want to shout. It makes me want to just praise him and say, God, don't let me like these men. I get so off that you lose the awe. You lose who he is. And now you want to control the volume on God. God help us. Listen, I get it. Sometimes we're trying to figure out, monitors could be too loud. The house speakers could be loud. Willie could be too loud. And smiling. But for a moment, who cares? If God is good, then, folks, I am telling you, I don't want to lose the awe. I don't want dirt to speak to me. I don't want rocks to praise for me. I don't want donkeys to see for me or speak for me. I want to do it for God. I want to obey him. I want to fear him. I want to shout for him. I want to see him for who he is. Hallelujah.

[Pastor Patrick]

Let me close with this. Stand to your feet. Musicians, everybody. You can come. Let's close here.

[Pastor Tim]

I've never heard of this book, and

[Pastor Patrick]

I didn't Even know this 1954 book turned into a movie. And it was called the Robe. The Robe. Anybody ever hear of the Robe? Oh, my goodness. I'm way out of it. By Lloyd Douglas. Let me just help you because I'm so excited to read or watch what this is Lloyd Douglas. It was up for best picture and the story was about it. Talk about a week to talk about It. It's a story of a young Roman soldier named Marcellus who is in charge of the crucifixion of Jesus.

[Pastor Tim]

Listen to the story plot. He was in charge of the crucifixion of Jesus. And in the dice game, he won Christ's robe. He was the winner of gambling underneath

[Pastor Patrick]

the feet of Jesus and won the

[Pastor Tim]

robe at the foot of Calvary.

[Pastor Patrick]

And there that robe, he started to experience a slow, overpowering change in his life. And through the pages of this book, the reader sees how this pagan Roman goes on the spiritual journey to realize he is the Christ, the son of the living God.

[Pastor Tim]

And I was so intrigued by this.

[Pastor Patrick]

The song going like, that's.

[Pastor Tim]

That's amazing. And I was reading about Lloyd Douglas,

[Pastor Patrick]

the man who wrote this back in the 40s, released in 54. And when he was going to school, I just listened to this. I love this story. Said Lloyd Douglas was the author of the Robe, lived in a boarding house while he was a university student. Listen to this.

[Pastor Tim]

On the first floor of his boarding

[Pastor Patrick]

house resided a retired music teacher, sick and unable to leave his apartment. Every morning, he had a ritual. Before he'd go to university. Lloyd Douglas would come down the stairs, open the old man's door, and says,

[Pastor Tim]

well, what's the good news?

[Pastor Patrick]

And the older man would say this. He'd pick up his tuning fork. To my musicians up here, he'd pick up his tuning fork, and he'd hit

[Pastor Tim]

the side of his wheelchair and say, that is a middle C. It was a middle C yesterday, and it will be a middle C tomorrow. It will be a middle C a thousand years from now when I'm dead. And then he says this. The tenor upstairs sings flat. The piano across the hall is out of tune. But, my friend, this is a middle sea. That old man discovered a reality that he can depend on that tuning fork, that middle C. Though no matter what anyone else sang or played, what was in his hand was the standard. Play. Play a middle C. That's it. He'd hit that. He'd hit that tuning fork, and that's what he would hear. What he was saying was this. There is a standard. No matter who's flat and sharp, there's a standard. Everybody's got to get tuned by. And I'm telling you, I don't know if I've ever said this before. Jesus is my middle C. He's our middle C. That it doesn't matter who's flat or sharp. He's the standard. So as we're coming back on the train yesterday from Delaware Teen Challenge, one of the outspoken and very famous congressmen is on the train with us. And while he is on the train, he's got security and people are swooning going, and. And listen, personally, I think he's either sharp or flat. Don't know which one it is. It's one of those two. But can I just tell you this? Whether you're Democrat or Republican, it's sharp and it's flat. Folks, here's what I. I couldn't believe as I'm Watching people swoop. Can we get a picture? Can we?

[Pastor Patrick]

And he was very kind. I mean, listen, then he was, yes, let's do it. Very kind man. But here's the incredible thing.

[Pastor Tim]

Society swoons over Democrats and Republicans.

[Pastor Patrick]

They're swooning.

[Pastor Tim]

And our society is taking pictures with politicians out of key, sharp and flat because they've lost what the middle C is. The middle C is who Christ is, who God is. You know, when we get flat in this house is when you lose Christ. You know, when we get flat with music, you can come up with all the songs you want, we get flat. If Jesus isn't the center, we are not the center, we are not the key. Jesus is the key. He's the one that does it all. And when we get sharp and we miss the middle C, then God has to use donkeys, dirt and demons to remind us, you gotta get this right. And that's when I told God, I said, don't use a donkey. Let me see and let me hear. That's when I told God, I said, lord, don't rely on dirt. Let these hands obey you, God, don't. I. No matter what demons believe, I want a belief that makes me shudder and makes me obey and makes me do everything that God wants me to do. You are my middle sea, you know, when God uses dirt, demons and donkeys is when it's no longer a middle sea to you. You'll look and go, like, I don't go to church anymore. They all they ask for is money. You lost middle C. You lost middle C.

[Pastor Patrick]

We're watching, you know, you're up there.

[Pastor Tim]

That is.

[Pastor Patrick]

That doesn't even. What happened in Chile doesn't even.

[Pastor Tim]

It doesn't even move your heart that the finances puts milk in the hands of kids. He's going, there, they are asking for money and you miss the whole thing. When they're putting milk in their hands, you say, well, happen they're asking for money. Golly, you are flat sharp. Our words get sharp next to us people.

[Pastor Patrick]

And boy, you don't see that sharpness and flatness until worship starts. People start worshiping and hands are going up. And you. And you're sitting there and you're trying to worship like this and going, look, look at them. They are not even mature. Their hands are waving around like this. This is maturity. I don't want to be like you.

[Pastor Tim]

I don't want to be like you at all. I want to. I want to be.

[Pastor Patrick]

Listen, I think worship should be on the verge of insanity. I do.

[Pastor Tim]

I was watching it, one song. I was watching both of you going, lion of Judah.

[Pastor Patrick]

I was just going like, that's what I want. If I wasn't 62, because I know I'd break something.

[Pastor Tim]

I'm just telling you right now. But I'm still in awe of who he is.

[Pastor Patrick]

And I'm just telling you, he does. He makes me want to shout. I want. I want. I want to get ready for that. He makes.

[Pastor Tim]

When I think about the Lord, he makes me want to. But we've gotten dull. We've gotten dull. We've lost the awe of who he is. That was what Palm Sunday was. Hosanna. Hosanna five days later. Crucify him. Crucify. I don't want that. I want it to be hosanna on

[Pastor Patrick]

the day of the crucifixion.

[Pastor Tim]

I want it to be hosanna on the day that he comes in on a donkey. I want it to be hosanna when he's risen from the dead. I want it to be hosanna today, tomorrow. And when I get to heaven, I want it to be, God save us, God deliver us. You are the king. You know why he's middle C. He doesn't change. I don't. Father. Listen, I'm telling you, if some of you are maybe sitting here going like, yeah, we were at that protest yesterday. We filled the streets, and we did. It's not even. It's flattened and it's. And it's sharp. Oh, I knew he was a Trump guy. No, I'm a Jesus guy. That's what this is. I'm not sitting. I'm telling you, if you're doing no kings, I'm not coming. If you're doing kings, I'm not coming.

[Pastor Patrick]

But if you do, the king of

[Pastor Tim]

kings, I'll be there. I'm coming for that. That one. I'm coming because I know. I've watched it. I've watched it. None of it makes sense. When it's all said and done. It doesn't get you to heaven. It doesn't set you free. It doesn't begin to heal your kids. It doesn't set you free from drugs. It doesn't do any of that. I want you. I'm in awe of who he is. Listen, you're just a moment. How many need a renewal in their life? How many need that awe again?

[Pastor Patrick]

Lift those hands to him.

[Pastor Tim]

You need that awe to come back. For who God is that awe? How many are here saying, I don't want a donkey to see for me. Or speak to me. I want to respond to God. I want these hands that I'm raising. You know what the Bible says that men everywhere should lift up holy hands. So why are you sitting there like this? Well, I'm just not comfortable.

[Pastor Patrick]

The Bible didn't ask if you're comfortable.

[Pastor Tim]

Lift up holy hands to him for who he is. Oh, this is so controlling. No, it's Bible. It's Bible. It's what the Bible said. Well, I'm an Episcopalian. Lift those Episcopalian hands, lift those Baptist hands, lift those Catholic hands and just say you're worthy to be praised. You're. Come on, get those hands up and begin to declare. Come on, lift your voice and begin to declare him. Begin to declare. Begin to declare. Begin to declare. When I think about the Lord. Come on, tell him right now. Come on, tell him. Hallelujah. This is middle C, middle scene.

[Worship Leader]

He saves me up, up and turn me around. How he raised my feet on solid ground Solid ground It makes me want. Come on, sing it. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Lord, you're worthy of all the glory and all the honor and all the praise Makes me. Makes me wanna shout. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Lord, you're worthy of all the glory and all the honor.

[Pastor Tim]

When I think.

[Worship Leader]

Come on, church. When I think about the Lord and when I think about the Lord how he saved me, how he raised me, how he filled me with the Holy Ghost, how he healed me to the uttermost When I of the Lord, how he picked me up and turn me around. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Lord, you're worthy of all the glory, all the honor, all the praise. Makes me. Makes me want to shout. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. And all the praise Makes me wanna shout.

[Pastor Tim]

Give him a shout just for a moment here.

[Worship Leader]

Halleluj.

[Pastor Tim]

Hallelujah.

[Pastor Patrick]

I'm not asking you to do this all the time, but I love when all of a sudden you shout and then there are some crazy people that just start whistling.

[Pastor Tim]

I love that. I really do. Don't do it now. But I love.

[Pastor Patrick]

I love that I'm just going, like,

[Pastor Tim]

if that's the way they express, then just. It makes me want to shout. But I want, I want. I don't ever want to lose the

[Pastor Patrick]

awe of who he is. And if you're here today, just as we close and you just. Whether online or in person and everybody. All these other voices have now. All the sharp and flat voices have now trying to control our lives and you got to get and you're here today and just going, I got to get back to middle C. I gotta get back to middle circle. I gotta get back to the voice that doesn't change and who he is. That middle C, he will be the same yesterday, today, and forever. That middle C won't change. And if you're here today and say, pastor Tim, I've listened to too many voices, but I need to come back to God on this day. I want my life tuned to who he is. I want to tune to middle C. If you're saying, I want to come back to God today, if that's you, just raise your hand, saying, I want to come back to him today. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Pastor Tim]

Keep those hands up. Hold them up high.

[Pastor Patrick]

Yes, thank you. Thank you.

[Pastor Tim]

Balcony. Hold them up high so I can see them. Yes, yes, yes. All over there.

[Pastor Patrick]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Pastor Tim]

That whole section over there. Come on, lift your hands with me, please, and just say this out loud. Say, jesus, I'm coming home. Come into my life. Change me from the inside out. I say today, Hosanna in the highest. You are the king and be king of my life. You are the king. You overcame death, hell, and the grave. And you reign, reign in my life. In Jesus name. And everybody said amen and amen and amen.

[Podcast Host]

Thanks so much for listening. We hope you've enjoyed this message and be sure to subscribe so you can receive new messages each week. Visit TSC NYC for all the latest info on how you can stay connected. Also, don't forget that you can follow us on social media on all major platformsquare. Church, thanks for tuning in today. Have a great week.