Are You Wise?

Thank you. I hope you still feel the same way when I'm done. The presence of the Lord is here in this house in such a powerful way.

I think you may be seated. It's just amazing. And I'm so thankful for the wonderful leader you have in Pastor Tim Delina.

You should be thankful too as well. He's a man who seeks God, spends time in prayer, and is leading this church in the way that God has designed and destined it to go. And the testimony of this church is going worldwide in places that you'd never thought.

I spoke at a Jewish conference on Monday night, and I had people walking up to me and whispering, saying, I listen to Times Square Church. They can't say it out loud unless they'd be tarred and feathered by some of their friends, but they were whispering it to me. And there's just so many people tuning in because there's life here.

There's life. There's life in the worship. There's life in the word.

And I thank God for that. Now, what the Lord's put on my heart has a specific reason today. Because you're getting very good doctrine from Pastor Tim Delina.

He's opening the word of God, and he's bringing truth to light in a way that it can actually transform your life if you'll take it to heart. But there's a measure of wisdom that is required of God to be able to receive this truth, embrace this truth, and let it become life-changing. The potential for an open heart to God is just amazing, what God can do, where He can take you.

But it does require the changing. It requires leaving some things behind that need to be left behind, as the Apostle Paul says, and moving forward to things that God has for your life. And keep in mind, your life and mine, we are destined by God to be a testimony of His glory in our generation.

Wherever we go and whatever we're called to do. I'm speaking at a Jewish conference on Monday night. I'm going to be speaking at Princeton University in March for a couple of nights.

So God's just opening doors wide everywhere we go. We don't lean on our own understanding, as the scripture says. But we get a word from God, we just bring that word and let the Holy Spirit do what He's going to do.

But until we're at the point, all of us, myself included, where His truth in our heart takes the preeminence, it becomes very difficult to deal with the truth that we're learning. Until we embrace it and say, God, I want this to be part of my life and part of my heart. And that's the essence of wisdom, which I want to talk about today from the book of James, chapter 1. And my message is just a question.

Are you wise? Are you wise? Learning does not make you wise. The apostle said in the last days there will be a people who are always learning, but the learning is not bringing them to the place that it's supposed to bring them to. Their lives actually become a denial of the truth that they are learning.

But there's a wisdom that God is willing to give if we're willing to receive it. Father, I thank you for the touch of heaven in this sanctuary today. I thank you, God, for your word, which is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.

I thank you, Lord, that as the worship has gone forward today and as your word is being spoken, we simply ask you to stretch your hand out through the Internet and in this sanctuary and begin to heal. Heal broken minds, broken bodies. Heal hearts that are broken.

God, give treasure to those who don't see where they're going to find strength to go forward. Give sight to those who can't see a way out of the darkness and into light. Do the work, God, that makes you famous.

And, Lord, we just want to say thank you, God, that we believe that every time your word opens and our hearts open to it, we are changed by the spirit of God from image to image and glory to glory. So, God, I'm asking you for a touch from heaven on my life to be able to share this word today and a touch from heaven on all of us who are gathered, whether it's here in the sanctuary, in a campus church or online in some other place. Lord, give us the grace to be able to hear this for the days are dark and we need to be a people of wisdom now.

We thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. James chapter 1, beginning at verse 5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally, that means generously and without reproach.

Actually, you look in the original text and it means without looking for reasons not to give it, not to answer that cry of the heart, not fault finding. That's another way of looking at it. He gives liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him.

But let him ask in faith with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose he'll receive anything from the Lord.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. God takes this so seriously that he's actually offended if we don't believe that he wants to give us wisdom. He said, if you ask for wisdom and you don't believe that I want to give it to you, I'm not going to give it to you.

Because it's so in my heart and I've told you that if you ask for wisdom, I will give it to you and I will give it to you freely, generously. I will not look for reasons why I shouldn't give it to you. The only reason why you will be denied wisdom is that you don't believe I want to give it to you.

Isn't that an amazing promise? I think we prove we're foolish if we fail to ask for wisdom. God, I don't want to just learn your word, which is good in itself, but I want the wisdom that comes with the word of God. I want to be able to apply it to every area of my life and my future.

It's one of the great promises of the Bible. But we should ask for wisdom with an understanding of what transpired when somebody asked God for this before us and it was given to him. I want to look at the life of Solomon just for a moment.

In the book of 1 Kings chapter 3, an amazing moment in history. This young man has been called to rule and reign. He's just finished offering a thousand sacrifices on the altar.

He's seen God's glory come down in a much greater measure most likely than we've experienced a measure of his glory today in worship. There's no doubt. But Solomon, the glory came so powerfully in the temple that nobody could even stand in the presence of God.

And at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night or a vision. And God said, ask, what shall I give you? What do you want, Solomon? Ask me for anything and I'll give it to you. And Solomon said, you've shown great mercy to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness and uprightness of heart.

So he knew something about his father. Now his father was not perfect when you know the history. He made mistakes.

But it didn't change the fact that he could be challenged by truth. He would return to a living relationship with God, his father, and he had an honest heart before God. And he says, you've continued this great kindness for him and you've given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day.

Now, Lord God, you've made your servant king instead of my father David, but I'm a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. In other words, you've placed me in a position, but God, I'm not sure of how to do this.

Have you ever felt that way in your life? You felt called to do something maybe in the kingdom of God or called to be somebody that you're not yet, called to be a different kind of a person than the person you have been before coming to Christ. And you do cry out to God and say, God, I feel like a child. I don't know how to do this.

I don't know how to love people. I don't know how to forgive my enemies. I don't know how to be the husband or the wife that I should be.

I don't know how to be a father the way I should or a mother the way I should. God, I just don't know how to do this. I feel like a child.

And I'm in the midst of your people whom you've chosen, a great people too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore, give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people that I may discern between good and evil for who is able to judge this great people of yours. So Solomon asked God for wisdom.

It was a wonderful thing for him to do. And then the Lord came to Solomon, and he gave him a wisdom that he told him, and it stands to this day, there'll never be other than Jesus Christ himself. There'll never be another person in the world that will measure up to the wisdom I'm about to give you.

As a matter of fact, he became so wise that people were afraid of him. The people of Israel, it says in verse 28 of chapter 3, it says, And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. So he could know what was truth and what was a lie in others.

Two women approached him, and there was a child that was alive and a child that had passed away, and both claimed that the living child was theirs, and the child that had passed away belonged to the other one. And Solomon, the way he executed judgment in this situation, it really did cause a fear to erupt in the hearts of all those who had seen how God had made him so incredibly wise. He was given this ability to judge what was right and what was wrong in the lives of other people that were under his leadership.

Now, we fast forward from this all the way to the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 2 and verse 3, and Solomon, at the end of his days, deviated in a sense. There's never been a greater wisdom than was given to this man, but at the end of his days, he's listless, he's disillusioned, and he's drifted shockingly away from God and the calling that was on his life. Verse 3 says, I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine.

Could you imagine? This man has given more wisdom than anybody in the history of the world has ever had. He has been given the guardianship, in a sense, of the testimony, the actual physical testimony of God on the earth at that time. He's given the guardianship of that place and of the house and of the temple and of the sacrifice, and he's supposed to be the wisest man and was that has ever lived, but he starts drinking.

Isn't that amazing? Looking for happiness. I've often said it this way. He left the answer to pursue the question.

He said, I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom. I find it ironic that one of the biggest questions in the Pentecostal church and charismatic church today is about this issue of drinking wine among God's people, but this is the point where Solomon began to backslide. The very first thing he did is started drinking alcohol and he didn't think it was going to lead him to building heathen temples, but it did in the long run.

I sought to lay hold on folly. In other words, I just went out and I decided I'm going to just start living life and having a good time till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. In verse 15, he said, So I said in my heart, as it happened to the fool, it also happens to me.

So why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, this also is vanity. So he comes to the point of saying that wisdom is pointless. There's no real point to having wisdom if I end up just as the fool does.

In verse 17 of chapter 2, he says, Therefore I hated life, because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity or empty or grasping for the wind. Isn't it sad? How did this happen to this man? How do you start out with such wisdom? Where people are coming from around the world just to hear you speak, that's what happened with Solomon. The queen of Sheba came with a huge entourage with questions, and the Bible says he told her all the answers to all of her questions.

And she was so aghast at the wisdom this man had that the scripture says there was no more breath left in her. He was given a mind and an understanding of things and the ability to judge, given him of God. But you see, what happened to him? How did he drift so far from his calling? Well, the clue is in 1 Kings chapter 3 and verse 9. In one of our scriptures that we were reading at the beginning, where he says, Therefore give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of yours? Here's the point.

He asked for wisdom to judge between good and evil in others, not in himself. That's the point. You see, that's the human tendency, I suppose, in a lot of God's people.

It could be in all of us. We're getting this learning. We're discerning what's right and what's wrong, and we can discern everybody, but we can't discern ourselves.

We fail to understand that the true measure of wisdom is in being able to discern the motives of my own heart. He told the people... Listen to some of the things that Solomon told the people around him. In the book of Proverbs 2, verses 16 to 19, he told the people to beware of the seductions of this world.

He said, To deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God. For her house leads down to death, and her path to the dead, and none who go to her return, nor do they regain the path of life. Now, this is Solomon's instruction to other people, but when you look at his own life, later on, in 1 Kings chapter 11, it says, Solomon loved many foreign women, the daughters of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you.

And surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love. Now, he's warning others not to do this in the book of Proverbs.

He's writing it all down for the sake of others, but he himself is not obeying what he's writing. He has this wisdom, but it's all for others. It's not for himself.

He had 700 wives. That proves he didn't have any. I was leading a men's Bible study one time, and I read this scripture, and an older man, he just sighed, and he shook his head, and he said, Only a fool would want more than one wife.

He had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his heart. But isn't that what he wrote in Proverbs? To deliver you from the seductress who flatters and forgets the coming of her God. Her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead, and none who go to her return again, nor do they find the paths of life.

And so it was, 1 Kings 11, 4, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods. His heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, and as was the heart of David his father. And Solomon, that's a Solomon, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the, Milcom, the god where people would place their babies on the red hot heated hands of an idol to burn them to death.

Solomon, of all people, Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord as did David his father. And Solomon built a high place for Chemos, the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the people of Ammon. He did the same thing, or likewise, for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

And so he was great on giving advice to others, but very poor on incorporating it into his own life. In Proverbs chapter three, verses five to seven, he warns us, these words, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Don't be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

And this is the man who wrote this, but at the end of his life wrote, all is empty, all is vanity, all is worthless, all is nothing. There's no reason why I have any wisdom in my life. If I end up as the fool, what's the point of having wisdom? Yet he wrote all of this for you and I, and we quote this, these words that God used the hand of Solomon to write, but he himself became wise in his own eyes.

He himself departed from God and moved towards evil. He himself found himself bitter and empty and disillusioned at the end of his life. And lastly in Proverbs chapter four, verses five to 13, listen to the cry, get wisdom, he says.

And there's an exclamation point, and it's right, get understanding. He tells that to you and I. Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you.

Love her, and she will keep you. He's talking about wisdom now and understanding. Wisdom is the principle thing, therefore get wisdom, and in all your getting, get understanding.

Exalt her, and she will promote you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her. She'll place on your head an ornament of grace, and a crown of glory will she deliver to you.

Hear my son. I believe when he wrote these words, he's not writing to his own son. God is speaking to him, and he's writing down what he's hearing.

The Holy Spirit is speaking to Solomon saying, hear my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in right paths.

When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, and do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

Keep her, for she is your life. The same man that God gave these words to, and spoke these words to, finished empty, dissatisfied, sorrowful, building heathen temples, passing by the temple of God, most likely on the day of worship, with all his chariots, and all his entourage, and heading down to one of his wife's temples. The very things that God had given him in wisdom, that he'd written down for us, to stay away from seductive relationships, and be careful of the things of this world, that will draw your heart away from God, and learn the words and the ways of God.

Apply it to your heart with diligence. Don't lean on your own understanding. And yet he himself, you can just see the parade, if you follow me in your mind's eye, just passing by the temple of God, where the glory of God is behind the veil, where the sacrifice that's been decreed by God, for the forgiveness of the nation, and the individual people, is supposed to be taking place, where people have been coming from all over the world, because there was such divine order there.

There was such a presence of God. It says about the Queen of Sheba, when she just saw the cupbearers, the way they moved, her breath was gone. She said, yes, I have cupbearers in my palace, in my kingdom, but not like this.

Even the cupbearers are empowered by the Spirit of God. And listening to this man speak, in the wisdom that was in his heart, but oh God, oh God, there should be a fear of God touches your heart, and touches my heart. I've been in prayer lately, studying some of these things, and saying, God Almighty, don't let me finish like this.

Don't let me start leaning on my own understanding. Don't let me start making excuses, God, for reasons why, what applies to others, would not apply to me. Do you understand? We're watching pastors now, fall like dead flies, all over the country right now.

Teaching others the principles of God, which somehow, they have deceived themselves into thinking, don't apply to them. It's amazing. It's amazing, and some very notable ones, even the last year, who just, just taught the people, and taught them with wisdom, and taught them with authority, and taught them truth, but yet somehow, convinced themselves of what they're teaching others, doesn't apply to themselves.

You see, but be careful. The scripture says, let everyone take heed, if you think you stand, lest you fall. Because, all of us, have this propensity in our hearts, to somehow, twist the scriptures, and convince ourselves, that what applies to others, doesn't apply to us.

Solomon is warning people, don't do this, don't, don't, yield to these seductions of life, or the society around you. It will take away, it's, it's path leads to death, and yet here is this chariot, going down the path to a place of death. You see, here's the point.

He ended up empty, dissatisfied, and sorrowful, because, in asking for wisdom, he failed to ask God for a heart, to apply to himself, what God would show him, for the sake of others. It's really that simple. You know, it's amazing.

The Lord appeared to him twice. The first time he appears to Solomon, he says, ask, for anything you want. And I'll give it to you.

You know, I, today, we read a scripture that says, if you don't have wisdom, ask for it, and I'll give it to you freely. Ask for anything you want. I, I look, I look back on Solomon's life, but, and I feel sorrowful in my heart, because, he asked for wisdom, but he didn't ask for a heart, to follow it.

And if he had asked for it, God would have given it to him. Isn't it amazing? He said, I'll give you whatever you ask for. And, what a difference it would make, if Solomon said, God, I, I don't know how, to judge your people.

And so, I'm asking you for wisdom, to, to be able to, adjudicate in a sense, that all the issues, that are going to come before me, and the nation. But, oh God, I'm also asking you for a heart, like David, my father. I'm asking you for a heart, that can be moved by the truth, that I teach others.

I'm asking, for, for a life, and for a heart, that is not just teaching other people, but I'm, teachable myself. I, I want to obey you, God, all the days of my life. I, I want to finish strong.

I want to go across that finish line, with my hands raised up, having lived, and walked in victory. I don't want to be a, bitter disillusioned old man, at the end of my days. And it ha, it can happen to anybody.

And, and, if, if we're foolish enough to think, it can't happen to us, that proves that we're foolish. It happened to the wisest man, that will ever live, on the face of this planet. And, I want to, I would be a fool to think, it couldn't happen to me.

And, you would be a fool to think, it couldn't happen to you. We don't know, what's resident in our heart. And, if we ever, give up, on being diligent, in the study of God's word, or the study of prayer, or, or we get used to sitting, at Times Square Church, and Pastor Tim, is just unlocking, these treasure, from the word of God, about the, the Christian worldview, and how to live a Christian life, and how to escape, toxic relationships, and all these, other messages, that God's giving him.

And we just, keep piling on, the knowledge. We, we, oh, that'll, that'll preach for somebody. Oh yeah, John needs to hear this.

Oh yeah, Alice needs to hear that message. But, we're not hearing it ourselves. We're not moving away, from toxic relationships.

We're not, putting away, the seductions of the world, that are going to steal our hearts, from God. We're, we're not letting the same, word that we're learning, apply to us first. And, that's the cry of my heart.

It's exactly, the same as David, the King, in Psalm 139. Verse 23, when he says, search me, oh God, and know my heart. And I pray that constantly.

God, don't let me assume, that what I'm doing is right. Don't let me assume, that what direction I'm going in is right, or the thoughts I'm thinking are right. God, if, if I search myself, I'll come out smelling like a rose, most of the time.

And so will you. But God, you search me. You search my heart.

You try me, and know my ways. It's, it's anxieties, in the New King James Version. It says ways, in the original King James Version.

God, know the thoughts of my heart. Search me. Search me, God.

And see, if there's any wicked way in me. And lead me, in the way everlasting. God, don't let me assume, that everything I'm doing is right.

Don't let me assume, that the rules, that I'm teaching others, don't apply to me. You know, some of the fallings, in the ministry, have been so glaring. You wonder, how is it possible, that this man, or this person, taught people these things, and yet had such, deeply embedded sin, in his own life.

And, and convinced it didn't apply. That's what makes it, even doubly perplexing. How does Solomon, build temples, to heathen gods, that are sacrificing, children in the fire, and somehow, not know this is right.

Or wrong rather. He doesn't know. He doesn't understand, what he's doing.

How did he convince himself, that this stuff is okay? No, well here's what it says. The loves, that he allowed into his life, turned his heart, when he got old. Oh, you're getting older, beware.

Beware. When all the natural zeal, is gone, and you can't cover it up, with ministry anymore. Who Christ really is, in you, is going to come to the surface.

Who Christ really isn't, is going to come to the surface. You see, there's a point in life, when all you have left, is who Jesus is, in your life. And it's going to catch everybody.

It caught Solomon, when he was older. There's a story, of a desert lizard. Okay.

And the desert lizard, it walks, through the desert, and its tail wags, like this. Okay. And so, it covers its tracks, as it's walking, through the desert.

And the hawk, can't spot it, because its tail, is covering its tracks. But as it gets older, its tail starts to stiffen. It goes a little less left, and a little less right.

And suddenly, the toes appear, and as it gets older, then the, more of the foot appears, and then eventually, its tail gets very stiff, and then the hawk, sees it, and captures it. And it's a similar thing, in the Christian life. As you get older, you can't cover your tracks anymore.

Can't cover it, with religious zeal. You can't cover it, with praise the Lords. You can't cover it, with songs.

Who you are, is really going to come, to the surface. I've had people say to me, oh brother, so and so, isn't it a shame, how bitter he got, when he got into his 60's. And I say, no brother, so and so was always bitter, it just was covered up, with religious activity.

Be sure, your sin will find you out. Be sure, it will come to the surface. Be sure, that you can't get away, forever, with what may be hidden now.

Be sure. And so the point is, are you wise? Are you wise? I was going to call this message, are you a wise guy, or just a wise guy? Do you seek wisdom? Do you want to grow, in the grace and knowledge, of Jesus Christ? Then it's really simple, ask God today for a heart, to obey all that he promises, to show you. It's really simple.

I don't know about you, but that's where I'm going. You have no, I just want to finish, the race in victory. I want to finish it right, I want to finish it good, I want to finish it God's way.

There's people here today, you're still in toxic relationships, you shouldn't be in, and you know it. And why do you justify it? You know it's not right. Solomon knew it wasn't right.

And he got away with it, for a season, but eventually it stole his heart. Trust me. You marry somebody, who's not a believer, and they'll steal your heart, eventually.

Take away your sweet words, your passion for Jesus, be a constant fight, to go to the house of God. You start having children, they don't want to take, your children to church. It's a terrible trap, that people fall into.

You know you should, forgive your enemies, but there's always an excuse, there's always that one enemy, they say, well it certainly can't apply to him, or her. I mean, even God should be mad, if he knows what they did. So many people, in this generation, are having illicit sexual relationships, and somehow think that, you know it doesn't matter, it's Samson did that.

Until one day, he woke up, and the anointing was gone, in his life. He got away with it, for a long time, but eventually, you don't get away with it forever. One day you wake up, and the presence of God, is just gone.

You come to church, and everyone else is like, just enraptured, in God's presence, and you're just kind of, on the outside looking in, say what happened to me, where did that go in my life? Or you played with fire, just a little bit too long. It's not wise, to play with sin. It's not wise, to do these things, because it will catch you eventually.

It'll catch everybody. And I only say this, because I care. If I didn't care, I'd just tell you all, how nice you were today.

I care. I care about you, finishing in victory. Pastor Tim cares about you, finishing victory.

We care about you, making it to the end. We care about going over, the finish line, together, with our hands raised, in victory. We heard God, we did it God's way, we walked God's way, we were given, an understanding, and a wisdom from God, but we didn't waste, what God gave us.

We obeyed God, when he spoke to our hearts. I love the fact, that Pastor Tim is, such a sensitive spirit now, and just his example, is provoking me, because he'll just say a word, we don't even hear, what he's saying, we don't even catch it, but he's immediately, pricked in his heart, by the Holy Spirit, and comes back, and apologizes, or ask for forgiveness, and I'm not even sure, there was anything wrong in it, but the sensitivity to God, is such an example to us, of how you and I should walk, in our walk with God. Oh God, don't let me go there, God don't let me watch that, God don't let me do this, God help me, whatever you have to do Lord, just do it in my life to, I want to walk a clean walk, I don't want to be passing by, the house of God, to some ungodly place, at the end of my life, or when I get older, I want to be going, to the house of God, I want to be glad, to be going to the house, I want to be clapping my hands, I want to be shouting, I want to be singing, in the house of God, I want to give glory to God, for what he's done in my life, I want my children, to see God's presence in my life, right to the end of my journey, I want my grandchildren, to be able to say, I want to be like my grandpa, or my grandma, God Almighty, you have such a future, for those who will choose wisdom, and apply it to their heart, and apply it to their life, oh God, let us be the first ones, Paul said to Timothy, the husbandman that labors, must be a first partaker of the fruits, the Lord give you understanding, in these things, he writes elsewhere, he said, those who say, you shouldn't do something, do you do it yourself, I am stunned, at the spiritual blindness, that has come on much of the ministry, in our generation, I'm stunned, how people can live in such immorality, and mixture, and compromise, and yet, have 10,000, 15,000, 25,000 people, in their churches, somewhere along the line, the rules didn't apply to them, I had an apologist, in my office one time here, and I looked him in the eye, and I said, you have a darkness in you, I told him straight out, I said, because you're so brilliant, you have the ability, to turn darkness to light, you have the ability, to twist the scriptures, to your own destruction, and if you don't get a hold of this, you're gonna lose everything, I thank God, that man did hear me that day, I'd rather be a common man, and make it in victory, wouldn't you, like, I want enough wisdom, just to not get myself in trouble, I don't need to be as wise as Solomon, I just, I'd rather be simple, than make it over the finish line, I'd rather be simple, with my hands raised, I'd rather, I'd rather, have the wisdom, that God wants to give me, but apply it to my own heart first, before applying it to yours, and I want to tell you one more time, you better be thankful, you have pastor Tim Delaney here, because you can follow that man, you can follow his leadership, and so I'm gonna give an altar call, and if I weren't on the platform, I'd be the first one down there, God, give me a heart, to obey what you show me, give me a heart, to be first partaker, of truth, rather than just use it, to teach everybody else, nothing more obnoxious, than doing devotions, if you do such a thing in your home, with your children, and they're watching your life, and it doesn't match your speech, and we wonder why so many kids, turn away from God, God, give me a heart, I can't be the only one here, that has that heart, can't be just the pastors here, and the elders, it's gotta be you, and if you pray for that today, there's gonna be something, that you already know about, that you have to walk away from, I mean Solomon had 999 things, he had to leave behind, and he chose not to, and took his heart, and brought ruin into the nation, do you know that it wasn't just him, he ruined the nation, and think if we won't walk with God, in honesty, all the lives that are ruined, can ruin our children, it can ruin our grandchildren, it can ruin those that are, associated with us, those that know us in the workplace, we don't go down alone, we take people with us, I don't want anybody to stumble over my life, I don't want to be speaking one thing to you, and living another, or creating an excuse, for my own desires, and ending up at the end like Solomon, saying all is empty, and I hated life, what a testimony that is, of the wisest man who ever lived, can you imagine getting there, and people are gathered around your bed, in the last day of your life, and you're talking to your kids and grandkids, saying I hated life, and why did I even know truth, can you just imagine, it's not hard to imagine, because that's how this man finished, disillusioned, bitter, empty, he just wouldn't apply the truth that he knew, and you already know what to do, start at the beginning, and whatever God's speaking to you, start there, do that, you'd be amazed, you'd be amazed, I can promise you one thing, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now, you'll be in here, and you'll be shouting, you won't want the worship to end, because you've made a right choice, and you're not at the wrong altar, you're at the right place with God, and you finish out alive, finish out in victory, oh God, oh God, it feels good to, know that your heart is open, and he can speak to you, let's stand together, and if that's your heart, would you come and we'll pray together, we're going to pray David's prayer together, just come, just slip out of your seat, balcony, go to either exit, the main sanctuary, just join these that are coming now, come on down, and we're going to pray David's prayer, search me oh God, know my heart, try me, see if there's any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting, praise God, don't assume that everything you're doing is right, let God tell you if it is or not, we're just going to lead in a song, if we can, while everybody's coming down, you are here, moving in our midst, I worship you, I worship you, you are here, working in this place, I worship you, I worship you, you are here, moving in our midst, I worship you, I worship you, you are here, working in this place, I worship you, I worship you, lift your hands and say, way maker, miracle worker, artist, artist, artist, way maker, here you are, way maker, way maker, miracle worker, artist, artist, artist, artist, way maker, miracle worker, way maker, miracle worker, artist, artist, you are here, you are here, touching everything, I worship you, you are here, healing everything, I worship you, you are here, turning lives around, I worship you, I worship you, you are here, miracle worker, artist, artist, artist, we make miracle worker, promise keep, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are, say it one more time, way maker, we make miracle worker, promise keep, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are, father, we are not here to play games with you, we are not here to try, to convince you that, our thoughts are better than yours, we know that, the entrance of your words, gives light, there is a promise, that in Christ we become new creations, so God, we want the creation that you have made us to be, not what we think we should be, we want to walk, according to your thoughts towards us, not according to our own understanding of things, and we do ask for wisdom, but for the right reason, you tell us that you give it generously, and you will not withhold, or look for reasons to withhold from us, we ask in faith, and we ask in faith believe in God, but we want, the light that is in us not to turn into darkness, for you warned that if it did, it would be a greater darkness than even sin, God don't let the truth that we know, turn to darkness within our hearts, keep us alive in you God, search us, as you said through your servant David, know our hearts God, try us, and know our ways, and see if there's any wicked way in us, lead us away from it, and lead us into the way of life everlasting, God, this generation needs to see your church again, they need to see the light of your presence, in the lives of your people, deliver us Lord from compromise, deliver us from mixture, deliver us from deliberate disobedience, to the things we know you've told us we should or shouldn't do, God help us Lord Jesus Christ, to love you, with all our heart soul and mind and strength, which you told us is the greatest commandment, God Almighty, I pray Lord Jesus Christ, that we would make it over the finish line together, in victory, please God, help those who are wavering between two opinions, to make right choices now, not to end up building false places of worship, places you've not prescribed, and places where you've clearly told us there's no blessing, don't let us live in deliberate sin or willful disobedience, and come and think we can experience your presence, week after week after week, in your house, oh Jesus Christ, Lord you've given this church, called Times Square Church, an international pulpit all over the world, I do pray when people come in here online, that they would see the real thing, they would really see people who are alive in God, really worshiping the living Christ, walking in truth, God don't let our lives be, a dull mixture Lord, in the midst of the assembly, even as Solomon once said, I was almost in total ruin, in the midst of the assembly, in the congregation, he found out he was too late, at the end, oh God help us now, speak to us now, give us the grace Lord Jesus Christ, to yield to you in all things, to love your word Lord, to love your word, God Almighty, and to love to obey your word, and to love to go in the direction of your word, and thank you, that you have given Pastor Tim, such powerful messages, and truths God, help us not to push aside anything we're hearing, but to embrace it with a full heart, for Lord that's where life is, it's where strength is, so God our prayer is just, search us, and lead us, in the way of life everlasting, God thank you for all, that you've done this day, and what you will do in each of our lives, in the days ahead, and we thank you, in Jesus name, amen, and amen, praise God, now just before we go, just before we go, if you're here, well you are here, it's not if you're here, you are here, if you don't know you're here, you really need prayer right now, but you're aware today, that hey I'm totally outside the kingdom of God, like I don't have a living relationship with God, I mean I've got a measure of religion, what you're talking about I don't have that, I'm not a new creation, I have no assurance that I belong to God, but if that's the case in your life, all you have to do is admit, that you need a savior, just humble yourself, and say God I can't save myself, I need a savior, and thank you that you did come, in the form of your son Jesus Christ, and you went to a cross, and you paid the price, for all the things in my life, that have separated me from God, and so I'm going to open my heart today, to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and then I'm going to confess him with my mouth, which is more than just saying, Jesus is my Lord, but I'm going to confess you, with the things I do, the direction I go, the way I think, everything about me is going to be a confession, that you are now the Lord of my life, if you'd like a living relationship, with God through his son Jesus Christ, it may be the first time, or maybe you've never really fully known this, you've just had a lot of religion, would you just join me, and raise your hand right now, wherever you are, all over the sanctuary, God bless you, go ahead, don't be afraid, just raise your hand, all over the balcony, thank you, thank you in the main sanctuary, pray this with me right now, Lord Jesus Christ, I open my heart to you, and I invite you into my life, to be my Lord, and my Savior, thank you for caring about me, and coming to get me, and paying the price, for the wrong that I have done, from this day forward, you are Lord of my life, I ask you to guide me, lead me, teach me, change me, strengthen me, you are mine from this day forward, heaven is now my eternal home, the Holy Spirit is my helper, and Jesus Christ is Lord of my life, in Jesus name, amen, and amen, and amen.