Exit Stage Left | How to Be Part of God's Plan

Hey, everybody. You're listening to A New Beginning, which is a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners. If this program has impacted you, I'd love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at gregatharvest.org. Again, it's gregatharvest.org.

You can learn more about becoming a Harvest Partner by going to harvest.org. You may be surprised at what can happen. God loves to take what we have and multiply it. Let me prove it to you. Take your time. Take your talent.

Take your resources. And always give the first and the best to the Lord. And watch how He blesses you. Watch how He provides for you.

Watch how He guides you. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Again, you hear all the angels are singing. This is the day, the day where life begins.

In the day, the day where life begins. Now it's time for Act 3, the life of Elijah. He's gonna see God's power to provide and do miracles.

His faith would grow even more. Go to 1 Kings 17, verse 8. Where does the Lord call Elijah?

I'm taking you to the place where all the idols come from. I've instructed a widow there to feed you. So he went to Zarephath and he arrived at the gates of the village. He saw a widow gathering sticks. He asked her, would you bring me a little water and a cup? And as she was going to get it, he said, hey, could you bring me a bite of bread too?

That's kind of an audacious thing to say. A bold request from some hairy looking dude to an impoverished woman. And the lady actually responded and said, I don't really have enough bread to spare. I'm out of flour and olive oil to make more. In fact, this is my last meal. Elijah was like, yeah, whatever, get me some food.

But that's not the way it was. This was a test. This was a test for Elijah and the woman. Would Elijah humble himself and become dependent on a widow woman? Would the widow woman humble herself and trust God to provide for her when a representative of God, a man of God came to her?

Well, the answer for both of them was yes. Verse 15. She did as Elijah had said and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

Wow, I love that. I'm impressed that she made this food from scratch. I am not a good cook. How many of you are good cooks? Raise your hand. I used to do a fair job on the scrambled eggs.

I kind of prided myself on that. And the grandkids would come over. You want scrambled eggs? Sure, Papa.

And then one day they didn't want them anymore. Well, you don't like them? Well, you don't like your eggs, Papa. So now my thing is I make really good toast. There is a technique to good toast.

So I'm not much of a chef. My wife, she can just whip up this amazing meal out of nothing. She made me the most incredible omelet today.

And the other day I was over at Jonathan's house. My son and his daughter, Allie, goes into the kitchen. She's got the flour out. I go, what are you doing? She goes, I'm making crepes. What?

You're a kid. You're making crepes from scratch? Impressive to me. So this lady would make the food every single day.

And Elijah was being humbled by God. Let's be honest. Guys, we like to do it ourself. We like to come in and fix things, solve problems, have the answer. We'll do it.

We'll make it right. And to be dependent on a widow for his daily sustenance. This was a humbling thing for the man of God. But the Lord, again, was getting him ready because he had some big challenges ahead of him.

He was already the guy who threw the gauntlet down at the nerve center of Israel when he stormed into the court of Ahab and Jezebel. And that's intimidating. I've had the opportunity to be in the White House a few times. I've been in the Oval Office a couple of times.

Been able to pray for the president. It's intimidating to walk into the Oval Office. Especially because there's all these red dots on you all the time.

What would this happen? Snipers. Keep an eye on him. He looks suspicious. Not really. But you know, the first time I walked in I was just, this is the Oval Office. The first thing that struck me was how small it seemed.

And it really is, obviously, in the shape of an oval. It's not really a very practical room, quite honestly. But this is a room that is the center of power in America and probably the center of the greatest power in the world today. And you know, when you're in there it's intimidating. And when the president asks you a question, it's intimidating. I remember the first time I was in the Oval Office, not in the White House, but in the office of Chuck Smith as a young kid.

And it felt like the Oval Office to me. I was 17 years old. I was a brand new Christian. I said, Pastor Chuck, I want to serve the Lord here at church. So if you have any jobs for me to do, I'm ready to do it. And I was thinking to say, Greg, why don't you preach Sunday morning?

Or why don't you go over here and do this ministry? And he said, talk to Romain. Well, I didn't know who Romain was.

He was an associate pastor of Chuck's that used to be a drill sergeant in the Marine Corps. And Romain said, OK, grab that broom and start sweeping under that tree. They had this pepper tree. All it did was drop leaves.

I mean, what function did it have apart from dropping far too many leaves for any tree? I'd sweep and three minutes later there's leaves again. And I just swept. They basically had me do janitorial work for free for quite a long time.

And later I realized that there was a method to that madness. Oh, you want to be used by God? Are you willing to do a menial task? Are you willing to humble yourself? Or do you have to be the big guy? Do you have to be the important person?

Listen. You can never be too small for God to use, only too big. And Jesus said, if you'll be faithful in the little things, the Lord will give you greater things. And Elijah was faithful in these little things. And he trusted the Lord at this time.

And it was a good principle for the lady to learn that she needed to trust the Lord as well. God loves to take what we have and multiply it. God loves to take what we have and multiply it. I had so little to offer when I was a brand new Christian. I drew cartoons.

That's pretty much it. But God had put some gifts in me that were going to develop over time. And God has put gifts in you as well.

Now you have talents. We're all born with certain talents. But then there are supernatural gifts that God gives as He chooses to give. It's kind of funny what He gives to who because it doesn't always make sense.

For me to be a teacher is half of a joke because I was the worst student. But God gave me that gift. And God may be cultivating and developing in you a supernatural gift right now.

And He's getting you ready for other things in the future. He loves to take what we have and multiply it. If you don't believe me ask that little boy with the loaves and fish who gave what he had to Jesus.

And 5,000 people were fed. There are basically three things that we can give to God. Time, talent, and treasure. Time, talent, and treasure. So you have the time given to you each and every day. You can dedicate that to the Lord.

You have your talent whatever that may be that you can give to the Lord. And you have your treasure that is your finances. But here to me is a great spiritual principle.

This woman was impoverished. This woman had nothing but she took what she had and she gave it to God's representative and the Lord blessed her. The Lord makes an amazing promise in the book of Malachi the last book of the Old Testament. When the Lord says bring all of the tithes into the storehouse so there will be food enough in my temple. If you do the Lord says I'll open up the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing so great you will not have room enough to take it in. Then the Lord says try it. Let me prove it to you. That's the only time the Lord says put me to the test on this.

So here's what it means. Take your time. Take your talent. Take your resources and always give the first and the best to the Lord. This is the principle Jesus was giving us in Matthew 6 33 when he said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

Put God first. Put him to the test and watch how he blesses you. Watch how he provides for you. Watch how he guides you. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Well we're seeing how the Lord tested Elijah before he used him in a mighty way. Pastor Greg's message today is titled Exit Stage Left.

But now another test. First Kings 17 17. After these things the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah what have you done against me oh man of God.

Have you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son. Wow. Strange turn of events.

Everything is going great. They're having meals together. They become like a little family. And all of a sudden the boy gets sicker and sicker and he dies. This lady has already lost her husband. And now her son has died.

She's devastated. After these things that verse says. Verse 17.

After what things? After Elijah had trusted God with every test that had come his way. After he faced off with Ahab and Jezebel. After he went off the grid and waited on birds to bring him food. After he went to be dependent on this poor woman and see God provide. After these things worst case scenario her son dies.

And she even accuses Elijah. I mean a little ungrateful. Hello. He's been taking care of them.

Oh yeah. He came here to just so my son would die. But people do things like that when the bottom drops out. People get angry at God. People get angry at God's representative. How could a God of love let this happen to me? Why did you even come into my life and they take their anger out? Am I being punished? Is that why my child died? Am I being punished?

Is that why I'm sick? The answer is no. When a loved one dies it's not a punishment.

The Bible reminds us there's a time to be born and there's a time to die. But I can understand this mother's pain. Of course as I said earlier my wife and I and our son have all been there. But she did what Elijah said. He said just give me your son. He could have said you're so ungrateful. He didn't say anything.

He just kind of took the hit. Just give me your son. But I love it. She just gives her son to me. Even though she's angry she knows I'll give him over to Elijah. See what the Lord does.

The Lord would say that to you. Just give it to me. What is your problem? My son, my daughter they're a prodigal. Okay.

Just give them over to the Lord right now. My husband he's the worst. I know he probably is but still. Or maybe he's not as bad as you think he is.

Maybe the problem is you too. But still. Give him over to the Lord. I have this anxiety. This fear. Yeah. Give that over to the Lord.

I have this problem. Yeah. Just give it to the Lord. That's what the woman did. She gave her son to the Lord. First Kings 17 21. And Elijah stretched himself over the child three times and cried out to the Lord.

Oh Lord my God. Let this child's life return to him. The Lord heard Elijah's prayer. The wife of the child returned and he revived. Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. Look he said.

Your son is alive. And the woman told Elijah. Now I know for sure you are a man of God. And the Lord truly speaks through you. This is radical. I mean he's getting ready for Carmel for sure. That's a big one.

But just a point of reference. He had never been raised from the dead in the Bible up to this point. There was no precedent. So he couldn't say Lord even as you raise this person from the dead I pray you'll do it for this child.

It had never happened. But this is the first time a person was resurrected from the dead. This was next level faith. I can imagine the joy of the mother to have her son back. You know when our son died I would have given anything to have him back. I would have traded my life for his without hesitation. So he could live his life out. Because I had already lived so many years of mine even at that point.

But I wasn't given that choice. But I know that one day I will have my son again in heaven. And I'll be reunited with him. Applause I had a dream the other night. It was so real and vivid.

And you who have lost loved ones will know what I am talking about. In this dream I am with my two sons Jonathan and Christopher. They are both younger.

They are not married yet. And we are out in the ocean. I am standing on a ledge. And they both go into the ocean. And so they kind of disappear in this little cave.

And I hear I think Jonathan saying to Christopher. This is really fun. You can catch a wave out of here. And I am getting really nervous. And I am saying I can't see you boys. Come out of there.

Come out of there right now. And then I see them under water. And then they come and they come up on the ledge.

And I help them up. We are all just standing there. And I said you guys will understand what it is like to be a dad one day. And you will know what I am experiencing.

I got a little scared guys. And they are looking at me and I am just thinking. Christopher is here with me right now.

It is so amazing. And then I realize it is a dream. Why can't he always be with me. Well he will be one day and I will be with him. This is the hope of a Christian. Let me say this. God sent his son to die on the cross for our sin. You know we think of the sacrifice of Jesus. It was a tremendous sacrifice. He laid his own life down. But think for a moment of the sacrifice of the father. To watch his son suffer and die. I can't think of a worse thing for a father than to have to watch their child suffer. Any proper self-respecting father in a moment's notice would step in and take the blow. They would take the pain. They would take whatever their child is facing in their place.

I would even say it is instinctive. But yet the father had to allow all the sin of the world to be placed upon his son because he loves you so much. Listen to this. You have a closer relationship with God than even Elijah had.

No way man. The Lord doesn't speak to me like that. Doesn't he? See there wasn't a Bible as we have today in the time of Elijah. So Elijah just heard from the Lord. Then he wouldn't hear from him for kind of a long time. And the Lord would speak to him again. God speaks to you.

Well I haven't heard him lately. Do you have one of these? This my friends is a Bible. Open it up.

Read it. Pray. And God will speak to you each and every day. Is God on Instagram? Not really. Can he just tweet? Well in a way he does if you want to read the scripture.

But the point is this. Just open the Word of God and let him speak to you. But why is my relationship with God closer than even Elijah? Because Elijah heard from God but the Christian has Christ living inside of them. It is a relationship.

It is isn't it? As Elijah said to King Ahab, as the Lord God lives before whom I stand. He walked around with an understanding that God was there. But God was there. But in your case, in my case, in our case, God is here. Yeah he's here broadly with all of us. But he's in your heart.

He's in your life. If you're a Christian. Well we're all Christians. We're all God's children.

Actually we aren't. We're all created by God. We're all loved by God. But one becomes a true Christian when they ask Christ to come and live inside of them. And they ask him to forgive them of their sin. And then they develop a relationship with him. And I want to close this message by just giving you an opportunity to make sure Christ lives inside of you.

You'll know if he does. And if you're not sure if he lives in your heart and life, you should pray and ask him to come in right now. And then you have the hope of heaven. And then you have the hope of reunion with loved ones that have passed on before you who had faith in the Lord. Now you have hope for the future. You have hope beyond the grave. But if you don't have Christ living inside of you, I don't know what hope to offer you. I don't see a lot of hopeful things. But I find hope in my relationship with God.

And you will too. If you would like Jesus Christ to come into your life. If you would like him to forgive you of your sin. If you would like to know his certainty that you will go to heaven when you die. You can pray a simple prayer after me right now. Just pray this prayer.

You can pray it out loud if you like. Just say, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. But I know you're the Savior who died on that cross for my sin.

And rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin now. And I choose to follow you from this moment forward. As my Savior and my Lord. As my God and my friend. In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie praying with those asking the Lord to forgive their sins. And if you've just prayed that prayer and meant those words, then your sins have been forgiven and you're a new child of God. And we want to welcome you into the family of God. Let us send you a resource to help you get started along the pathway of faith. It's Pastor Greg's New Believers Bible, full of scores of study helps designed especially for those who are new to the faith.

Again, it's called the New Believers Bible. We'll send it free of charge when you call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. Again, 1-800-821-3300. Or send your request to A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.

Or just go online to harvest.org. Well, it's such a privilege to have Max Lucado with us today. A pastor and bestselling author with more than 50 great books to his name. So, Max, as you researched your new book on the end times called What Happens Next, I read that you went looking for utopia and you found it just a little west of San Antonio.

Who'd have thunk it? I did. Tell us about utopia. Yeah, I'm fascinated by what the Bible calls the millennium, the thousand-year reign of Christ. And as many people in researching it say, it's utopia. You know, utopia is a word we use to describe a perfect society. And yeah, there's a town about an hour and a half away from San Antonio, and it's called Utopia. So I went there just for the fun of it. There's only two, I think I said 260 people who live there. It's mainly ranch community. And so I went to about half a dozen folks and said, why do you call utopia, utopia? And everybody had a different answer.

The one that made the most sense, somebody with great confidence said, the postmaster did this in 1880 trying to attract people to move here. Let me tell you, utopia is not utopian. I mean, people are wonderful, but there are some streets that need repair.

There are some trees that were torn down. It was not a perfect place. But you know, the Bible does talk about a time in our future for those who are believers in Christ, in which we will descend from heaven and we will reign with him on a perfect earth for a thousand years. It's a wonderful, exciting topic.

It's found in the book of Revelation in chapter 20. And in my mind, it's the Garden of Eden realized. It's what God intended from the beginning, and he will keep that promise that we will reign and rule with him on earth for a thousand years.

It's a fascinating topic, and I'm so excited about it. I'm so excited, because we will return with Christ. We will have been raptured into heaven, we'll have been married to Christ, rewarded by Christ, and according to Revelation 19, we will descend with him, and we'll be in glorified bodies, that is to say, bodies that will know no pain or decay, and we will reign with him, just like Adam and Eve were intended to do. We will fulfill that promise, and we'll do so. Satan will be bound, Christ will be crowned, and righteous rulers will oversee the world, and it will be beautiful. You know, a lot of times when people think of heaven, they think of it, well, it's the caricature you see in Hollywood films, or even in cartoons that a lot of people have in their minds about heaven. Tell us more about that future in the millennium and beyond that the believer will experience and what we might be doing.

Well, thank you for that question, because there's no question more important. You know, the theme of the eternal state or heaven is God's words, I make all things new, I make all things new. He is going to restore the beauty of the earth, to restore the beauty of the universe. He's going to restore the proper alignment in which we will serve beneath him, but reigning over creation, and he will make all things new. And we'll be joined by all the saints who have gone before. You know, all the saints, Abraham and Moses and Martha and Ruth and Mary, and most of all, we'll be in the presence of Jesus Christ, our Savior. And we'll have the honor, the unspeakable honor of looking at him face to face, and all our questions will be gone, and we will enjoy perfect fellowship, no more sin, no more sin. That means no more lust, no more greed, no more pride, no more wars, no more fighting, all of that will be gone. So you're listening to Max Lucado. He's written a brand new book called What Happens Next?

It's about this life, it's about the afterlife, it's about the signs of the times, it's about the return of Jesus Christ, and a whole lot more. I think this may be one of the most important books Max has ever written, and I want you to get a copy of it. And we're going to send it to you for your gift of any size, so whatever you send will be used to extend our ministry. Now, some of you can be generous and send more, others maybe not as much, but whatever you send will rush you your copy of Max Lucado's brand new book, What Happens Next?

Yeah, that's right. We've got a copy with your name on it. The book is brand new, just out this month. So thank you for your partnership in helping this ministry reach more people with the gospel. And to thank you tangibly, we'd be glad to send you What Happens Next?

Just call us at 1-800-821-3300, 1-800-821-3300, or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514, or go online to harvest.org. Well, next time, Pastor Greg brings us the well-known confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Fascinating story. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins Thanks for listening to A New Beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. Sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a Harvest Partner at harvest.org.