The Danger of the Compromised Life | Cling to the Lord

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Sign up at harvest.org. Since I am a Christian, what can I do to get closer to God? This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace how sweet the sound.

Again you hear when the angels are singing. This is the day, the day when life begins. Wedding vows are pledges of loyalty and faithfulness to a spouse. You never hear a groom promising to love, honor, and cherish, but I'm still going to date some other girls on the side.

No, a good relationship is defined by how much we do for the other, and not by how much we can get away with just because we want to. And today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the same dynamic applies in our spiritual lives as we cling to the Lord and resist our spiritual adversary. This is the day, the day when life begins. Don't get into deals with the devil because you will always lose. And I bring that up because now we have Moses trying to get the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt. And Pharaoh is saying no.

Of course the Lord appeared to Moses at the burning bush and commissioned him. And he was to return to the court of Pharaoh where he once lived as a young Egyptian prince to demand the release of the Jews and specifically to say to the Pharaoh, we are going to go three days journey into the wilderness and offer a sacrifice to the Lord. But the Lord also told Moses this is not going to be easy. The Pharaoh is going to be resistant and the Pharaoh is going to harden his heart. And now we are going to see how the Pharaoh tries to negotiate with Moses. How he tries to reach a compromise with Moses. But the Pharaoh's intent was never to release the Jews. It was just to wear Moses down. And it is a picture of what happens when we try to do deals with the devil. So the Lord sent a series of plagues upon Egypt.

Ten in total. Each gaining in intensity as the Pharaoh's heart grew harder. Why did God send these plagues? Number one if you are taking notes they were a direct answer to Pharaoh's question. Which was who is the Lord that I should obey Him? See Pharaoh thought he was the Lord. Pharaoh thought he was God.

He was the most powerful man on the face of the earth. And Moses comes into his court and says the Lord sent me to you. And Pharaoh's reaction is, who is the Lord that I should obey Him? God said, that is a good question. I am going to answer that for you. So God sent a series of plagues to show His mighty power.

That is point number two. The plagues were a demonstration of God's power. From the death of the first born to the darkness they came over the land.

From the bugs to the frogs. God was showing His power. Exodus 9 15 says.

Number three. The plagues were a judgment on the Pharaoh in Egypt for their cruel treatment of the Jews. Remember that the Lord made a promise to Abraham and his descendants the Jewish people. He said, I will bless them that bless you and I will curse those that curse you. And so Pharaoh cursed the Jews.

He was opposed to the Jews and he faced the repercussions of it. So the Lord was keeping His promise there. And forth and lastly the plagues showed the emptiness and futility of the false gods of Egypt. See the Egyptians worshipped all kinds of crazy stuff. They worshipped the Nile River as a god. They worshipped this frog goddess thing Heget. The head of a frog.

The body of a woman. Sort of a goddess of fertility. They worshipped insects. And so the Lord said, oh you worship this dove. Oh you want gods?

I will give you more gods and you can shake a stick out. And the various plagues came. And number one of course was the Nile River turning to blood. The Egyptians considered the Nile River sacred. It also was essential because they got their drinking water from there. So it was turned to blood ironically in their minds by the staff of Moses.

Why does that matter? Because the Egyptians, and I am not really sure why, looked down on shepherds. That was a lowly undistinguished profession in their minds like a telemarketer.

I don't know what to compare it to. And so for Moses to come now as a shepherd and to do these miracles through the staff of a shepherd was sort of an insult to the pride of Egypt. And he touches that staff to the Nile and it turns to blood. Then there was an invasion of frogs. Frogs everywhere. Frogs in your bed. Frogs on the floor. Frogs in the oven. Frogs in the fridge.

Frogs hanging off the ceiling. And the Pharaoh was starting to freak out a little bit. And he was starting to crack and he said, pray that God makes the frogs go away. And Moses prayed and the frogs all died en masse. And the Bible says the land stank. That is a great King James translation there.

But still Pharaoh was hardening his heart. Now plague number three. Gnats.

Thousands. Millions of gnats followed by an invasion of spiders, ticks, and beetles. This was the first case of beetle mania in history. Ladies and gentlemen. The Beatles. How many of you understood that was an imitation of Ed Sullivan? How many of you know who Ed Sullivan is?

All the young people. We don't know. Google him. Ed Sullivan, the Beatles. You will get the joke.

And even after you Google it you won't think it is funny. But still. The Beatles were a British band many years ago.

John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Anyway. So the invasion of beetles. Insects everywhere. And these gnats and these flies were getting into their eyes, into their ears, into their nostrils. I can't stand flies. They bug me and if there is a fly in the house I will chase that fly down. I want to get that fly. And flies seem to have it out for me.

Let me illustrate. At a Harvest America event in AT&T Stadium in 2018 I think I was the target of a fly. All I wanted to do at that moment, trust me when I tell you this, is put down my microphone and kill that fly. Right.

So the invasion of insects, beetles, lice, and flies. And even the Pharaoh's magicians could not replicate this one. And they acknowledge in Exodus 8.19 this is the finger of God. But Pharaoh's heart just got harder and harder. Ok. Now we are going to look at how the Pharaoh tried to trick Moses and Aaron into doing what he wanted them to do. So go to Exodus chapter 8. I am going to read verses 25 to 28. I am reading from the New Living Translation.

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. All right. Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God. But notice this. But do it here in the land. You might underline that phrase. Do it here in the land.

I will come back to it. Moses replied, well that wouldn't be right. The Egyptians attest the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God. Look if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us they will stone us. We must take a three day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God as He has commanded us.

Pharaoh replied, all right. Go ahead. I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God. But don't go too far away. Underline that phrase as well. Don't go too far away.

Now hurry and pray for me. Very interesting passage of Scripture. First the Pharaoh says in verse 25, offer your sacrifices here in the land. At first this sounds good.

It is a breakthrough. I mean after all when Moses and Aaron first went to see the Pharaoh it was a flat out no. And not only that but to an insult to injury he took the straw away from the Israelites that they used to make brick.

And they had to collect their own straw making their job harder. Things weren't going well. But as the success of plagues came upon Egypt the Pharaoh is starting to crack. Now he is trying to negotiate but really what he is trying to do is wear Moses down. What did God command?

Three days journey into the wilderness. Why? Because God wanted as much distance for Israel from Egypt as possible. And that is our objective as well. We want to keep as much distance from evil as possible. And sometimes you will see Christians asking questions like, well can I do this thing and still technically be a Christian?

Is that the best question you could be asking right now? Instead of asking can I do this thing and still be a Christian? I think the better question would be since I am a Christian. Since Christ has forgiven me of all of my sin. Since I know now that I will go to heaven one day. What can I do to get closer to God?

What can I do to grow more spiritually? So the Pharaoh is trying to wear them down and keep them close. Again reminding us don't do deals with the devil. The devil might say to you in effect all right I never wanted you to become a Christian.

I was against it from the beginning but come on now. Be practical. You can still have a little fun.

You can still dabble with a few things here and there. And he knows that is the way he kind of gets a foothold. You see he says okay okay you can go.

Just don't go too far. I want to keep an eye on you. And so we start adapting. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. We love to hear stories of how lives have been changed through the teaching of God's Word.

Like this one. I bought Greg Laurie's New Believers Bible last year. But I couldn't commit to something I didn't understand. After reading it I accepted Jesus less than a month later. And my whole life is changing. I then saw the movie Jesus Revolution.

And didn't realize until the end of the movie that the story was about Pastor Greg. The one who helped me become a Christian. Thank you. We're so grateful to hear of the changed lives through Harvest Ministries. And if you have a story to tell I hope you'll contact us today. Call 1-866-871-1144.

That's a special number 866-871-1144. Well today Pastor Greg is presenting a message called The Danger of the Compromised Life. We're studying the successes and failures of Moses in the series Water, Fire, Stone. Listen, nobody falls away from God all at once. Every now and then you'll read an article about some fairly well known person perhaps. Who says, oh I was a Christian and I'm not a Christian anymore. And you think, how does that even happen? How does someone get to the point where they come up publicly and say, I no longer am a Christian. I can guarantee to you the steps that led to that statement go back a long ways. You don't just do it all at once. You don't wake up in the morning and say, I'm going to deny my faith and turn from God today.

No it's a series of steps and compromises that always lead to something like that. Case in point Simon Peter. We all know about his open denial of Christ. But where did it start?

It started in the upper room with a prideful attitude. Jesus said to his disciples, one of you is going to betray me. And I'm going to be crucified. Peter said, even if I'll deny you I will never deny you. Jesus said, since you brought it up you're going to deny me three times Peter.

Peter thought, no way. It was pride. The Bible says pride goes before a fall.

That was his first step down. Don't ever think you couldn't fall. You are capable of falling to the worst sins imaginable. And so am I.

Number two. He was sleeping when he should have been praying. Jesus took his three friends Peter, James, and John to the Garden of Gethsemane. He said, watch and pray. The spirit is willing.

The flesh is weak. They fell asleep. And so they weren't praying.

They were sleeping. And then the temple guard came to arrest Jesus. And Peter pulls out his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant. So here is the problem with Peter. He was boasting when he should have been humble. He was sleeping when he should have been praying. And he was fighting when he should have been trusting.

And so then he openly ends up denying the Lord. Those steps led to the bigger steps. Small things turn into big things. Cute little bunnies turn into rabbits. Cute little chicks turn into chickens.

Cute little kittens turn into cats. I was flying across the country this week. And I took my seat. And there was a gentleman seated next to me. And we were getting ready to take off.

And then he said, oh I am in the wrong seat. And he got up and moved out. And then a young lady came and took his place who had a very large cage with her. And in the cage was a very large cat.

And I thought, of course. Of course a cat. And this cat literally didn't stop meowing. And by the way this was not a small cat. This was one of those kind of cats.

I don't even know what you call them. But they are another breed of cat altogether that get considerably larger than regular cats. So it is not like meow, meow. It is not even meow, meow. It is like meow. Meow. And it never stopped. It was like meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow. One hour later.

Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow. Crazy. Yeah well that is what happens. Little sins become big sins.

Here is a good illustration. The mighty Goliath. Goliath who David faced in the valley of Elah. But Goliath wasn't always a giant. He was once a baby. Probably a big baby.

No one would ever want to change his diaper that is for sure. But the baby became a giant. One day David is facing this nine foot six inch hulk of a man covered in body armor. That is what happens. We neglect sins. We negotiate with the enemy.

We make deals with the devil. And all of a sudden we have a bonafide giant we are facing in life. And we underestimate the power of sin. Samson is another good illustration. You know no one could bring him down on the battlefield. He was such a mighty warrior.

One occasion he killed a thousand Philistines. And so the devil sized him up and thought I know how to get this guy. And he sent a woman named Delilah. Petite beautiful girl.

How do I know that? Because the name Delilah means delicate. So she came up to Samson and said, Hi there Samson. Tell me the secret of your strength that I might torment you.

By the way if someone says that to you that is not the beginning of a good relationship. She was serious. He is like waving his hair around.

Flexing his biceps. Oh you are going to torment me. What a joke. He looked at her and went, Whoa Delilah. No he didn't do that. He should have though. And that was his undoing.

Another dated reference by the way. That was his undoing. You know the rest of the story. He should have checked her resume. And when he discovered she worked at Supercuts.

He should have terminated the relationship. How does it happen? How do people fall into sin? Through compromise. One step at a time.

And let me ask you this. Has compromise begun to infiltrate your life as a follower of Christ? It happens often when people have walked with the Lord for a time. When you are in the first bloom of your relationship with Christ.

This is not usually the issue. It is when you have known the Lord for a time. And you are beginning to be weakened by certain things. Let me ask you this.

What compromises are happening? Are there any? Don't let that happen to you. There are some safeguards that you can set up in your life that will help you. So I want to help you deal with the gray areas of life.

There are certain black and white things you don't need to think about or pray about. You know what God says. Is it okay for me to steal this thing from the store? No. Thou shall not steal. Is it okay for me to have an adulterous relationship? No. You shall not commit adultery.

Okay. But what about the gray areas? What about those things in life that we are not sure if they are right or wrong? Here are three things to ask yourself before you engage in those activities.

Number one. If you are taking notes. Ask yourself the question. Does it build me up spiritually or does it tear me down? Does it build me up spiritually or does it tear me down? Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10 23. I am allowed to do anything but not everything is good for me.

The NIV translates it. You say I am allowed to do anything but not everything is beneficial. So instead of asking the question can I technically do it?

Ask yourself will this build me up spiritually or could this potentially tear me down? Or to use a different analogy. Let's say you are running in a race.

Is this a wing or is it a weight? Will it slow me down? If you are going to run a race don't wear Doc Martens. Don't wear cowboy boots. You need running shoes.

You need shoes that are designed for moving you forward quickly. And don't wear a bunch of extra clothes. Don't carry barbells with you. It is going to slow you down. And in the race of life you lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily besets you the author of Hebrews reminds us. Is it a wing?

Is it a weight? Not just am I technically allowed to do it but could it tear me down potentially? Listen to this. Anything that would tear you down spiritually. Anything that would pull you away from the people of God.

Anything that would keep you from Christian fellowship or take the edge off your desire for prayer or your appetite for Bible study should be avoided at all costs. So number one does it build me up or could it tear me down? Number two does it bring you under its power? Does it bring you under its power? 1 Corinthians 6 12 Paul says I have the right to do anything but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything but I will not be mastered by anything.

I don't want to be under the control of anyone or anything except Jesus Christ. Does it have you under its power? Oh it can be a drug.

It can be drink. It can be your cell phone. It can be binge watching Netflix. It can be so many things that you just lose control. I can't stop. I just have to keep going away. I don't want to be under the power of something. So the question is not is it ok to do or even technically allowable. Is it bringing me under its power now?

I can't go an hour without doing this thing. That is not good. And third and lastly do I have an uneasy conscience about it? Do I have an uneasy conscience about it? The Bible says in Romans 14 23 whatsoever is not from faith is sin. Or as the New Living Translation puts it if anything you believe is not right you are sinning. Just because someone else does something does not mean you should.

You see. So you know you may know someone that does something as a Christian you say well I can do that and all of a sudden it is your downfall. So you should not do that because you have an uneasy conscience about it. So these are things that we need to be considering as believers.

Why? Because we have an adversary. We have an enemy. We have the devil who is like a coiled rattler waiting to strike. And Genesis 4 says sin is crouching at the door eager to control you but you must subdue it and be its master.

So be careful. Great insight today on how to avoid the downward lure of sin. Today on A New Beginning Pastor Greg Laurie with a message titled The Danger of the Compromised Life. Well Pastor Greg we're excited to make available the film Johnny Cash The Redemption of an American Icon on DVD. Yes. Johnny's early life was dramatic.

Heartbreaking. And even after he saw great success there was still a lot of drama that surrounded Johnny's life. But we have a way for people to look beyond the drama to the man behind the man in black. There's a lot we can learn about the life of Johnny Cash isn't there?

Yeah there really is. You know it surprises some people to know that Johnny was a very strong Christian. And he always believed but he did have lapses in his faith. He did have struggles with drugs throughout his life and career. He did make some really bad decisions. And he made some really good decisions.

Well sounds a lot like us doesn't it? And so he was a man that had a story to tell and it was brought out in his music and throughout his career. But here's what I appreciate about Johnny. Early in his career he began to succeed. He became a huge star around the world. And he had a television show that was a major hit. And Johnny used that considerable platform to preach the gospel. He had great Christian artists sing with him. He even invited Billy Graham on once.

Much to the chagrin of the TV network that was sponsoring this. They were saying to Johnny stop talking so much about your faith. And he even did it more. But then he would have a lapse. He would mess up and then he would get back on his feet again. But Johnny always knew where the north star in his life was. He always knew what mattered. He never turned away from the Lord.

He just struggled. He was like the modern day version of the prodigal son. But you remember how that story ended. When the prodigal son returned the father welcomed him with open arms. And the same was true for Johnny Cash.

You know it's interesting. Johnny began and ended in a very powerful way musically. I personally, and this is my opinion, believe that his best music was at the beginning and the end of his career. And that was also true of his spiritual life. He was strong at the beginning of his life. And very strong at the end of his life.

With some slip ups and falls in between. That's why the title of this movie is, Johnny Cash, The Redemption of an American Icon. There's no doubt he's an American icon. But he was redeemed. And God blessed him. And forgave him.

And gave him new opportunities. And you're going to hear the whole story. And you're going to hear some things you've never heard before. And I think you'll be deeply moved. This is a beautifully done film.

First rate quality. Done by the same team at the Kingdom Story Company. That did Jesus Revolution. So this film is going to impact you. It's a film you can show to friends and family and non-believers.

In fact you can invite them over for a watch party. And also another thing I would add is, we include on this DVD bonus content. Which is only on the DVD we are offering to you here at Harvest.

And on this bonus content is a special message I did. Wrapped around the story of Johnny Cash. A gospel message. Complete with a prayer a person could pray to accept Christ.

I think this could be a really effective tool. For you to use to touch people around you. So order your own copy of Johnny Cash, The Redemption of an American Icon. On DVD. Complete with a streaming code. Which means you can download it.

And also bonus content. And we'll send it to you for your gift of any size. Now I'm going to ask you to be more generous than you might normally be.

Because we've had to pay more for this resource. But we want to get it into your hands. And so whatever you send will be used to help us continue to teach God's word. And proclaim the gospel.

So order your copy of Johnny Cash, The Redemption of an American Icon. From us here at Harvest Ministries. Why not give us a call today? We'll be glad to make all the arrangements. It's our way of thanking you for your partnership in teaching believers.

And sharing the gospel with those who haven't yet met the Lord. So call us today at 1-800-821-3300. You can make that call anytime 1-800-821-3300.

Or write us at A New Beginning Box 4000 Riverside, CA 92514. Or go online to Harvest.org. You know there's nothing like hearing the word of God and worshipping the Lord together. I want to encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home. It happens every Saturday and Sunday at Harvest.org. You can join Christians from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together.

Join us for Harvest at Home at Harvest.org. Well next time, more great insight from Pastor Greg on avoiding the lures that would cause us to stumble in our walk with God. Good insight on standing against our spiritual adversary. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins. The preceding podcast was made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn how to become a Harvest Partner, sign up for daily devotions, and find resources to help you grow in your faith at Harvest.org.