The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | Sunday Message

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. Alright, well let's all grab our Bibles. We're going through the book of Revelation together. And the title of my message is The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

It's pretty ominous sounding, isn't it? But that's what we're going to be talking about in this particular message as we go through the book of Revelation. I heard a story about two Christians that were standing on a roadside with a sign that said, the end is near, turn around before it's too late. So some guy sped by, threw his brakes on, rolled on his window, and yelled at the Christians, why don't you religious nuts just leave us alone? And he sped off, and there was this screeching of tires and a huge splash. And one of the Christians turned to his Christian friend and said, maybe we should just get a sign that says bridge out instead.

Right? So here's the question. Is the end really near? Haven't we heard this for a long time? Is Armageddon actually coming? Is the antichrist close to appearing? Are we going to see the apocalypse in our lifetime? I mean the very word apocalypse is a powerful word. It usually means something catastrophic. If something really bad will say, it's so bad it's apocalyptic. There's a trend right now, wild theory floating around out in the Internet about a zombie apocalypse.

Right? So we use this word a lot, but actually it's an interesting word. It's an interchangeable word with the word revelation. And it simply means the unveiling, or another way to translate it, to pull the lid off of something. And that's exactly what we see happening now as we come to this new section of revelation.

The lid is being pulled off. And we see a lot of powerful events are happening in rapid succession as I described earlier. Not unlike dominoes closely stacked together.

One knocking the other one over. We have never been closer to the apocalypse than we are right now. Type the word apocalypse in Google and you will find 100 million pages addressing the topic.

But what does it mean? That's what I want to talk about. A number of years ago Billy Graham wrote a book called Approaching Hoofbeats, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And here's what Billy wrote and I quote, Some theologians and Bible scholars have thought that these scenes as described by the Apostle John to be a description of past events. However, most evangelical scholars interpret them as having to do with the future, as do I, writes Billy.

In my view the shadows of all four horsemen can already be seen galloping through the world at this very moment. Therefore I want not only to apply these four symbols of events yet to come, but also for us to put our ears lower to the ground and hear their hoofbeats growing louder by the day. Graham concludes quote, I can hear the hoofbeats of these horses much louder than when I first began writing this book. End quote.

He wrote that book 38 years ago. So if Billy Graham could hear the hoofbeats louder then we certainly can hear them even more right now. These approaching hoofbeats have become thundering hoofbeats. And I want to talk about what the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who they are, what this is all about. But before we get to that in Revelation chapter 6, here in Revelation 5 we are going to go back to heaven for a moment and see what is happening in heaven before the four horsemen are unleashed. So read with me from Revelation chapter 5 verse 1. John says, I saw on the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll, written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look at it. John writes, So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or look at it.

But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb, as if it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

And then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, each having a harp. So we will have harps in heaven, won't we? And golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song saying, You are worthy to take the scroll to open its seals, for you were slain and you have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

We will stop there. So here now John is in heaven. A mysterious scroll is produced. It has seven seals on it.

Look at verse one of Revelation 5 again. I saw on the right hand of him that sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back sealed with seven seals. Now we read this and we have no idea what this even means.

So let me explain it contextually and historically and then apply it for us today. What is a scroll? Well back in those days important documents were written down on paper and rolled up in what we would call a scroll. This was something that was used back in this day to record wills for instance. The will of the Roman emperors Vespasian and Caesar Augustus were on scrolls sealed with seven seals. So what that means is you would open up this paper, this parchment, you would write down something, you would roll it, and you would put a wax seal and imprint it with the insignia. Then you would write something else, roll that up, put the seal on it again, roll it a little more, put another seal on it. So when you were opening this document you would open it and break one seal, read a portion of it, then break another seal, read a little more of it, and break the other seal. So this was reserved for the most important documents. This would sort of be like having an encryption key to a highly classified document today. So it was a seven sealed title deed. So what was it? What is this mysterious scroll?

I believe it is a title deed of the earth. This is what Jesus has come to the earth for. This is why He was born in the manger of Bethlehem. This is why He dies on the cross of Calvary. This is why He rises again from the dead. This is His mission to buy back, to purchase back with His blood that which was lost way back in the Garden of Eden. When our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned there was a curse that came upon humanity.

And we lost paradise. And all of the effects of sin came into the human race. For instance, if Adam and Eve had not sinned we would have never grown old. If Adam and Eve had not sinned we would never die. If Adam and Eve had not sinned I would have hair right now. Right?

So the idea is simply this. That we lost something great in the garden. Jesus has come to purchase it back again. But there is only one way it can be done. And that is if He comes as a lamb to be slain. If He will die for the sin of the world. You know the devil actually offered him a hack on this.

A shortcut. You remember when Christ was beginning His earthly ministry. The devil took Him out in the desert and we read that He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. Which is kind of amazing to think about. Like all the kingdoms of the world.

What did He actually see? All these kingdoms maybe of that moment of the present of the future. And the devil said, all this is mine. And I can give it to whomever I want to give it to. And if you will now worship me I will give it to you.

Like wow. First of all if that was not true Jesus would have corrected him and said, it is not yours. You can't give it to whomever you choose. But in fact Christ did not disagree with this statement because it was true. The devil is called the father of lies but in this particular instance he is telling the truth. The Bible describes him as the god of this world. The prince of the power of the air.

Who effectively has the title deed of the earth prior to this event. But now he is saying to Jesus, I know what you are here for. I know you want this and I will give it to you on a silver platter. All you have to do is give me the momentary pleasure of worship. And Jesus of course says, it is written you should worship the Lord God in Him only shall you serve. So Jesus knew the only way to reach this objective was by going to the cross. And so when he hangs on the cross of Calvary and he uses one word.

Tetelestai. Which is translated it is finished. That is what he was effectively saying. Finished is a stronghold on humanity. Finished was a miserable bondage that people are held by because of Satan. And finished was Satan's possession of the title deed of the planet earth.

The party is over and the devil knows it. So back to our heavenly scene. The angel holds out a scroll. It says who is worthy to open the scroll. So a massive cosmic recruitment effort is taking place.

Sort of a heavenly Google search. Who can open this scroll and no one is found. Now consider there is a lot of heavy hitters in heaven. We have the great patriarchs like Abraham and Moses and David is there. Prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah, Apostles, Peter, James, and John. They are all there but none of them can open this scroll. There are more angels than you can shake a stick at.

Including Michael the archangel and Gabriel and others. But no one is worthy to open the scroll. And John begins to weep. By the way sometimes it is said there are no tears in heaven. Well there is because John is weeping at this point. Because no one is worthy to open the scroll.

No one is found here that can change the condition of the world. That means if it is not open the suffering, pain, sickness, and death that characterize everyday life will not stop. And so John begins to weep.

But suddenly there is an answer. Look at Revelation 5 verse 5. One of the elders said, Do not weep. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah. The root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and loose the seals.

Do I have to tell you who this is? The lion of the tribe of Judah. It is Jesus Himself who is coming as a lamb.

It is interesting. He is appearing as both a lion and a lamb. Jesus appears and He now can open the scroll.

Why? Because He is as a lamb who has been slain. Over in Isaiah speaking of Jesus it says that He would lay His life down and He would not protest and He would be like a lamb that had been slain. John the Baptist pointed at Jesus and said to His disciples, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Here is another really interesting thing we find here in Revelation 5. We find out what happens after we pray. Have you ever prayed about something and received no answer? It almost seemed like God wasn't even listening. And you ask did God even hear that prayer? Look at what it says in verse 8. The 24 elders fell down before the Lamb each having a harp and golden bulls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.

Listen. Every prayer that you pray is recorded and noted in heaven. Every single prayer. The Bible says He keeps our tears in a bottle. Which means every tear you shed is known by God and every prayer you pray is heard by God and He stores your prayers in heaven.

So we talk about information being in the cloud right? Your prayers are in the cloud. The Lord is aware of them and some He will answer straightaway. Others He will answer in His timing.

Others He will answer later but will ultimately see His purposes and plans when we get to heaven. So here now is Jesus presented to us as a Lamb. You know when Christ walked among us He never set His deity aside. He was God walking this planet. Not a man becoming God.

That is impossible. He was God becoming a man. And at the transfiguration remember He shined like the sun with Moses and Elijah on each side. The miracle was not that Jesus shined like the sun on the Mount of Transfiguration.

The miracle was He didn't do it all the time. Because He was always shining. You know I have a phone and it has a flashlight feature and it always gets turned on randomly. So I have to get rid of that flashlight.

It is going to drain my battery. Jesus was light walking among us but He shrouded that light. He laid aside the privileges of deity and walked among us as a man or as a lamb. Now lambs are not strong creatures. You could not find a creature that is more opposite of a lion than a lamb. A lion is ferocious and powerful called the king of the jungle.

A lamb that is dinner on four legs. They might as well just carry mint jelly around with them because they can't run fast. They can't really bite. They can't do much of anything except die.

Right? So it is interesting that He is compared to both. A lamb is weak. Jesus was not weak but He was meek. In fact Jesus said of Himself, I am meek and lowly. Meek means power under constraint. So He did not fight back.

He did not strike back when He was hit in the face as He was tried on false charges. He took it meekly as a lamb. And you know it is interesting the word that is used here in Revelation for a lamb means a little pet lamb.

A little pet lamb. So when the Jewish people would celebrate the Passover they were to slay a lamb as you remember. And then they were to take the blood and in the case of the first Passover apply it to the door of their house on the top and on the right and on the left and God's judgment would pass over. So they would take that little pet lamb that they had come to love and they would offer it as a sacrifice. And the reason for that is God wanted them to feel the effects of sin. I mean imagine sacrificing your little pet dog or little pet cat how hard that would be because people become so attached to animals these days. They have family photos and the dog is in the photo.

And you push them around in strollers or whatever it is. So the idea was to take something that you love and treasure and offer it so you would feel that sense of loss and the ugliness of sin. And so when it is realized that Jesus is the lamb who was slain who can open the scroll there is an outbreak of praise and worship. Revelation 5, 9 they sing a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and you have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.

Now this is very important. Out of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. I bring this up because sometimes the question is asked what about the person who has never heard the gospel?

Listen to this. Ultimately the gospel will be preached in all of the world. Every tribe will hear. Every tongue will hear. Every race will hear.

Yes even the person living in the middle of the jungle as it is sometimes presented or the person out in the middle of a desert they are all going to hear the gospel. So when we get to heaven everyone is represented from every background. And I think this is even a celebration of our distinctions. Of our cultures. Of our languages.

Of our races. All together at the throne of God. Now we shift gears to this powerful and ominous chapter. A key chapter to understanding the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 6.

Now we are looking at the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Revelation 6 verse 1. And now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals I heard one of the four living creatures sing with a voice like thunder, come and see. And I looked and behold a white horse and he that sat on it had a bow and a crown was given to him and he went out conquering and to conquer. And when he opened the second seal I heard the second living creature say come and see. Another horse fiery red went out and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth and that people should kill one another and it was given to him a great sword.

And when he opened the third seal I heard the third living creature say come and see and behold a black horse and he that sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. Now notice this is all happening after these things. That is how Revelation 4 began. After these things.

After what things? After the things of the church. We looked at the words of Jesus and the seven love letters of Christ to his church in Revelation chapters 2 to 3. When we come to chapter 4 now we are in heaven.

And also in chapter 5. So this is all happening after the church is removed. This is important because the first horseman of the apocalypse is none other than the antichrist. This is antichrist inaugurating the tribulation period.

Now some get confused. Think maybe this is a reference to Jesus Christ because he rides a white horse. And we know the good guy always rides a white horse right?

The old westerns the good guy had the white hat. Well it is true that Jesus comes on a white horse but this rider is not the same as the description of Christ in Revelation 19. In Revelation 19 which is describing Jesus returning it says, I saw heaven open and before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true with justice he judges and wages war and on his head are many crowns. So here comes Jesus on air horse one returning to planet earth.

This is different what we are reading about here in Revelation 6. This is not Jesus Christ this is antichrist masquerading as the Messiah. Antichrist wears a crown.

In contrast Jesus wears many crowns. Remember Jesus said one of the signs of the last days will be many will come in my name saying I am Christ. So here is antichrist.

Now the prefix anti can be translated instead of as well as against. So we might ask the question is antichrist as coming world leader against Christ or is he offering himself instead of Christ. Answer.

Both. And if you contrast the white horse and rider in Revelation 19 with the rider here in Revelation 6 there is a lot of important differences. The antichrist in what we just read here carries a bow without arrows. Jesus Christ wears a victor's crown singular.

Jesus Christ wears many crowns. Antichrist initiates war. Jesus comes with his armies at the battle of Armageddon and ends war. Antichrist inaugurates the great tribulation period. Jesus Christ ends the great tribulation period.

Now just as mysterious as the word apocalypse is the word antichrist. Who is this person? Is it an actual human being? Answer.

Yes. He has many aliases. In the Bible he is called the man of sin, the son of perdition, the little horn, the wicked one, the prince who is to come, the one who makes desolate, and of course the beast. But we pretty much know him as the antichrist.

That is what we expect. He is going to be suave. He is going to be intelligent, engaging, magnetic, and charismatic. But it is all a mask hiding who he really is, the most evil man who ever lived. If Satan were to have a son, this is him. The only man that could even compare to the antichrist would be Judas Iscariot. The Bible even tells us that there are over 100 passages in the Bible that detail the origin, nationality, career, character, kingdom, and the final doom of the antichrist. Sometimes the question is asked is the antichrist alive right now? No one can say with any certainty. In a Newsweek poll that was done 19 percent of Americans said they believe antichrist is on earth right now.

In a U.S. News and World Report article 49 percent of Americans said they will believe that there will be an antichrist sometime in the future. But we don't know. We don't know if he is alive now. But let me say this.

He could be. We know that when he emerges on the scene he will come at economically hard times. He will do what no other president, prime minister, king, or world leader has ever done. Global peace. He will be hailed as the greatest peacemaker that ever lived. This is going to be interesting because the Bible says in Daniel 8.25 through peace he will deceive many. We all long for global peace.

We want there to be no war. Here comes a man inaugurating the tribulation period with peaceful solutions, with economic solutions. We don't even know how evil he is until a little bit later in the tribulation period. By the way I think it is completely futile and pointless to try to figure out who the antichrist is because if you figure it out to the antichrist is that means you miss the rapture.

So don't waste your time. As I have said before don't spend your time looking for antichrist. Spend your time looking for Jesus Christ because the Bible says when you see these things begin to happen look up for your redemption is drawing near. Notice also it says in verse 2 his crown is given to him. This reminds us that even this evil man needs permission from God to do his evil work. Remember in the book of Job how the angels came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan was among them. Remember Satan is a fallen angel. And God was bragging on Job saying have you considered my servant Job a perfect and upright man one that fears God and shuns evil and Satan pushes back and says why do you think Job fears you? He fears you because you blessed him. And in effect he says let me have a little time with him. Let me have access into his life. And God gives him a limited permission in the life of Job and a series of calamities befall him.

But just remember the devil always has to ask permission and God will not let you be tested above which you are able. Now we come to horse number two. We can call him the war horse. Revelation 6 3. He opened the second seal.

I heard the second living creature saying come and see. Another horse fiery red went out and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth and that people should kill one another and that it was given to him a great sword. So now Antichrist is showing his true colors. First he comes off like a good guy riding on a white horse wearing a crown bringing peace. But now we see his real agenda a red horse.

Fiery red would be a literal translation. Remember later in Revelation 6 and 7. Remember later in Revelation 12 3 we read a description of Satan as being a great fiery red dragon. And that reminds us that Satan is behind the wars and struggles on this planet. Jesus said of Satan he comes to steal kill and destroy.

But again notice the difference between Jesus Christ and Antichrist. At the coming of Jesus Christ we have peace on earth. That was the announcement to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.

Glory to God on the highest and peace on earth among men with whom God is well pleased. But Antichrist comes along to take peace from the earth. We read that he has a sword and the Greek word here for sword speaks of the short stabbing sword that a Roman soldier would use in close combat.

It was also used as a weapon by assassins. It speaks of something that is sudden and unexpected. Again he comes first as a man of peace but actually he's a man of war and now he's going to bring the misery and havoc that is part of his plan.

Following the white horse and the red horse we have the pale horse and the black horse. Death plagues and misery follows. This is the great tribulation period.

The first half of it, the first three and a half years begin peacefully. The second half of it Antichrist pursues his agenda and the judgment of God ultimately falls on the planet. By the way God takes no pleasure in bringing judgment.

That's why even during the tribulation period the Lord gives opportunity for people to repent. We read that he sends his angel in the heavens preaching the everlasting gospel and warning people to not take the mark of the beast. That's why it's so crazy when people get hung up thinking oh if I take the vaccine for COVID-19 is that the mark of the beast?

No it isn't. Because when the beast is here, when Antichrist is revealed you're going to know it. You're going to know he's that coming world leader and if you're a Christian you shouldn't be around to know it anyway.

I'll tell you why I believe that in just a moment. This is not something we have to be worried about but the angels are telling us not to take in the mark of the beast and proclaiming the gospel. I call this an angelic mop up operation. The angels will reach the ones we missed flying through the heavens proclaiming the gospel. We also read of two powerful witnesses that will be raised up in the tribulation period.

They'll perform miracles calling fire down from heaven stopping the rain. Some believe these two witnesses may be Moses and Elijah. Then we read of another 144,000 people who are called by God to preach the gospel. We know that these are Jewish people. No, they're not Jehovah's Witnesses. It's very clear that they're from the 12 tribes of Israel.

These are Jewish people that have embraced Jesus as their Messiah. It's like 144,000 kosher Billy Grahams proclaiming the gospel. You combine that with the angelic message in the heavens.

You combine that with a witness of the two prophets that we'll get into later. You realize God is going out of His way. God is bending over backwards to help people to repent of their sin so they don't have to face this judgment. The Lord says, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. That's why He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sin. Antichrist.

Why has he not been revealed yet? The only thing holding him back is the presence of the church on the earth. Here's a very important verse. 2 Thessalonians 2, 7. It says, The mystery of lawlessness is already at work, only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed. That's Antichrist. Whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming.

Who is the one that is now restraining? Sometimes people say, well, it's the Holy Spirit who is restraining. When the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth, then Antichrist will be revealed. But the Holy Spirit is not going to be removed from the earth. The reason for that is people are coming to Christ during the tribulation period. In fact, some of the greatest spiritual awakenings and revivals are going to happen during the tribulation period. And the Bible is clear in pointing out that no one can come to Christ unless the Holy Spirit draws him.

Right? So it's not the Holy Spirit that's taken from the earth. It's the Holy Spirit working through the church. He who now restrains speaks of the Spirit working through you and me.

Listen to this. The reason things aren't worse right now is because believers, followers of Jesus, are the restraining force on the planet, keeping things at bay. I mean, imagine how bad it will get when we're caught up suddenly and thousands, even millions of Christians disappear, how all hell could break loose, no more restraints, no more people pushing back, no more people protesting it. If we can just do whatever we want, nonbelievers will think and they will.

So what are we to do in the light of this teaching of the imminent return of the Lord? Hey, Jesus told us we're to be both salt and light in our world. Salt and light. He says you're the salt of the earth.

You're the light of the world. So what does that mean? Well, salt back in the first century was used as a preservative. They didn't have refrigerators like we have today so they would rub salt in their meat and it would last longer. Our modern equivalent would be something like beef jerky.

So we're a restraining force. We go and we permeate and we make a difference but another thing that salt does is it stimulates thirst. Remember when there were movie theaters that we could go to? I can't remember the last time I went to a movie but I remember ordering popcorn and they have different sizes, a little size and then a bigger size and then one that's like the size of a chicken or a chicken. And they'll give you a free refill.

So you're motivated to get that one because it's a better deal. And then they salt it, right? And then you go back and say you don't want to pay $30 for a Coke. Can I get a little cup of water?

I'm sorry, we're not allowed to give the cups out and this is how I remember it. But anyway, salt stimulates thirst, right? And I think when you're walking with Jesus as you ought to, you will stimulate in others a thirst for God. When they're around you, they'll see something in you that they want. Why is it that stolen food always tastes better? You ever notice that? You're in a restaurant, somebody orders their burger and fries and you say I'll just have a salad and you're eating your little salad and then you say can I have one of your fries and they say yes.

And then that fry turns out to be the best you've ever eaten in your life. There's something about watching someone enjoy a meal that makes you want to have the same meal and there's something about watching a Christian walk with God that makes a non-believer say I want what you have. Case in point, remember when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for preaching the gospel? Their backs were ripped open with a Roman whip, their feet, their legs were fastened in stocks in a dungeon and we read at midnight, Paul and Silas began to sing praises to God. Not long after that, an earthquake came and the Roman jailer thought he was in big trouble because all of his prisoners would escape but they didn't run away and Paul said we're still here, don't harm yourself. And that man, that hardened Roman jailer said sirs, what must I do to be saved? He saw something and Paul and Silas said he wanted so badly and I just pray that you and I could be like that. We could be salt in our culture, we could be light in our culture and draw people to Christ.

Let me address a question I raised last time and I'll close with this. When is the rapture? No one knows the day of the hour but here's an interesting verse. 2 Peter 3.9 says the Lord isn't really being slow about his promise as some people think. No, he's being patient for your sake because he doesn't want anyone to perish and he wants everyone to repent. You know, I came to Christ in 1970 and we were talking a lot about the Lord's return and we were saying Lord, even so, come. And we were hoping he would return in the 70s and of course in the 80s and 90s and to the present day but aren't you glad God didn't answer our prayer back in the 70s?

Because think of how many people have come to Christ since then. Why has Jesus not yet come? Because he doesn't want any to perish but he wants all to come to repentance. What that means is he's waiting on you. He's waiting on you to come to him, to believe in him because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, died on the cross for your sin.

He rose again from the dead and now he stands at the door of your life and he knocks and if you hear his voice and open the door, he'll come in. Listen, if you reject the offer of Jesus Christ or forgive you, you will face a certain judgment in a place called hell and the last thing Jesus wants is for anyone made in the image of God to spend eternity in this place that was designed not for people but for the devil and his angels. He wants you to be forgiven.

He wants you to join him in heaven. Don't you want to go to heaven when you die? Don't you want to be ready for this event we've been talking about called the rapture of the church? Because if you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, listen, you'll be left to face the great tribulation period and it's going to be hell on earth. You do not want to be here when this happens.

God has a far greater plan for your life but he won't force it. Coming back to that statement of Jesus where he says he stands at the door, knocks. He's polite.

He's like a gentleman. Hey, could I come in? I would really love to come in and have a relationship with you. I would really love to forgive you. Bring you peace and joy and purpose in life.

Why would you say no to that? You can have your sin forgiven and you can enter into a relationship with God right now. If you haven't done that yet, I'm going to give you a chance to do it as we pray. First I want to pray for you and then I'm going to invite you to put your faith in Jesus Christ.

Let's pray. Father, I pray for every person wherever they are watching this right now. I pray that your Holy Spirit will convince them and convict them of their sin and bring them to yourself. Help them to see their need for Jesus. Help them to believe. Lord, I'm also going to pray for prodigal sons and daughters out there.

People that were maybe raised in the church but have gone astray. Lord, I pray you would bring them back to yourself right now. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Listen, if you want Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin, if you want to know that you will go to heaven when you die, if you want to be rapture ready, if you want to be ready for the return of the Lord, if you want this relationship with God I've been talking about, it's as simple as a prayer. Jesus said, For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son and whoever believes in Him will not perish but an everlasting life. What does it mean to believe in Him? It means to put your faith in Christ. It doesn't mean to merely acknowledge that a historical figure named Jesus walked this planet 2,000 years ago.

It's much more than that. It's a relationship. I'm not talking to you about religion. A relationship where you say Jesus come into my life. Would you like Jesus to come into your life right now? Would you like Him to forgive you of your sin? I'm going to pray a simple prayer. I'm going to ask that you would pray this prayer after me. You can pray it out loud if you like.

You can pray it quietly in your heart. But God will hear this prayer because the Bible says, Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. That's what you're doing in this prayer. You're calling on the name of the Lord. If you want Jesus to come into your life just pray this prayer after me. Just pray, Lord Jesus, I know that I am 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 choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing 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 dot org.