The Bible & Revival: A Desire for God’s Word

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. If you would like to know how you can become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org that's harvest.org when you're hoping you'll desire God's word in your life jolting you reading the Bible is God is not a good indication real indication of you being a Spirit filled believer is your ring for thoughts or health is often tied to appetite today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie points out, it's a very good sign if we have an appetite for hungry people are healthy people and life is our only conference of women virtual armor yet in many homes is the most dusty book. It contains the very keys to the issues of life overlook God and so many times we need to help. It offers a well used Bible was falling apart usually owned by someone who isn't today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie importance of digestion.

The Bible I can tell you I knew nothing about the Bible before I was a Christian I wasn't raised in a Christian home. I never read the Bible for myself. I was completely ignorant of it, but my high school For the Jesus movement was happening. There was a lot of young kids walking around with Bibles and these are kids I knew some of these kids I used to party with and hang out with them.

I got why on earth would they carry a Bible publicly that is so weird and so insane and we kind of made fun of them.

We laughed at them and thought they were all you know collectively one taco sort of a combination plate or something right so you know my story. I was walking across the front lawn of my campus.

I saw the Christian singing their songs about Jesus and I sat down close enough to listen in on what they were saying with a verse I micro the gospel that was the day I accepted Christ in the my life so that we can have plan to going to some drugs and I don't well okay I'm a Christian and I'm just going to go do drugs as a Christian, that's great, isn't it. And I was all alone and I was sitting on a rock and I was getting ready to get high and that seems still small voice that I heard my high school campus spoke to me again Lord said you don't need that anymore and I said all right God, if your real you can have to prove it to me because I don't know if I believe this even though I prayed that she would know my life so I threw my little baggie of pot away in my little pipe and I said help me with this. So I went back to school the next Monday and I I didn't want to fit in. I didn't know comfortable drama around my old druggie friends because they just got hi every day pretty much as I did want to be with them at the end Christopher a little too intense for me a little too much praise the Lord hallelujah right and there will praise God, Mama, look forward to praise Jesus. I'm like okay whatever and so I was sort of in that in between spot, you know how that can be when you're brand-new believer and so I'm walking across my high school job and some guy yells out my name. I don't even know this guy. He is a gray I turn them because brother Greg and brother brother and let your brother from another mother.

You know how I said you think I got something for you bro and I said wanted to get for me since Cindy holds up this Bible really Bible and it was swayed back in those days we covered our Bible conference waited all kinds of things you know so I knows why but some they had popsicle sticks glued together in the shape of a cross pro praise the Lord related to God's word. I'm like oh man so he leaves and I'm so embarrassed by this Bible. So I shove it into the pocket of my coat because I didn't want anyone to see that I was carrying a Bible.

So I decided to go over to my old friend South right basically used to go every day at lunch time and get high. No wonder my grades were so low you get your grades are low so I went over to my princesses Bible that was in my pocket. I pulled it out and I put it in the bushes in front of his house, because I didn't want them to see it sticking out of Michael pocket so I put my Bible in the bushes. I was a very bold witness for Christ was the night I walked in and I hadn't seen these guys since I become a Christian and I walked in the said Laurie to the call me how you doing minutes of them find and they said a what you been doing.

I said nothing we haven't seen it yet. What are you doing anything and so amen we got some good pot you want to get my I said no, this is Lori what's wrong with you. I said there's something wrong with me.

I want to do that. I want to do it and I'm sitting there for a moment and I really sent the Holy Spirit. Same tell them about Jesus and I'm saying, no way I'm not telling anybody about anything and I'm just trying to get to keep it all inside and all of a sudden the front door opens up a one of my friends mom is there, the one who own the home and she's holding my Bible. But she says who does this belong to you. What is wrong with this woman. She has kids doing drugs in her house at lunchtime and she's alarmed by a Bible school until I give it some weapon or something or maybe it is right to sort of the spirit.

Every eye in the room went to the Bible and they went back to me.

They made the connection that I said it is this.

She said why isn't this what is that Lori what the Bible what Bible I grabbed it and then when my principal Greg praise the Lord. We get to be a Christian now said Dominic your chewing mouth now. See if I had read first Corinthians 13 is I had read anything I was trying to hide the word of God will since then. I found it's much better to hide the word of God in your heart right not in the bushes preferably and that was my first opportunity to share the gospel which I failed miserably.

But it was a reminder of the power of the Bible the power of the word of God and we talk about things that we did back in the days of the Jesus movement. We talked about how you know contemporary Christian worship was born before her eyes, and also how we love to talk about the soon coming of the Lord. We talked about that recently.

One of the big things that was happening. Back in those days is almost everything we went to was a Bible study every service that we would have. We would open up the word of God. And then there were home Bible studies, Bible studies and high school campuses and Bible studies on college campuses.

We couldn't get enough of the word of God. Let me quote for a moment. From that time magazine article, we were referring to a moment ago and I just would love to see something like this and time again with her talking about what was happening and here's a direct quote the Bible is true miracles happen.

God really did so loved the world he gave his only begotten son Bible is about whether the cherished first covered King James version or scruffy back pocket paperbacks are invariably well-formed and often memorized. So really earmark about last great spiritual awakening in America was the Bible.

Okay, so let's go over to acts chapter 2. This is when the Holy Spirit is poured out on the day of Pentecost and people speak in unknown languages they speak in tongues and then what happens after that. Acts chapter 2 verse 16 Peter stands up and says what you see, was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel in the last days, God says I'll pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions in your old men will dream dreams. Very important statement. Here is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit Supernatural Phenomena Is Taking Pl. in Peter stands up and says this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel.

This makes a very important point. Everything that we do as Christians should be informed by the word of God.

There should be a biblical basis for what we do so will we talk about making the decision, or should we do this or should we do that we go to the Scripture. What is the Bible say does the Scripture addresses at least in principle, not specifically. And so Peter was standing up and think this is the biblical basis.

Sometimes a what some might call revival meetings or are things where there's a lot of excitement, a lot of passion. Sometimes things happen that frankly are not biblical. And people will say this is a new work of the Holy Spirit. It's new. Listen to this.

If it's new, it's not true and if it's true, it's not new. We don't need a new thing we want to do a biblical thing, God pours his spirit. We want to have a biblical basis for what were saying and doing, and that's certainly what happened there but then what happened after the Holy Spirit was poured out. This is a very important thing.

They began to dig into the Scripture we don't read that out of this prayer was poured out. They ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, and I bring this up because I've seen meeting.

Sometimes it's unchristian television where people are screaming and writhing on the floor and yelling and making animal sounds and people say this is the Holy Spirit. I don't know what Holy Spirit it is seen anything like that in the Bible. By the way, have you ever seen a chicken get its head cut off. I have it happen to be 105 years old. That's what my grandparents and we went out to the desert that a house there no electricity. We had to go to the outhouse you know if that is okay so and when we will have a meal. My grandfather would chop the head of the chicken out. My grandmother would make chicken so I'm five years old and standing there. He takes his chicken.

He puts an honest stop.

He takes out a hatchet and he chopped it set up in the body rolls up and is running around spurting blood and floppy in the head is laying there on the stop them again. How does somebody know where to go. It's almost like there's going go right go right go straight go straight to the chicken without a good is coming straight at me and not the I still have nightmares about it today. I break out in a sweat when I go by Chick-fil-A answer is no, but the thing is is that some some people are all bits of the Holy Spirit, allegedly crazy and insane.

No, God gave the power to the church for them to change the world and give them power to be a witness to Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. We hear from listeners all over the country and from countries all over the world. Thank you very much faster.

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Considering the central part God's word place in the life of the healthy believer Pastor Greg continues his message the Bible and revival from a series Jesus revolution.

So one of the church new after the spirit was poured out look at acts two verse 42. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayer. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. They dug in to the word of God present. If you want to be a spirit filled, revived Christian, you need to be digging in to God's word.

Each and every day because if you don't, you're going to fail spiritually. You know, one thing that will happily go to visit your doctor and not feeling well, forcing Alaska show last his house.

Her appetite wife because hungry people are healthy people. That's all I know. I'm healthy right now because I'm still thinking about pizza and this is a problem. So that's a sign of health oh when you're a healthy Christian when you're a spiritually revived Christian when you are spirit filled Christian, you will desire God's word in your life. So if to you reading the Bible is a drag Vincent drudgery with something you dread it with something you doing a token way that is not a good indication. I think the real indication of you being a spirit filled believer is that you are hungry for God's word. You know when I don't eat I get kinda cranky. My wife figure this out. A number of years ago.

It's been a bad mood insert is snippy. She says you're just hungry I'm not your hungry joke throw a sandwich at me, it works every time I catch up my mouth, but you know that that's how to be your you know the reason you're not feeling that well the reason you're kinda cranky. The reason you're kinda depressed the reason you're lethargic is you need a meal.

I don't just mean food I'm talking about. You need the word of God.

That's why you need to take time every day to open up God's word and read what it has to say to you the word of God is powerful and I'm amazed at how I've read certain verses. Many, many times over the years, but although just jump off the page and come alive for me to know I'm talking about that verse, I just sent from heaven, and it just exactly what I needed to hear the given moment. While that can happen if I don't open up the Bible. I can just hold it up to my head and prayed all just makes its way in their I need to read it and I needed commit Scripture to memory. I memorize scriptures when I was a 17-year-old kid that I still remember today in my 30s times to there still would be those verses like someone blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly stands in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scornful of his delight is in the word of the Lord in unit does he meditate day and night will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, this lease shall not weather and whatsoever he does shall prosper. Blessed is that man. I learned that so many years ago but still with me. It still helps me about first Corinthians 1013 there is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God was faithful will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able. But what with the temptation make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Did this to impress you. You can do this we can all do this, although I can't remember anything. Give me a break. You remember line from films you remember lyrics from the lamest songs of all time.

You remember the scores of Super Bowl games going back forever. You remember all the tribute. Don't tell me you cannot remember the word of God. You just take time to get it into your mind and get it into your heart and that will never be time that is wasted right will go over to our second passage, Psalm 19 will close with this and this is just the word of God telling us why the word of God is important.

By the way, these were originally songs they were set to melody and this one even has a certain cadence to it. That sounds a lot like a song.

Psalm 19 verse seven the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart the commandments of the Lord are pure, enlightening the eyes for fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold gave than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward, something a song. It's beautiful. It's beautiful poetry, but it is actually also the inspired word of God to just a few take away thoughts number one the word of God is perfect when we see the law of the Lord.

We could replace it with the word of the Lord or the Bible leave is it just referring to God's written word. The word of God is perfect because this phrase means that it is flawless. It is without any law of any kind know this is important because we live in a time where things are constantly changing culture changes fashion changes music changes everything is changing before our eyes.

Something that's cool today will not be cool tomorrow. Trust me, I've lived long enough to see all of these fads come and go, and all you have to do is look at your yearbook photo. Does anyone ever look good in the yearbook photo.

You know, I don't know if they do, but you look back and you think what was I thinking.

Why was I wearing that right so these things change and also in the news, you know, we live in a newspaper. It stated already me a newspaper from this morning, will things that happen this afternoon there happening right now because I get him on my newsfeed and even despite that, there's so much news out there. You don't know what to believe but here's the good news in the Bible there is no fake news or just good news that you can depend on. Because the word of the Lord is perfect, and as you open up the word of God.

It can be fresh to you each and every morning. The Bible says his mercies are new every morning.

The WordPerfect means it's all its complete and insufficient lesson. Everything you need to know about God is found in the Bible.

You don't need to go anywhere else one stop shopping right here. This is God's message to each and every one of us. Second Timothy three says all Scripture is green by God Greg Laurie good insight today on a new beginning on the vital importance of God's word the life of the believer today study is from his powerful new series called Jesus revolution looking at what set the stage for the Jesus movement of the 60s and 70s and how we can help usher in that kind of spiritual awakening again. There's much more to come in this message. Call the Bible and revival, but if you missed any part of today's presentation. You can hear it again by going to our website harvest.org you can stream it either online or download MP3 for later or call us for a CD at 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 and thanks for letting us know what station you listen to. We want them to get the recognition they deserve for making it possible for you to hear today's program and I were excited about making available Pastor Greg's blog called Jesus revolution yesterday during the Jesus movement.

You are a new Christian yourself did you have any idea the uniqueness of the season you were living in or or when did you start realizing you live through something rather epic. Yes, that you know that's a really good question, Dave and the answer is I did not know I walked smack dab in the middle of a spiritual revival. You see I wasn't raised in the church so I had no real background in these things, I'd never really read the Bible for myself. So when I came to Christ to my high school campus and then went to this church, Calvary Chapel were the Jesus movement was in full swing. I thought, well, this is amazing. Then I didn't realize that I was in a revival delay started traveling around the country, because I would travel with these Christian bands and speak in various venues and I was in a lot of different church settings and I realize all well before experiencing is not happening everywhere but it was happening. In some places no revivals interesting. It's sort of like when you open or close your door to it for the churches that open their door to revival and open the door to the kids coming to Christ, which in this case were primarily hippie kids they experience revival to the churches and kept their doors close. They missed it. So it was really a lot, up to the people.

Do you want to see God work or do you not want to see him work so it was like little embers blowing and they would catch year and they would catch there, and in many of those embers came together and it was a gunfire but a good fire spreading across our nation and we need to see that again and so I wanted to talk about it for a long time so I decided to write a book and I had a personal work would be her name is Ellen Vaughn very talented writer. In fact, she help me write my autobiography called los boy she did a lot of research on the time on the culture of what was happening around the city gives you a greater appreciation of what God did in the Jesus movement in the Jesus revolution and then I also weave my personal story throughout the book, and I seek to find Takeaway principles in this book that we can apply in hopes that we can see another Jesus revolution so you want to know more when you got to get a copy of this book. It's free.

Let me restate that it's free for your gift of any size.

This is not a gimmick or a trick. Some can only give a little will send you the book. Some can get more will send you the book but whatever you can do know this will take those resources and use them to continue to get the gospel out to as many people as possible so again for your gift of any size I want to send you a copy of my book Jesus revolution and will also include a copy of a brand-new study guide out that's been created that undergirds the insights in the book is not right. That's right.

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