For America's 250th birthday, Greg Laurie recommends a great film about the man behind the spiritual awakening of our nation. Just as surely as George Washington is our founding father, George Whitfield is our spiritual founding father. Two Georges played a role in founding the United States.
So find out more about George Whitfield in this film that's called A Great Awakening, and we'll send it to you for your gift of any size. Available on DVD at harvest.org. Today, a special edition of A New Beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie is here, and we're talking about our huge outreach coming soon. Greg Laurie here, and I am very excited to invite you to the Harvest Crusade.
We're returning to Angel Stadium on Saturday, July 11th, and we're going to have amazing music by Carrie Job Carnes and Cody Carnes, her husband, Michael W. Smith, Taya, and our good friend, Phil Wickham. Is that not a killer lineup? In addition, I'm going to be sharing a message and how people can come into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
So here's the bottom line. We are currently sold out. The moment we went online and announced the tickets, they were sold in 24 hours.
Now, when I say sold, let me clarify. There's no charge for the tickets, but people said they wanted one.
So here's what I need to tell you guys. If you got a ticket, congratulations, make sure you use your ticket. And if for some reason you can't come, make sure you give that ticket to someone who can't attend. Think of it this way. That ticket represents a person who.
Can make a commitment to Jesus Christ. These tickets are of the greatest value because souls are of the greatest value. But if you can't find someone to give it to, you can give the ticket back to us because we have a wait list of people that want to come. If you have any questions or want to know more about returning your tickets, just reach out to info1 at harvest.org.
So here's my challenge to you. Seating is limited. I hope you have a ticket. You got to use it and bring someone who does not yet know Jesus Christ to this year's Harvest Crusade. Also, don't forget it's online live at harvest.org if you're unable to make it to the stadium.
So let's be praying that God does a mighty work and let's pray that thousands of people come into the kingdom of God. I'll see you there. You know, Pastor Greg, about 40 years ago, I saw you preach for the very first time on a Monday night at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. My wife and I sat in the front row. She was actually my girlfriend at the time.
I don't remember what your message title was, but I remember the response was amazing. more people coming forward than I'd ever seen.
Well, we started attending every Monday night, and from that regular Monday night study. Became an evangelistic movement. Isn't that right? Yeah, it really did. It's kind of hard to believe.
And that movement now has been going on for almost 30 years now, where we have had the privilege of preaching the gospel. Literally all around the world. Yes, we do the annual SoCal Harvest Crusade. But we've gone across the United States and overseas to Australia and New Zealand and You know, I just find that it's so exciting to see how the gospel never goes out of style, it's never out of date, it's never irrelevant. It's always the most important message people need to hear.
And really, when you get down to it, what more important message is there? Because the gospel deals with the big questions of life, like, Why am I here on this earth? What is the meaning of my life? And the most important question of all: what happens after I die? When we believe the gospel, We can know with certainty that we'll go to heaven when we die.
So, man, that is such a powerful message. And I feel like I want to get that out to as many people as I possibly can. Amen. And please. Know this.
People respond to the gospel if they're in person at the venue or if they're watching it on a screen in another venue. We know this. We have trackable results and responses of people that have come to Christ who have viewed the Harvest Crusade in a whole site, even on their smartphone, their computer. I remember a lady wrote me recently that they were watching the Harvest Crusade on the laptop, and the wife left the room and she came back a few minutes later, and the husband was on his knees in front of his computer screen praying to accept Christ. That's great.
Here's what happens: once the gospel goes out, there's power in the gospel. People forget about the way they're seeing it, they're just captured by this timeless. Blessed, powerful message from heaven.
So I have confidence in this message when I preach. You know, it's the power is not in me. The power is in the gospel. That's why Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. Paul uses an interesting word for power there.
It's from the Greek word dunimis, and it is a word that can be translated dynamic or dynamite.
So basically, Paul is saying there is explosive built-in power in the essential gospel message. And that's what I'll be proclaiming. You know, we hear from people all the time who have made such a decision at a harvest event. I've got a letter right here in front of me. Let me read it to you.
It says, So this was my first event such as this. It was like God was telling me everything he knew I needed to hear. All my fears, questions, doubts, and concerns were put to rest. The message, the songs, the closeness of other Christians, it was one of the best nights of my life. She turns into a promotional representative here.
If you ever get the chance to attend this event, go. You'll be glad you did. She says, Thank you, Greg, for doing what you do. What a great letter. I love that.
I love that. Yeah, and I think when people have been there and seen it for themselves, Especially if they've been personally impacted, or a friend or a family member has come to faith, man, they become ambassadors. And it's not ambassadors for Harvest Crusades, it's being an ambassador for Christ, a representative of the gospel. And, you know, this is an event that. We call proclamation evangelism.
What is proclamation evangelism? It's where we have a moment in the evening that is focused on the preaching of the gospel. Look, there's a lot of great Christian concerts that happen all year long, all around the United States. There are great Christian conferences that happen, but a harvest event is different. This event from beginning to end is geared toward the proclamation of the gospel.
The fact that I'm the preacher is not important. What's important is the preaching, the message of the gospel. You know, Paul said, it's through the foolishness of preaching, people will believe, or literally, the foolishness of the preached thing. What is the preached thing? It's the gospel.
A lot of times we overcomplicate it, we oversimplify it. Or we add things to it that don't belong in it. What I try to do is be biblical, understandable, simple. Uh, I tried to present it in an appealing way, but from the moment I get up to speak to the end, I'm effectively preaching for a decision. I'm making a beeline toward that moment when I'm going to call people to Christ.
And so. This is something I think our country desperately needs. And what we're doing is unique, to be quite honest. And we're very happy to be doing it. But I hope people will understand what it is when they come to one of these events.
That's why we encourage folks to bring someone with them that is not yet a Christian. Because, as I've said many times, over 80% of those that walk forward when the invitation is extended to accept Christ were brought by a friend.
So, I can't emphasize enough how important it is that you bring people to these events, be it. Live at ATT Stadium or to a host site or to your front room or sending them a link to tune into so they can view it online.
However, you get the message out, you're the conduit, you're the tool that God wants to use to reach people that don't know the Lord because the Bible says. How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they believe unless someone tells them? And we all know people that. They probably would turn us down if we invited them to church.
And this event is tailor-made for those kinds of people because this is in a neutral environment and in host sites such as a living room and those kinds of things. It's tailor-made for those people who have a built-in bias about showing up at a church, isn't that right? Totally true. Yeah, I mean, really, this event is designed for non-believers in a way. But the way I'm going to reach those non-believers is if you, as a believer, get them there to either participate in person or To view it online.
You know, Pastor Greg, a study was conducted by Lifeway Research that found 80% of those who attend church one or more times a month believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith. It should be 100%, but 80% said they believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith. But 61% have not told another person about how to become a Christian in the previous six months. And some people listening right now would probably have to count themselves among that 61%. But the good news is, they just have to get them there.
They just have to extend an invitation to that friend to attend the event, and then you'll share the gospel with them. Yeah, that's right. You know, it's been said, in fact, it's in my book, Tell Someone That Is With Life Way, actually, BH Publishing, they're publishing our. Where I I did an extended brain dump on evangelism. And I would recommend people get that book because I will help you deal with your fears and apprehension about sharing your faith.
But one of the things I point out. In my book, tell someone is there's one thing that Christians and non-Christians have in common, and that is. They're both uptight about evangelism. You know, non-believers are uptight about being evangelized, and believers are often uptight about evangelizing. I think the key, Dave, is to try to get into sort of an evangelistic lifestyle.
A friend of mine puts it this way: he says he likes to chum the water. You know, if you go out fishing, you know, you can chum the water.
So here's how it works. You mention your faith in conversation.
So instead of just talking to someone, hey, you know, isn't it a great day today? And hey, by the way, have you repented of your sins and accepted Christ? I mean, you can't say that, but that's not exactly subtle.
So instead, you might say, oh, it's a great day, beautiful. You say, yeah, man, you know, I remember like at church Sunday, the pastor made a really good point about the beauty of creation.
Well, what you just told them is you're a Christian and you go to church on Sunday.
So they might ignore your comment or they might say, well, I didn't know you go to church. Oh, yeah. See, you're just looking for a way to start the conversation. The hardest thing about evangelism is starting the conversation. And then, you know, then what?
Let's say you get a live one on the line, right? They're interested. What do you do?
Well, let me help you. That's why we're here. I say, I'm giving you a tool, I think a really good tool that can start the conversation.
So you walk up to a friend and you say, I want to take you to an awesome event with some of the greatest music you've ever heard. And a guy's going to talk about the meaning of life, what happens in the afterlife, and how you can come into a relationship with God.
Now, I know you might be afraid to say those things, but listen, these are questions that people who are not believers yet are asking.
So, you know, you just lay it out to them. I don't believe we should not be truthful about what we're taking them to. And then you could even show them a little video teaser that we will provide for you.
So they see it is a cool thing, it's not a weird religious thing. I think they're going to like it immediately. But then, of course, you have to invite them. Say, you know, I want to take you as my guest. We'll go get dinner before or after.
What time do I pick you up? Or you say, I'm going to take you to my church, or we're going to watch this thing that's going to be shown around the United States. Or you say, I want you to come over to my house. Or, hey, watch it on your laptop or on your tablet, and we'll talk about it afterwards. You know, no matter where you are, you can utilize this tool to start the conversation.
It's a good way to get going and then, look, I'm going to do the heavy lifting for you in this case. I'm going to do the gospel presentation.
Now it's up to you. to follow up on that.
Well, Pastor Craig, let's get down to brass tacks. Let's say I'm listening in Peoria, Illinois, or Anchorage, Alaska, or Miami, Florida. How can I be involved? It's funny you say Peoria, Illinois. There's that expression: will it play in Peoria?
And it's sort of the idea of, you know, works here, but will it work there? Here's the cool thing we've seen with these harvest bands: they play everywhere. Because I get letters and emails from people all around the world that watch these events in every conceivable setting, and the power of the gospel breaks through, and technology is a great platform to use. And we're using the latest streaming technology, it's shot in HD. It's really, you'll feel like you're there.
And so, I think the main thing is, you need to just get them to the venue.
So, you know, you may be having it in your church.
So, you basically say, hey, what time do I pick you up? We'll go out and get a bite to eat before we go, or maybe afterwards. If you're doing it in your front room, you invite them over. I think it's a great idea to have a little party, you know, have some food ahead of time. And we even tell you how to have a great little event in your house.
Or you could even say, Hey, we'll watch it on a laptop together. Or maybe they're in another part of the country. You could say, I'll send you a link. Let's both watch this thing live and let's talk about it afterwards. You know, so there's a lot of ways to do it.
But the key, as in all things with these events, is you need to get the person there. You know, the Bible tells the story of Andrew who met Jesus. And the first thing that he did was he went out and he got his brother Peter and he brought him to Jesus. This is your mission, should you decide to accept it. Q Mission Impossible theme.
I've heard amazing stories of many people coming to faith in these events, and it's a fantastic way to connect. You could have a neighborhood outreach. And do it in your home. You can, of course, use your church and invite people out.
Some churches will have special music before the live service begins. Others will kind of tap into our whole program and show it live there in the venue. There's a lot of ways you can utilize this great tool we're putting in your hand. You know, Pastor Greg, I've heard you use three words before to describe how people should get it. I'm hungry now.
Oh, no, that's no, that's after. That's afterwards. But I've heard you use the words pray, invite, and bring. Yeah. I'll throw even another word in there: serve.
Let's go over those words. Pray, invite, bring, serve. Let's start with pray. What can I say? Prayer is everything.
We start with prayer, we do it with prayer, we end with prayer. Prayer is where we're calling on God for His blessing. But listen to this. I believe we can pray with boldness and confidence for God to bless the proclamation of the gospel. I think this is a kind of a storm the throne of God in prayer and not accept no for an answer.
You say, wait, isn't that a little presumptuous? No. Because God wants to save people. The Bible says God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
So when I'm saying, Lord, save someone. Be it my mother, my father, my son, my daughter, my co-worker, my friend, my neighbor, whoever, when I'm praying, Lord, save someone, I'm in sync with God.
So pray. Pray for people specifically you know that don't yet know the Lord. Pray for the event itself. Let's pray. then invite Now you're going to invite the person you've been praying for.
So, I'm not really big on Lord Save the World prayers. Those are worthless. No, Lord save Dave. Lord, save Mary. Lord, save Joshua.
We're praying for them by name, even getting together with other folks and praying for them.
Now I'm going to invite them. Pray for me as I invite Dave, that he'll be open to this invitation. That's the invitation. Pray, invite, then bring. Hopefully, prayerfully, they've accepted the invitation.
Now you're going to bring them. not send them, bring them. You say to Dave, Dave, I'm going to pick you up. Where do you live? Or, I'll meet you outside of the venue, and we'll walk in together and sit together.
Or, however, you work that out, you're going to make sure they get from A to B because a lot of times, at the last minute, when a person is committed to come to an event like this, just know the devil will try to stop them. And so we need to be there to make sure they get there.
So that is bringing them. And then lastly, serve. Serve in the event. Be an usher. Be a new convert counselor.
Work at one of our tables, do something. It makes it different because now it's not them, it's us. We're all in this together. It's one church. We are the church.
Regardless of our denominational differences, we may hold, we are part of the body of Jesus Christ, and we're serving together to bring this one message to people.
So I encourage you to participate in the event. Don't just be a spectator, be a participator. Hey. Join the team. It'll make all the difference for you.
Amen. And, you know, it should be said that this outreach could also use some tangible support, too. It's a free event, but it still costs a lot of money. But what we try to not do is Put it on the people that are in attendance, especially the non-believers. We do receive an offering at the event, but that does not cover all of our expenses.
Our expenses are thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars. But look. We all spend our money on a lot of things every single day. I can't think of a better investment of my finances than in the proclamation of the gospel, because that's one of the few things that I can invest in that will bring eternal reward. As I literally Lay up for myself treasures in heaven.
You know, it's been said: do your given while you're living, then you're knowing. where it's going. And I think it's a good thing to invest in the work of the kingdom.
So, I would encourage many of you to give something.
Some can give a lot, some can only give a little, but everyone can do something. And then, when that event happens, you can know I have buy-in on this, I'm a part of this. I share in the blessing of this, and I will share in the spiritual, eternal reward of this.
Sounds like a good investment to me. Yeah, absolutely. Give online if you'd like at harvest.org.
