From the Chosen series, Pastor Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries are pleased to offer the Chosen graphic novel. Here at Harvest, we want to reach unexpected people in unexpected places with an unexpected message. And I can't think of a better way to do that than with the Chosen graphic novel. It's going to be a great tool to share the story of Jesus.
So get your copy of the chosen graphic novel for your gift of any size. Available at harvest.org. America is filled with division. America is filled with conflict. God help us, Lord, heal our land.
There are so many things to be concerned about. Pastor Greg Laurie says God is concerned too, concerned about who needs to act. We point our finger at Hollywood. We point our finger at Washington. We point our finger at the culture.
God points his finger at us and says if my people, which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, then I will heal their land. This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. But can you hear relations?
The Lord wants us to turn this world right side up for Him. But all too often, the world turns the church upside down. Today on a new beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to a recent harvest crusade. his message called, It's Time for Another Jesus Revolution. Jesus Revolution is another name for the Jesus movement of the 60s and 70s.
And it's also the name of the hit movie that told the story of Pastor Greg's life as he grew up during that turbulent time. The many ways the times we're living in now reminds me a lot of the late 60s and the early 70s. Drug use is up today. drug use was just really exploding into the culture. Back then.
Back in those days, we were taking drugs because we were on a search, trying to find truth or something at least. Today, many take drugs just to escape their pain. Ironically, marijuana and LSD use is up dramatically, the same drugs we were using back then. In fact, I read recently more Americans are smoking pot than cigarettes right now. This has led to a full-blown opioid epidemic.
This young generation today is looking for answers. Self-harm is up 334%. Overdoses are up 119%. Anxiety and depression is up. The U.S.
suicide rate has increased dramatically since the year 2000, and it's tripled for young girls. Maybe that's why one expert dubbed Generation Z the hopeless generation.
Well, listen, I'm not gonna sit back and just watch this happen. We've got to do something. California, this is your wake-up call. America, this is your wake-up call. It's time to pray.
It's time to pray. We need another Jesus revolution, and we need to start praying for it now.
So you hear words like spiritual awakening, revival. A Jesus revolution, you might wonder, what does that even mean?
Well, let's just take the word revival. And demystify it a little bit. It just means to restore. To restore to original condition.
So when I say a Christian should be revived, what I'm really saying is a Christian should just be, well, A Christian. A real Christian. See, there's a lot of fake Christians out there right now. There's a lot of posers. People that pretend to be believers but are not at all.
The Apostle Paul asked this question: Are you really Christians? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when you really aren't at all? Do you pass the test? A lot of us are faking. But listen, you can fool all of the people some of the time.
You can fool some of the people all of the time. But you can't fool God any of the time. Right? He knows. He knows and you know.
So I heard about a guy who was looking for some work. Couldn't find a job anywhere and he heard they were hiring down at the local zoo. He's kind of a big dude.
So he goes down and says, Yeah, I'd like to get a job working here. And the guy said, Oh, I'm sorry, that job we were offering. got taken, but I don't mean to insult you, sir, but you're a big man and and we could maybe use you here in the zoo. Here's the deal. Our gorilla died the other day.
And we've ordered a new one and he's on his way. But we need someone to sort of stand in the gap and don't be offended by this. If we made you a custom gorilla suit, would you be willing to pretend to be our gorilla until the real one arrives?
Well, the guy was so broke, he said, yeah, whatever. And he put on the gorilla suit. He felt pretty stupid on day one when he walked out there. He thought everyone will know I'm a fraud, but they were buying it.
So pretty soon he's beating on his chest and he's swinging back and forth. By day three, he's having the time of his life swinging around. Everyone believes he's a gorilla. And he got a little too excited as he swung in the vine and went a little too far and went out of the gorilla. cage and into the lion's den.
And then a lion saw him and started walking quickly toward him. The guy in the gorilla suit was terrified. He couldn't contain himself any longer. And he yells out: Help! And the lion says, shut up or you'll get us both fired.
And the man in the gorilla suit was me. I've never shared that story before. Not really. He was a faker. And there are speakers today.
We need a revival. We need to be real Christians. The early church turned their world upside down. Today, I fear the world is turning the church upside down. It's time for us to let our light so shine for Jesus Christ and live this life, earning us the right to share the gospel with others.
Right? We need a revival. What should we do? 2 Chronicles 7:14 actually lays out what we ought to do if we want to see this spiritual awakening. God says, if my people, which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and churn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.
What a powerful verse that is. We want God to heal our land. America is filled with division. America is filled with conflict. Some even think we could have another civil war.
God help us, Lord, heal our land. But notice where God points his finger. He doesn't point his finger at the White House. He points his finger at his house. At your house, at my house, he says that my people, which are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray.
He's talking to us who are believers. He's saying, You guys, it starts with you. Humble yourself from praying and seek my face, and turn from your wicked ways. Do you have any wicked ways you need to turn from right now? You say you're a Christian?
But yet you're living in sin. You're doing things the Bible says you should not do. Hey, I'm a Christian, but I'm partying and getting drunk on the weekends. Oh, I'm a Christian, but I'm doing drugs. I'm a Christian, but I'm sleeping with my boyfriend or my girlfriend or being unfaithful with my spouse.
Oh, I'm a Christian, but I'm lying and ripping people off. Hey, again, check up on yourself. Are you really a Christian, or are you just pretending to be when you aren't one at all? It's time to repent. To repent of your sin.
God says, I want to send an awakening. And we point our finger at Hollywood, we point our finger at Washington, we point our finger at the culture. God points His finger at us and says, You guys, my people. Turn from your wicked ways. And call out to me, pray with passion.
Pray aggressively. Don't take no for an answer, Lord. Send a revival. But listen, revival awakening starts with you, revival. or revolution, to use that word, just means to come back around again.
returning to what we might call One's first love. Heard about a couple that were celebrating 50 years of marriage.
So all their friends and family were there and the husband stood up. And said, My dear wife, after 50 years, I have found you tried and true. The problem was, she was a little hard of hearing. She said, What? He said, My dear wife, after 50 years, I have found you trying and true.
And she shot back, well, after 50 years, I'm tired of you too.
Sometimes in marriage. You can lose the romance. You can lose the spark. In the same way, there might be a time for some of you that you would look back and say, I was much closer to Jesus than I am now. I had a lot of passion.
Had a lot of excitement. I couldn't wait to go to church on Sunday. I loved to open the Word of God and read it. Prayer was a joy. Sharing my faith, man, I did that all the time.
You still doing that? Or have you lost the romance, so to speak? Into your relationship with God. Here's what Jesus says in Revelation chapter 2. To a church that was doing just that, he says.
You've left your first love. Remember from where you have fallen, repent, and do the first works. Listen, if you want to get right with God as one of his followers, there's three things you need to do. I call them the three R's of getting right with God. Number one, remember.
Mark that point in time where maybe your faith was stronger. Number two, if it's not the way it used to be, repent. All the word repent means is to change your direction. It's a military term, it means to do an about face. You just turn around like that, right?
So you turn back, remember, repent, and then repeat. Repeat, do those first. Things again, as the Apostle Paul says, get back, get back, get back to where you once belong. Oh, that's Paul McCartney, not the Apostle Paul. I knew it was a Paul.
That was a joke, not a very funny one apparently. All the old people went, pretty good. Kids are like, who? Um, kids, there was once a band called the Beatles, okay, just saying. You're screaming for the Beatles.
I'm glad to hear that. Beetle Mania is still alive, apparently. No, but we need to let it start in our heart. It's so easy to say, well, the church should do this and other Christians should do that. Don't worry about the church.
Don't worry about other Christians. Start with you. Are you living a passionate life? Relationship with Christ right now, if not. Return to the Lord again.
Recommit yourself to the Lord. again. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Hey everybody, you can watch our Sunday services on a special broadcast that we call Harvest at Home. It's streaming on the Harvest Plus platform.
So download that app right away, Harvest Plus, and you can enjoy being a part of our extended church family every Sunday.
Well, today we are presenting a message from a recent Harvest Crusade. Pastor Greg's presentation is titled, It's Time for Another Jesus Revolution. I heard about a man that was walking through a cemetery and he saw a tombstone. And on the tombstone was this inscription. Pause now, stranger, as you pass by.
As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you shall be.
So prepare for death and follow me. The man reading that tombstone inscription was overheard to say, To follow you is not my intent until I know which way you went. Where are you going to go when you die? Many of us would say, well, heaven, are you sure of that? I mean, are you absolutely certain you will go to heaven when you die?
You say, well, I'm hoping that, you know, if I live a good life, the good Lord will let me in. But hold on, you don't want to. Risk this. You want to know for sure about this. You want to be.
Ready. You need to know the way. The story is told of when Billy Graham was in a town and. He was holding a crusade in the local stadium. And he wrote a letter to his wife Ruth and was looking for the post office.
And he didn't know how to get there, and he saw a little boy standing on a street corner. He said, Son, can you tell me where the post office is? And the boy said, Yeah, you just go down that corner, you turn right, and you'll see it right there. And then Billy said, I was wondering if you would like to come to the stadium tonight and I will tell you how to get to heaven. The little boy said, Why should I come here?
You tell me how to get to heaven. You don't even know how to get to the post office.
Well listen, I'll tell you how to get to heaven. Because Jesus told us. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes unto the Father but by me. There's one way to heaven, and it's through Jesus Christ. Gant has dropped one lifeline.
God has dropped one lifeline to heaven. You don't just make up the rules as you go. You wouldn't even use the word heaven if you had not heard it from the Bible. It's a Bible word. It's a real place.
For real people to do real things. How do you get to heaven? Living a good life? No, that's not gonna work. Heard about a man that died and went to the pearly gates and Peter met him.
And then Peter said, okay, buddy, this is how you get into heaven. It takes a thousand points. This is a true story. Not real.
Okay. Takes a thousand points to get in.
So tell me all the good things you've done in your life, and I'll give you points for everything good you've done. The man said, Okay, well, listen, I've been married to the same woman for 50 years. I've never cheated on her. I've never even had an impure thought about another woman. Peter said, Good, that's worth three points.
Wait, three points? How many do I need to get into heaven? Peter says, You need a thousand. Oh, wow.
Okay, wait. Smith says, I went to church every Sunday and I supported the church with my tithes. Peter said, That's good. That's worth one point. One point?
The guy says, I set up a soup kitchen and opened up a shelter for homeless people. That's good, Peter said. That's worth two points. Two points. At this rate, the only way I'm going to get into heaven is by the grace of God.
Peter said, That's a thousand points. Come on in. See? You think you're living a good life? Hate to break this to you.
It's not good enough. Because the Bible says we all fall short of the glory of God. Listen to this: heaven is not for good people, heaven is for forgiven people.
Now, let me say something that might surprise you. Listen to this. There's gonna be Some bad people in heaven And there's going to be some quote. Good people in hell. I don't get that at all.
Okay, let me explain. There'll be some Bad people in heaven. How do I get to heaven? By turning from my sin and putting my faith in Christ, who died for me on the cross. Think about that man who was crucified next to Jesus.
We call him the thief on the cross, but he was probably guilty of a far worse crime than Stealing, probably was a murderer, an insurrectionist. But yet he turned to Jesus and said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Wow. Talk about being at the right place at the right time.
That man was an evil man. He was a sinful man. But he said, Lord, remember me. And Jesus forgave him.
So, in a sense, a bad person is in heaven. But then there'll be some good people in hell, and by that I mean people that trusted in their religion, people that trusted in their good works. The Bible says it's not by works that God saves us, but it's by His grace. That's how we get to heaven.
So, how can you know for certain you'll go to heaven when you die? If you haven't heard anything else they've said tonight. Listen to me now because I'm almost done. Number one, you must realize you're a sinner. We have all sinned.
We've all fallen short of God's glory. See, God has given us a standard of perfection none of us measures up.
Now, granted, some of us do better than others. But we still fall short.
So understand, you're a sinner, and that's why you need a Savior. And that's why Jesus came. Jesus did not just come to this earth to give amazing teachings, though they are the most amazing ever given. He didn't just come to this planet to work miracles. He came to this planet with the express purpose of going to the cross and dying for the sin of the world.
And that is why Jesus Christ and Christ alone is qualified to bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful. Humanity. With one hand, he took hold of that holy God. With the other hand, he took hold of sinful humanity, and nails were driven through those hands and through those feet. And he died.
The Bible says, Christ died for your sins. Why? Because they loved you. For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. I love the way the Apostle Paul personalized it when he said, he loved me and he gave himself for me.
Recognize Christ died on that cross for your sin. Then you must turn from that sin and repent. of the sin. The Bible says God has commanded people everywhere to repent. See, I say Lord, I don't want to live that way anymore.
I want to believe in Jesus. I want a new life. I want the hope of heaven. I want my guilt removed. And then you must receive Christ into your life.
Listen. Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, rose again from the dead three days later, and he's with us right now at Angel Stadium or wherever you are, watching or listening. And he's standing at the door of your life, and he's knocking, and he is saying, If you'll hear his voice and open the door, he'll come in. You need to open the door of your life. And ask Christ to come in.
Have you done that yet? Your parents can't do it for you. Your husband or wife can't do it for you. Your kids can't do it for you. Your friend can't do it for you.
Only you can open that door of your life, so to speak, and invite Jesus in. The Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become sons of God. Are you receive him? Say, Lord, come into my life. And then.
He was doing now. What are you waiting for? Oh, well, I'm just waiting for, you know, another opportunity. Listen, you may never have another opportunity like this to get right with God. The Lord wanted you to tune in to this broadcast tonight.
For a reason. Here's the problem. Every time you hear the gospel and you've just heard it. You say, I missed it. What's the gospel?
Gospel means good news. The good news is, God loves you. The bad news is, you've sinned. The good news is, God sent His Son to die for your sin. And He rose again from the dead.
If you turn from your sin and believe in Jesus, you can be forgiven. That's the gospel. You just heard it.
Okay. Once you've heard the gospel You're responsible. You can't claim ignorance any longer. Every time you hear the gospel, And say no to it, your heart can get a little harder. The Bible says, He who is often reproved hardens his heart, and he will be cut off, and that without remedy.
In other words, I hear it, I say no. I hear it again, I say no. I hear it again, I say no, and my heart. becomes tough like leather. And pretty soon I don't hear it anymore.
It's not that God isn't calling you. You just aren't listening. Oh man, don't let this opportunity slip by. This is your night. The Bible says today is the day of salvation.
Listen, tonight is the night of salvation for you to have your life changed.
So. We're going to pray and I'm going to invite you. to make your public stand to follow Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you will speak to every person in this stadium.
I pray that you will speak to every person wherever they are. And if they don't know you, let this be the moment they believe. I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin and convince them of their need for Jesus and bring them to yourself right now. Only you can do this, Lord. I can't do it.
No one else can do it, but you can. Draw people to yourself. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
So many came forward to pray with Pastor Greg Laurie that night at the Harvest Crusade in Southern California. And today, here on a new beginning, You can pray that same prayer Pastor Gregg prayed with all those that came forward that night.
So what I want to do With all y'all. Is lead you in a prayer. And I'm going to ask that you would pray this prayer out loud after me. This is where you're asking, Jesus Christ. to come into your life to be your Savior and your Lord.
So again, as I pray, just pray this out loud after me, okay? Let's all pray. Pray these words: Lord Jesus. I know that I'm a sinner. But I know that you're the Savior.
Who died on the cross. For my sin. and rose again from the dead. Jesus, I choose to follow you. From this night forward.
Be my Savior and Lord. Be my God and my friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In answering this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Let's welcome these people. God bless you. And if you yourself have just prayed that prayer with Pastor Gregg and have meant those words, the Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. Just like those gathered at Angel Stadium in Southern California, this is your first day to walk with the Lord. And we'd like to help you in your new journey.
Pastor Greg would like to send you his New Believer's Bible. It's packed with practical wisdom, and the text is in an easy-to-understand translation. It's the best tool to help you build a solid foundation for your faith. We'll send you the New Believer's Bible free of charge. Just ask for it by calling 1-800-821-3300.
Call anytime, 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God.
Well, Pastor Greg, the night you presented that message at the Harvest Crusade, more than 4,000 people made professions of faith. That's right. And hopefully, many more have been added to that just now. Yes. We're all about inviting people to Jesus Christ.
Evangelism is sort of the lifeblood of harvest ministries. Isn't that true? Yeah, it really is. And in this message, it's time for another Jesus revolution. Of course, I was.
Drawing on the film that was made by the same title, Jesus Revolution. If you haven't seen it, you can watch it on pretty much any streaming platform. It's a story of My Life, How I Met My Wife Kathy, The Last Great Spiritual Awakening through the Jesus movement. Pastor Chuck Smith is in it. And it's really a great film, I have to say, and it's touched a lot of lives.
So I shared this message saying basically for our state, for our nation, we need another spiritual awakening. I don't know anything that can change the heart of a man or a woman apart from the gospel. There's a place for politics, there's a place for voting, there's a place for cultural change. But the most important change of all is a change of heart, where Christ comes into a person's life and forgives them of their sin and changes the trajectory of their life. And so that's something we're very passionate about.
That's something that we're committed to: bringing the gospel to as many people as possible. We do this through Crusades. We do this through our radio program. We do this on social media platforms. uh television, podcasts, the list goes on.
But if you believe in this mission, if you believe that our nation needs to hear the gospel, Then I would encourage you to support Harvest Ministries financially and maybe even consider becoming a harvest partner. Dave, why don't you tell them what that means exactly? Yeah, our harvest partners are close friends of the ministry who believe in what we're doing and see the fruit that this evangelistic ministry produces. And they choose to partner with us on a monthly basis. And we have some special ways to thank them for their monthly donations.
The amount is up to them. Find out more at harvest.org. Just click the word donate or call us anytime at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300. And one last thing: the Harvest Crusade is coming to Southern California July 19th.
Pastor Greg welcomes music guests Brooke Lidgardwood, Carrie Job, and Cody Carnes, We the Kingdom, and Chris Tomlin. You'll be able to watch online at harvest.org or on the Harvest Plus app. That's July 19th. Make a note of it. And thanks for supporting this in prayer.
Well, Pastor Greg has good reassurance coming next time from his very personal message called Hope for Hurting Hearts. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins.
