The Table in the Cross

Carter common from the historic Times Square Church in New York City can triumph over God God the Holy Spirit is inside of me and I can't be dropped override to be shaken but I can't be giant over in Psalm 23 David writings.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup overflows.

David had to attend the table by faith. This was written long before it actually happened on the other hand, in John chapter 13, the apostles were able to experience the table by sight.

They were physically there. Let's join Carter. Now, as he explains more in his message titled the table across Psalm 23. Please, if you turn there in the Old Testament. I'm going to speak a message entitled the table across not everybody that I know myself included, loves the concept of this table of God's fellowship and provision.

This table that David spoke about the God prepares for you and for me, even though we might be facing. As David did horrific opposition from every side as Paul the apostle said, fighting from without fears from within, but in the midst of all of it. God prepares a table and David said at that table. My head is anointed with oil.

There's an anointing given to my life.

My thoughts are brought into proper order.

That's why the anointing and touches the headfirst. I believe that because in Ezekiel when the Holy Spirit comes upon the people.

The very first thing that God promises I'm going to give you new mind, a new hard new mind and the spirit and when we are separated as it is under God. God brings her thoughts into order and we begin to walk in fellowship with God in a way that God has prescribed that fellowship to be my cup runs over. When were in right relationship with God.

You and I will have everything we need to get through this life, the water, it it speaks about this this incredible provision of God's life will just be open to overflowing us will not be able to contain it will be compelled virtually to be an extension of the hands of God and the love of God in our generation.

We see this table as a place of anointing and apartment, and at this table were given incredible strength. It's not available to those who live outside of intimate fellowship with God.

If you are here today and you are playing church you're robbing yourself because playing church is never going to get you through what you and I are going to have to face in our generation Bible speaks very expressly very clearly about the time that were living in today. It's going to be a time when only the spirit of God is going to be able to take you through and take me through all the boasting all of the images of what we think we are going to come crashing to the earth, everything that can be shaken is going to be shaken but only that which cannot be shaken, might remain in the only thing I know that cannot be shaken is Jesus Christ himself.

The only one in me that cannot be shaken is the power of the Holy Spirit. It's only God that will give you and I the power to be and to do everything that God has called us to be in our generation. You and I quite often reasonably safe.

I can just get to this table that David speaks about everything will be all right.

We say that I will fulfill everything that I think my luck to accomplish because God is now with that I can just get to the table if I can just spend a little bit of time there that all the war will go on all around me, but I will somehow be sheltered from it all, thousand will fall on the side 10,000 on the side numbers are great great promises. Thank God. But you got understand that doesn't happen at the table that happens in the war that happens in the battle that happens on the field. These things happen, but we begin to think sometimes invite if I just memorize enough Scripture is good is that is not.

I certainly advocate that we should memorize all the Scripture we can that everything that I think my life to accomplish will happen because God's now with me but we forget the Lord said in Isaiah chapter 55 versus 89. My thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your way, says the Lord, for the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts know David attended this table by faith. David didn't have the understanding that you and I have today didn't have the full picture and he had to attend to this table that he spoke about in Psalm 23 by faith, but the disciples of Jesus in John chapter 13 attended by sight. David had fellowship of faith, but they had a fellowship of site not as a measure of faith obviously and it but they had God at the table with physical form of God, the son of God, Jesus Christ, was sitting at this table you know you want to picture with me for a moment.

John the disciple in John chapter 13 you not to turn there in verse 23. The Bible says it at this at this table.

The last supper.

He leaned on the chest of Jesus and John is finding the rest. It always long for, and perhaps is thinking in his heart I'll always be the closest to him.

He is is let me in work. Nobody else is at this moment, and I'm never going to leave this place.

I'm going to be safe here.

It's going to be always comfortable here and that the table does represent that the table represents a place of comfort, a place of intimacy with God a place where we can virtually hear his heart beating week start understand why he came to the earth and where this journey is beginning to lead him and those that belong to him. Peters at this table and Peter this time is feeling very anointed and very strong. After all, as far as he'd been holding out the keys to heaven. In his possession. Matthew 1619 Jesus that are given to the keys of the kingdom of heaven whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. So peters got this promise and his party doesn't seem to tease but I believe the house and it causes them to make bolts as it is of things that is unable to perform in his own strength. It causes them to say Lord nor everybody else denies you, I will not I'm prepared to live my life down for you.

I'm prepared to go all the way as it is with you folks united to be very careful boasting because everything in us that is not yet conformed to the image of Christ will fail every thing that we have been braced that is not true will falter and Peter had a measure of truth, but he is truth was deficient, it wasn't fully formed and God. Yet an John perhaps thought I'll never leave this place.

It's always going to be like this for the rest of my life.

And Peter thought, yeah, I've got strength, but it but he didn't have now when Jesus began to speak clearly of the terrible trials were just ahead want you to imagine in this place, the chocolate would fit the minds and hearts of those that are enjoying this moment of intimate fellowship what you mean betrayal what you mean given into the hands of sinners. What you talking about that you can be mocked and put to death, and seemingly triumphed over the incredible sock are to God. Aren't you the one who is able to according to as we understand the Scriptures into form heaven and the earth by the words in your mouth onto able to speak a word we seen it in the dead rise on Tribble to calm the seas.

We watch this and all of a sudden you're talking about trial and accusation and beating and scourging and crucifixion you're talking about a dark night ahead in this destructive. Martha hit the table since it's a shock it's going to be a shock to this generation folks were not ready for the days were about to face so many have been at the table so many have been in fellowship. The fellowship is not complete, the understanding is not full yet. He sits at the table were the image of ourselves working with and for God often is very different from what really lies before us is a product of our fallen nature. Remember when Satan came to Adam and Eve, he said, multiplicity, partake of of what God says you shouldn't touch, you'll have the knowledge of good and evil. You know what is right. You know what is wrong. You know what paths are good without you'll have a knowledge apart from what God has spoken to you in this fallen nature can cause us to in our minds create an image of ourselves at the table but it might not be an image that conforms to truth. We might feel that we are something that we are not yet we when we might make bolts and were not able to fulfill.

We might make promises will never keep. We might feel a security that is going to be shaken to the very core of our being. In the days ahead. Just like the Tower of Babel man's imagination of what he he will doing what he can do must go before he can become one in heart truly was God. Men were building this tower in the Old Testament God came down it's a listen. We gotta destroy this because if we allow it to continue there be no restraint in man's imagination of what he thinks he's capable of doing and that's what the fallen nature produces the fallen nature produces a wrong image. The fallen nature goes in the wrong direction. The fallen nature does runs away with its own imagination and is not necessarily based on truth to God's is a gotta bring it down before that which is everlasting can can come to the fore I got to bring down that which is carnal before that which is spiritual might be manifested. I have to destroy what is old before what is new can be brought in. That's why, if any man be in Christ he is a new creation behold all things are passed away. They have to pass away.

They have to go.

They have to be carried out. They have to be thrown into the river residence is happened so many times in the Old Testament when people moved to a false sense of worship. These things had to be literally ground the powder and thrown in the river. How many times do we see that in the Old Testament before the true worship of God can begin to happen in the temple again. Ezekiel chapter 14 verse seven tells us that a man who sets up an idol in his heart even an image of himself separates himself from God function so important that I begin to realize and you begin to realize that all we have comes from Christ all week far, comes from Christ. The only journey that will survive from here to the time we die, or Christ comes and takes his home is the journey he is prescribed for us.

The only strength that will endure is the strength of God inside of us. There's nothing I can bring to God. This can make this journey is nothing of myself as a boast I can make.

We are all cowards of nature folks all of us. You're a coward and I'm a coward and the sooner we get admitted the better offer going to be praise God praise God praise God when hard faces the church some under the cover, doing what is right in their own minds will abandon the journey to preserve themselves. Think about John 13 verse 27 when Jesus dipped the bread in the juice and offers it to Judas. Now this is an offering of the fellowship of his suffering. Judas looks at distances. Listen, I didn't come to the table for this I have of an agenda of a mission of feeling into accomplice of the Bible says he was a zealot so he had he had formed some very deep opinions, of whom God should be and how he fits into that plan.

He probably saw himself rolling in wealthy and numerous sucks they sell when suffering comes in when would God starts speaking about days of hardship and trial in the reaches across the table to him. One moment of intimacy that is going to torment the men in hell forever. You imagine that image in his mind in hell. What is a darkness so thick they can be sober is nesting his teeth day and night where there's there's a hopelessness is ever-increasing know whatever outstanding he has this image of Jesus reaching across the table saying I'm offering you a chance to walk with me. I didn't come to just give everyone an instant kingdom to make everybody rich overnight and that everybody rule and reign instantaneously know there's a path that has to be walk before the there's there's an time of trial.

There are seasons yes there are some Christian's artistry of just kind of popped into the kingdom and waved her hand had a great old time and went to heaven. Thank God for them. But that's not the general topic. Everyone has to follow the certainly not the path that God has laid before us in this generation. So Judas takes this, but he has no intention of ever sharing any of the sufferings of Christ. Forget this talk about across and so he heads out and says well you won't make me rich.

I'll make myself rich in your name and goes into the temple where the other false and fraudulent religion range and trades the Savior for 30 pieces of silver. Acts chapter 27 the shipment were deeming it. When Paul was in the storm that they were coming near to some country and the Bible tells us that Paul had the word from God.

And Paul said no, listen. The ship is going down but if you will listen to the words of my mouth.

The God's given me.

It will all be safe, you'll make it to shore now.

Didn't mean to be saved what it meant is that they would be physically spared and given an opportunity oblique to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But there were certain people on that ship, the took it upon themselves to pretend like they were doing something. It was to the benefit of everyone and they were making their way to get into the lifeboats and realtors.

Realistically they said what were going to throw some anchors at the front of the ship we got for out the back but were still swinging from side to side. So were going to throw some out the front of the ship and working up try to help stabilize the situation, but realistically they were planning on getting the boats in saving their own skin. And Paul said no. If these don't abide then you can't be saved if you don't abide in the reality of Jesus Christ. The morning you today. If you don't abide in the truth of the Scripture. If you don't abide in the power of God. You're not going to make it. I say it with a loving heart but I sent you as a shepherd I safety was from a heart that cares more that you make it to the other side than you like me today. I care about you making it were going to go into a very very rough, dirty folks and you have got to abide in Christ and Christ is got to abide in you is got to become everything to you and you can abandon the ship in the midst of the storm. You got a stay with the plan of God. You gotta stay with the word of God. Paul said to those that were on the ship he said take some me now.

The word of God for us today to meet. You can't live on problem out of the Scriptures you can just live on every verse to make your heart happy. You gotta take some meat. There is suffering, there are seasons of trial and suffering in the Christian life.

There are times when you and I have to go through the valley of the shadow of death takes to meet folks get into the Bible read everything through this Bible plan that was presented to you today read it, embrace it and don't don't spit out the hard parts read the whole thing taken to meet positive going to need strength for this journey just as you and I are going to need strength and other people are responding to the initial fears of their situation can't find the strength to make what they know to be right choices, Bible tells us that the disciples agreed with Peter when Peter said I'm I'm going all away the disciples that you caught us in were all going, not the Lord just told him you're going to flee. Now they can either agree with God or agree with Peter and they chose to agree with Peter and he said no were all going to stay with you and he should know your organ of your organ run and that they had this additional bravado in the heart with the fear that came into their hearts and their situation. They couldn't find the strength to do what they knew to be right.

They all fled and must've seemed like that the scenario in the Old Testament and second Kings chapter 25, one the armies of Babylon came in to destroy Jerusalem broke apart all of the holy vessels into pieces. The lavers the basins all of the pillars. All of the gold. All of these things that had been brought in and designed by the Holy Spirit and all of a sudden Babylon comes in smashes them to pieces and start carrying them out can imagine how the people must've felt as they watched all her former victories. There hopes the promises that they'd made to God, the visions of themselves standing with the plan of God to its completion.

All captivated and carried out all going to Babylon is as if this world had the last say because Babylon represents the system a world system that lives in rebellion to God and here comes Babylon the just seemingly carries it all out and takes it away, but there's a seasons and God said no Mike search can never be kept in captivity. It cannot be triumphed over the keys really are given into the hands of those who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

There's nothing of the earth that can take away the testimony of God because God himself is the testimony this earth Triumph over God and of God through the Holy Spirit is inside of me that I can't be triumphed over. I can be shaken, but I can't be triumphed over praise be to God and accuracy of discipline which God's people have needed some time and again throughout history after season.

Regardless, I tried to get through. You wouldn't listen. This I had to allow all your strength to be drained away everything you thought was your security was broken pieces and carried out and taken seemingly into a foreign place for many to find themselves in the coming days, seemingly triumphed over all the promises smashed to pieces. Everything… But not God's promises. Do you put your promises to God's masterpiece is everything carried out, but all of a sudden the decree God had said before the captivity even started.

He spoke through Isaiah I'm going to have a servant he's going to rise up his name is Cyrus and Cyrus is going to measure decree and through that decree. My people are going to be able to go back home and out of the rules of what they thought they were originally thought they had their going to rebuild the temple, and the glory of the temple is going to be greater then the glory of the former praise be to God. Praise be to God.

You can see the 50,001 out of the restaurant. That first large back getting there and many of the people and they looked at the rubble and they looked at the ruined and they looked at the fallen promises. They looked at all the mess that they have made, there would be so many who would be in their lives saying this was nothing like what I remember the property. A guy speaks about is when the people get back in the work people there. What remember the temple as they sought in its former glory, and they were looking at the building of the second Temple, and they said this is this is pitiful is evoked when your image of yourself dies when what you thought you were going to be times when God calls you back to begin to build.

Now, according to the way God has designed it to be billed to start building something and so you can be tempted to say this was nothing like what I thought my life was supposed to be five times will be a brilliant evangelist who travel the world is in the city. Nobody's going to recover drivers and people go to bend the knee by the thousands. There I am rebuilding a barely beyond arrival.

But what I thought I was conference I see a day coming when Matt's but what the church in America has been building is going to come to probably be almost nothing left of it, it's just going to dissolve is going to be carried out, the people going to realize the poor but old and today is a God because the poor of this world who are rich in faith. God calls a nobody's in the night things in society. Things that are not to bring to not pleasing.

Praise be to God, to be the first one is I'm not getting nothing and sit up before you may not be anywhere near as glamorous as you thought it was going to be but knowing that I'm going to walk with you the supernatural, like God is going to be in you and you are going to live in. Once it is like many sample in this template is going to be greater forms they would allude to this temple and thought this is possible, it would looked in the Scriptures and said there was gold in this other temple. And there were lavers basins in the glory had come down they would look in the Old Testament Scriptures, and this is impossible building with drivers building with rubbish building and now the way I wanted to be billed in this letter temple is going to have a greater glory because God didn't sound for the human body is going to come inside.

This is the temple that they rebuild the Jesus Christ came into praise be to God doesn't come into the religious system that is far from his large, he doesn't come in and out with the proud. He doesn't come into places where we have fallen to the thinking that we have in ourselves the resources to bring him to a loss when we don't we don't all we have is an empty shell of the temple endocrine like this is God manifested in the temple is human body, doing the following is a good glory, and glorify your name to glorify your name in this temple. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Praise be to God the glory of the letter temple, God said to the private a guy would be greater than the former, and we are the last temple of the Holy Ghost we are the latter type of folks place of God on the day. Praise God. So I will do the promise I will do it with everything that's in my heart that the glory of this letter, temple will be greater than the former, if you feel like a failure today. Thank God it's all I can say thank God you been listening to Carter Conlon from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information and resources to help you in your walk in Christ. Log on to TSC.NYC that's TSC.NYC, be sure to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Hunter,