About David Wilkerson David Wilkerson was the Founding Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. He was called to New York in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade. In 1987, David Wilkerson returned to “the crossroads of the world” to establish Times Square Church. As a pastor of the church, he faithfully led this congregation, delivering powerful biblical messages that encourage righteous living and complete reliance on God. David Wilkerson had a strong burden to encourage and strengthen pastors throughout the world. From 1999 to 2008, he traveled around the globe holding conferences for Christian ministers.
but whether they want to hear it or not
the Lord had always sends forth Watchmen
to warn he always does it never does
anything till he warns the gospel of
accommodation now to accommodate means
to adapt it means to make suitable or
acceptable it also means to adjust to
make something very convenient it means
to yield to the desires of others to
placate them now you put that together
and I’m talking about a gospel that’s
been invented in hell and they’re now
being propagated all of the united
states it’s a suitable acceptable
convenient a gospel that has yielded to
the desires and the weakness of sinful
men I call it the gospel of
accommodation because it’s adapting and
adjusting the gospel to appease and
attract sinners this gospel
accommodation is primarily an American
cultural invention to ease our lifestyle
it appeals primarily to white America
rich and prosperous it was invented out
of Hell itself
this new gospel is sweeping the America
and the nation is influencing ministers
of every denomination it’s giving birth
to mega churches some of the largest
churches in the United States are
involved in this gospel it’s a non
confronting convenient gospel adapted it
is spoon-fed to the congregation by
skits humorous skits and drama short
non-abrasive 20-minute messages and it’s
all called seeker friendly the seeker
friendly churches and one of these days
there may be somebody move into the city
and try to bring one of these churches
right into New York City
they are springing up now every night
and suddenly thousands attend this new
gospel is being propagated by bright
young intelligent talented talented
ministers they came upon a formula by
which you can
go into the city in any town and almost
overnight build a megachurch and as I
understand this formula you begin by
going into the community with your
workers and you pull the community to
find out what the sinner found offensive
about attending church well why don’t
you ten shirts and what was offensive
about it and what would it what would we
have to do to bring you back into the
church what would make you comfortable
what would you like to see you don’t
like choirs will do away with choirs you
don’t like suits in church you come the
way you choose just tell us what you
want and they survey the community and
then sit in there with their computers
and in their conference rooms and they
design a program that will make it
comfortable for the sitter and make it
friendly for if they’d rather call it
sinner friendly they would call it
seeker friendly and try to attract them
to come into the house of God it’s
becoming the most prosperous most
flourishing
of all religious movements in the
history of America the churches are run
like corporations the past was the CEO
chief executive officer and it’s big
business and this for a minute has now
been cleverly packaged and it is now
being pushed in seminars all over the
United States
it sounds good what they say sounds very
good it sounds spiritual and it’s girls
it sounds like Jesus is a central theme
and folks I’m not going to name any
names because I’m not talking about the
character of these men I’m talking about
the gospel that they preach I am here to
remind you that Paul the Apostle warned
of the coming of another gospel which we
have not preached he said there is
coming another gospel that’s going to
preach another Jesus you’ll hear his
name it’ll sound sweet but it’s not the
Jesus that I preach Paul said he’s not
the true Jesus Paul goes on there Paul
was amazed he said that you were so
removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ to another gospel
that’s listen to me
there is in the land right now with
thousands of people sitting under
another gospel another Jesus being
preached by ministers who have lost the
touch of God had been transformed into
Ames’s of light to comment to deceive if
possible even the elect of God Paul goes
to warn the church it’s really not
another gospel but it’s a perversion of
the gospel of Christ which is really not
another Paul said but there’d be some of
the trouble you and pervert or change
the gospel of Christ he said they’re
going to change that they’re going to
accommodate the sinner
they’re going to accommodate their
pleasures they’re going to accommodate
all of their needs and they’re going to
design a gospel with their own price for
their own doctrine then this awful
warning from Paul but though we or an
angel from heaven preach any other
gospel unto you but that which we
preached unto you let him be accursed
let him be accursed since I didn’t say
that
the Apostle Paul said it if anybody
preach another gospel what you’ve heard
if anyone treats anything but to
crucified Christ
if anyone preached anything that
appeases man in his sin that’s not the
gospel for me Paul said that anyone
preaches another let him be accursed and
he said it’s going to be dangerous
because it’s going to come from
seemingly pious sincere ministers that’s
what made the doctrine called
antinomianism so dangerous because it
was in the hands there’s some very fine
good living men like dr. Christian who
is one of the founders of that anti law
movement back during the Puritan Age
anti law they they cast aside the burden
of the law and the reason it was so
accepted because the men who preached
that seemed to be so pious and I come to
what I hear Paul warned us that Satan’s
going to come right into the church
disguised as an angel of light he’s
going to infiltrate into the church with
his own ministers they’ll come angel
like he said preaching a false gospel of
righteousness for such a false prophets
false apostles deceitful workers
transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ
and no Marvel for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light
therefore it’s no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the
ministers of righteousness whose end
shall be according to their works
Paul said they’re going to come and
they’re going to glory in the flesh
they’re going to glory in their might
their money they’re going to glory in
their bigness their numbers and they’re
going to glory the fact that they are so
contemporary they’re going to glory in
acceptance by the world jesus warned
beware of false prophets which come to
you in sheep’s clothing there’s a crumb
like gentle sheep sincere intelligent
bright but said in word there ravening
wolves in fence Jesus gave that in the
context of his message he said because
Strait is the gate narrow is the way
which leadeth to life and few there be
that find it and the very next verse he
says being heard of false prophets here
to come and see clothing but there
ravening wolves
is Christ himself warning us false
prophets false pastors false evangelists
housing of some as submissive sheep
going to come saying the way he’s not
that narrow the way is not that straight
and they’re going to accommodate they’re
going to change the gospel to suit the
needs of the people Jesus puts his
finger on the motives behind them
ambition the word ravening here ravening
wolves in the greek means star for
recognition recognition and
gratification men are gonna rise power
to make it you see it in the business
world you see it on your job people
trying to climb the ladder and get
recognition quickly in fences now in the
ministry full-blown young men so
ambitious to be one of the big boys to
have the biggest church the biggest
numbers the biggest crowds he said that
ravening Hills Jesus enough no doubt
about what he meant and this is simply
what he meant they’re going to be
struggling pastors in the
and they’re going to look out and see
all of the striving a competition for
numbers and recognition and there’s
going to be a growing growing pressure
to expand and be successful they see the
measuring of success now by how big the
buildings are and how many people attend
the church on Sunday morning that this
struggling pastor has been faithful up
to now she’s struggling young he sees
bright young men come down the street
nearby and suddenly overnight he’s
pastoring thousands of people in a
seeker friendly Church a young man less
experienced a young man has not paid his
dues as far as this man is concerned
he’s still preaching an old fast
old-fashioned faithful gospel of the
cross and his claims and he’s struggling
because not many people there to hear
the cross Jesus said whew they’re going
to be that find it wide is the road
leading destruction narrow is the way
Jesus said straight and narrow
but Jesus is warning he’s saying to the
pastor’s brother man of God watch out
the man which you look out on the
competition the moment that seat gets in
your heart the devil is going to pick
one of these wolves in sheep’s clothing
right at your path he’s better seduce
you into an ungodly ambition to compete
and to be one of these big boys and he’s
been attempt you for church growth at
any cost that he would cost the soul of
the pastor I read Paul’s warning and
second Corinthians 11 chapter about
ministers being transformed and Angels
of Light who believe they’re preaching
righteousness but they’ve been changed
somehow into a tool of Satan and I say
God can that be possible
Lord is that is that really reasonable
that a man responds right can change and
become a tool of the devil inappropriate
am I to conclude that a man of God can
start right for your true Shepherd
four-season preach the true gospel but
something of Hell lays hold of his heart
and his spirit son
demonic and he changed this and it
becomes a minister of Satan folks it’s
happening every day that’s happening
right here in New York City when men
become dissatisfied with preaching a
simple gospel they get bored and up not
praying and they’re not seeking God and
they get their eyes on people and
numbers and they want to be judged like
everybody else I want to be a success
and so it comes out and I hear it
everywhere I go I hear a pastor say I
started television and watching the
apartment we were renting and a vacation
and it was Sunday morning and he
listened to these pastors we have 2500
this year my goal next year is 4,500 and
any cost any way to reach that goal not
wrong to pray for growth but if it’s
only to feed human ambition it’ll change
the man into a devil listen if you find
the right formula that said you can make
success in any field of endeavor
possible this is exactly what I’m
talking about some young men have come
up with the formula of how to build a
church a formula this formula based
accommodating gospel is functionally to
everything in the scripture I read the
next 13 of a gathering of godly men and
Antioch they were going to send out some
young ministers to establish churches
and preach the gospel to a darkened
world how does God go about building
churches how does the Holy Ghost work
scripture said together they ministered
to the Lord and fasted this was their
planning session worship fasting waiting
on the Lord for direction so the Holy
Ghost comes and tells them exactly what
to do number two they prayed no
strategizing no networking no one made
his step until only go said this is the
way walk in it and then when the holy
spoke they laid hands on and sent them
up the Bible says under the power the
anointing of the Holy Ghost you see Paul
had lived his whole religious life under
religious formulas he saw he’d lived
with these man-made schemes he gives him
teachings that kama dated the weaknesses
of the sinfulness of backslidden Jews
he’d had his stomach full of it he said
I have nothing to do with that it
attracts the multitudes yes but he said
one day Jesus came and revealed himself
in me Paul put all of the formulas aside
his dung as garbage Paul by his own
confession said I’m determined to go
forth to fully preach the gospel of
Christ
and power and demonstration of the Holy
Ghost and unless the gospel is preached
in power and demonstrates the Holy Ghost
it’s not the gospel it’s not the gospel
and sadly a multitude in America don’t
even know what the gospel is because
they haven’t heard it Paul best it
unashamedly we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto
the Greeks foolishness
Paul said now brethren the Jews and the
Greeks are trying to make us accommodate
our messes now the Jews one is to give
them signs and the Greeks want wisdom
they want miracles over here and over
here they just want 10 steps on how to
cut their wisdom but Paul said there
will be no accommodating let them call
our precinct foolishness
let them say it’s out of date that it’s
not contemporary he said I’ve determined
to preach nothing among you except Jesus
Christ and him crucified
this other gospel accommodates the
sinner in many ways but there are three
areas of commendation that the Holy
Ghost grieves over and this I’ve felt
the grief of God on these three areas of
commendation where people where
ministers are changing the gospel to
suit the crowd number one the
accommodation
man’s love for pleasure know this also
that in the last days perilous times
shall come men shall be lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God that
the Greek word for pleasure his
sensuality lust voluptuousness in other
words exciting gratifying sensual
pleasures in all folks here’s the danger
those who are established these
seeker-friendly churches they then
they’re prepared to accommodate the
crowd the bible says they’re going to
have to not free it’s very very clear
they cannot preach against sensuality
because the Apostle says they’re going
to be lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God they’re going to love
their sports they’re going to love their
x-rated movies are going to love their
videos they’re going to love their their
computer sex they’re going to love these
sensuous things the Bible says they’re
going to love these things they’re going
to come into the house of God and if
you’re going to accommodate them you’re
not going to touch one of their lust
intercourse say one word about it
they’re going to have to be they’re
going to be prepared to stand in their
pulpit and wicked sin Paul said of these
men these resist the truth men of
corrupt minds counterfeit regarding the
faith counterfeit you know I watched in
disbelief that a televised main service
of one of these secret friendly churches
one of the large senator secret friend
churches and the pastor starts the
search saying we’re here to have fun
tonight
because tonight is David Letterman night
and the pastor said brazenly up to
service we’re here not to offend but to
make it comfortable how long do you
think that crowd would stay in that
search of the pastor was taken by the
Holy Ghost convicted of entertaining
people into hell and he stood up one
Sunday night and he said be sure your
sins it finds you out let me tell you
what happened that church those
thousands who sit there
those who are hungry for God and didn’t
know any better they would weep and
break before God in a moment and
everyone else would head for the doors
and never come back
oh they’re gonna be pastors on Judgment
Day hear these awful words son of man I
made thee a watchman you were to hear
the word at my mouth and give them
warning from me you were to tell the
wicked thou shalt surely die
you gave them no warning nor speak to
warn the wicked from their wicked ways
to save their lives
these same wicked men will diet these
same wicked men did die in their sins
but now their blood I require from your
hands commendation number two the
accommodation of modern man’s aversion
to self-denial number three the
accommodating of men’s offensive the
cross behold I lay in Zion a stumbling
stone of a rock of offense Paul spoke of
the offense of the cross and we’re
coming now to the heart of why God hates
this new doctrine this new movement in
America this is why God hates it rejects
it outright and why he’s cursed it why
God will put an Athlon any preacher who
embraces it God demands more than coming
to the cross he demands going through
the cross and that’s the offense that it
takes everything a man has and owns and
trusted you see the offense of the
sinner is most willing to come to the
cross and kneel before he’s willing to
take the claims by a single confession
of faith and just say yes Lord I believe
he wants all of the benefits of the
cross he wants to believe that Christ
was sacrificed yes and covered all his
sins
now folks that’s being preached the
cross though all the phraseology is
there if sweetly talked about the cross
come to the cross of Jesus and be
forgiven there’s not one word about
saying going on with Christ into the
tomb and to die there’s not a word about
going down in
the grave and coming out resurrected a
newness of life it’s coming to the cross
kneel say a prayer and go back to your
sins go back and no one say a word you
take it by faith you another
righteousness of Christ no dying to sin
not being resurrected newness of life
now that’s the offense of the cross that
you go all the way when you come he
demands full obedience he demands
everything we have and I’m afraid a
majority of people who claim to be
Christians and saved in these last days
have been to the cross but they’ve never
been through the cross they’ve never
been buried with Christ Paul said I died
with Christ
I was raised with Christ I was crucified
with Christ I not only came to his cross
I picked up my cross I went through with
him we have another gospel now that
tells men what the cross did for him but
not what it wants to take him to the
gospel folks is not just forgiveness
it’s not simply believing yet heaven
someday it’s not only the saving of the
souls of the saving of the body this
flesh God says I want your flesh I want
your body as a living sacrifice and
that’s the preaching of the Cross folks
I don’t care if if somebody could gather
a crowd of a hundred thousand people in
the stadium and they could turn to me
and say Pastor Dave you’re wrong look a
hundred thousand people that have come
through my secret friendly Church and
here they are they’re all believers now
that folks I wanted to know something if
those hundred thousand people have not
been given the full gospel of Jesus
Christ has not been switched gracefully
if the claims of the costs have not been
laid there and if they’ve been coddled
and comforted then their sins that
hundred thousand have been made twice a
child of Hell than ever before there and
worse shape because the Bible says they
can come now and hear the words
the curse even and bless himself in his
heart saying I shall have peace though I
walk in the imagination of my heart and
a drunkenness to thirst because a false
peace has been given to them that they
can live in their sins never be rebuked
never be removed never see the claims of
the cross that in honor he died to
deliver mansions from the policin and
the idea of sin but the Dominion of sin
in his own life if the preaching of
grace doesn’t have as its goal
righteousness it’s another gospel for
the grace of God that bringeth salvation
has appeared to all men teaching us that
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we
should live soberly righteously and
godly in this present world
I saw a televised interview people that
had joined one of America’s most
renowned seeker friendly churches and
this man testified words as close I
believe is the way I heard it he said I
come here because I’ve never made to
feel uncomfortable about my life I can
bring my Jewish friends my business
associates they’d never be embarrassed I
don’t have to be a fanatic and the
preaching and the skits are really
enjoyable and uplifting and best of all
the church only lasts one hour and
trashed that with Paul’s preaching for
godly sorrow works repentance to
salvation not to be repented of but you
hold this self same thing that you
sorrowed after a godly sort what
carefulness it wrought in you yeh what
clearing of yourself indignation fear
yeh what vehement desire and Xia what
revenge and all things you approved
yourself to be clear in this matter Paul
warns if there’s not that kind of
preaching many will walk of whom I told
you often and now tell you even weeping
they are enemies of the cross of Christ
whose end is destruction whose God is
their belly and whose glory is in their
shame who mind earthly things I came to
know you
city when age was plaguing Broadway
people were dying left and right black
Muslims in Times Square spewing out hate
young blacks and young Puerto Ricans
feeling the world is left in behind and
angry intellectuals cursing Christ
liberal minds who say there’s no hope
and you tell me I’m going to come in
with the 15 minute step and I’m going to
have a cute little worship team giving
little diddy pop songs to a dying world
god help our blindness folks we started
down on crack alley on 41st Street in
that ragtag Theatre and from the first
time I stood in the pulpit I preached
repentance I preached the cross I said
I’m not we are not here to comfort you
and your sins we’re here to confront you
in your sins and to believe that there’s
a savior will deliver you and they the
experts tell us that won’t work people
don’t want that I talked to a man the
other day Jason it was visiting one of
these churches and they decided they’re
going to break their church up in little
groups with with prayer meetings and he
went to one of the prayer meetings and
this is a secret friendly type Church
and you know what the prayer meeting
consisted of hot chocolate and Donuts
and then they brought all the games out
the board games and played games the
rest of the evening and there are those
people that are dying in their sins and
they’re playing Ouija boards in all that
is garbage do you think for one moment
we would ever stand the Carter myself or
any of our men maybe what teachers would
stand in this pulpit where drug-crazed
people come to visit people half dead
people crying and yearning for just one
word of hope do you think for one minute
I’m going to give a 20-minute sermonette
to ease their mind No
I am so glad he laid hold of my heart
one day I’m so glad he revealed his
heart to me and I can say with Paul the
Apostle he revealed his he price
revealed himself in me not to me but in
me hallelujah and as a small I know as
long as this man is in this church long
as I’m in this pulpit there will never
ever be from this pulpit accomodating
gospel ever unaccommodating dust
[Applause]