A New Beginning presents a great new marriage book from Pastor Greg Laurie. I've written a brand new book called Am I Doing This Right? God's Design for Relationships That Last.
So maybe I'm talking to someone out there with a strong marriage. I think if you get this book, it'll strengthen what is there. I might be talking to somebody that has a marriage that is unraveling. I think this book can really help you.
So order your copy of Am I Doing This Right? Yours for a gift of any amount at harvest.org. I'd rather be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without him. Maybe you're in a storm. Maybe you're in a fire.
You are not alone. Jesus said, Lo, I am with you even to the end of the age. From the Old Testament story of three young men thrown into a fiery furnace. Today, Pastor Greg Laurie brings us good encouragement for the troubles we may face. I would rather be in a fiery furnace with Jesus than anywhere else without him.
Wouldn't you? This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Of ancient graves shall sweet the sound. Again you hear all the angels are singing.
This is the day, the day will I begin. Have you ever looked up into the starry sky on a clear night? you're awestruck at the vastness of outer space. And if that weren't awesome enough, God created the heavens and the earth with just the power of His Word. You think he might be able to handle the problem on your mind right now?
Today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie brings us good encouragement about trusting God to get us through. We'll learn to follow a great example from Scripture. Grab your Bibles and turn to. Daniel chapter 3 and James chapter 1.
The title of my message is Staying Cool When Things Get Hot.
So when I was a little boy, I lived for a time with my grandparents, and I used to have those little green army men. You may remember them. They came in a bag, a whole bunch of them. And I love to set them on fire. Am I the only one?
And so I would, we had this sort of floor furnace there in my grandparents' house, and I would put the little green army guys on the grate of the furnace, and they would melt, and then the plastic would drip down there. My grandparents did not appreciate this at all. Interestingly, there was a portrait of Jesus over the furnace. And if a portrait could roll its eyes, I could just see Jesus going seriously, like, what are you doing? Right?
So, but I want to talk to you about another furnace, a big furnace. A furnace that three men were thrown into, and their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And Jesus did not look away. And in fact, Jesus showed up and walked with them through this fiery trial they found themselves in.
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. were taken captive along with their friend Daniel by Babylon. But they were very intelligent, outstanding young men, so the king handpicked them to be a part of his cabinet, if you will. They were in the court where they influenced the king. They were among his counselors, which meant that they lived in the literal lap of luxury.
They lived in the palace of the most powerful men in all of the world, and so they would sit at the king's table and eat the king's food. And for some reason, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made a principled stand that they would not eat. The food from the king's table, and the Bible doesn't tell us why. I think it's probably because the food may have been offered to false gods or idols.
So they said, we're not going to eat the food.
So the guy who was in charge said, hey, you've got to eat this food or I'll get in trouble. They said, don't worry. They said, we'll be fine. We'll eat our own little diet. And we'll be as healthy as everyone else.
And sure enough, they were.
Now, I only bring that up because they made a stand in a relatively small area of their life. what supported them when they had to make the bigger stand later in life. See, if you compromise in the little things now, you're going to compromise in the bigger things later. And boy, they were really challenged when they had to decide what to do when the king commanded them to worship this false god. Let's read about it.
Daniel 3 verse 14, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue that I've set up? I'll give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments, All will be well. But if you refuse. You will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.
Now, look at this statement. What God will be able to rescue you from my power then? Verse 16, Chadrach, Meshach, and Abedego replied, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we're thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us, he will rescue us from your power, your majesty. But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue.
You have set up.
Now the king is really angry. Look at Daniel 3, verse 19, Nebuchadnezzar. was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. His face became distorted with rage. He commended that the Furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual.
Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.
So when he had tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully clothed, Because of his anger, he demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames leaped out and killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo securely tied fell into the roaring flames. Then suddenly, as he was watching, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisors, didn't we throw three men into the furnace? Yes, they said, we did, Your Majesty. Look, Nebuchadnezzar shouted, I see four men unbound walking around on the fire, and they aren't even hurt by the flames, and the fourth is like the Son of God. Wow.
That's a good one. Don't tell me the Bible is boring. If ever there was a Christophany, this is one of them. Christ himself walking with them. through the fire.
Jesus is walking with you through your fire. And I would rather be in a fiery furnace with Jesus than anywhere else without him. Wouldn't you? The disciples were out on the storm-tossed sea of Galilee and they began to panic. And suddenly they saw Jesus coming toward them and he said, don't be afraid, it's me.
I'd rather be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without him. Maybe you're in a storm. Maybe you're in a fire. You are not alone. Jesus said, Lo, I am with you even to the end of the age.
In the Hebrews, he gave us that beautiful statement. I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, I will not fear what man will do to me. And in the original language, he was emphatic. And he said, I will never, no, never, no, never leave you or forsake you.
He walked with them through their fire, and he's walking with you through yours as well. Yeah, my little army men burning through the grate of my grandparents' house. They didn't have much hope. Jesus was just hanging on a wall. in a portrait.
But in this case, Jesus is walking with them. And that brings us to James 1, because we wonder: why do I have to go through these trials? Why don't we have to have these difficulties? James 1, verse 2, when all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, listen, don't treat them as intruders, but friends. Realize they have come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance.
So let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed and you'll find you become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots. I love that translation. Staying cool when things get hot. How can we even do that? Why do we go through trials?
Trials are like going to the gym. How many of you go to the gym? Raise your hand. More of you should go. Especially you, sir.
I know I should go for it. But I don't like to go to the gym.
Some do. I had a great workout today. I've never had a great workout. The greatest part of my workout is when it's over. Having said that, I'm always glad I did it.
Because I understand that doing that helps me in the long term. I think the problem with the gym for some people is, you know, they get really out of shape.
Well, they're into shape. They're just in the wrong shape. They're in the shape of a pear. They didn't want to be known as the Lord's Pear, but that's what they become.
So they go to the gym and they overdo it. You know, they try to lift too much weight, and then the next day they can't even lift their arms up.
So they probably should do lower weights, higher reps, and just stick with it. But here's what you need to understand. You break muscle down in order to build muscle up. And it takes time, there's not immediate results. Trials sort of break us down.
Trials are like God's gym. It breaks us down in order to ultimately build us up. God has not given us his blessings and his gifts. to just admire. Or to put in a trophy case, he gives them to us to use.
If you don't use it, you'll lose it. and your muscles will begin to atrophy. And you don't want that to happen. Jesus said, given, it shall be given unto you, pressed down, shaking together, running over. In the same measure you give, it will be given back to you.
trials. Take our faith from the realm of theory to reality, and it develops in us a spiritual toughness. Actually, in James 1.3, he says, Knowing the testing of your faith produces patience. Interesting word, patience. That's King James.
Not the best translation, frankly. It comes from a root word ipomoni. Which means Endurance. Another translation, heroic endurance or steadfastness, or even another translates it. Fortitude.
So you get stronger as a result.
So you'll have the strength to stand. Because you're going to be challenged. and you're going to be asked to bow at some altar. And the Bible tells us specifically, keep yourselves from idols. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.
Yeah. We love to hear stories of how lives have been changed through the teaching of God's Word. like this one. Hi, Pastor Greg. I live in Kansas, and one of these days my hubby and I want to travel to come see you in person.
Your messages have been such a blessing in our lives, helping me heal as I dealt with anxiety and deep depression. Listening to you preach God's word helped me get through the battle, and now I feel renewed and free. God bless you, Pastor Greg. Do you have a story to share with Pastor Gregg? If so, would you let him know?
Send him an email. Greg at harvest.org. That's Greg at harvest.org.
Well, we're glad you're along today for Pastor Greg's message called Staying Cool When Things Get Hot. Let me shift gears and Land this plane. Um One day there's going to come another world leader on the scene. Not Nebuchadnezzar. But this world leader is called the Antichrist, the Beast.
The wicked one. He'll be charismatic. He'll be intelligent. He'll be persuasive. And he'll initially emerge on the scene as a peacemaker, but he'll ultimately turn out to be the ultimate troublemaker.
No one will be able to buy or sell without the Antichrist mark. You won't be able to do commerce without this mark. And a lot of people try to speculate as to who the Antichrist is. And I just want to tell you, you're not going to know because before the Antichrist can be revealed, Christ is going to call his church home to heaven.
So The Bible never tells you to be looking for Antichrist, but it does repeatedly tell you to be looking for Jesus Christ. And God promises to keep us out of the tribulation period. You see, Greg, I've heard a different version of this.
Okay, that version is wrong. I'm telling you the truth. Listen to what I'm saying. You can laugh. That was meant to be kind of funny.
Oh yeah, but I'm actually serious. If I didn't think my version was right, I wouldn't share it with you, would I? But here's what I believe the Bible teaches. Revelation 3.10. Because you've kept my command to persevere, Jesus says, I'll keep you from the hour of trial which will come upon the whole world to test those that dwell on the earth.
Behold, I am coming quickly. He's talking about the time of tribulation. Remember how Nebuchadnezzar heated the furnace up seven times hotter? The tribulation period lasts seven years. But God has not appointed us to wrath, the Bible says, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
He's going to deliver us before this time. We'll meet the Lord in the air. Then Antichrist will be revealed. But the word persevere is used. If you will persevere, Jesus says, I'll keep you from that hour.
This is the same word used by James: that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. But the main thing is, Christ is coming quickly. A closing thought. And when a preacher says that, it could be another hour, but it's not going to be. Nebuchadnezzar saw God work.
God interpreted his dream and he gave Credit to God for doing so, but then he. Went crazy.
Well, literally, he went crazy. After his idol was erected, God dealt with them harshly. He lost his mind. and had complete insanity overtake him. And then he came to his senses and he turned to the Lord and had one of the most dramatic conversions in all of the Old Testament and told everyone in his kingdom he was a believer in the Lord God of Israel.
So that was amazing. But you know, it took him some time. He was fighting with God. Don't fight with God. You're not going to win.
And why would you fight with God anyway? His plan for you is better than your plan for yourself. But that's a description of many people right now. They're making their way in. It was a description of me at the ripe old age of 17.
I came to Christ in the process of elimination. I looked at the life of my mother, the life of alcoholism. And I said, I don't want that life. I looked at my own life, stupid decisions I made, partying, using drugs. I didn't want my life anymore.
And where did that leave?
Well then there were the Christians. Hmm. I don't want that life for sure. You know, they're they're Kind of weird. And But here was the problem with that narrative.
I knew some of the people who had become Christians and actually they weren't wearing. They were friends of mine, and I'd seen their lives change, so I had to kind of process that a little bit. And so one day I went to their meeting, you've heard my story many times, that they were meeting on the front lawn of my high school campus, Newport Harbor High. And I came across them and I sat down close enough to sort of eavesdrop on their conversation. But not close enough where it looked like I was joining up with them.
And I heard the gospel for the first time in a way that I understood. Suddenly, that portrait of Jesus that hung on my grandparents' house, I was making the connection. That's not just a historical figure, it's a real person. And it didn't hurt that the guy who was preaching actually looked like Jesus a little bit. Lonnie Frisbee, who was preaching long hairbeard, I went, he kind of looks like Jesus.
I know it's not Jesus, but still. It caught my attention and I listened. And I don't remember most of what he said, but I remember one statement where he said, Jesus said, you're for me or you're against me. And I looked at the Christians. I said, well, I'm not one of them.
Does that mean I'm against God? I don't want to be against God. I've always believed there's a God out there somewhere, and Jesus has always been my God of choice when I'm in trouble. But I've never known I could have any kind of a relationship with him. Then he said, if you want to accept Jesus into your life, get up and walk forward, and some kids did.
And before I knew it, I was up there with them praying. And that is the day Christ came into my life. But you see The first part of conversion. The first part of coming to Christ. The Bible says this, having your eyes open.
What does that mean? It means that you suddenly realize, whoa, this is true. This is all true.
Now, it's not enough to just have your eyes open. The next step is turning from darkness to light.
So I can come to church and say, you know what? As you were speaking, I realized this is all true. I realize I need this. I realize I need Jesus in my life. That's good, but that doesn't mean you're there.
You gotta take the next step, you see. And the next step is I'm going to now believe in Jesus. And a lot of people have their eyes open, so to speak. They give intellectual assent to what we have said, but they don't act on it. Have you made that commitment to Christ yet?
Only you can do it. And in a moment, we're going to pray, and I'm going to give you an opportunity. to ask Christ to come into your life so you can have your sin forgiven.
So you can know that when you die you will go to heaven. and you can start discovering his amazing plan for your life.
So, you think about what you're going to do right now. Let's all pray. Father, I pray that you will speak to the heart of every person in this room. And if they do not yet know you, help them to see their need for you and help them to come to you and believe. We pray.
Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying. Maybe you've come here today and you've never asked Jesus Christ to come into your life. You have a big hole in your heart. You've been trying to fill with all these things, our culture. says should make you happy, and it hasn't worked, has it?
What you're looking for is Christ Himself, and He will come and take residence in your heart and forgive you of all of your sin. But you must ask him. And Jesus says, I stand at the door of your life and I knock, and if you'll hear my voice and open the door, I'll come in. Do you want Jesus to come into your life? If you want Christ to come into your life today, If you want him to forgive you of your sin.
If you want to know that when you die, you will go to heaven, wherever you are. I'm going to ask that you pray this prayer. out loud after me, and this is where you're asking Jesus Christ. To come into your life, the Bible says, whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. That's what you're doing right now, you're calling a on the name of the Lord, and you'll hear And answer this prayer.
Let's all bow our heads. Pray this out loud after me, 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. I turn from my sin now. And I choose to follow you. From this moment forward. As my Savior and Lord.
is my God and friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In answering this prayer, In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Yeah.
Hopefully, you prayed along with Pastor Greg Laurie just now and entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you did, we'd like to first of all say congratulations. You've just made the best decision of your life. But we'd also like to make available Pastor Gregg's New Believer's Bible. It'll help you get well grounded in God's Word.
and build a solid foundation for your relationship with the Lord. You can request it free of charge when you call 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24-7 number 1-800-821-3300. or go online to harvest. org and click Know God.
And then let us say a word of thanks to those who support us financially. Those who make it possible for us to bring you these studies each day. We are definitely a listener-supported ministry. It's the generosity of listeners that help us be here with these programs.
So if you've partnered with us, thank you. And if you have yet to partner with us, well I hope you'll get in touch today and let us know that you're standing with us. Even a small investment would help. It's actually an investment in changing lives. Thank you for partnering with us.
You can donate securely online at harvest.org. or call us at 1-800-821-3300. Again, that's 1-800-821-3300. 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, next time, as Pastor Gregg continues his series called Jesus and You. He brings us a look at the price Jesus paid at Calvary in a message called The God Who Feals Your Pain. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Lord. There's a day, the day when life begins.
