Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, has a burden to bring Christians to an understanding of what it truly means to minister to the hurting. During March 28-30, he will teach Cove guests about their calling as the Church.
“I’m going to talk about the calling that’s on all of us, especially people in leadership. We’re going to discuss the importance of the Word being the seed and planting that seed. We’ll explore what the Gospel is and what the Gospel is not.”
Cymbala’s experience in ministry has convinced him that the current decline in Christianity is mostly due to the fact that we’re not Gospel churches as much as we should be.
“It will seem like we’re reviewing that which seems simple, but foundational things can be lost. When we don’t rely on the Holy Spirit, we can’t truly produce fruit for the glory of Christ,” he explained. “He’s the forgotten member of the Trinity. My friend Warren Weirsbe says that if the Holy Spirit could go back to Heaven and leave the earth, we wouldn’t notice because we’ve stopped looking to Him for guidance, grace and direction.”
He contrasts the New Testament church, which depended totally on the power of the Holy Spirit, to the church today.
“Sometimes our sharing can become mechanical and sterile and we’re not seeing people the way God sees them. That disqualifies us from being really effective. We miss the blessing and power available that God promised us when we do His work.”
Cymbala will share some stories from his new book Spirit Rising (published in March by Zondervan) as examples of the Holy Spirit at work through the church. He’ll show a short film documenting these stories in hopes of inspiring seminar attendees to rely on the Holy Spirit for the sake of the hurting and those who are distant from God.
“I want God to revive us and fill us with the Holy Spirit. I want us to leave with a new compassion, a new dependence on God’s Word and a renewed faith. The great thing about Christianity is that no matter how far you find yourself backsliding, getting hard-hearted or mechanical in your worship, there is hope. God is so good that He always gives us a new beginning.”
Jim Cymbala has been the senior pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York for more than 25 years. He is also the best-selling author of Breakthrough Prayer and Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.
