This past weekend, hundreds gathered at Kanye West’s Sunday Service outside of L.A to worship God.
This week, instead of just the normal worship service, Pastor Rich Wilkerson of VOUS Church, Miami, preached a sermon to the crowd.
“This is not a concert, this is not a performance, but rather this is an old-fashioned worship service of Jesus Christ,” Wilkerson began, the crowd responding with clapping and ‘amen’s.’
“Today if you’re feeling something, understand, it’s not a vibe, and I like the vibe. It’s not an energy, and I like the energy. But what you are sensing is the tangible pretense of a living God.”
Wilkerson, who was in town for the ZOE Church conference, encouraged the crowd, to try to attune their ears to God during the next few minutes.
“Whether you believe it or not, and whether you believe in God or not, He still believes in you,” Wilkerson said. “It’s not an accident or a coincidence that you showed up here, he brought you here. That is our prayer today. That you would hear from Him today, that you would hear His voice.”
Wilkerson spoke from John 14:1 in which Jesus is preparing for His arrest while with his disciples. Wilkerson points out that in this scripture, that “when they should be comforting Him, He is comforting them.”
“He says, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Wilkerson quotes from scripture.
“Today, I don’t know what kind of trouble you are facing,” Wilkerson said, “But Jesus give you the antidote to your trouble.”
Wilkers points out that this is the call on one’s life every day, to put your trust and your belief in Him.
Even in the pain, and in the hardships, we are called to trust Him, Wilkerson added.
“He says, I am the way, I’m the truth, and I’m the life. This scripture has become very polarizing today in 2019, in America, because people are saying ‘Oh Jesus, he’s so exclusive, He’s keeping people out.’ But I would ask you, is he being exclusive or is he being specific?” Wilkerson asks.
Wilkerson compares getting into the Kingdom of God with taking I-95 North from Key West to his house in Miami.
“You can go whatever way you want,” he said, “but that’s the only way you’re going to get to my house.”
“Jesus isn’t trying to make you feel bad, He’s not trying to exclude you, He said I want to be so specific with you because I love you so much and I am for you. I want to give you clear-cut directions.”
Wilkerson pointed out that part of the reason he loves God so much is that He is a constant companion to him.
Going back to John 14, Wilkerson pointed out that Jesus was this constant companion to his disciples.
“Try to imagine for a moment, He knows He’s going to die and here He is with his best friends, his circle of friends,” he said.
“You’re in the right circle today … I don’t know what the rest of the week looks like but today on this Sunday, you’re in a place full of grace, a place full of faith and you’re connected to something bigger,” he said.
“Here’s Jesus with His circle and when they should be comforting Him, notice what He’s doing, He’s comforting them.”
The background
Wilkerson has been close friends with Kim and Kanye West for years and even officiated their wedding back in 2014.
The Sunday Services, which have been taking place every Sunday for months. Kanye even brought his crew to Coachella in the Spring to perform Sunday morning.
Kourtney Kardashian, who is a friend of Wilkerson’s, was in attendance for the Sunday Service and shared a photo of herself, Pastor Carl Lentz, Ryan Good, and Wilkerson at the event.
“Check your circle,” Kourtney wrote, referencing Wilkerson’s message.