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Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Wow. Anybody here? Have morning turn to dancing? Anybody here? Hallelujah. Bless the Lord. What a joy. We sense his presence here today. We're so thankful for those that are here, not only at 51st and Broadway, but we welcome all those that are watching around the country and around the world. What a blessing to see all of you here today. We want to welcome all those that have been watching with us. We say these are live with us. We say hello to Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda. We welcome South Africa. Eswatini live with us is Tanzania, Namibia. We welcome all of our Asian friends. Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Guam, Hong Kong, Myanmar. We welcome Bangladesh, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and Australia. We say hello to Europe, the United Kingdom, Wales, Scotland, Germany. We welcome Russia. We're praying that God would stop that war in Jesus name. We say hello to Finland, Hungary, Netherlands, Ireland, Romania, Greece, Sweden, Spain, Portugal. We say hello to Italy. We say hello. If you're visiting, don't worry. We don't have that many Italians in the church. I just want you to know that. Belgium, France, Poland, Austria. It's always a joy to welcome first nation people. The Navajo Nation, MHA Nation from North Dakota. We say hello to Canada, Mexico, Haiti, Costa Rica, Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Grenada, French Guyana, Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Guyana, Colombia, Suriname, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela. We're praying for your nation. Uruguay, Argentina, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Would you welcome all those watching you welcome 63 nations, 47 states. We say hello to you. My favorite part, because I believe that there is coming a day. We'll read more universities than we will read nations. We say hello to Florida State University. Carnegie Mellon is with us all the way from Athens, the Greek Bible College, University of South Florida, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Texas. We welcome Houghton University, nyu, Arizona State, Pace University, National University, Stony Brook University. Would you welcome all those that are watching from our university campuses? And I do want to say thank you. You saw just one of the projects of the many projects. Just as a. As a reminder. Child cry is what you started through Pastor carter, almost over 10 years ago. I believe it was 18 years ago. 18 years ago. Which now feeds 22,000 children a month. And that is so every time you give that goes. And what a blessing. You built a bridge. Isn't that amazing? You built a bridge in Panama. What a joy. Thank you. Thank you for what you're doing now. Let me just talk to you about this for just a moment. If there's ever a time we need for God to speak to us in our nation and in your nations that are watching, we need the voice of God. Today we have to hear from the Lord. For two chapters in the book of Revelation, John the Revelator begins to tell us what will happen with the condition of the church. He'll speak about seven churches, which becomes really a snapshot of the condition of the church that would happen in the last days. It's eye opening and sobering. He says there'll be a. There'll be churches that will lose their first love. They'll forget why they sing in the house of God. And that's the danger. You lose a first love when it's all about what's happening on a stage. And it's when we lose the voice of worship. Folks, I just don't understand. I'm just gonna. This is. I'm just gonna say it. I listen, I'm. And it's this. I don't see how you can worship with a latte in your hand. I just don't see. I don't see how you can worship with coffee. The Bible says to clap your hands. Oh, you people shout unto. You can't shout or clap when you're drinking a macchiato. Just put it out and lift your hands and shout to the Lord once in a while. He'll also say. He says. He says there'll also be a lukewarm church that will literally be operating, but they've lost the heat that is upon them. I have. There'll also be a church that will tolerate false preachers. That because they'll bring in people, they'll allow them to continue on because they'll bring in crowds. Let's still put them in the pulpit and let's go ahead and not worry about what they're preaching. He says there also be a church that will have a celebrated name, but there's death on the insides. That's what he says. And he says, and there'll be a church that the preaching will allow immorality to take place. It will allow the culture, the culture that makes no distinction between what's out there. It'll allow the. The loudest people begin to dictate what happens in that pulpit. And folks, I'm just telling you this is the condition today in. John is seeing this. And if there's ever a time that we need a word from the Lord, it is today. And then while John is. Is seeing this, something happens. He says. And these three words he says after these things right after he speaks about this church that would be lukewarm. He says, after these things, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard, like the sound of a trumpet, said, come up here and I'm going to show you the things that has to take place. And immediately I was in the spirit and a throne, Behold, a throne was standing in heaven and one sitting upon that throne. There's two characteristics about that voice. It says it will be loud and it will be powerful. It will be a trumpet and it will come from a throne. And what's amazing here is that right in the middle of Revelation, you see these red letters pop up. And I'll explain that in a few moments, these red letters that says, come up here and I'm going to show you what's going to happen. And I want to talk to you and I'm going to explain what this means. I want to talk to you about the rare red letter moments in the Bible. The rare red letter moments. It's when I need a word from heaven during my most difficult times. It's when I'm in the difficulty of my life. It's when God inserts, in a sense, a right now word into my right now battle. How many need something from heaven? Right now, you just need God to speak to you. And I want you to see. We'll see that loud and powerful voice when those battles intensify, when even our mistakes increase, and when the enemy just won't quit. Look for red letters. Look for Jesus to speak. Father, come in these next few moments. I thank you, God. We sense your presence here today. I know what you spoke to me. And I'm going to pray that Lord, as I'm speaking, I'm praying and asking what Billy Graham used to pray. And he says, lord, let them hear another voice today. Not just my. Let them hear another voice, Capital A. Let them hear the voice of the Holy Spirit today. May these words draw people to God today. And Lord, come and encourage your church that you are speaking today. And we thank you for it in Jesus name. And everybody said amen. God bless you. May be seated. Thank you, choir. Thank you, worship team. Thank you so much. It was formidable and it was even imposing. And the name both then and now, sends shivers down a community's spine as I saw this ancient artifact. It was called the Bema Seat. It was known as a judgment seat of the ancient city of Corinth. It was a raised marble platform where governors would judge the people in public that any passerby can see someone having a sentence pronounced upon them. And the governors would judge those people in public. And the Apostle Paul was about to be brought here to be judged. A man in power would be almost 10 to 12ft above the rest of the people and. And the accused would be below him in this open air and judgment would be pronounced. Last year we had the privilege of doing a leaders conference. And we welcome Athens that is watching Greece, that's watching here today. We had the. It was historic to bring leaders together. The evangelical churches, they said it's really never been done before because it's always been under such attack. And we met there. Myself, Gary Wilkerson, Nikki Cruz, we're in Athens, Greece. We arrived just a few days early for the conference. And I just said, I just want to take one day. And there's two places I wanted to see. I said I wanted to see, which was right near the conference. I wanted to see Mars Hill, where Paul preached to the Greeks. That was Acts 17, where Paul stood up and preached to really the most at that time, the most educated people in the world. And I said I wanted to see where he stood. And I said, and I want to see Corinth, which was one hour away. I saw the bema seat. They excavated it. I saw this, this. This giant block in the middle of this excavated road, these stone roads. I stood on the excavated platform where the governor would stand and I could look down and where Paul would be and I would walk down there and stand in that very same spot or in that vicinity where the Apostle Paul could have been standing. It was imposing. It was one of the. It was there on the main street of Corinth, Governor Galileo sits on his marble perch and looks down on the one who is going to be judged. While everybody is spectating and jeering on this day. And there's a man that's there who still back and body has yet to be healed from the beating that he took in the prison in the previous two chapters. He's still covered in wounds that have been scabbing. He's on his second missionary journey. And this assignment has been a hard one. This one has been difficult. The gospel has come for the very first time to Europe. And because it's Europe and to see what was going to take place, we see why the bowels of hell has been unleashed to try to stop the gospel from going to Europe, because after that it was going to begin to spread throughout the entire planet. The time this time there is no beating on Paul's body. Just the humiliating of a man before a city. The judgment seat was meant to belittle and to denigrate. To watch some talking head standing up there and looking down and pronouncing judgment upon a man. That's literally in that chapter. The accusation is this. You can read it in Acts 18. The accusation is this. These people are doing something that are turning the world upside down. And they wanted to silence him. Listen to it. Verse 11. And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. But while Galileo was pro council of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat. That's the Bema seat. That's the place I'm speaking about. And the question I kept asking was this, how does, how does he stand there and take these, this, these verbal hits and these false accusations and he's in this city for 18 months. He would stay here longer than any other place on all three missionary journeys. How can he stay there? How can this even be happening? He just went all in on preaching before this mock trial and this moment at the Bema seat. Listen to this. These words were just incredible to me. He says, but when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, now they're meeting Paul in Corinth. And Paul began devoting himself completely to the Word. Look at that again. Paul began devoting himself completely to the Word. I just kept thinking about that. I thought, I thought he already did. But I guess there's deep dives in our Christian walk that just when you thought you've gone deeper in God, you can still go deeper, you can still go down even more. And this is the man on a second missionary journey says, I'm going to begin to be completely devoted to God in his Word at this moment. And that's when all of a sudden this persecution happens. This, this Bema seat happens. Always remember these words. The world never persecuted a casual Christian. The world never persecutes a Sunday morning Christian. He, the world persecutes those that go all in with God. And it was this moment that in between this blasphemy and the bema seat, something happened to keep Paul steadfast in a city that was trying to break him. Because the Bible says back at the. When Paul completely devoted himself to the word of God, he was solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted, they blasphemed is what the Bible says. So now, because he is completely devoted, the Bible says in Acts 18:6, he is the People blaspheme. He's going to be bought before the bema seat. What keeps you in a place that seems to be so difficult? This is what you're going to see is a rare, rare red letter moment. That's what I want to talk to you about for just a moment here. I grew up with a Bible. I don't know if anybody else did that. Every time Jesus spoke, it was in red. Anybody ever have a Bible like that? Every time Jesus spoke, you'd look down and it was in red. I am, I have up here a chapter by chapter from our, from our Walk through the Bible podcast. I have a chapter by chapter Bible that's up here. It's the only thing I, I'm up. I, I'm, I'm disappointed in. It is that the words of Jesus are in red because it just became a signal to me. Because when you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you're seeing Jesus speak, you're seeing Jesus talk. And, and all of a sudden you're going, these are the, these are the words of the Son of God. And then all of a sudden, as you're reading those, those, those gospels, Jesus has risen from the dead. But once in a while, as you're reading the scriptures, red letters show up out of nowhere as you're reading. And, and Christ has ascended into heaven. He's at the right hand of God the Father. And you. When, just when you think the red letters are done, Jesus still speaks today. It's one of the greatest things to know when you think about this. How important is this? When you talk about every other religion? You have to add an ed to the end of all of their God's words. For example, Muhammad lived ed. You have to say Muhammad said ends with a D. Muhammad walked ed. You have to say it with Confucius, that Confucius, he began. He, he, he walked ed. Whatever it is, it always ends with past tense. But that's not what you do with Jesus. His verbs end in S. That's the good news of the resurrected Jesus Christ. If you don't know this, today, Jesus speaks, Jesus walks, Jesus heals, Jesus saves. Jesus is right now in this place working miracles. Hallelujah. That's why red letters appear, because he speaks. And all of a sudden you'll be there and see. Once in a while, these red letters will show up beyond the Gospels in desperate times. The rare red letter moments is when I need a word from heaven, and it comes during my most difficult time. We have a lot of red letters during his 33 years on Earth. But this is different. This is not the 33 year old Jesus on assignment for the cross and redemption. But this is the eternal Lamb of God who sits on the throne. It's when Jesus steps into a fire and a trial and speaks like he's speaking in the gospels. Gives us a word that begins we can hold on to those rare red letter moments is so important because the voice of God is. Seems to be the only solid ground that we have. Even I was thinking about this, that there are those red letter moments that God began to speak. That I felt like God gave me a scripture. God would speak through a sermon. God would speak through another brother or sister. And there would be this moment that I'm going God, this is for me. When our staff, and we still feel the effects of it was under attack. The enemy with their health and mind battles all those things. God would give us those red letters. And that's why I remember th. Those I remember giving to you one of the verses that we held on to that God gave to us. Remember this verse? The very day I call for help, the tide of the battle turns, my enemies flee. And this one thing I know God is for me. It was like as if that God gave us a lifeline. Right in the middle of the battle I started to go back over my life. I said, how many times, God, have you that you've given me something like that? I kept thinking in different spots when I. When I failed. I remember it was Psalm 103. When I felt that the enemy just kept coming. It was Psalm 31 when, when I wanted to give up. It was Psalm 94. But I was interested that I kept thinking when you. When you read that passage. The very day I call for help, the tide of the battle turns, my enemies flee. And this one thing I know that God is for me. This, the very next verse says something that is so odd. But it's there for us. It's there in every version. Any version you want to read it in, it's there. I'm so used to saying praise Jesus, Praise Jesus, Praise Jesus. But something else says, here, look at this. I'm trusting God. Oh, praise his promises. I'm not afraid of anything mere man can do to me. Yes, praise his promises. I will surely do what I have promised, Lord. And I thank you for your help and for you have saved me from death and my feet from slipping so that I can walk before the Lord in the land of the living. It's there. Praise his promises. It's solid Ground for us when we understand that since coming to Europe, Paul has suffered a terrible beating in the Philippian jail. He's experienced civil rejection in Thessalonica and Berea and indifference as preaching in Athens. He's now walked 50 miles all by himself from. From Athens over to Corinthians, Corinth. And what made it even harder is he was only left with himself after what seems to become all these failures. And when he finally ends up in Corinth, he's going to be brought before the. The Bema seat. But what keeps a man in the middle of a group of people blaspheming at his preaching and a man that is about to be brought before Bema seat that they're wanting to humiliate. What keeps a man for 18 months in that city? What keeps it. Listen, let's just bring it on home. What. What keeps us in New York City? We need a word from God to keep us in this city. And this is the very thing that keeps us here. It was a rough night of sleep for Paul. Anxiety has stepped in. And I want you to listen to Paul's red letters. He is in the middle of just reeling from Acts 17. He is faced with the Acts 18 issues. And tomorrow he's going to be before this be and God. All of a sudden, in the middle of Acts 18, red letters come up. Look at this. In Acts 18:9, while Paul sleeping, the Bible says, and the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, do not be afraid any longer. Go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you. No man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city. Next day, the Bema seat. You know what keeps them in. In Corinth, God's word keeps him there. God does something. I was reading the story of a pastor that didn't get a word from the Lord, and this is what I was reading about him. He says, this pastor in the first five years of his pastorate hung a sign on his desk that said, win the world to cross Christ. Five years after that, it just said, win one or two to Christ. And then five years later, it says, try to make sure you get to heaven on your own. After that, see, without red letters, you keep adjusting it just to stay alive. But when you hear from God, you say, the mission doesn't change. We're going to do exactly what God has asked us to do. Why God is with us. God still spiritual speaks today. Acts 18. Just like. Like Revelation 4. 1. After these things the same words from Revelation 4:1. After these things, those three words are packed with disappointment. Those three words are the. What happened in three cities? Thessalonica. A group of religious people raised up a mob against him in Berea. Just as the people are responding, the mob from Thessalonica show up in Berea. And just when you think, maybe I'm making some ground in Athens, it falls apart there. And just when you feel like giving up, those words come. Red letters. Keep Paul in Corinth. When it's been nothing but a battle. And the Lord said, do not be afraid any longer. Go on speaking. Do not be silent. I am with you. No man will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in that state. I just kept thinking about those words, and I kept thinking. He tells him, don't be afraid any longer. Why? Because Paul was afraid. That's why he said that. It was like a PTSD as he thinking. Paul says, every victory I get, there seems to be the shot of the enemy, a gut punch from the enemy. We see this girl, this fortune teller girl in Philippi, in Acts 16, get saved and delivered, and they throw us in jail. And all of a sudden, everything we seem to do, the enemy counteracts it. And Paul is thinking about what happened in Pisidia, Antioch, Lystra, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens. And I could just see Paul going, it's going to happen again. It's going to just take place again. And why is he afraid? It says in this chapter. He says, the leader of the synagogue and his family got sick. And I could just see Paul going, he's gonna. I'm gonna. I'm gonna bring harm on him. They're gonna come after me again. And sure enough, they did. And he started to forecast his trouble again. He started to forecast that he was gonna be. He was gonna be in difficult times. Paul started to become fearful about things that hadn't even taken place yet. That's what fear does. Fear makes you try to forecast what's gonna take place. Fear tries to become a fortune teller. And when fear comes, our mind starts racing of what can be. And we start living under this. Under this fear of, what if this happens? What if they do this? What if they go here? What if they do this? And at some point you have to go, God, you're with me. And you said, fear not. It's not what I'm supposed to do. I was reading the story that when Lincoln was on his way to Washington to be inaugurated, he spent some time Here in New York City. And Lincoln, as companions, had to cross some swollen rivers because of the weather. And he said that the Fox river was still ahead of them. And they said to one another, if these streams give us so much trouble, how do we get across the Fox River? And they ran into a Methodist preacher. And I loved what he said. They said, have you ever crossed that river? He said, oh, many times. He said, how do you cross it? He says, I never cross it until I reach it. I don't cross it in my mind. I. I don't think about what's going to happen. All I know is this. Until I get there, then I begin to realize there will be a way. Stop worrying about Monday. Stop worrying. When you get there, God will make a way. When you get there, God will show you what to do. That's what he was telling Paul. He was telling Paul this paralysis of fear from predicting the future. He says, no, don't do this. I want to say something to you, and I want to say something to dearly beloved people that we all love, because the enemy would come in with fear and try to predict this. It was this weekend as the team and I were out. We were in ministry together on Friday. And while we were out there, we received a phone call that was. Our hearts were just saddened because it just came out of nowhere. It was. And with his permission, I've been able. I want to tell you. And he said, I want to get as many people praying. But one of our elders, Jerry and Jerry Hampton, who's not just one of our elders, he's our CEO, COO of the church, and he has been. Him and Glenda have been here for decades. They are a gift to this church. And it was on Friday that Glenda had a stroke and has been in the hospital going through MRIs. And we are seeing, in these last couple days, we're seeing God begin to start to bring his healing touch to Glenda, even right now. But here's what I want to say. I'm saying this to us so we can begin to pray and so we can begin to understand we can't be afraid of tomorrow. And here's what's amazing, is that I want to say this to. To Elder Jerry and to Glenda. Today is don't forecast. Don't let fear come in. I want to say the words to you that the Apostle Paul heard in the dream when he said this. Do not be afraid any longer. Can I say that again to you? To Elder Jerry and Glenda, do not be afraid Any longer. Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking. Speak in faith, speak life, speak healing. Why? For God is with you. And no man, no disease will attack you and cause you harm. How come? For I have many people in this city. What does that mean? They have a prayer team here that is going to believe for God to bring healing in this place. Stop forecasting a future. There's some of you that live that way. I want to pray right now for Glenda. Right now. Come on, join with me. Father, we're believing for utter healing right now. Total healing in Jesus name, God, that you would begin to bring. No forecasting, no worries. We know she is in God's hands right now. And so, Father, we're praying for a miracle for Glenda. We're praying that you would remove a dark cloud from that room. And Father, would you send peace, send joy, send comfort and send hope that God is there. God is the one that knows the future. So God, her life is not in the hands of a stroke or a doctor. It's in the hands of Jesus. You took the keys of hell and the grave, which means you are in charge now. And so God, I thank you for healing in Jesus name. Go on speaking, he says, and don't be silent. Be afraid of consequences. This is. This has been a pulpit for decades with David Wilkerson and Carter Conlon that have stood up here fearlessly and preached this gospel, have been unafraid of what consequences may come or what other voices may say. We get letters all the time and emails asking us our stance. We understand that people are trying to draw us in whether to illegal factor fight or. Or even to in an Internet frenzy. We get letters asking us our stance all the time on controversial moral issues. What's your stance on same sex marriage? What's your stands on Mom. Dummy. When we get and. And like even when we're dealing with our mayor, we get it from all believers. What do you think about now, about your mayor? What do you think about this happening? What do you think about this taking place? Can I tell you what our response is? I want you to hear what it is. Get ready. Some of you get the phone out so we can post it. Okay? Just listen to. We shall speak what the word of God speaks. It's that simple. We shall speak with. So if you want to know our stance, it's this. We shall speak with. The word of God speaks. Well, that doesn't sound right. Well, read the Bible. So first read the Bible on the issue that you're asking because because we won't veer from what the word of God says. We just won't. There won't be a vote. There won't be a. There won't be a judge. There won't be a verdict that will deter us from what God has said in his word. Now, I know that's not popular. I know in a city like this, I know on 51st and Broadway, because it's so much easier to. To get in the lane that all of a sudden that the current is flowing. But when all of a sudden you're turning against that, that's when we need to know God is with us. I need rare those red letters to guide me through all of those things. And God says to him, he says, one, don't be afraid. Number two, Go on speaking. Number three. For I am with you. I'm with you. I'm with you as the foundation of why we don't have to fear and why we don't have to be silent. It means you're not alone, that there is a voice that will call you to salvation, call you to commitment, call you to devotion, call you into the ministry, call you to come out of even your. Your. Your cultural chains. And what do you mean by that, Pastor Tim? You're saying, I can't be. I can't be ethnic. Listen to me. Today you are a Christian before you are anything else. Which means you can't say, well, you know, I'm Italian. That's why. That's why I use my hands all the time. No, no, you're going like, oh, he's Italian. That's why he lifts his hands all the time. Doesn't he know that I'm this. I'm Eastern European, I'm Russian, I'm Ukrainian, I'm German. So we may not get it. That doesn't mean anything. I obey what the Bible says. If the Bible says shout, then Ukrainians shout. If the Bible says, lift your hands. Italians, lift your hands. If the Bible says dance to you Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, some of you look at me going, no problem there. No problem there. It's not about ethnicity. It's about going. We are people, people of God, and God's word guides us. It's God's word. He speaks to us. He's the one that talks to us. There is a place in Sydney, Australia, it's called the Gap. It's not a store you bring your teenager to to buy cheap clothes, but for many Australians, you go there if you want to end it all. This beautiful, rocky Cliff, right into the ocean, where people jump off weekly and take their own lives. And I was reading this story about an older couple. They own a couple, they own a home. This couple perched on right just a few yards from the spot that people will jump. Right there in Sydney, Don and Moya Richie live on a plot of real estate next to the gap. They say every single morning, he says, they look out their window and they look to see where people are standing. Well, most people would move away when they get too close. The Richies have stayed there for almost 50 years, and they said they watch how close they get to the edge. And this is what he said. He said, over the years, we have seen 160 people talked out of suicide. 160 people. He said, every morning I wake up, I look out the window to see if anyone is standing alone too close to the precipice. He said, if I send someone contemplating suicide, he says, I walk over to them. I ask him if you would have a cup of tea and if I can talk to you. And I want to offer you an alternative. Can I just tell you that's exactly what God does when he watches you at the point of just going, I can't do this anymore. Like where Paul was. Paul put his feet on the edge of the Gap, going, I can't do this any longer. I don't even know. It seems this missionary, the second missionary journey, has just blown up and it's too hard. New York City is too hard. London has been too hard for my family. Miami has just been too difficult. I know God's called me here, and all of a sudden you bring your feet over to the edge and you're thinking about jumping. And I'm telling you just in time. God's word comes. The rare red letters come to Paul in a vision, knowing I'm between blasphemy and the bema seat. And God speaks as they get too close to the edge. And then he encourages them and says, I have many people in this city. I have many people that you don't even know about. It's almost like words to Elijah. There's 7,000 prophets that haven't bowed. You're not alone. Can I just tell you, for everyone that's here, you're not alone. You may think you're the only one there at nyu. I'm the only Christian at nyu. God has an army there. God has an army in Mount Sinai Hospital. God has an army on your university campus. University of Texas. I'm speaking to those at Carnegie Mellon. Those that are watching from Florida A. M. I want you to understand Florida State. I want you to understand Fordham University. God has an army on these campuses. You're not alone. You're not alone on Wall Street. There are Christians that are down there. Do not be silent. Silent. Do not fear. God is with you. And God has an army that's raising up. Stan prayed it. We all prayed that. And that's where we have to understand. I love the way that the message begins to say this. And he says it like this. When he hears this vision at night when God speaks to him, he says that was all he needed to stick it out. He stayed another year and a half faithfully teaching the word of God to the Corinthians. That's all he needed, is a word from God. Listen. Jesus will use whatever he can to speak to us. How are those. How will those red letters come? At times, and this is what I've realized, Jesus will use his body to speak red letters, not just his mouth, as he did with Paul. Someone praying for you, Someone who's preaching to you. Someone encouraging you, Someone studying the Bible with you. Paul has these three rare moments where the red letters come. Three, three moments when he feels like giving up. In Acts 18. Let me just swing by these because I want to share one last thing with you. When you feel like you've messed up, those are the red letters. In Acts 23, Jesus speaks to him again. And when Satan has stepped it up, the red letters come in. Second Corinthians, chapter 12. Let me just go through this quickly, because when the battles intensify, when the mistakes increase, that's going to be Paul in Acts 23. And when the enemy just won't quit, look for red letters. Look for God to speak. Look for God to open up something in these scriptures and say, stay. Don't move. Don't let fear guide you. Let the word of God begin to speak to you. Heaven's door opens, a trumpet sounds just like it did in Revelation 4. So just listen to this. Paul felt like, when I've messed up, I'm done. See Paul, Paul in Acts 23. This time it didn't. It came at night again. But Paul was standing in Acts 23 at a lifetime moment to share the gospel with his old friends. Don't miss this. He has this moment to share the gospel with his old friends. And he blows it. He has an opportunity to tell the men of his past about his brand new life in Jesus. And instead of telling them, he blows it. He calls them a name because they're not Christians. He calls them whitewashed walls, like you. You just. When you think like Paul share the gospel, that basically what that means. It's kind of like they knew what it meant. It was like kind of cursing in that time. Basically, Paul was saying, you stink. That's what he's telling. This is his time. Listen to it. Paul, looking intently at the council, said, brethren, I've lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day. The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him, strike him on the mouth. Here it comes. Then Paul said, God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall. This is the apostle Paul. I'm going like you from the Bronx. Look at this right now. He wouldn't take it. You sit and try to me according. Can you just imagine Paul going, you sit here trying to judge me in violation of the law, in order, and you strike me. And then all of a sudden the bystanders go, do you're reviling God's high priest. And Paul said, oh, I wasn't aware, brethren, that he was the high priest. Here it comes. For it is written. It is written. The Bible says you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. What was the big issue? Why did he mess up? See, Paul served on that Sanhedrin Council for 20 years. He knew those people. And there he is going, can you imagine? They're going, like, Paul, you're a Christian now, right? Yeah, you whitewashed walls. Well, obviously Jesus hasn't done that much in your life. Can you imagine? And I could just think, Paul going back, thinking I had a once in a lifetime chance to put preach the gospel to the highest Jewish court in the land. I knew them all. And I blew it. How dumb. I lost my temper. The great apostle Paul, it's like the great failure. And here I am thinking I made a fool of myself before his peers. This is my opportunity. I had one shot at this thing. And can you imagine as Paul lays down that night rehearsing this thing over and over again, I blew it. I blew it. And then right in the middle of the night, red letters show up. Listen to this. On the night immediately following, not even an angel, the Lord stood at his side and said, here come the red letters. Take courage. For as you have solemnly witnessed to my cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness for me at Rome also. You know, here's. This is what blew me away. I would be expecting Jesus to go, ooh, I gave you one opportunity. You messed the whole thing up. You know, we're not even gonna call you Apostle. You're just gonna be Paul. Now. Don't even put that name in front of you. You don't even deserve it. I gave you one chance to talk to the whole Sanhedrin, and now you're calling them names. Well, you. And what's amazing is God shows up and doesn't even bring up the past and just says, I've got a future for you. That no matter what you've done, God says, I'm going to bring. You know what that reminds me of? That even if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful to us. Hallelujah. When you mess up, God doesn't distance himself. God even comes up even closer. And finally, not only that, Paul wanted to give up in Acts 18, as the ban begins to come, Paul wanted to give up in Acts 18. Red letters, come. I'm with you. Don't fear. Paul messed up in Acts 23. And God speaks about a future despite the mistake. And finally, when Satan has stepped it up and he can't seem to catch his breath, the battles keep coming, keep coming. You'll remember this passage because of the surpassing greatness of Revelation. For this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, Apostle Paul says, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, to keep me from exalting myself. And he says this. Concerning this, I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. Think about that for just a moment. Thorn in the flesh, messenger of Satan. Torment, unanswered prayer. I asked God three times, get rid of it, get rid of it, get rid of it. And all of a sudden, in the middle of the enemy, just coming, coming, coming, coming. You could read it in Second Corinthians, these red letters show up. My grace is sufficient for you. Sufficient. He didn't even say, I'm going to take the thorn. He just says, grace is enough. He didn't even say, I'm going to take away the hard part. I know the enemy is tormenting you. King James says. He says, the enemy is buffeting you. Some of you read that the wrong way. You're going like Satan buffets. Like. Is this. Is this something that. That we're not allowed to go to a buffet? I tell you, no. Go to the buffet. Imagine this for just a moment. It just keeps coming. The torment, the thorn, the messenger of Satan. Unanswered prayer. And then all of a sudden, Jesus steps in and says these words, my grace is sufficient for you. Hallelujah. When it seems difficult, I'm telling you, when it seems that you have no word, you have nothing. It's that word that becomes firm ground. It's that word that gets us through. I have to say with, with the psalmist, praise his promises. Praise his promises. They're firm ground. To me, my mind went back to a story that I want to tell you. Stand with me. I have, I have a lot of books in my library. We've sent them all up to our Bible school, Summit International School of the Ministry. And by God's grace, the next few years, we're going to be building them a brand new library up there. And so we put all of the books up there. And I always get asked this question, Pastor Tim, with tens of thousands of books, what's your favorite book? What's your any. And without using the Bible, and it's hands down, I say the same thing every time. Same thing every time. My favorite book that they consider to be probably next to the Bible, the greatest seller of Christian books. It was written by a prisoner, written 500 years ago. The name of the book is called Pilgrim's Progress. It's a book that is just life. It comes from a vision of a man who's in prison. He's in prison for preaching. And while he's in prison, he has a vision and he writes this allegory of the Christian journey. It's called Pilgrim because he says, we're all believers. We're all on a. On a pilgrimage to get to heaven. In Christian, the main character, the name of the main character is Christian. And. And it's coming to the end because where he's trying to get to is the celestial city. We're all going. He's trying to get to heaven. And this one moment, as you come into the one of the last chapters, he sees the celestial city. Don't miss this now, folks. He sees the celestial city and he. But there is a river, a deep water chasm between him and the castle gates. And I want to read to you. I want to read to you the conversation. This is so good. This excites me. Listen to this conversation. Bunyan writes between them. And the gate was a deep river, dark and cold, and there was no bridge at the side of the river. The pilgrims turned pale and were signed. He's traveling. Pilgrim is walking with a guy with another journey, another pilgrim or pilgrim named Hopeful. That's a good person to walk in this path with. Go with Hopeful. I don't want to walk with Critical. I don't want to walk with negative. I want to go. You may need to get rid of some. Some of your friends. I'm just telling you right now because if your friends aren't hopeful, you need to kick them to the curb. I'm just going to tell you right now, if you come to me going like, oh, church was too cold. Okay, we're done. I just deleted you from my phone. How many? How many, May? I was going to have you raise your hands and say, I need some new friends. But you may be sitting next to them. Don't. Don't. Between them, a dark gate was a dark, deep river. Dark and cold. There was no bridge at the side of the river. The pilgrims, that's Christian and Hopeful, the two men turned pale and were silent. Listen to this. The two men are speaking to Hopeful. And Christian said, you must go through or you'll never get to the gate. Then the pilgrims began to lose heart, especially Christian. And they looked around but found no easier route that would allow them to avoid the river. So they asked, I love this question. Is the water all the same depths? And the angels? No. And they offered no further guidance on the matter except to say, you'll find it deeper or shallower according to your trust on the king of the palace that determines the depth of the water. You'll find it deeper or shallower according to your trust in the king of the palace. That's Jesus. Then they accepted the inevitable. Here it comes. Entering the water, Christian begins to sink. He cried to his good friend Hopeful, who is ahead of him. I'm sinking in deep water. The billows are going over my head. All his waves go over me. Look at the next phrase. This is amazing. Be of good cheer, said Hopeful. I feel the bottom and it's firm. I feel the bottom and I've got footing. You know what I want to say to that? Praise his promises. That's where every place I step, I'm telling you right now, I want to say to the choir, I've touched bottom, it's firm. You're going to have to walk through some dark and some deep water. I feel the bottom, it's firm. You know what I say to all of you up here? You're going to walk through some dark times. I've walked there. I felt the bottom, it's firm. Don't be afraid of those rivers and don't look away to find another path. Find to some new friends named Hopeful. Trust in his promises and say, God, I need a word from you. The bottom is the promises of God. Praise his word. Praise his word. It says, in God will I praise His Word. In the Lord, I will praise his word. In God, I have put my trust. I will not be afraid. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That's what we hold to. We praise his promises. That's firm ground for us. That's why I beg you, stay in this word. Stay in this word. Firm ground. Firm ground. Firm ground. We are walking through dark waters, deep waters. Right now, we trust the king. It will be deep. It will be shallow. But the good news is you will touch ground. Firm ground. You will make it through. Paul touched firm ground in Corinth. As he's standing there and some talking heads going, we're gonna sentence you. Paul is already on firm ground. Say whatever you want. Governor, I've already heard from the Lord at night. He told me, don't be afraid. He told me he's got a bunch of other Christians in this city. He told me, no one can do me any harm. And he told me, God is with me. Hallelujah. Let me help you. I. I was reading a Harvard study, and it says that if you drink a whole bunch of coffee, you can reduce the risk of suicide by 50%. Some of you are going like, yes. And if you drink cups of coffee, if you drink a lot, he says, your spirits. This is Harvard. This is Harvard. Said, your spirits will be high. You won't commit. Commit suicide, and you're 10% less likely to be depressed by drinking coffee. That's your hope. Let me tell you something. If you're walking through a river, and if you're walking through. I don't want to be doing this. I don't want to go like, I need a latte or I need. Or I need an espresso, folks. Not a double shot is going to take you through that river. You better find the word of God. The promises of God. That's the only firm part that will take you through someone. It was the great Baptist preacher Warren Wiersby, said this. God's people live on promises, not on explanations. We live on promises. I don't have to have my life explained. I don't have. I don't need an explanation. All I know is I've got a promise. Praise his promises. I know some of you are going like, I don't know if I like that word that's in the Bible. Praise his promises. Praise his promises. Thank God that he speaks. And it's true. It is firm ground. Would you just bow your head with me for just a moment? Let's Close. Some of you need some red letters. When I feel like giving up, red letters in Acts 18, when I've messed up and the people that I supposed to tell about Jesus see everything in me but Jesus. That's Acts 23. And when Satan has stepped it up, that just keeps coming. Torment just keeps battling. That's Second Corinthians, Chapter 12. The red letters are still there in the intensity of the battle. I get red letters in my mistakes. I get red letters. When I've lost heart and can't go on, I get red letters. He's there the whole time. Do not be afraid. Do not be silent. God is with you and he's got others. When the battles intensify, when the mistakes increase, when the enemy just won't quit, God has a word for you. God wants to speak to you with your heads bowed and your eyes closed. I just felt like for some of you, just need hope today. Just need hope today. If you're here and just say, pastor Tim, I need red letters today. I need God just to speak to me. Some of you are going like, I'm in all three categories of that. I've messed up, I want to give up, and Satan has stepped it up. But I need something from the Lord today. If you're here today and just say, I need a red letter day today. If that's you, would you just raise your hand? Say, I just need them to speak to me. Just hold your hand up high. Hold it up high. Hold it up high. Hold it up high. If that's you, just quickly. Balcony, main floor. We're gonna sing this song. And as we get ready to sing, would you just come? I just want to pray for you. Just get out of your seat quickly. Just get out of your seat. I want to just pray for you. Come, come, come. Come on, you. Come on, you come back. Balcony. We're going to wait for. Because I want to pray. Faithful through Jesus generation. So why would he fail now? He was. Hallelujah. Come on, we'll wait for you. Bouncy. We know you have a little ways to go. I've still got joy. Come on. Hallelujah. I still got joy in chaos. I've got peace that makes no sense. So I won't be going under. I'm not held by my own strength. Cause I built my life on Jesus. He never let me down. He's faithful every season. So why would. Those at this altar just look at me for a second. I want to just give you some good news. Be of good cheer. I felt the bottom, and it's firm. It's firm. I felt the bottom and it's firm. Is walking through some of these. And let me. Can I just be real, real with you for a moment? If. If I didn't have to be up here. Someone has to come close it off. I'd be right down there with you. I'd be responding. I'm just going like, God, I just need to know because. Because it's inevitable. We're going to walk through this. We're going to go through this. And there's some people ahead of you that have walked through some of these hard moments. And can I tell you, I've gotten these red letters when the enemy just wouldn't quit. It was Psalm 94. When. When I wanted to give up. It was Psalm 34. When it. When it was. When it. When I felt like I messed up, it was Psalm 103. As far as the east is from the west, I have. I have removed your transgressions. And those things are going to come. We're going to find ourselves. And some of you are feeling like Christian was the pilgrim. Fabulous. Are over me. They're over me. So if we can just be hopeful for you just for today, keep walking. I've touched the bottom. The ground is firm. I have to tell you, I say this to the worship team. I say this to all of you. I don't know if till yesterday I've ever said the words praises, promises. I'm just gonna be honest with you. They're right there in the scripture. Read any version you want. I knew this place. Place doesn't preach the Bible. Read in any version you want. It says, praise his promises. I just started to say that the last 24 hours. I said, praise his promises. Thank you. Because you know what it is that's firm ground for us. Just for a moment, lift your hands and say, God, I thank you for your promises. Praise your promise. Just go on, just tell them. Say, I thank you. I thank you, God. And if you feel bold enough, just do what the psalmist did. I praise your promises. I praise the promises of God. God, I just thank you for it. It's firm ground for me. It's firm ground. It's firm ground. It's firm ground. Just when you feel overwhelmed. Just when you feel that's come. Hallelujah. When you feel like giving up, God, speak to them. When you feel like you've messed up. Acts 23. God, speak to them. When you feel that the enemy has stepped it up. God, God, speak to Us. My grace is sufficient for you when I've messed up. Don't worry, Paul, you've got a work to do in Rome. When I want to give up. No one's going to harm you. No one's going to harm you. I am with you. Do not fear. There is an army that's still here in this city. Thank you, God. Come on, just thank him. When the battles intensify, when the mistakes increase, when the enemy just won't quit, we say thank you for still speaking. Thank you for the resurrected Jesus that still speaks today. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Just put a hand on a shoulder next to you. Just go ahead. Put a hand on a shoulder next to you and just go. God, give him a word. Give them a word. Let the scripture open up. Let them know God, there's hope. Just do just them. Feeling a hand on a shoulder will be hope. It'll be hope for them. Hope for them. God, just begin to do it. Hope, hope, hope, hope. Be hopeful for them. Be hopeful for them. Be hopeful for the Christian pilgrim that's next to you. Be hopeful for them and say, you're gonna make it. You're gonna make it. You're gonna make it. Tell them the ground is firm. The ground is firm. We've touched bottom. The ground is firm. Hallelujah. We have a firm foundation. We have a firm foundation. Can I. Can I do this before. And we're. I want us to close with that song, that. With. With that firm. Before you leave, we're going to sing this in close. Can I just make one plea to those that may be at the edge? Maybe their feet have just gotten a little close to the edge. Can I be the richies for a second from the gap? But you're just going, I can't go on anymore. Can I tell you this? There's an alternative. His name is Jesus. His way out. Don't leave, don't jump, don't end it. God has a new life for you today. He wants to change you today. How does that happen? It's when God changes you from the inside out. How does that take place? Pastor Tim, this is it. The Bible says this. It says that no man shall see the kingdom of heaven unless they're born again. What great words. You get a second chance. Born again. Just as you were a first birth physically, you get a second birth spiritually. That's the thing that happens. It's when you go, God, come in and change me from the inside out. How does that happen? It's abc A, admitting I'm a sinner, can't fix myself. B, believing that God became my sin bearer and did what I couldn't do for myself, took my sins upon him, and then C, confessing him as Lord. Romans 10, 9, 10, and saying, God, come in and change me today. Come in and change me if that's you, and just go, Pastor Tim, my feet are hanging off the edge that I'm shouting to you. There's an alternative. There's new life today. And it's not found in religion and it's not found in this building. It's found in Jesus. It's found in Jesus. If that's you, say, pastor Tim, I don't want to jump. I want. I want Christ in my life. I want to. I want that change. If that's you, without any hesitation, just raise your hand. Say, just pray for me. Put it up, put it up. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Gotcha there. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Balky. Let me make sure I see those hands. Yes, yes, yes. Keep them up. Thank God. Would you? Come on. I want us to pray this together. Just say this. Say, jesus, I believe you're the son of God. I believe that on the cross you took my sin, my shame and my guilt, and you died for it. You faced hell for me so I wouldn't have to go. You rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven and a purpose on earth. Today, Lord Jesus, I turn from my sin to be born again. God is my father, Jesus is my savior, the Holy Spirit is my helper, and heaven is my home in Jesus name. And everybody said amen. Now here it is. Back up from the edge. Back up from the edge. A new life. A new life. A new life today. Now, if you've made that commitment online, you're going to see, you're going to see a link. You can hit that or, or even email for those that are here, you can text 51-000-DECIDED-51000. And if you've raised your hand, look over at exit seven. You're going to see those wonderful ladies waving their hands there frantically. And. And so we'll take five minutes with you, get you a Bible and just help you on your journey. And when this curtains close and Ricardo finishes praying, these wonderful people in the red shirts will be there to pray for you. I want to just tell you, look at the person next to you and say, you're going to make it. You're going to make it.