The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. Hey, I want to hear from you. Would you consider emailing me? You can reach me at Greg at Harvest dot org. Again, that's Greg at Harvest dot org.
And you can also make me one of your friends on Facebook and drop me a comment. Things are scary in our nation right now. You can't help but notice that there's a parallel between the late 60s and the year we're living in right now, 2020. Pastor Greg Laurie says there have been several great awakenings in the world, the most recent in the late 1960s, early 1970s, and it can happen again. God sent a spiritual awakening. We call it the Jesus revolution. It was a move of God.
We need to be praying for this to happen. Weather watchers speak of the perfect storm when the confluence of different phenomena produce historic results. Well, in the climate of revival, there have been perfect storms as well. When different factors combine to see a great wave of spiritual change roll across the land. And today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us see how we may be at the precipice of another great revival right now. Today's message is the finale to Pastor Greg's series on the end times. Let's read some Scriptures together. Turn in your Bible to Luke chapter 12. Hear now Jesus is telling us how we ought to be living and what we ought to be doing as we anticipate the imminent return of Christ.
Luke 12 verse 36. Jesus says, Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. And then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. And I tell you the truth, says Jesus, he himself will seat them and put on an apron and serve them and sit and eat. He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn, but whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. But understand this, Jesus adds this warning now.
If the homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. So you must be ready all the time for the Son of Man will come when least expected. So let me ask you this question. Are you ready to go meet the Lord? Let's say Jesus was going to come back today. Would you be ready? We should not only be ready, but we should be anxiously awaiting his return. Again, don't just be ready.
Be anxiously awaiting his return. Look at verse 36 here in Luke. Be like people who wait for their master, who when he returns from the wedding and knocks, they will open to him immediately. Jesus says, behold, I come quickly. And the answer of the true Christian will always be, along with the apostle John, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Anything that would stop you from saying that should be removed from your life. We should not only be anxiously waiting. We should also be working. Working. Look at verse 43. Blessed is that servant whom the master will find so doing when he comes. Doing. We are busy.
We are about our father's business. The Bible says faith without works is dead. Watching for the Lord's return will help us prepare our own lives, but working will assure we bring others with us. And notice that it says blessed is the person who does this. The word blessed is interchangeable with the word happy. So what it's really saying is if you live this way, if you live in constant anticipation of the imminent return of Christ, you will be a happy person.
Listen to this. It's not a miserable, repressive, confining way to live as we look for Christ's return. It's happy. It's joyful. And it's purposeful.
It is the way to live. Remember we discovered together that there is a special blessing promise to the person who reads, hears, and keeps the words written in the book of Revelation in particular. But I think for sure it applies to all of the Scripture. But there is a special blessing promise to the person who reads, hears, and keeps the words of Revelation which to a large degree deals with end times events. So it's a good thing. It's a happy thing.
It's an encouraging thing to look at these things together. Now in contrast to the believer who is watching and working, we have the unprepared servant. Look at Luke chapter 12 verse 45 where we read these words. But if that servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming and begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of the servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him.
Wicked servant. Now to me this is probably a description of a person who thinks they are a believer but they are not a believer because of the way that they are living. It could also be perhaps a disobedient believer.
But this is a person that is not right with God. Isn't it interesting that it basically is saying this person is getting drunk and they don't think the Lord is going to return. I think it is a very dangerous thing when you come to have a theology that tells you Christ is not coming. No matter how you come to prophetic events and there are different views on this topic. But if your theology so called says to you Christ is not coming at any moment, something is wrong with your theology.
Because that my friend is the theology or the teaching of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is coming back. Again there are so many verses that deal with it. But this wicked servant Jesus speaks of says oh you know my master is not coming.
He is delaying his coming. And then he begins to do wicked things which includes drinking. Why do people drink? Well there is a lot of reasons for it. Some do it to escape. Some do it to fit in or be social.
Some do it to help them so called deal with problems that they are facing. But in reality it won't help you deal with your problems. It will actually create new problems. You know I read an interesting article about how drinking heavily can actually change your DNA. This article said quote this is a study that was done. That alcohol can actually prompt dangerous and long lasting genetic changes according to cutting edge research from Rutgers University. And these changes actually worsen a drinker's relationship with booze where they will crave it even more. And it disrupts the natural effectiveness of two specific genes.
One that governs the body's biological clock and the other that regulates stress. So it just turns everything upside down. And this contributes to the vicious cycle of alcoholism. Drinking contributes to three million deaths a year.
I am not speaking from a vacuum here. I was raised in the home of an alcoholic. My mother was a raging drinker. Every night she would get so drunk she would pass out. And then I watched the effect on her life. She was a beautiful woman.
Otherwise how would I be so handsome right? Anyway. But she was a beautiful woman and I saw the effect of the drinking and the smoking and the party lifestyle. And what it did to her physically and tragically when she was 70.
She looked like she was 90 or even older. And it shortened her life and it ruined her life. And thankfully she turned to the Lord in the final months of her life.
But oh I wish she had done that sooner. Listen friend don't come under the power of alcohol. I don't want to be under the power of anything or anyone but Jesus Christ. And the Bible says don't be drunk with wine wherein is excess. But be filled with the Holy Spirit. You don't want to be under the influence of the spirits.
Instead be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. For King and Country.
And Jeremy Camp. A Rush of Hope with Greg Laurie. I'm going to answer questions like why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? And what happens after I die? Christ has the answer. It's a Rush of Hope with Greg Laurie an epic online event coming to a screen near you.
Details at Harvest.org. So tell a friend it's coming your way. Labor Day weekend. It's a Rush of Hope. Well today Pastor Greg is helping us be ready for the last days. By way of his message things to do before the end of the world.
Let's continue. Jesus is coming. We should not only be ready but we should be praying for revival before Christ returns.
Praying for revival. How America needs a spiritual awakening. And things are scary in our nation right now. You can't help but notice that there is a parallel between the late 60's. Maybe specifically 1968 and the year we are living in right now.
2020. It's interesting. Back in those days we had a space program. You are shooting rockets into space and we just did that together didn't we? We had riots in the streets and we have that as well. We have social unrest then. We have it now. We had incredible racial tension then.
We have that now as well. It was a difficult time. Some thought that the country was going to completely unravel.
But guess what happened? God sent a spiritual awakening. We call it the Jesus movement or the Jesus revolution. It was on the cover of Time magazine. And only months before they had an ominous cover that was black with reversed out red letters that said, Is God dead? And then a few months later a cover with a psychedelic image of Christ.
Because that was the style of the day. Jesus revolution. It was a move of God. And some experts say not only was it the last great American revival but they think it may have been the greatest revival in all of human history.
Well whatever it was I can tell you this much. That's when I came to Christ at the age of 17. And if you want to see a spiritual awakening you need to be praying for it. And you need to be praying with great passion. God says in the last days I will pour my spirit out on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.
We need to be praying for this to happen. I've quoted 2 Chronicles 7 14 so many times. But it certainly applies. God makes a promise to Israel.
And I believe in principle it applies to any nation. God says if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. God says I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land.
We would like to see a healing in our land wouldn't we? Well it starts with God's people getting right with Him and praying for this to happen. If my people the Lord says will pray and seek my face.
Let's be praying for this to happen. Praying with passion. Like that woman who was praying for her child to be delivered from the power of Satan. And she said to Jesus, have mercy on me O Lord. My daughter is possessed by a demon. And the disciples said, go away.
You're making too much noise. You're bothering Jesus. But she would not stop.
She kept pressing on and praying. And finally Jesus stopped and said, your request is granted. Ever hear that expression? The squeaky wheel gets oil.
Hey be a squeaky wheel. Call on the Lord. And by the way when you're praying for a spiritual awakening you're praying for something that God wants to send. The seeker to enter prayer is getting your request into an alignment with God's will. And when I'm praying for God to send a revival or an awakening I'm praying for what He wants to do.
So this is a very important thing for us all to be praying for right now. You know Elijah. He's just an ordinary guy. And we think of him as a great prophet. And he was. He was by God mightily. He also was a great prophet that had bounced with depression. And got really down in the dumps.
At one point he didn't want to even live another day. But this man knew how to pray. And James chapter 5 says, the fervent prayer of a righteous man has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are. Yet when he prayed fervently that no rain would fall none fell.
For three and a half years. And he prayed again and the sky sent down rain. Pray with passion. Pray with fervency.
Don't just offer up a ho-hum generic prayer like, Lord save the world whatever. No like pray for your nation. Pray for your state. Pray for the city you live in. Pray for your government officials. Pray for your family. Pray for your friends. Pray in your area and your sphere of influence. Pray that God will send this great spiritual awakening. By the way the devil doesn't want you to do this.
Satan does not want a spiritual awakening. His mission and his strategy is to divide and conquer. He would love us to be divided over race. Or over politics. Or divide us over some other issue when we go into our little predictable camp.
And we argue over minutia. And we miss the big picture. People are dying without Jesus. And the church is debating other issues. It's time for us to wake up and remember this.
Listen. The gospel is more important than anything. It's more important than our programs. It's more important than our preferences. It's more important than our politics. It's more important than anything else.
And it's our message to the culture. Paul said I don't want to know anything else among you. Except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
You know it's interesting. You cannot find the United States of America in Bible prophecy. You know I think you can make a very good case for finding Russia in Bible prophecy. I think you can make a pretty good case for finding China in Bible prophecy. You can certainly make an airtight case for finding Iran in Bible prophecy.
And Israel as well. But how is it that the reigning superpower on the planet today, the United States of America, does not seem to be mentioned. We're missing from the script.
Where's Waldo? Well no one knows the answer. And let's consider an option. What if it was because the rapture happened and it took America out of its lead role. For instance there's over 300 million people in America. So we'll just round it at 300 million though it's a larger number. And I read recently that 65 percent of Americans identify as Christians.
Now I don't know about you but I do not believe that. Because that would be over 150 million people in this nation who are followers of Christ. So let's be super conservative. Let's say 10 percent of America is actually Christian. 10 percent of our citizens actually are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ. Ok so now that's 30 million people.
Now imagine with me for a moment if 30 million people suddenly left planet earth. People that worked in industry. People that worked in government. People that worked in the military. People that worked in every area imaginable.
Suddenly were gone in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. People that work in the White House. People that work in economics.
In education. Don't you think that would affect our nation? Oh we would change overnight. Effectively we would collapse overnight. And then anti-Christ will be revealed after the rapture of the church. So I don't know why we're not mentioned but I know this much. I know Christ is coming and I know I need to pay attention.
Here's what Romans 13 says. Understand the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber. Because your salvation is almost here and the night is nearly over. The day has almost arrived.
Yes. Understand the times. Wake up. Wake up spiritually and see your need for God.
Listen. If you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ you've got to wake up and get right with God. And if you are a believer and you're living a compromised life. And you're drinking, you're partying, you're sleeping with your boyfriend, you're doing drugs. You're lying, you're stealing, you're doing things you know you should not be doing. You need to repent.
And you need to get right with God. Heard a story about a guy who decided to paint a church. He was hired. And he realized if he thinned out the paint it would go further. And so the preacher didn't know so this painter thinned out the paint with some turpentine. And he's finishing it up. He's on the very top. And he's on the last little part of the cross.
And suddenly a bolt of lightning hit and he began to slip and he grabbed hold and he was barely hanging. And he heard a voice that said, Repaint and thin no more. Ok that's a bad joke.
But here's the point. The Bible does say repent and sin no more. That's what Jesus said to the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Repent and sin no more. Do you need to repent? You say I don't even know what it is to repent. How do I repent? The word repent means you change your direction.
It's a military term. It means an about faith. So if you're going this way you just turn around like that. You've been going away from God. Now you need to walk or run toward God and get right with him. Let me come back to that statement I made earlier from scripture. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The Lord has been waiting for you to believe. What if this were your last day on earth? What if this was the day before Christ came? Or what if this were the day before you left this life and died?
And you were unprepared. How tragic that would be. You see Jesus died on the cross so you could be forgiven of your sin. So you would not have to face the repercussions and ramifications of your sin at the judgment seat of God. Jesus took the judgment of the Father effectively upon himself. Christ came to pay a debt he did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. He absorbed the wrath of God in your place and a mine. And then Jesus rose again from the dead. And he stands at the door of your life and he knocks.
And he says if you'll hear his voice and open the door he'll come in. Jesus is coming. Are you ready? The end of your life is coming. My life.
Our life. At some point we don't know when. Are you ready? Are you ready to meet God if you aren't? Why don't you get ready right now?
You see but how? You pray and ask God to forgive you of your sin and you ask Jesus Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and Lord. Only you can pray this prayer. Your parents can't pray it for you kids. Your husband or wife can't pray it for you either.
This is a prayer you have to pray. And I would like to lead you in a simple prayer. And if you want Jesus to come into your life. If you want to be forgiven of your sin.
If you want to know with confidence that you will go to heaven when you die. Then pray this prayer with me right now. So again as I pray. Pray this after me. You can even pray it out loud but you don't have to. But pray this prayer after me.
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. I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it. And I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus name I pray.
Amen. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important closing prayer with those making a change in their relationship with the Lord today. And if you've just prayed along with Pastor Greg and asked Jesus to be your Savior. We'd like to help you get started by sending something called the New Believers Growth Packet. It will answer many of the questions you might have and get you started off right in your walk with God. Just ask for the New Believers Growth Packet.
As you write a new beginning. Box 4000 Riverside California 92514. Or call 1-800-821-3300.
That's 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to Harvest.org and click Know God. Now if you missed any part of today's presentation. You can get caught up by going online to Harvest.org. Or just call up our Harvest app on your mobile device.
Or for a CD copy dial 1-800-821-3300. The title of today's study, Things to Do Before the End of the World. Pastor Greg we're making available for the first time today. Your brand new book called World Changers. Yes. For starters let me ask you what you mean by World Changers. Well Dave I guess it comes down to this. Are we changing the world or is the world changing us? You know the Bible says don't be conformed to this world. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Or as another translation puts it. Don't let this world squeeze you into its mold. So the idea of being a world changer is asking the question. Are you making an impact in your world? In your sphere of influence?
Because after all Christ said go into all the world and preach the gospel. But let's personalize that and say go into all of your world and preach the gospel. Do your friends know that you're a follower of Jesus? Do your neighbors know?
Does your family know? So the idea is instead of the world molding me into its image. I want to impact the culture with the gospel. You know Jesus said that we are to be both salt and light in the culture. He says you're the salt of the earth. You're the light of the world.
And salt in the first century was used as a preservative to stop the rotting process. So a Christian living as they should as a world changer. As a follower of Christ will stop the spread of corruption.
They'll hold back evil. And then he also said you're the light of the world. And so the idea is that we let our light shine before other people. And they see there's something unique about us and it attracts them to Jesus Christ.
So this is all based on Hebrews chapter 11. Which is sort of like the hero's hall of faith. You know Dave years ago I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cincinnati. It's kind of a cool place.
And they have all kinds of guitars and various artifacts from rock and roll history. And this is sort of like God's hall of faith. Of the great heroes of faith that we can look to and learn from.
So in this book World Changers I talk about many of the people featured in Hebrews chapter 11. And how we can be a world changer wherever we are. Yes chock full of practical insight to take us to the next level in our walk with God and our service to God. And we'd like to send it your way to say thank you for your investment. So that we can continue to change the world through Pastor Greg's teaching from God's word. In fact we recently received this comment on social media. It said good evening from Finland. We even have a harvest church here in southern Finland. I discovered Pastor Greg through his online devotionals.
And I still read them daily. Well you know you can help us continue to reach out and be world changers. As we help you become a world changer by sending Pastor Greg's new book. So thanks for sending your investment today to A New Beginning Box 4000 Riverside California 92514. Or call anytime 24 7 at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300.
Or go online to Harvest.org. Well next time Pastor Greg launches an important series, one of his best. It's called World Changers. It's a look at the biblical heroes of our faith. Be sure to tune in next time for A New Beginning with Pastor Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins. The preceding message from Greg Laurie was made possible by Harvest Partners. Helping people everywhere know God. Sign up for Pastor Greg's free daily email devotions at Harvest.org
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-03-20 13:43:41 / 2024-03-20 13:54:13 / 11