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. Of all the things that are important to you, what's number one? Pastor Greg Laurie says that one thing reveals a lot about you. What is the one thing in your life right now?
What fires you up? We'll get your blood pumping. It could be your career, it could be the pursuit of success, it could be relationships, but they should not be the one thing. The one thing should be the pursuit of God. When you get that right, you get everything right.
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 all the angels singing? This is the day, the day will I begin.
Some tend to think God only uses perfect people, people with no blind spots, no failings, no shortcomings. But the more we study the Bible, the more we see how God used the imperfect people to do remarkable things for his kingdom. How can we be the kind of person God is looking for? Pastor Greg Laurie answers that today here on A New Beginning, as we examine the life of a great leader of Israel who God chose personally. over and above other candidates who appeared more impressive.
We're starting this brand new series called The House of David. David is a study and contrast. In battle, he was fearless. In wisdom, in ruling his kingdom, he was without peer. But he wasn't some macho dude.
He had a tender heart toward God and was both a poet and a musician. In fact, he's the only man described in the Bible as the man after God's own heart.
So, how many of you would like to be used by God? Raise your hand. Don't do it if you don't mean it. All right, that's pretty much everybody except you, sir. Why?
Why? All right, if you want to be used by. I know you raise your hand, I'm just kidding. But it wasn't very high. It was.
Like this. No, I'm kidding.
Okay, what kind of person does God use? You're taking notes. Here's point number one. God uses ordinary people. God uses ordinary people.
David was just an ordinary shepherd boy, though a good-looking one, but he headed deep. Spiritual life and intense devotion to God, despite the fact. That he was just a boy. Just a boy still, but he had this love for. For the Lord, but God.
loves to choose ordinary people. To accomplish extraordinary things. Why? Very simple answer.
So he gets the glory. If he picks the most talented, if he picks the most handsome or beautiful, We say, well, of course, look at them. But when he picks that other person. A person you would have never chosen, you say, Well, that has to be the Lord. I remember in school, I goofed off so much in class.
And I actually had a teacher write this on my report card. And it's funny I remember it to this day. Quote, Greg Laurie spends too much time looking out the window, daydreaming, and drawing cartoons. He will never amount to anything. Thank you for those affirming words.
By the way, I had that teacher killed. Michael Franzi has helped. These are jokes, people. No, but you know, you remember something like that, but God. Had a different plan for my life, as he does for every life.
Again, God looks on the inward, we look on the outward. One of the greatest evangelists in all of American history was Dwight. Lyman Moody, best known as D L Moody.
Now Deal Moody was the billy gram of his day. Diamond Moody was not an attractive man. He was not an especially intelligent man. He mangled the English language. But God handpicked him.
He was working in a shoe store. And one of his co-workers decided to share the gospel with Dwight. Dwight Responded and gave his life to Jesus Christ.
So Dwight went from selling souls to saving souls. And he really changed his world. And he was a very unexpected choice. God uses ordinary people. Number two.
God is looking for truly spiritual people. God is looking for truly spiritual people, not a holier than thou, fake spirituality. I can't stand fake spirituality. People that are so quick to criticize others. People that make themselves look better at the expense of others.
People that brag about their spiritual accomplishments. You know, I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of godly people on my day, and I found them the most godly people were also the most down-to-earth people. With a self-deprecating sense of humor. They were easy to approach. Those people that act aloof and better than you, and they do it in the name of spirituality, that isn't spirituality at all.
David had real spirituality, it's reflected in his Psalms. And by the way, he wrote probably around 75 Psalms, maybe more. In Psalm 57:7, he wrote, My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. I love that. He's saying, I know what I believe, I know what matters, and I'm fixed on this, Lord.
In Psalm 27, he really lays out. The very purpose of his life when he wrote in verse 4: One thing have I desired of the Lord. And thou will I seek after. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and behold the beauty of the Lord, and inquire in his temple. Notice that phrase, one thing.
One thing have I desired of the Lord. Paul had the same idea when he wrote over in Philippians 3: this one thing I do. Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forward to the things that are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The one thing, do you have that one thing in your life? A lot of us are like dogs going around in circles chasing our tails.
I've told you before, the most godly man I ever met was Billy Graham. And I loved to visit him in his mountain home in North Carolina, in the little town of Montreat. It was always a great treat. And I've had the privilege to Visit a lot of beautiful homes and meet important people, but none impressed me like Billy Graham. I'd rather go hang out in his front room than in the Oval Office.
And he was such a down-to-earth, godly guy. And he had dogs, German shepherds. He loved German shepherds. I would go to his house, and he had this one German shepherd. I don't know what was wrong with this dog.
If it found some loco weed or something, this dog literally was perpetually running in a circle, running in a circle the whole time. You would get there, you leave a couple hours later, dog still running in a circle. I said to someone, What is wrong with that dog? They said he's chasing his tail. I said, I've heard this expression.
I didn't know dogs were actually this stupid. I mean, just a shout out to the cat community. I've never seen a cat do that. That's a level of idiocy. This dumb dog was chasing its tail.
But we can be the same way, chasing our tail. Going around in circles and getting nowhere. Speaking of the one thing, One day, Jesus went to the town of Bethany where Mary and Martha lived. They were good friends of his, along with their brother Lazarus. And Jesus was hungry.
Brought a few friends along, 12 in total. Hey, Martha, good to see you. Would you mind making some lunch for us? And so she goes into the kitchen. She's trying to whip up a feast fit for a king.
Can you imagine if Jesus showed up at your house and wanted a meal? What would you feed him? Would you give them leftovers? Shall we give him these deviled eggs or is that inappropriate? I don't know.
I mean, Jesus Christ, God incarnate, sitting in your house.
Well, Of course, Martha wants to make a fantastic. Meo for Jesus, wouldn't you? But Mary wasn't helping. She's like, Where's Mary? She looks out in the front room.
Mary's just sitting at his feet, looking up at him. Give me a break. I need some help here in the kitchen.
So she became so frustrated. She bursts out of the kitchen, probably has her apron on, food splattered everywhere, puts her hands on her hips, and she says, To Jesus, Lord, tell my sister. to come lend me a hand. I love what Jesus said. He said in Luke 10, Dear Martha.
You're fussing far too much. You're getting worked up over nothing. One thing is essential, and Mary has chosen it. It's the main course. And it will not be taken from her.
Yeah, Martha, look, I'm thankful you're making me a meal, but this is the main course. Mary got upright. It's the one thing. One thing. Have I desired of the Lord?
That will I seek after. This one thing I do, says Paul. Forgetting the things that are behind. Jesus says to Martha: one thing is important. It's the one thing, that singular, clear aim in life.
It's been said, quote, our greatest danger in life is permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important. What is the one thing in your life right now? What fires you up? We'll catch your blood pumping. What are you really passionate about?
We all would say, well, Jesus, Jesus. Yeah, good. I'm sure that's true for Many of us. But is it really? Is that really the thing you're the most fired up about, or is it something else?
It could be your career. It could be money. It could be possessions. It could be the pursuit of success. It could be relationships.
And by the way, there's nothing wrong with any of those things I just mentioned, but they should not be the one thing. The one thing should be the pursuit of God. When you get that right, you get everything right. The pursuit of God. Yes, you can have a career.
Yes, you can have possessions. Yes, you can have relationships. These are things God will give you. But the most important thing is the pursuit of God. Jesus put it this way.
Seek first, it's the one thing again, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. What things? In context, he said, don't be like non-believers that worry about what they're going to eat, what they're going to drink, what they're going to wear. We could add what they're going to drive, what they're going to do. Put God first, and all these things shall be added.
To you. This is why David was a man after God's own heart. His heart was fixed on the Lord, and he had that one thing before him. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Hey everyone, I want you to know about our app called Harvest Plus.
Think of it as a harvest version of Netflix. We have all of our resources in one place. We have our movies like Steve McQueen, The Salvation of an American Icon, Johnny Cash the Redemption of an American Icon, A Rush of Hope, and much more. Then we have our television program, daily devotions, and much more.
So go and download the Harvest Plus app.
Well, so far today, Pastor Greg has pointed out that God uses ordinary people, and God is looking for truly spiritual people. What else does God desire? Pastor Gray continues. Number three, David was a faithful man. He was a faithful man.
Now, at this particular point in his life, his job. was to watch his sheep. He mentions later he faced off with lions to protect him and won. and he would spend hours worshiping the Lord and tending his sheep. Listen, just because God has called you to be a leader, it doesn't mean you're ready.
God may show you that He's called you into leadership of some kind. But there will be a series of tests you will need to go through first.
Sometimes God will give you a little glimpse of your future. A sense of where you're going to go. That's a good thing. God gave to Joseph a very profound vision. Of what he was going to do, and that his brothers would be bowing before him one day.
But honestly, sometimes it's best to keep your visions and dreams to yourself. Because he told that to his brothers, hey guys, guess what? I had a vision, and you're all like bowing before me. They're like, We're gonna kill you.
Well, they didn't kill him, but they sold him into slavery, didn't they?
So, you know, you need to wait on these things. The Lord will show you. Don't go boasting of what you think God has called you to do. Just be faithful in the little things. And if it's meant to happen, it will happen.
Not through your manipulation or conniving. God will bring it about.
Now keep in mind, David has been anointed to be king. He's the king, but he's not walking around saying, Hey, I'm the king now. He just went back to tending the sheep. You wrote a lot of beautiful psalms, as I mentioned. But one Psalm that probably stands out above all the others is Psalm 23.
I think Psalm 23, next to the Lord's Prayer. is probably the best known A chapter from the Bible, even by many non-believers. It's recited at funerals, on hospital beds, when we're afraid. It shows up in movies like Titanic and songs like Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio. You never know where you're going to hear Psalm 23.
And then you think, how did that come about? And here's the way I see it. David's just sitting around one day looking at a stupid sheep. And it's taken. The Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want. He makes me lie down in cream pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. I mean, really, when you break that down, I know it's poetic and beautiful, but think about what he's actually saying. The Lord is my shepherd.
He's thinking, sheep are stupid. I'm stupid. Sheep are dependent upon me, the shepherd, to protect them. I'm dependent on the Lord to protect me as my shepherd. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
You ever notice that? Makes me. Why would you have to be made to lie down in a green pasture? Because if you're a sheep, you're dumb. He says, Sheep, it's time to weep.
Come on here, time to eat. Alibi. Eat the grass.
Now lie down beside the still waters, drink. You've got to drink, sheep. They need the help of the shepherd. But then he writes later, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
He would be very familiar with the primary tools of a shepherd, a rod and a staff. The staff, we know what that is, a long crooked instrument. The rod, basically a club. You need both to direct sheep. You'll use that staff to pull them back into line when they do go astray, and they often do.
But then an Periodically. If they continue to disobey you, give them a whack with the rod. Because better to be a wax sheep than a dead one. I read a news article about a bunch of sheep this happened in Turkey. One sheep walked off the edge of a cliff and others follow.
Well, what is wrong with these animals? That the first sheep get up on the cliff and say, okay, I'm going to walk off the cliff now. Everybody follow in single file. Let's go. It's not that bad.
Let's go. Good. Boom. Boom, boom, boom. You think after the 500 sheep, one of the sheep had said, I'm not doing this.
No, we gotta go. Let's go. We're sheep. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way, the Bible says.
The Lord is my shepherd. But yea though I walk to that valley. You're with me. And how true that is, how much comfort that has brought to people facing death. How many times has that verse been read to someone on their deathbed?
And how many times has that verse brought comfort? To someone going through a time of trial. Maybe I'm talking to someone that's in a valley of sorts, of the shadow of death. You need to be reminded that you're not alone in this valley and the Lord is walking with you. Yea, though I walk through.
He didn't say, yea, though I die in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death, yea, though I walk through. the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil. Why? Because you are with me.
God is with you too. Isn't that great to know? Maybe he thought of it when he was facing Goliath. Oh, wow, he's big. Over nine feet tall.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me. Bottom line, David longed for closeness with God. That's why he's called the man after God's own heart. His heart seemed to beat in time with the Lord's. And if you want to be a man or a woman of God, you would do well to have the same priorities, have that one thing in your life.
Again, David said, One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. Don't be like the proverbial dog chasing its tail. Get your focus. David was not perfect. He was flawed.
He failed on more than one occasion and blew a hole in this hole, if you will. But God gave him a second chance and a third chance and a fourth one. And again, I want to refocus on this: Jesus identified with David. Jesus, the son of David. was born in Bethlehem.
Because David was born in Bethlehem.
So when the rule went out, When Quirinius was governor, that everyone should be taxed from Caesar Augustus, you went to. The home of your ancestors.
So Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And then Jesus. Lived a perfect life, and then he went and died on the cross, and he rose again from the dead three days later. And he's alive and he's here. And he's ready to forgive any one of us who have failed because we've sinned, we've fallen short, we've messed up.
Other things have crowded him out of our lives, but here is Jesus. The son of David. Ready to forgive us and give to us a second chance as he did to David so many years ago. If you don't have this relationship with God right now, if you don't know that your sin is forgiven, or maybe. You've forgotten about the one thing And you've been distracted by the many things.
Or even worse, you've gone after a sinful thing. This would be a good time to commit or recommit your life to the Lord. Let's all pray. Father, thank you for your word to us now. Thank you for what Jesus did on the cross.
Thank you for the price that he paid. And now I pray for any that have joined us who may not yet know you. Help them to come to you right now. Listen, if you've never asked Christ to come into your life, Or, if you want to make a recommitment to Him today, you could just pray this simple prayer: Lord Jesus. I know that I am a sinner.
But you are the Saviour. who died on the cross for my sin. And rose again from the dead. I choose to follow you, Lord. I want to have that one thing in my life.
I want to put you first in my life. I want to be a man. after your heart, a woman after your heart. I commit myself to you now. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen. An important prayer from Pastor Greg Laurie with those making a change in their relationship with the Lord today. And if you've just prayed those words and meant them sincerely, we want to first welcome you into God's family. And then we want to help you get started in living each day with the Lord. Let us send you Pastor Greg's New Believers Bible.
It's in an easy-to-understand translation, and it'll help answer your questions and help you build a solid foundation for spiritual growth. We'll send you the New Believer's Bible without charge when you call us at 1-800-821-3300. Call anytime, 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning Box 4000, Riverside. California 92514, or go online to harvest.org and click the words Know God.
And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation. It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right, Pastor Gregg? Yeah, it's really true, Dave. And I believe it's so important because, you know, the gospel saves lives, it saves eternal lives.
Because when a person believes in Jesus, according to Scripture, they pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. And then, of course, that changes the course of their future. That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything. And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year.
Thanks to the Lord. Also, thanks to you for your investment in this ministry, enabling us to reach people. Wherever they are.
So if this is something you care about, I encourage you to make a financial investment. And a new beginning in Harvest Ministries. Yeah, that's right, and we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today. It can make a real difference, not just for today or this week, but for eternity.
So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24-7 phone number, 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514, or go online to harvest.org.
Well, next time, as Pastor Gregg continues our studies of the life of David, we follow along as David encounters a 9-foot 6-inch giant named Goliath. Pastor Greg offers important counsel for defeating our giants. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins.
