Sunday Message: A Second Chance in Life

Hey everybody, Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Greg Laurie Podcast and my objective is to deliver, hopefully, compelling practical insights in faith, culture, and current events from a biblical perspective. To find out more about our ministry, just go to our website, harvest.org.

So thanks for joining me for this podcast. We have three more messages in the Gospel of Mark. My next two messages are on a very important topic. I'm going to be talking about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, if someone came up to me and said, you can only preach two more messages before you go to heaven, that is a topic I would choose to speak on, the death and resurrection of Christ, because that is the heartbeat of the Gospel. On the heels of this Mark series, we're starting a brand new series on the book of Revelation. So let's pray and then we'll begin. Father, bless now this time as we look at your word. It is truth and we need truth in such uncertain times. We commit this time of Bible study to you now. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Again, the title of my message is A Second Chance in Life. I don't know if you read that story that was in the news about a man who had a hippo as his pet. He lived in South Africa and this man named the hippo Humphrey and he adopted him when he was a little calf. And according to this man, this 2,000 pound beast was like his pet. He would ride it after it got a little bit bigger. He would play with them. He would even brush its teeth, which seems to be a daunting task.

I think that would take a pretty large toothbrush. And the owner said, quote, he's like a son to me. And then he went on to say, people think you can only have a relationship with dogs and cats and other domestic animals, but I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa, end quote.

I think you can imagine how the story ended. I'm sorry to say that Humphrey the hippo turned on its owner and tragically mauled and killed him. That's because hippos are not good pets because they're dangerous. I remember years ago I was in Africa and I stayed in a little tented camp and they warned me at night, be careful of the hippos. And I'm thinking, the hippos? Why would I have to worry about hippos? Oh, they're out running around at night and they attack and kill people and they told me more people are killed by hippos than lions in Africa. I can hardly believe it. And sure enough, that night I heard some noise outside of my tent and I opened up the little flap and looked out and there was a hippo.

And those things move fast on land. So I don't think that the owner realized that Humphrey was a hungry hippo and he would strike. Why do I tell this story? Because in the same way, sometimes we may think that, well, this sin of my life, I have control of it. It's like a little pet. I'm always going to be able to not be overtaken by it.

I'm sure when Humphrey was smallish, I don't know if he was ever all that small, but when he was smaller at least, that his owner never thought he would get as big and aggressive as he became. And we think the same thing about sin. It will never overtake me.

And one day it does. We have a story before us now in the Bible of a man who was overtaken by sin. A man who probably never realized that one thing would lead to another and through five steps he fell away from the Lord.

And this man was a full-fledged apostle of Jesus Christ and his name is known to all of us. I want to tell the story of Simon Peter and his fall and his restoration, hence the title, A Second Chance in Life. We've cleared 2020. Now we're in a new year and this is a good time to look back and ask ourselves some honest questions about last year. Starting with this, did I progress or regress spiritually in 2020? Did I move forward or did I fall backwards? If you fell back in 2020, this is the perfect time now in 2021 to learn from Peter's mistakes and move forward in your life. I might even say fall forward in your life. Because if you fall and mess up and learn from your mistakes, that's failing forward. But if you mess up and you don't learn from your mistakes, well that's just being stupid.

Okay? So let's learn from the mistakes of Simon Peter. Of course, Jesus gave to Simon, his given name, a title. He said from this point on you're going to be called Peter, which means rock. Now I think the other disciples might have had a little bit of a chuckle at that moment because they're thinking, okay, there's a lot of things we could say about Simon where we would not describe him as a rock.

He was sort of unstable at times and vacillating and impulsive, almost the opposite of a rock. But Jesus gave him a name that he knew Simon would grow into with time. In the same way, we don't see the potential in our lives that God sees. We see a lump of clay. God sees a beautiful vase or vase. We see a blank canvas. God sees a finished painting.

We see a piece of coal. God sees a refined diamond. We see problems. God sees solutions.

We see failure. God sees potential. We see an end and God sees a new beginning. And so Peter was going to have a fall and Jesus told him he was going to have a fall and maybe some of you have fallen spiritually in the last few months or in the last year. But listen, the past cannot be changed but our response to it can be because God can take our endings and turn them into beginnings. Let me say that again because I know I'm talking to somebody right now that has made a mess of their life.

I want you to know this. God can take your ending and he can turn it into a beginning. So sort of to pick up where we last left off in the Gospel of Mark, we're in the upper room. Jesus is having his final meal, the last supper, with his disciples and he has revealed that one of the apostles is going to betray him. To a man they say, Is it me, Lord?

Is it me? And at that moment Judas Iscariot was dipping his bread at the same time that Christ was and Jesus identified the betrayer and he said to Judas, Whatever you do, do it quickly. The Bible says at that moment Satan entered Judas' heart. And so Judas goes out now to betray our Lord for 30 pieces of silver and now we see what happened to Peter as this was all unfolding. Look with me, if you will, at Mark chapter 14 starting in verse 27.

And by the way, I'm reading from the New Living Translation. On the way Jesus told them, All of you will desert me for the Scripture's sake. God will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I'm raised from the dead, I'll go ahead before you into Galilee and I'll meet you there. Peter said, Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will. Jesus replied, Well, I tell you the truth, Peter, this very night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me. No, Peter declared emphatically, even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.

And all the others vowed the same. Now Luke's Gospel gives us a few more details about this conversation. Jesus turns to Peter and says this, Simon, Simon, Satan has been asking for you that you would be taken out of the care and protection of God, but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to me, you need to strengthen your brothers. Can you imagine Jesus saying something like that to you? I mean, just hanging out and Jesus turns to you and says your name twice and says, Satan has been asking that you would be taken out of the care and protection of God. I wonder if he'd just pause for a fact.

What? Satan? Satan himself has been asking for me by name? He's been asking for you.

But then he had these words, these reassuring words, but I have prayed for you. This is a reminder of how the devil works. Sometimes we'll say, oh, the devil tempted me the other day. I think it's very doubtful that you've ever been tempted by the devil himself.

Let me explain. The devil is a powerful spirit being, but he is nowhere near being the equal of God. God is omnipresent, which means he's present everywhere. Satan, a powerful fallen angel, can only be in one place at one time. Now I'm not saying you weren't tempted. I'm just saying when you were tempted, it was probably not Satan himself, but one of Satan's minions, not that kind of minion, but, you know, one of his demon powers doing his dirty work. But in this case, with Peter, the devil himself came calling. But notice that Jesus says Satan has been asking for you by name. Satan had to ask first. Listen to this. The devil can do nothing in the life of the child of God without our father's permission.

Let me say that again. The devil can do nothing in our lives without our father's permission, and God will never allow us to be tempted above our capacity to resist. 1 Corinthians 10, 13, a verse I memorized as a teenager, and I still remember. It says, God will not allow you to be tempted above your capacity to resist, but will with the temptation make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.

Know this. Temptation can be resisted. Every temptation is an opportunity to run to God, and there is a blessing promised to the man or the woman that resists temptation.

Our friend James 1-12, it says, Happy is the person who endures temptation, for when they are tried, they'll receive a crown of life. So don't tell me you can't overcome your temptation. Don't tell me you can't stop drinking.

Don't tell me you can't stop looking at porn. Don't tell me you can't stop turning to drugs time and time again. The question is, do you really want to be free from that stuff? Jesus asked a man who had been disabled for his whole life this question. Do you want to be made whole?

What kind of question is that to ask a man that obviously doesn't like the state he's in? It's a very good question, because not every person wants to be made whole. Not every person wants to be delivered from drugs. Not every person wants to change the life that they're living. So it's a question we need to ask.

Do I really want to change? Don't tell me you're being tempted above your capacity to resist because with every one of those temptations, there was always a way out, wasn't there? It's usually that first bite that gets us into trouble. I don't know about you, but when we go out to a restaurant, and we can't do a lot of that right now in California, but when we would go out, you know, we'd be done, and someone would say, do you want to get dessert? No, no, nobody wants dessert. And then the server comes, can I tempt you with the dessert? And they even use the word tempt, and their voice even sounds like that for some reason, tempt you? And someone says, okay, we'll have one dessert with five forks, all right?

So the dessert arrives, and I say I don't even want any of that dessert, and everybody's digging in, and then I decide to take one little bite, and the moment I take that first bite, I'm like a shark smelling blood in the water. I go into a feeding frenzy, and so it's good for me to not take the first bite. It's good for all of us to not take the first look or play around with that thing or think we can conquer it like that guy with Humphrey the hippo.

We need to keep our distance. God has put a hedge of protection around every believer. In the story of Job, which is the oldest book of the Bible, the devil comes to God and wants to have a time of bringing difficulty into the life of God's servant named Job, and the devil says correctly of Job, have you not put a hedge of protection around him? And yes, it is true the Lord allowed a series of hardships to befall his servant, but in the end, God blessed Job in a wonderful and powerful way. My point is there is protection in our life, and there's always a way out of every temptation, and when the Lord lets us go through times of trial and allows us to be tempted, it's for a purpose.

He's trying to make us stronger. But remember, Jesus is praying for you. Every now and then people will come up to me and say, You know, we pray for you, Greg, and your family every day, and if you're one of those people from the bottom of my heart, let me say thank you so very much. There's no greater gift that you could offer to me than to say you pray for me or pray for our family or pray for our church.

Thank you so much for that, but I have to be honest with you. Knowing Christ is interceding for me even means more. There's an old commentator from days gone by. His name is Robert Murray McShane, and he made this statement, and I quote, If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies, yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me, end quote.

I mean, think about that. Christ himself praying for you. I remember once talking with Billy Graham, and I said, Billy, would you pray for me? And he prayed for me right there, and I thought, Oh, man, this prayer is going to be heard in heaven. This is Billy Graham praying it. Hey, I'm talking about Jesus himself praying for you, because over in Romans 8, 34, we read these words. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God.

Listen. He's interceding for us. So who will separate us from the love of Christ?

So trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Yes, he was praying for Peter, and he's interceding for you as well. And Jesus is saying, You'll be back, Peter. In Luke 22, 32, Jesus says that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to me, you'll strengthen your brothers. And Peter understood that and actually wrote about it in his own epistle, 1 Peter 5-10. He said, After you've suffered a little while, God will restore you and strengthen you and place you on a firm foundation. So Peter could speak from experience.

He had suffered, he had fallen, and he had experienced restoration. Why was the devil targeting Peter in particular? Well, I think it's because the devil also saw Peter's potential. He could see that he was first among the apostles. And when Peter said he was going to do something, they would all usually follow. After Christ died on the cross and they hadn't seen the risen Lord yet, Peter said, I'm going fishing.

They all said, We'll go with you. He was sort of the leader. The devil often targets leaders. That's why you need to pray for those who are in leadership. Maybe you feel like you've been being tempted a lot and attacked a lot by the devil.

Maybe that's because he sees your potential as well, so wear it as a badge of honor. Now, there are five steps that led Peter down to his denial of Christ. Here's step number one if you're taking notes. His first step down was self-confidence.

Self-confidence. Go back to Mark 14, verse 29. Peter said to Jesus, Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will. And this is after the Lord revealed that Judas would betray him. So Peter's effectively saying, Hey, even if Judas betrays you, I'll never let you down. And he's almost boasting at the expense of others, even if these others fall short. I, remember you gave me that new name, Rock?

I, Rocky, will never let you down. You know, it's never a good thing to boast of your commitment to Christ, especially at the expense of someone else. It's never even a good idea to boast about how much you love Jesus.

Rather, boast about how much he loves you. Our love is fickle. It's changing.

It's often changing. God's love for us is consistent. I love how the apostle John described himself as the apostle whom Jesus loved.

Now that may almost sound arrogant. What do you mean the apostle that Jesus loved? He's just stating the facts. He loved me. I feel loved by Jesus. And we can call ourself a disciple that Jesus loves as well.

So his first step down again was self-confidence. And saying these words that I'll never deny you after Christ said he would was actually placing unfounded confidence in himself. And it was also directly contradicting what Jesus said. Listen, Jesus said to Peter, you will deny me. When Jesus says something will happen, you can take it to the bank.

If the Bible tells us something that's gonna happen in the future, trust me, it's gonna happen in the future. But in Peter's mind, even if everyone else abandoned the Lord, he never would. Look at verse 31 of Mark 14.

He says, even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you. You know, it's an interesting thing when you look in the Bible, you'll find that often men and women of God fell in the very area that they normally were strong in. And so as an example, we have Elijah. What do we think of when we think of Elijah? We think of fire, called fire down from heaven. We think of boldness, bravery, standing up there on Mount Carmel representing God.

But what happened after the fire fell on Mount Carmel? There was a contract put out on the prophet's life by Queen Jezebel, and Elijah ran and hid in a cave. So he was cowardly and afraid when he was normally known for his boldness, Abraham. Well, he's the father of faith. When we think of faith, we think of Abraham. Yet he had a serious lapse of faith when he lied about Sarah being his wife, saying she was his sister because he was afraid of what would happen. How about Samson, known for his superhuman strength? He was overthrown in his moral weakness. This is why you must never lower your guard in any area of your life.

See, it was self-confidence. I heard a story about two ducks and a frog. They like to hang out together in a pond in Farmer Brown's Field. And one summer, the little pond dried up because it was a drought. So the frog went to the ducks, this is a true story, and said, guys, you gotta help me out here.

I'm stuck here. But if each of you would take a stick in each of your beaks, I could hold onto the stick with my mouth and you could fly me out of here. So the ducks said, okay, we'll do it. And so they each grabbed hold of that stick with their beaks, and the little frog jumped up and grabbed it with his mouth. And as they're flying out of Farmer Brown's Field, Farmer Brown's down there and he looks up and he sees this amazing sight of two ducks holding a stick in their beaks with a frog holding on by his mouth. And he said, that is an amazing thing.

Who thought of that? And the frog said, I did. See, he let go.

He had to take credit, right? The Bible says pride goes before a fall. Peter's second step down was prayerlessness. I'm not even sure if that's a word, but it's a real thing, prayerlessness. How many of us would be honest to admit that we need to pray more?

I know that I do. And Peter was sleeping when he should have been praying. Going back to Mark 14, verse 37.

They're in the Garden of Gethsemane now. Jesus says to the disciples, Peter, James, and John, watch with me, watch and pray. And we read these words. And this is from the New King James Version. He came and found them sleeping and said to Peter, Simon, why are you sleeping?

Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again, he went away and prayed and spoke the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to say to him. Here's Jesus contemplating the horrors of the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane. And according to Dr. Luke, he's sweating, as it were, great drops of blood.

Literally sweating blood as he thinks about what is ahead. All he asked for was a little companionship from Peter, James, and John, and they fell asleep. You know, it's interesting, and the Bible sleep is spoken of as sort of a negative thing.

It says to Christians, now is the time to wake up for our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. And we all know what it's like to fall asleep at an inappropriate time. Maybe you've fallen asleep in church. By the way, pastors know when you fall asleep. I think it comes as a revelation to people to know that not only can you see me when I'm speaking, but I can see you. And when someone nods out, they may put their hands up to their face like they're praying, I know you're sleeping, okay, especially when you start snoring. But we always deny it when we're sleeping for some reason. Some will say, did you fall asleep?

No, no, you did. And these guys fell asleep. But you see, Jesus was getting them ready. He's saying, boys, you need to pray because he knew a storm was brewing. He knew that hard times were ahead and they needed to be praying.

Literally, the devil's son is on his way with some armed guards to arrest Jesus. And it's a reminder to us that prayerlessness can be as much of a sin as breaking a commandment. See, there's not just sins of commission.

That's when you do what you should not do. But there are sins of omission when you don't do what you should do. The Bible says to him that knows to do good and does not do it to him it is sin. So if the Lord impresses upon your heart the need to pray and you don't pray, that can be a sin. Jesus is saying to Peter, James, and John, guys, you need to pray.

Yeah, whatever, we're gonna catch some Zs right now. That was a mistake. His third step down was Peter trusted human efforts instead of God's power. He trusted human efforts instead of God's power. Verse 46 of Mark 14, they laid their hands on him and took them and one of them who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Matthew's gospel gives us a few more details about this. Jesus said to Peter, put your sword in its place for all who take the sword and live by the sword will die by the sword. And then Jesus says to Peter, don't you realize I could call on my father and he would send 12 legions of angels.

Now, in fairness, we can understand Peter's outrage. Judas Iscariot, he's hung out with this guy for three years plus, thought of him as a friend. And yet here is Judas who's betrayed Jesus and how did Judas betray Jesus?

The Bible says with a kiss. I mean, couldn't Judas just say, look, it's the guy I'm pointing to, that's Jesus, arrest him. Or the guy I'm shaking his hand, there he is, he betrays him with a kiss. And in the original language, it wasn't just a peck on the cheek, it was repeated kisses, a form of intimacy and he's appearing to be someone who loves Jesus when he's betraying him. And Jesus says to Judas as he approaches, friend, why have you come?

Friend? He should have said, fiend, why have you come? Jesus knew why he came. But I think Judas missed it, Christ was giving to Judas one last opportunity to repent of his sin and Judas did not take it. Remember, Satan filled Judas' heart. So Peter's just ticked off, he's angry. He's a fisherman, not a swordsman.

He pulls off the sword, whoom, he takes a swing. Off comes the ear of a guy named Malchus, another gospel tells us, who probably was leading the charge and Jesus reaches down, picks this man's ear up and reattaches it. So the last miracle of Jesus before he died on the cross was the healing of a man who was coming to arrest him and it was also a miracle that was done to cover the blunder of a disciple.

What an amazing story that is. You know, this is a reminder to all of us that we're in the spiritual battle and we need to fight a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons. I mentioned earlier that America really needs prayer right now.

I think a lot of people think everything is a political solution, it isn't. America needs a spiritual healing. Remember what God promises in 2 Chronicles 7, 14. He 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, the Lord says, I'll hear from heaven, I'll forgive their sin and heal their land. Oh Lord, heal our land. Let's pray for our country right now. Father, America needs a supernatural touch. We need a spiritual awakening and we're asking right now in the name of Jesus Christ that you will help us to take to heart what that promise of 2 Chronicles 7, 14 says, that we would churn from our wicked ways, that we would seek your face. Lord, heal our land.

You've promised to do so. We ask for that in Jesus' name, amen. Two more steps that led to Peter's fall. Step number four, he was warming himself at the enemy's fire. He was warming himself at the enemy's fire. Go back to Mark 14, verse 66, we read, as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came and she saw Peter warming himself. She looked at him and said, you also were with Jesus of Nazareth. He denied it, saying I don't know or understand what you're saying, and he went out on the porch and a rooster crowed. Remember what Jesus said?

You will deny me three times before the rooster has crowed twice. So he's warming himself by the fire. Have you ever tried to go undercover as a Christian, sort of hide your faith, go unnoticed in the larger crowd? Following at a distance, Peter became cold and was attracted to the warmth of the fire. He didn't think that anyone would recognize him there. Now he is following Jesus still, so we have to give him some credit.

He hasn't run away, but he's not doing anything either. In fact, we're given a detail here in Matthew 26, verse 58. We read that Peter went and sat with the servants to see the end. See, that's what he thought it was, the end. There's no more hope. Everything's gone off the tracks. Jesus, in Peter's estimation, was supposed to establish his kingdom and drive out the Romans, and now he's been betrayed by one of us, and now he's going to die on a cross, but I guess I'll just stay here and see the end, but it was not gonna be the end.

It was gonna be a beginning, a new beginning. It's not a bad thing that he was warming himself by a fire, but he's with these people around the fire. The Bible says in Psalm 1, blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly or stands in the way of sinners or sits in the seat of the scornful. See, that's what was happening. He was mixing in with this crowd, and he's called out. Right there he should have said, yes, I'm a follower of Jesus, but he denies it. Denial number one.

Now his fifth step down, another denial. Luke's Gospel tells us some time elapsed before the first and second denial. So Peter could have left that place, but he stayed inexplicably.

He had plenty of time to think about it, and we might criticize him for it, but wait a second. The last time you were tempted, did you flee? Did you remove yourself from that place where you were being pulled down?

When that scene in the movie came on the screen, did you walk out of the theater or did you turn the TV off? When your buddy mocked or cursed God, did you speak up for your faith? That temptation from that girl that came your way, did you flee like Joseph did? See, it's very easy for us to critique, but we do the same, and we get compromised, and that's what Peter was doing right now.

He was trapped in a miserable web of compromise. Suddenly, someone recognizes Peter. Look at Mark chapter 14, verse 69. And a servant girl saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, this is one of them, but he denied it again. A little later, those who stood by Peter said to him, again, you're one of them, for you're a Galilean, and your speech shows it. And he began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the man of whom you speak. A second time, the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said. Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.

And when he thought about it, he wept. You're a Galilean, they said. Now, we don't understand what that means necessarily, but it was sort of an insult because those that lived in Jerusalem, a sophisticated city at the time, thought of the people that lived in the region of Galilee as being at a lower level.

It would be sort of like saying, you're a country bumpkin or you're unsophisticated or you don't know what you're talking about. You're not educated like we are in Jerusalem. And then Peter denies again, and the rooster crows. Peter should have just come clean and admitted he was a follower of Jesus Christ. But verse 71 says he began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know this man of whom you speak, and then the rooster crows. Now, when the Bible says he cursed and swore, it doesn't mean that Peter swore like a sailor, though he was a sailor.

But it's a different term. It means to take an oath and to swear to God. So, and what could best be described as the worst illustration of taking the Lord's name in vain, Peter effectively said, I swear to God and I take an oath right now, I never knew Jesus Christ. Now, Luke fills in an important detail. Luke 22, verse 59. While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

Listen to this. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, what he had said to him, and he went out and wept bitterly. The Lord looked at Peter. So at the very moment of his third denial and the rooster crows, who appears on the scene, Jesus. They're leading him from one place to another and he makes eye contact with Peter.

Imagine that if you can. What kind of expression was on the Lord's face? Do you think he rolled his eyes like what a loser. Do you think he looked at Peter with scorn and anger? No, actually I think he looked at Peter with deep love. Did this all come as a surprise to Jesus?

No. He knew Peter would do this. He told Peter he would do this. Did Jesus know Peter would fail? Absolutely. Was Peter still a believer at this moment?

Yes, he was. Believers can fall. Believers can stumble. But believers can get up again. Peter needed to remember that Jesus said when you have returned, you will strengthen your brothers.

In other words, this setback is temporary. See, for Peter, his setback was gonna turn into a setup and God was gonna use this failure as a way for Peter to encourage other people. Yes, his mess would be turned into a message. This is a great example to us that anybody can fall into sin. But Peter was really repentant.

The Bible says he wept bitterly. The Bible says godly sorrow produces repentance. See, everyone's gonna sin and when you sin and feel bad about that, that's a good thing because that means your conscience is working. But if you can sin and sin again and even sin some more, even committing the same sin repeatedly and feel no remorse, no guilt, something isn't working right in your heart and in your soul. The conviction of the spirit that will produce guilt is a reminder that you need to get right with God. Peter wept bitterly. Are you sorry for your sin? Now let me ask a follow-up question.

Are you sorry enough to stop? This is a hopeful story because Peter went out and wept bitterly but three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead and what was the message? It was go tell the disciples and Peter, he's risen. Why wasn't it go tell the disciples and John or go tell the disciples and Andrew or Matthew? It's go tell the disciples and Peter.

Why was Peter singled out? Because he needed a special word from the Lord. Am I talking to someone right now that needs a special reminder from God that you are loved by him?

Well, let me say that to you. God loves you. God longs for a relationship with you and when you run from him or fall spiritually, he longs for you to return to him again. God says in Jeremiah 3.22, return you faithless people and I will cure you of backsliding.

How is this all possible? Through the death of Jesus. Where was Jesus headed? He was headed to the cross to die for the sins of Simon Peter, to die for the sins of the apostles, to die for the sins of all the people of that day, to die for the sins of people of every generation. He was going to the cross to die for your sins and mine. I love the way that the apostle Paul personalized it when he said of Christ, he loved me and gave himself for me. It's personal. Jesus died on that cross for you.

Why? Because he knew there was no other way for you to be made right with God. Do you think good works will get you to heaven? Do you think living a better life is gonna get you closer to God?

It won't. No, you see, every one of us falls short of God's glory. Every one of us breaks his commandments and that separates us from him but Christ died for our sin and paid for our sin so what you need to do to come into this relationship with God, what you need to do to be forgiven of your sin, what you need to do to know that you'll go to heaven when you die or what you need to do to come back to the Lord is admit you're a sinner, turn from that sin and put your faith in Jesus.

Would you do that right now? Yes, there can be a second chance in life for you. Jesus Christ who died on that cross and rose from the dead three days later is alive and here and he's knocking at the door of your life and he's saying if you'll hear my voice and open the door, I will come in. So why don't you open that door so to speak? Why don't you invite Jesus into your life? Listen, if you would like your sin forgiven, if you would like to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, if you would like that second chance in life I've been talking about, you can pray a prayer with me right now. I'll pray a simple prayer and I'll ask you to just stop what you're doing wherever you are. You could bow your head, close your eyes if you'd like. You can pray with your eyes open if you want but I would ask you to pray this out loud and this is a prayer where you are asking God to forgive you of your sin, a prayer where you're asking Jesus Christ to come into your life or a prayer where you're recommitting your life to the Lord.

If you need to do this, do it right now with me. Let's pray. Pray these words. Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin. I turn from my sin now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing this prayer and thank you for answering this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Hey everybody, Greg Laurie here. Thanks for listening to our podcast and to learn more about Harvest Ministries, please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org and by the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God, go to knowgod.org. That's K-N-O-W-G-O-D.org.