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God is good. Amen. We're so thankful that you're here today. I want to make just mention of this before we talk about the nations and all that's happening. We say hello to not only our Jersey campus, we welcome those that are watching from New Jersey, but we're having a. And God is going to take care of this. We're having a space issue with our, our children. So many kids are coming in and then our annex is starting to get full. So we're gonna, we're excited about what the Lord is doing. And then we also are so excited. 128 are getting water baptized today. So what a blessing. Let me tell you why that's significant and it's a reason. There's a. There's such a good reason because we're watching God deep in those that are getting saved last. Our last water baptism last quarter about four months ago maybe we had 260 get saved. And we said let's, let's deepen their walk and their commitment and ask them to take, to take a class on water baptism and to still see half of those about 126, 128 get all go through that class. So right after service, right after this service, I'm going to ask you to join us upstairs. They're going to. You'll hear testimonies, sing, worship, and you're going to see our elders baptized about 60 or 70 this time. And then right after the 1 o' clock service, we're going to go ahead and do this very same thing. And so that's very exciting to see. I'm also excited. I want to just read to you. I want to go through. We have a number of new groups that are joining us online. It's always a joy to welcome all that you're watching around the country and around the world. We want to say hello to Nigeria is live with us. South Africa. We say hello to Madagascar, Namibia, Eswatini, Uganda, Rwanda, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We really need to pray for them. Such a persecution both in Nigeria and in the Republic of Congo against believers. Zambia, Botswana. We say hello to our friends in South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong. Let me say this about South Korea. We got, we just got this report someone just sent in to us. They've been praying about coming to New York City. They've been going, God, open up the door for us to go to New York City so we can be part of the worship and hear the word. And then they texted back to our team online and said God answered My prayer. They came over to South Korea last week. So what a blessing. So we say hello to Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cambodia, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, Amman, India, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, North Ireland, Scotland, Scotland, Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. We welcome Austria, Russia. We're praying that God would stop this war in Jesus name. We say hello to Moldova, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Northern Macedonia. We also welcome Greece. I'm going to talk about Greece in a second. Canada, the Navajo Nation. We also have a new, a new first first nation group with us, the Lumbee Indian tribe of North Carolina. We want to welcome them that are watching. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Dominica, French Guyana, Bahamas, Grenada, El Salvador, Suriname, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. We welcome all of you. We say hello to some 47 states from around the US but this one excites me the most. We're welcome. I think it's nine universities that are with us live today. We say hello. I'm so excited about this. If you're watching from a university, please tell us. So we say hello to Queens College, Stony Brook University, University of Delaware, Grand Canyon University, Eastern Wyoming University, South Carolina State, NYU and the Greek Bible College of Athens. Would you welcome all those that are watching from university campuses. I'll be sharing next week about our trip to Korea. I'm so grateful. Pastor Teresa, our Bible College president, preached the powerful word on Ruth. We're so thankful. This Tuesday night Summit will be joining us, our Bible college this Tuesday night. You don't want to miss it. They'll be joining us in the service next Sunday. As you heard is prayer and fasting. November 2nd through 4th, Sunday, 6pm, Monday, 7pm I wanted just to make mention of them. CS Lewis said these words. He said, if you read history, you'll find that the Christians who did the most for this present world were those who thought most of the next. Let me say that again. Those who did most for the present world were those who thought most about the next and what was coming into eternity. Don't believe that nonsense. It says you're so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good. We need to be heavenly minded. The thought of the next means we're living with eternity in our mind. There's a song that we sing. I grew up singing this song and man, I hate to do this to you. Don't play and then come and play. Let me choose the key and there's no guarantee that it is the right key. So just have how many Remember this song. For he is Lord. How many? Remember that he is Lord. Come on, sing it with me. He has risen from the dead. He has risen from the dead. And he. It's a good spot to lift our hands. Every knee. Every knee. You got it. You know it. Can we sing one more time? We're gonna go up a little bit.
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He is Lord Come on, church, sing it. He is risen. This is the part I want you to sing. Sing this with author. Hallelujah. How many Remember that song? Every knee shall bow Every tongue confess. That's what I want to talk to you about today. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess. Colossians 3 says this. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Don't spend your time worrying about things down here. And then it says this. You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. I love that line. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. Hallelujah. So Father, set our affections on things above in these next few moments that we would begin to let eternity fill our minds and our hearts with. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We bless you and thank you in Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. You may be seated. Thank you. Thank you. Great job, guys. Great job. This last June, myself, Nikki Cruz and Gary Wilkerson did a pastor's conference. For those in Athens, Greece, the Bible College is watching. And those that are watching from the nation of Greece, we welcome you. We arrived before the day of the conference, and there were two things I wanted to do because we were getting ready to go into a number of days of speaking there to minister to the leaders. And it was the first of its kind that would be taking place in Athens. But with just one day that we had, I said, I want to do two things. I want to see two things, both biblical. One was I could see outside of the hotel. The other was 80 km away. I wanted to see Mars Hill and I wanted to see the city of Corinth. Both in Acts 17 and 18. I wanted to see those two places. The Mars Hill is another name, for it is the Areopagus. I could see it's this rocky mountain jutting out just outside of our hotel. That was Mars Hill. It was a place in Acts 17 that Paul preached to the philosophers and to the seekers. In Athens, on top of that giant rock, Paul used an idol there called the Unknown God as a starting point to explain the Christian message. His sermon was in Acts 17. It's probably one of the greatest evangelistic sermons that you can read the structure of it, declare that God is the creator of all things, that humanity needs to repent and seek after him, that he is the source of life and movement. And then Paul preached about a coming judgment and the resurrection of the dead. And Jesus listen to it, he said, for he has set a date for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed. And he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead, speaking of Jesus. And when they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt. But others says, we want to hear more about this later. That ended Paul's discussion with them. But some joined and joined him and became believers. It was a mixed audience that was there. And so when that message was done, the very next verse says, then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. That's exactly what I did. Left Athens and we just took a bus and went over to Corinth. It was in Corinth that we saw the excavation of the streets that Paul, they say, probably actually walked on. It was the first century streets where the marketplace was. But what caught my attention was a raised spot that we were able to go to. It was a raised spot and it was called the bema seat. The Bema seat. It was that raised platform that was probably maybe 10ft above the street level in the city center. It's there that a governor or a king would dispense judgment, made public addresses, even gave out rewards for those that have won that we would call them the Olympic Games. And it was there that they would stand on that bema seat. We were able to stand on that bema seat, the very one that many believe that where Paul would hear his judgment in Acts 18, it was the place that Paul was brought before the Roman pro council. You could read it in the very next chapter, Galileo in Acts 18:12, 17. And it was there that that very bema seat reminded Paul of eternity. Paul used the bema seat as the comparison where Christians will stand before Christ on Judgment Day. Now you have to understand what I just said. I said, it's the comparison where Christians and I'll explain that would stand before Christ on Judgment Day. That's an important word. Don't miss that. While Paul was being judged, Paul was thinking about eternity. On Thursday, I was reading Romans 14, which I'm gonna take you to here in just a moment. And I was struck just as Paul was looking at a bema seat and thinking about eternity and what was going to happen to the believer. I was reading Romans 14 and the very same thing happened to me. It was like looking at this, like, like this moment where this, this passage just jumped out at me. I didn't expect to see eternity in the words that I was reading there because it didn't seem it was, it was even going to show up there as Paul was speaking about new believers and old believers that were not getting along in the church. And then I ran into a passage of scripture that was filled with eternity. I thought the words that Paul mentioned were for unbelievers, but this time it was for believers. He was speaking to Christians and reminding them to set their affections on things above. CS Lewis went on to say, Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live forever. And this has to be either, he says, either true or false. Listen to these words now. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if we're only gonna live 70 years. And there are certain things which I had better bother about if very seriously, if I'm going to live forever. Let me just remind you, you are going to live forever. Some let me emphasize somewhere you are going, life isn't over at 70, 80, you will live forever somewhere. And I was seriously thinking about that bema seat because I was going to live forever, not 70 years. We live and make decisions so many times based on the 70 years and not based on eternity, not based on the forever part. We don't live our lives based on this one thought. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And when I read Romans 14, I was brought to the realization of eternity. And these words reminded me as Paul was writing to Christians, this chapter is about new Christians in the church that are coming in with baggage and old Christians that have been in the church that while the new ones are coming in with baggage and all excited, yet the older Christians that were a little spicy in their attitude toward the new Christians and you have to remember with what God is doing 126, 128, getting just water baptized today and people are going to get saved today and saved online today that people are going to come in with baggage. They're going to come in with the world, they're going to come in with the junk that's there. But thank God they're coming in. Thank God that they're being taught. Paul is sending a wake up call to the church in a city of some 80,000 there that is bubbling over in controversy because the church is arguing about diets and days in Romans chapter 14 and Paul finally says these words, listen to this. Why do you judge your brother? Why do you show contempt to your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, for it is written as I live, says the Lord. And he's saying this to the believer. Every knee shall bow to me. Every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God. Folks, there's something here. He's speaking about a fight in the church and the challenge that God was giving to me. As I'm reading this and I'm seeing, I'm going, wait a second. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess. That's not meant for the believer. That's for me to say to non believers. Every knee shall. And Paul goes, no, no, no, that's for you too. Because I want to go to all those that don't know Jesus and all the atheists. Every knee shall bow. And I'm reading Romans 14 and the fingers coming my way, and every tongue shall confess. And you know what? The Holy Spirit spoke to me, says, the mouth you criticize and judge with is also the mouth you will confess Christ with. It was a challenge to me by the Holy Spirit that we will all, Paul said, stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the Bema seat. I will be judged. I will be judged as a Christian for my speech and my stewardship. According to this, Spurgeon said these words, time is short, eternity is long. It is only reasonable that the short life be lived in the light of eternity. In this short life, I have to give an account. The message version. Eugene Peterson I love the way he begins to give what Romans 14 says. Listen to these words. He says, so where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I say, it leaves you looking pretty silly or worse. Look at this. Eventually we're all going to end up kneeling side by side at the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways of are not going to improve your position there one bit. And then Paul says, read it for yourself. In Scripture, as I live and breathe, God says, every knee will bow before me. Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God. And then I love this next part. So mind your own business. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. I love that part. He says, we get so caught up in looking at others. And Paul says, you got enough problems that you've got to get right With God. Mind your own business. There are three places in the Scripture when I was reading this that have that phrase, Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. Three places. It occurs. It occurs in Isaiah 45. It occurs in Romans 14 that we just read. And it occurs in Philippians chapter two. It's in those three places that the Bible begins to point it out. Let me explain it to you this way. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. You'll see it in Isaiah 45, and I want to show you. It's the unrivaled God. No one like him. He is, stands alone. You'll see it in Philippians 2 is the exalted Christ. And then in Romans 14, it's about the accountability of the Christian, about his words, about what he says, about criticism and judgment. And those three places are brought the unrivaled God in Isaiah 45. I'll read it in a moment. The exalted Christ in Philippians 2, and the accountable Christian in Romans 14. Let me read to you about the unrivaled God. Listen to how Isaiah prophesies and how what Isaiah says. Isaiah says, tell and bring forth your case. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no other God beside me. A just God and a Savior. There is none beside me. Look to me and be saved. Oh, you, ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by myself. The Word has gone out of my mouth, and righteousness and shall not return that to me. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall take an oath or confess. He is the unrivaled God. When I read this chapter, I was amazed that I would see these words over and over again. There is no other. There's no other one beside me. 10 times. Isaiah keeps repeating these words 10 times in this chapter. What he was saying is, God is unrivaled. God is exclusive, stands all by himself with no competition. Make no mistake, Isaiah was saying, here it comes. There is no one like our Gods. That's what Isaiah was saying. Make no mistake. I'll tell you to you 10 times. There's no one like him. No one beside him. There is nobody else. It is God. He is. And we were hearing this when Mo was singing. He is God and God alone. That's it. That's Isaiah 45. And I have to tell you, every time I read this chapter and go through that, I always end up at a verse and Reminds myself of an unexpected snowstorm and a conversion that is just amazing to me. It was almost 200 years ago on January 6, 1850, where a snowstorm where a school was closed and a 15 year old young man over in England saw the snow come down and he ducked into a church on Artillery street called a primitive Methodist church. He said he went into the church, this 15 year old, to get out of the snowstorm. He said he entered the building for the first time. There was no more than a dozen people there. He said even the minister didn't show up because of the weather. And this is what he wrote. He said it was the wrong church, the wrong congregation, the wrong weather and that day it was the wrong preacher. He said some thin looking man, he said it was either a shoemaker or a tailor, was standing in place since there was no pastor that day, stood up and read Isaiah 45:1 verse, Isaiah 45:22 look to me and be saved, oh you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. The young man said he didn't really have much to say. He just kept repeating the text over and over again because he wasn't prepared that day. He was expecting the pastor to show up. So he just kept reading the words over and over again. He said. I remember him saying, my dear friends, this is so simple. He said in this accent. He said, now look, don't take a deal of pain. It ain't lifting your foot or a finger. It's just look. Well, a man needn't go to college to look. You can be the biggest fool and still look. A child can look even in this is what it said. He said, he wrote. He said, even an idiot can look, however weak or ever poor, it doesn't matter. All you've got to do is look, live and be saved, he said. The preacher managed to say this for 10 minutes and then he said he ran out of things to say until he saw me sitting in the audience. He said he looked at the young man and he said, you look rather miserable. And he wrote, he said I was miserable. And he said. The preacher went on and he said, you don't have to be miserable. All you have to do is look. Look and live. Look and be saved. Young man, look to Jesus. Look, look, look. You have nothing to do but look and you will be saved. Isaiah 45:22. And on that day 200 years ago, Charles Spurgeon, the greatest preacher at 15 years old, gave his heart to Christ, which has changed, changed pulpits around the world. Isaiah was telling us, there's no rival. There's nothing. No one to bow down, to. Bow to God alone. Give him your allegiance he is worthy of, because there's no one like him. And he is the exalted Christ. Philippians, chapter two. Brings us to heaven, brings us down to the lowest parts of this earth, and then brings us back up to heaven. As the apostle Paul says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant coming into the likeness of man, being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself, became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven, those on earth, and even those under the earth. And every tongue should confess, jesus Christ is Lord. It's the exalted Christ. It's the humbled Christ. The journey to exaltation. The journey to that verse is stunning. That he would make himself of no reputation. He would take on the form of a servant. He would become in the likeness of men. He would humble himself, humble himself to the obedience to be obedient to death. And not just death, but death in the worst way. Death on the cross. But hallelujah. The story doesn't end there. Paul says, therefore, because he has made the descent down, God has highly exalted him, given him a name which is above every other name. That at that name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess. That's powerful. Every knee will bow. Total submission to his authority. Every tongue confess. That's total surrender to his lordship. Submission. And surrender to the Christ that emptied himself in order to be exalted. That would take this the downward slope. That's why I want you to listen to me. Every preacher, every communicator, every. Every choir director, every. Every worship leader and pastor, listen to me. That's why these words mean something to me. Listen. According to this passage, the man full of himself can never proclaim the Christ who emptied himself. Keep that up on the screen. Listen to me for a second. This hits me home. The man or woman who's full of himself can't sing or preach of the Christ who emptied himself. He emptied himself in order to have a name which is above every other name. While people are trying to make a name for Themselves, get followers and get clicks. We. We have to be in a position. We have to be in a place that we empty ourselves just as he has emptied himself. And finally, the accountable finally means nothing. But let me just say this, the accountable Christian, that's Romans 14:10. Why do you judge your brother? Why do you show contempt? We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, every knee shall bow to me. Every tongue shall confess to God. So then earth, so then each of us shall give an account of himself to God. It's the accountability of the believer, see? Accountability of even the believer's speech. God was speaking to me about making sure I had eternity in my words, eternity in my speech. Why Jesus said these words? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. But we stop there. And this is what he goes on to say. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things. An evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings forth evil things. But I say to you, every idle word that men may speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment. Don't miss those words. That's what he was talking about. I felt my soul arrested this Thursday that when these words were said, that he just goes that, Tim, I'm trying to get you to see eternity. I'm trying to get you with these words. Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess. That's not just an unbeliever that has denied Christ, that refuses to believe. It's not the atheist that says God doesn't exist, that you have to point your finger. It's you that has to recognize that you will stand before him in eternity. I told Cindy a few days ago, I said, I can't remember the last time I prayed for this. And I feel embarrassed to tell you this, but I did. I prayed for this. And I said, God, I haven't used these words in a very long time. And I said these words. I said, God, I want holiness in my life. I haven't said those words in a long time. I said, I want to be holy. I said, I don't even remember. I can just. I've said word anoint me. I've prayed words, you know, I want to be you. I don't remember the last time I said God, would you. I want to be holy as you're holy. That's what your word says. The word holy means to be set apart. It means a word which means not for common use. And that's what God was speaking to me about my mouth and my knees, that may my mouth declare that Jesus is Lord. May these knees be prepared and be exercised daily. Because I will bow one day before him. I will bow before him. I will stand before him and these knees will drop to the ground. Nobody will stand upright in his presence. We will bow before Him. I've been. I've been. I've been kneeling more in prayer than ever. And I've been speaking out loud more in prayer than ever. Because I want these knees and this mouth to confess that Jesus is Lord. These knees to bow at his authority. They have been separated for special use for a special time. This mouth is to confess his lordship. These knees are to bow before his authority. One of the men that have greatly influenced my life, Leonard Ravenhill, who David Wilkerson introduced me to, said these words. Listen to this. He goes, the greatest miracle God can do is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy and then put him back into an unholy world and keep him holy. He said, that's the miracle that God. Let me read that again because some of you are texting. Listen to this. The greatest miracle God can do is take an unholy man or woman out of an unholy world, make him holy, put him back into an unholy world and keep him holy. Those three sections of Scripture all carry the words, Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. Isaiah 45 says, you will know and kneel before God alone. One day he is unrivaled. Philippians 2 says, Christ, the exalted by God the Father has been given a name that all humanity will kneel before and acknowledge that name. Ricardo led us in that song about calling upon that name today. That name which begins to speak of authority and surrender. And the mouth in Romans 14, the mouth that I have been given is not meant for contempt or criticism. It is meant to confess Jesus as Lord and speak about that name with power and to speak about that name with boldness. Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess is what happens on the other side. Those are words of eternity. A.W. tozer said this. The more fascinated we become with the toys of this world, the more we forget there's another world to come. Let me say that again. The more we become fascinated with the toys of this world, the more we forget that there is another world to come. I was reading. I don't even know how it came across to me, but I was reading of. Because I think from being in New York for Growing up here that it was so crazy. The health University of Michigan did a study and looked at a food index on foods that increase and decrease your life. And they said they published this whole list of like 6,000 different foods that will affect. And they put minutes it adds and minute it subtracts from your life. Some of you are going, I need that list. Let me tell you the one that was the top of the list. This is for all of us here in New York City. They said that the worst food that takes. They said every time you eat this food, it takes 36 minutes off your life. You ready for this? The hot dog. Every time you eat a hot dog, he Sundays, you lose 36 minutes off your life. And all I thought about was, we are so messed up in this country. We've got hot dog eating contests down in Coney island on how many hot dogs you can eat at one time. And I'm just going, like, here we are. Poor Nathan's is getting roasted on this whole thing. And no one's thinking of eternity when you put mustard and sauerkraut on those things. And I just kept thinking to myself, I'm going, God, I want to think of eternity. I want to think of forever. I want my life to be that way. Let me just share a couple thoughts here. As soon as the rapture of the church takes place, the next event on the biblical calendar is the judgment of the believers, of the believers, of the Christian. Some of you going, I thought I was saved. Exactly. I remember getting a wake up call to this eternity part. Just like I did this last Thursday when I read Romans 14. When I started in ministry in Detroit, we had a food, a soup kitchen, but it was. It wasn't soup. You just call it that. But we had great food there. We had this amazing deal with this grocery store four days a week. We would feed amazing meals, even food boxes, and fill all these people from the streets dealing with the poor. And on every Sunday, none of them would come to church. They took our food and would not come to church for spiritual food. I'm just telling you, I remember having it out with God. I'm going, we're giving them great meals, food boxes take home. And I remember saying to the Lord, what are we doing this for? None of them are coming to church to eat the food. I mean, to eat spiritual food. They're just taking our food. Then eternity hit me. Eternity words hit me. Eternity words. I was reminded of Jesus words in Matthew 25, words that would come at the judgment seat of the Believer. And these were the words. I was naked and you clothed me. I was in prison and you visited me. I was hungry and you fed me. And the Holy Spirit spoke to me at that and said, you are not. You are doing this for church growth. You're feeding people to get them to church. That's not what that's for. And eternity hit me. Says, what you want to hear is you don't need to see someone in the Spirit. What you want to hear are these words. Well done, good and faithful servants. Those are the words that I want to hear. He says, you're doing this for the wrong thing. You're doing this. You're not seeing. Your reward is not the. Is the commendation of the Master. There is this misconception between being forgiven of our sins and being judged by the way that we live our Christian life. It's seeing eternity. Those words you sang, every knee shall bow, every. Every tongue shall confess. That Jesus Christ is Lord is not for an atheist. It's also for the believer. The Bible says in second Corinthians 5, 9, so we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at a home in this body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. That's the Bema seat. That's the word that's used there because it's at the bema seat. This is the hard part, to say that God will judge the justified. That's the word. I wrote that phrase down. I'm going, God, that doesn't even seem to make sense. He will judge the justified. He will bring us all before that and says, this is what he says. He says, we will all appear, and it's for people that are going. God, help me to have the right mindset. Help me to see eternity. Help me to live. Let me not be captured by toys of this world, but help me see that God, we're going to live forever. I remember Leonard Ravenhill saying these words, five minutes inside of eternity, and we will wish that we had sacrificed more, wept more, grieved more, loved and prayed more, and even given more. I want to think that way now. I don't want to live with regrets. And that's why this is such so important. This is not a judgment for salvation, but for reward. It's a reward of how we lived our life here as believers. The reward has nothing to do with us as sons, but our relationship as servants. And as stewards. Let me say that again. You're not being judged whether you're going to heaven or hell. The bema seat is not about that. That's not what the bema seat is about. It's God going, Were you captivated by toys or did you see the unrivaled God, the exalted Christ? Did you see it that your words matter? Man, I want to live with eternity in my heart and mind. I want to live that way. I want to see things that way. The bema seat is where God begins. It's the place where crowns are awarded to the winners. It's where that very place where the governor or the kings would award. And the Bible talks about those rewards of the believer. Listen to them. There's five crowns that the Bible says, what are the rewards of the believer? He said, there's the crown of rejoicing. He says, the crown of rejoicing. I'm sorry. The incorruptible crown. The incorruptible crown given to those who fight with the old nature and win and see God deliver and see God set free. It's the crown of rejoicing given to those who will win souls. It's the crown of life given to those who successfully endure temptation in James 1 and Romans 2. It's the crown of righteousness for those who love the rapture. And it's the crown of glory given to faithful preachers and teachers of this word in First Peter, chapter 5. How We Live today will determine the words we hear from Christ tomorrow. Folks, there's no getting around it. The last interview Billy Graham did, he was interviewing with Diane Sawyer on her show. She asked the great evangelist, how would you like to be remembered? And he said these words. He says, the only way, the only thing I want now in my life is I want to hear the Lord say, well done, good and faithful servants. It's the only thing I want to hear. Let me finish with this. As the musicians come. There was just an article in the New York Times, and the title caught my attention. It was called, this the most important conversation to have before you die. I said, wow, The New York Times. The most important conversation to have before you die. And here's what it said. It said, this is what the writer wrote. The author of the article wrote, instead of talking about politics around the Thanksgiving table this year, consider another topic, death. Going what? He said, it's something few of us want to think about, but death is a fact of life, and we're going to encounter it. And then he says these words. Listen to this. He says, what is the most important conversation to have before you die? And then I was getting so excited, and then they wrote these words. It's not about your eternal destiny and it's not about your relationship with God and judgment. Discuss what medical care you'll receive at the end. I go, what? He said, that's the discussion. He says, it says, it's not about your eternal destiny. It's not about your relationship with God or how you're gonna face final judgment. Talk about the medical care you wanna receive at the end of your life. It's one of the most loving things you can do. I wanted to go. You missed it big time. They missed eternity. Jesus said, we gotta get this right. Why? You've heard me say this. Eternity is too long to be wrong. Listen to what Jesus said. Jesus said this. It's urgent that you get this right. The time has arrived, and I mean right now, when dead men and women will hear the voice of the Son of God. And hearing it, they're going to come alive. Just as the Father has life in himself, he has conferred on the Son of life in himself. He has given him the authority, simply because he is the Son of man, to decide and carry out matters of judgment, to. Don't act surprised at all this. The time is coming when everyone dead and buried will hear his voice. And those who have lived the right way will walk out into resurrection life. And those who have lived the wrong way into a resurrection of judgment. What he was saying was this. Heaven is real and hell is real and eternity is but a breath away. That's what he was telling us. Heaven is real. Hell is real. I don't care what anybody. Folks, if you don't hear that in a church, they don't preach this book. I'm just telling you right now. And eternity is a breath away. Those eight words struck me deep. Those eight words. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess those words struck me deep because they don't. These are words that don't belong here. They're from another world, from another place. Those are heaven words. Those are finale words. Stand with me and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus. Jesus Christ. Come on, Say those words again. Every knee shall bow and lift your hands and sing at every knee.
- [43:25]
B
Every knee, every time Come.
- [43:40]
A
That Jesus Christ is those. Those eight words? Every knee shall bow every tongue. Those are heaven words. Those are heaven words. They don't belong here. That's why they strike deep. CS Lewis referred to life like this he says right now. And, boy, I don't see a better place to say it than right here on Broadway in New York City. Listen to what C.S. lewis said. He said, when the author walks on the stage, the play is over. When the author walks on the stage, it's done, it's over. When he comes on to take his bath, and I'm telling you, when Christ returns, it's over, it's done, it's over. At that moment, why were those words. Why are those words striking to some of us? Solomon, the wisest man, says this. He has put eternity in our hearts. What does that mean? When you hear those words, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ, why do I keep singing those words? Because those words are hitting eternity in the heart. Because remember, those words are not. Those are not earth words. Those are heaven words. They don't come from here. Because we have billions of people that have not confessed them as Lord, that have not bowed their knee. But there is coming a day when that author walks on the stage and says to all of us that have been so. Have been so enthusiastic, enthralled with the toys and our own rights, and I'm this, and I've got my own truth. When that author walks on the stage, it's over. And he says, it's not your truth and it's not what you think you are. It's when God comes in and says, you knew what the truth was and you knew that on that date when that man spoke about, every knee shall bow, every tongue will confess. You knew that was right because it was hitting eternity. Those are eternity words hitting the eternity spot. That's what that is. That's why you can. Folks, I'm telling you, you cannot deny I know this book. I know when I read it, it hit eternity in my heart. I'm going, God, those. Those are words for another time. Those are words. When the author walks on the stage, when Jesus comes back, what is that author on the stage? That's the Rapture. That's the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. That's Jesus for who he is. That's the unrivaled God. There's no one like him. There's no one beside him. There is no one that matches him. He is Jesus. He is God alone. He is the only one that is worthy for us to surrender our lives. That's it. That point, it's over. And every day, every day he reaches out. Like today. Some of you wandered in here. Some of you. Some of you Came to church because someone invited you. How do you know? How do you know that, Pastor? Because we see you. You're going to. Gotcha. You gave it all away. At least try to blend. I get it, I get it. It's okay. And so you've walked in and something is striking your heart, going, this is. This is true. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess. And it happens either now by choice, or it will happen from authority of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Surrender your life to him. Surrender your life to him. He's the only one. He who says, there's no one like me. Isaiah 45. He who. Who says, I descended all the way down to die on a cross for you. So why not let this mouth that has been angry with God, that has cursed God, that has used his name in vain, this mouth that has declared, this is my life. I'll decide what I'm going to do. This is my educa. This is my money. That's my house. That author is coming on that stage. It's just when you're going, this is my career. This is my dream. Ah, why not? Let's just go for it. This is my gender. Why not? You can listen, you can say whatever you. He will come on that stage one day and he'll say, it's over. You're not in charge of anything. I am the King of Kings. I am the Lord of. He will declare. He will declare. Enough. From the judges to the politicians, from the athletes that have insulated themselves with finances, to the Wall street, to ambassadors and presidents and kings, every one of us will bow to the preachers that will not preach. And can I just tell you, that's why the challenge is for us, for us to be effective. For Elder Vicki Ricardo, for Kareem, for this choir. No one full of themselves can ever sing about him who's emptied himself. God. Empty us. Empty us. Empty us. You don't have to bow your head. We got water baptism and everything. You've got to get right with God today. You've got to get right with him. And you're here watching online annex, main floor, Jersey campus. And you're away from God. And here you are today and you're going, I've got to get my heart right with God. I need him in my life. I want to confess him as Lord. The mouth, the mouth. Let's use it for the right thing. If you're here today, you can confess him as Lord, saying, you're in charge of my life. You are God. And God alone. Would you come in and change me from the inside out if you're here today and just go, Pastor Tim, I need him in my life. Something is happening inside and I know eternity is being affected. If you're here today and just say, I need God in my life. I need him. If that's you, would you just raise your hand all over this place? Hold it up as high as you can. No more playing around. No more playing around. Just go. I need him in my life. I need him. I need balcony. Hold him up high. I want to make sure I see every hand. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Can we do this? We've got. We've got. Just. If you've raised your hand, would you just get out of your seat and meet me down here? Come on, just get out of here. I'm going to leave this stage. We're going to sing this song. Ricardo would lead. Come on. Balcony. Come on, get out of your seat. Main floor. Come on. Meet me right here. Come on, let's sing that. Come on. Come on. As you come. Let's just sing this.
- [52:17]
B
He has risen from the dead and he has risen from the dead he is Lord He Every knee Every knee Every knee Every tongue confess Every tongue confess that Jesus can we take it up? Jesus Christ is Lord he is Lord he is Lord he's alone he is risen from the dead and he is alone Every knee shall bow When Every knee shall bow Every tongue Confess that Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is alone he is risen from the dead he is risen from Jesus Christ is Lord all.
- [54:21]
A
Right, come on, sing that last part. Every knee shall bow Come on, let's sing that part. That's the eternity word.
- [54:33]
B
Every time. Come back. That Jesus. Jesus Christ.
- [54:51]
A
What a blessing. I wish you could see what I see. To see tears and to see people. I'm looking at tears from men and women. People that have been here for the very first time. I. I asked some. Some said someone. Someone sent me here today. First time. Some from the area, some that are visiting. What a miracle. So all of you are miracles. You're just miracles. That's what you are. God is. God has his hand upon your life. He's going to do it. Even you. You guys. I'm so happy to see you guys here today. What a. What a blessing. God's hand is on your life. That's why he's calling you. You felt eternity get. Get jolted inside of you, didn't you? It's that eternity part. That's what it is. I knew it. I knew it because it happened to me. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess. That's the eternity part of us because those words don't belong here. We're going to meet him one day and I, I want to hear anybody here with me. I want to hear the words well done, good and good and faithful servant. Let's, let's surrender our lives in just a few moments. We're going to get, we're going to go, we're going to dismiss you, we'll sing a song and we're going to dismiss you to come join us and celebrate with those are going to be water baptized, those that are here. If, if this is your first time becoming a Christian and, and you've never been water baptized, you can get in on the, the next round of water baptism and we'll, we're going to believe for that. But come on, let's all pray this together. Can we all just pray this? Say Jesus, I believe your word. It touched eternity in my heart. I believe that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. I'm not waiting till heaven, I'm confessing him now. You are Lord. You have risen from the dead. You have died for my sins. And I receive you into my life. Change me from the inside out. I thank you Jesus that this mouth, these knees will bow and speak to the unrivaled God. You are God alone and I give you my life in Jesus name. And everybody said amen and amen and amen.
- [57:22]
C
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