Carter Conlin from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. This last day when truth is being trampled in the streets. This last day when immorality is abounding. This last day when lying is accepted as a form of speech.
We are the last day plan. Jesus Christ, would you open our hearts to accept it? Thank you for joining us for a call to the nation with Carter Conlin. While in Egypt, the children of Israel knew they were being brought out of captivity by the hand of God. They would be the people to bring the name of God to reputation, not by their might or power but by the promises of God.
They knew this but they didn't accept it. Today's message by Carter is designed to prevent you from dying in the wilderness. It's to show you how to become everything God intends you to be. Don't settle for a good thing if God's calling you to do a great thing.
Let's join Carter now. We're going to start in the book of 2 Timothy chapter 1. Father, I thank you, God, with all my heart today. Jesus Christ, you have a plan in this last day. This last day when your name is being mocked. This last day when truth is being trampled in the streets. This last day when immorality is abounding and confusion is abounding. This last day when lying is accepted as a form of speech. God Almighty.
God Almighty. This last day where your name is being mocked and your people are being vilified. Yet you have a plan as you always have had. And God, we are the last day plan that you have for this world. Would you open our hearts to accept it?
All of us, no exception. Would you give us the grace Lord to walk into the place of promise in Jesus Christ and face our mountains, whatever they are, and the giants that we will have to face? Believe in God that without natural weaponry, these places will have to come down. They'll have to give way to the Spirit of God. Oh God, would you deliver us from being a natural people, always reasoning everything God.
And would you bring us into the realm of the Spirit, the ability to simply agree with you and begin to walk in this newness of life and power that you promised to those who belong to you. Father, I thank you God with all my heart. Please God today, please empower this church. And I ask it in Jesus name.
Amen. Second Timothy chapter one, beginning at verse one. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. In other words, Paul says, I didn't choose to have this office, but I yielded to God's will for my life.
According to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, a beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace from God the father in Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you being mindful of your tears that I might be filled with joy.
Now let me stop there for a moment. I don't know how this scenario played out, but here's the way I see it in my mind. I see Paul, the apostle coming to this house where there was a mother and a grandmother and this son or grandson there. And the two women had led him to a faith that can only come through believing in Jesus Christ. And then Paul walks in and starts talking to this fearful, he's actually a fearful young man about a plan that God has from that's so much bigger than maybe anything he ever thought his life could be. And at some point the words of God got into him and laid hold of him and he started to agree with it.
At some point I think tears came into his eyes and Paul saw that. Do you remember the first time you wept when you became aware of God's presence? Do you remember the times maybe at night before you went to bed or when you got up in the morning or you're riding the subway and just a sudden weeping comes on you because the spirit of God is calling you to something that's bigger than anything you ever thought your life could be. And then suddenly I can see this boy getting on his knees and the apostle Paul lays that weathered beaten hand on top of his head like this and he begins to pray.
And as he begins to pray, the hand of God moves through the hand of Paul and a touch of heaven comes on this young man and Paul says, I remember the day you were set apart for the kingdom of God. I remember the day when the spirit of God came upon you. I remember the day that I was able to bear witness to this calling of God, Timothy, that came onto your life, even though you're young and maybe a bit fearful. And I greatly desire to see you again because I remember your tears.
I remember you. I remember a lot of the people that come to this altar over the years. I remember the tears here at this altar as people began to believe that God could use their lives for something greater than they ever believed they could be used for. Paul said, when I called to remember, it's a genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. I don't know what it cost Timothy's mother and grandmother to bring him that faith in Jesus Christ. It was not easy in those days to stand as a living testimony for God. Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Now, stirring it up doesn't mean just more physical action.
It's more of a heart stirring. Timothy, remember that God has called you. Timothy, stir up that faith that I once saw in you when I visited your house and prayed for you. Don't let it go dormant in your life.
Don't let the day to day routines that you have to come into. Maybe he has to go to school. I don't know.
He's got a young apprentice. I don't know what he was doing. But the reality is Paul saying, don't let these things override this call of God that came on your lifestyle. They stir up the memory even of it. The memory of the day that the hand of God came on you and called you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Now, it was not a favorable time to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Much of the known world at that time was somewhat scornful of the testimony of God and resistant to that testimony. But Paul says, no, don't be ashamed of the testimony, nor of me, his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings of the gospel according to the power of God. In other words, Paul saying, Timothy, it's not going to be easy and don't let anybody ever tell you.
It will be. The presence of God does not mean the absence of trouble. As a matter of fact, Jesus said, in this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I've overcome this world. In other words, the troubles of this world will not take you down because I've already defeated them and I have promised to keep you. I'll keep you. I'll keep you in depression. I'll keep you in flood. I'll keep you in fire.
I'll keep you in trial. I'll keep you when you're on top of the mountain. I'll keep you when the mountain's on top of you.
I will keep you. I've interwoven, God would say, the honor of my name in keeping you. You will not be triumphed over.
You cannot be triumphed over. He himself said, you're sealed in my father's hand and nobody can take you out of my father's hand. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you're in the most secure position or place you can be in all of the universe. You are in the hand of God. Now in that hand, that hand will not forsake you when you go through the flood.
When you go through the fire, it might get hot inside that hand, but it's still safe in that hand. And one day God will open that hand and just deposit you at the throne of eternity. Praise be to God. Bless the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not be ashamed, but share with me in the sufferings of the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling. It's a calling that separates us from the people of this world. It's to walk in places that the people who live without God know nothing about. They can't walk there because they don't know God. Not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
We teach it this way. He's omniscient. That means God knows everything. Before the world was created, he knew you. He saw you. He saw you before you were formed in your mother's womb. And it doesn't matter how you got into this world.
You were not a mistake. God saw you and allowed you to be born for divine purpose. A holy calling, not according to your own works, but according to his own purpose and grace given to us before time began. Even before the world was created, he had a plan to glorify his name through you. And he knew that you and I would be perhaps the last generation that are going to be here before Christ returns. He knew we would be the last day plan of God. He knew we would be frail as Paul knew Timothy was. He knew we would be struggling. He knew we would have trials. He knew we'd have to fight giants. He knew we'd be born in a society that's losing its mind.
Spiritually, morally, every other way, it seems to be losing our mind in this society. He knew you would be here and still planned that you would be his last day plan to glorify his name on the earth. Praise be to God. He knew that.
In the book of Ephesians and chapter four, verses seven and eight, Paul says, to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. So when he rose from the dead, he took all of the things that could take you captive, captive. He overcame them.
He defeated them. Listen to me. I don't know what it is you're going through or what it is that's oppressing you, but he took that oppression captive and gave you giftings. That means he gave you abilities to live far beyond these things, abilities, giftings to do things that you could never do in your own strength, to go places you could never go and to become what you could never become. We are a supernatural people. We're never meant to be natural as the church of Jesus Christ. We were never meant to be an argument about the existence of God. We were meant to be a living testimony about the reality of God. We were a people that were destined to be taken into places that only those who live with God can go, given abilities to do things that only God can do to bring his name to reputation. Do you understand? That's how the name of God is brought to reputation, not by arguing with people, but being a living demonstration of who God is to them.
You become free from these past fears and failures by looking forward to what your life will be instead of constantly running away from what your life used to be. The children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt, I'm sure there's some that were always looking over their shoulders. I wonder if Pharaoh has found some more soldiers. He's found some more chariots.
He found a way through the sea. I wonder if we're still being pursued. I wonder if we're going to be taken captive again. You know, you're not supposed to live your life looking over your shoulder.
It's your past. The Bible tells us clearly to look forward to the future as we behold him, the scripture says, Jesus Christ, his victory, his promises, his power. We are changed into the same image by the Spirit of God. We become a new creation. We become that which God has destined us to be as we are looking forward. I often find over the years or have found as a pastor that people who live their Christian life just to not be like somebody in their past end up looking like that person in their past because you will go in the direction you're looking in.
And if you're looking over your shoulder, that's the direction you're looking in. No, no, we leave that behind us. Paul said, I've not achieved. I've not arrived in a sense at every place or everything that I'm supposed to be at, but I'm going to do this one thing. I'm going to leave behind the things that need to be left behind and I'm going to press forward to the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Even though he had achieved things in his life, there was still in him that inner thought, there's more that God has to do through my life that will bring his own name to glory. Even if I'm in jail and even if I can only write a few letters to a few friends, somehow I believe that all things are working together for good because I love God and I'm among those who are called according to his promise. So as he writes these little epistles to Timothy and others, he has no idea that hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of people around the world are going to be reading his letters and strengthened and encouraged by the spirit and by the power of God. All things do work together. We are not a natural people.
We are a supernatural people. Now Christianity is not a spectator sport. Unfortunately in America it became such in many places, not every, but in many places it became a spectator sport. A spectator sport is where you buy a ticket, okay?
You buy a ticket, that's your tithe, I suppose, in the church. You come in, you get your jersey in the lobby or you take it out of the closet and you wear it and you come in and you wear, it's either a football jersey or a hockey sweater in this case, and you come in and have you ever noticed the jersey always has somebody else's name on it? So we come into Times Square Church and I see a lot of Delina jerseys, I'll tell you straight out, and that's a good jersey to have because he's a powerful player in the kingdom of God.
I thank God for that. We come in and we see Pastor Tim with this incredible passion to win the lost, this vision to win a billion souls, and it's exciting to be part of that. It's exciting to have a hero in whatever venue we're going into. And I see some Ubu jerseys, some Jerry Hampton jerseys and there's Sanchez jerseys, and there's a Victoria Griffin jersey, and everybody has a hero. There's even a couple of Conlon jerseys left at Times Square Church. You see them every once in a while. Now, whoever heard of Ken Schinkel?
Anybody here? Well, Ken Schinkel was a player for the New York Rangers from 1959 to 1964. He didn't play a lot of games.
One season he played 39 games, another season 28, and another season only four. But the point I want to make is even though we didn't hear, we don't remember his name, it was his name on the back of his sweater. It wasn't somebody else's. He actually came and he actually played in the game. Now, a lot of people say, well, I'm a season ticket holder. You know how you know you're a season ticket holder in the church? You sit in the same seat. It's an assigned seat.
That's a season ticket holder. You put on your jersey with somebody else's name on it and you come and you sit in the same seat week after week and you get all excited because the preacher's excited and the worship team is excited and there's this excitement and even some worshipers around you are excited. But why is your name not on the back of your sweater? Why is it somebody else's name?
Why is it somebody else's excitement? You say, well, you see, I haven't been called. Well, you see, that's where you're wrong.
That's not true. First Corinthians chapter one, beginning at verse 26, Paul says, for you see what? Your calling, brethren. You see your calling. Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are despised, God has chosen and the things which are nothing or not to bring nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Your calling. We're all called into the body of Christ. We're all called not just to be spectators in the church. We have a calling.
We have a divine calling and we are given supernatural abilities to fulfill that calling. I use the example of a football team in the locker room. They go in, they get their equipment, they get their training, they get their jerseys. Then they have to run, before getting into the game they have to run down a long corridor, it's called the tunnel, and just before they get on the field and in the game they have to run through a paper wall. Have you all seen that before?
I'm sure many of you have. There's a couple of people with poles and they're holding up and it's really just a paper wall. It might have something written on the outside, it might have some designs, some clever designs, but the team has to break through the paper wall. Can you imagine an NFL team coming down the corridor, running at full speed and stopping in front of a paper wall? Now the devil goes overtime for you and for me, drawing imitation bricks on your paper wall, writing things about you, oh you're a loser, things that have been said, you'll never achieve, the giants are too big, you'll never amount to anything, the promises are not for you because you failed here and you failed here and you failed here.
And he writes all this stuff on your paper wall and all it is is a paper wall, hoping it can stop you because once you break through the paper wall, you and I are now in the game, we are now participants in the kingdom of God and the devil knows, the devil knows, trust me, the weakest saint, he knows when somebody finds the power of God, the damage they can do to his team, the damage they can do to all of his plans and all his resources to keep this generation in captivity. I say it's time to go down the corridor, go through our paper wall, get on the field with our name on the jersey and get into the game. In the church of Jesus Christ, it's time for us, it's time for us, this is not a spectator sport in the body of Jesus Christ and God forbid that we should ever allow it to be.
It's not a place to come in and just get excited about somebody else's journey. That's wonderful, to get excited about somebody that's gone before us and somebody that has been used of God to achieve certain things, but this is not an exclusive club in the body of Christ. You see your calling and the scripture tells us that the body of Christ moves by that which every joint supplies. You have a place in the body of Christ. You have something that God has destined you to do that will bring his name to glory in the earth. You have a word to speak.
You have a sword to carry. You have an influence to exert in some part of your community, in some part of your world, gifted by the Holy Spirit, carried by the Holy Spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit, taken by the Holy Spirit. And your testimony is the same as Paul says in Corinthians, Jesus Christ is my wisdom. Jesus Christ is my righteousness. Jesus Christ is the power in my life. Jesus Christ is my redemption. I glory in the presence of God. I glory in this life that God has given me. I glory in the sustaining power and the keeping power of the Holy Spirit of almighty God.
That's why Paul says to Timothy, don't let your own littleness blind you to the greatness of God's power within you. First Timothy 1.7, for God has not given us a spirit of fear. God has not given you a spirit of fear.
There is nothing to be afraid of. Your name is already in the Lamb's book of life. Heaven is already your home. You already have a mansion under construction on somewhere on Heaven's Boulevard.
There's a mansion there with your name on the door already being prepared for you. You are going to rule and reign with Jesus Christ for all of eternity. That is your future.
That is where you're going. Until that day, don't be afraid of any of the opposition that comes against you. You live on the victory side. We live on the side of God's power. We live on the side of Jesus Christ carrying us and empowering us so that our lives will bring his name to reputation. Praise be to God.
Not our names, his name. Praise be to God. Don't let your own weaknesses rob you of an awareness of the depth of God's love for you. Timothy, he says, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love. Oh, if you only knew how loved of God you are.
If you only knew, if you only understood it. Oh, we have the word love in the Bible as a definition, but I think trying to understand the love of God is like trying to take the ocean and put it in a thimble. That's what our mind is like. It's so beyond us. I think when we get to the throne of God one day, we're just going to go, wow.
Wow. We're going to be almost speechless when we understand what God so loved the world actually means. Understand how precious we have been in his sight.
Understand how much he covers us when we feel like failures, when we feel like our lives are not amounting to anything. When we feel so weak that we wonder if God could ever do anything through us, then we suddenly begin to realize how loved of God we are. The Bible says perfect love casts out fear, doesn't it? John, the beloved, wrote that in one of his epistles. Perfect love casts out fear.
When we realize how loved we are of God, then fear starts to go out the window, out the other side. I'm passing the baton now to the next generation. I'm just wondering who wants it. Who wants to go the full distance with God and become the testimony that God's destined your life to be in this generation? I know you do. I know you do.
And there's many others here. You're ready now. You're ready now. Say, God, I accept my calling. I don't know what it is, but I accept it.
I accept the fact that you've got more for my life than I have for myself. And we're going to believe God for a Paul on Timothy moment where the hand of God is going to come on you in a deeper way than you've known in your lifetime for the purposes for which you have been saved and set apart for God. Thank you for joining us this week for A Call to the Nation with Carter Conlon from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information, log on to tsc.nyc. That's tsc.nyc. You can count on a powerful message each week on A Call to the Nation with Carter Conlon.
