A New Beginning presents a book from Pastor Greg Laurie, with help for those suffering loss, called Hope for Hurting Hearts. God has used this book over the years to touch many people. If you've lost a loved one, or if you know someone that's recently lost a loved one, it would be an excellent thing to get this book into their hands, because I really wrote it for them. So we're offering you a copy of this book, Hope for Hurting Hearts, for your gift of any size.
Available at Harvest.org. When you get that right, you get everything right. 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. Some tend to think God only uses perfect people, people with no blind spots, no failings, no shortcomings. But the more we study the Bible, the more we see how God used the imperfect people to do remarkable things for His kingdom. How can we be the kind of person God is looking for? Pastor Greg Laurie answers that today here on The New Beginning, as we examine the life of a great leader of Israel who God chose personally, over and above other candidates who appeared more impressive.
This is the day, the day when life begins. We're starting this brand new series called The House of David. David is a study in contrast. In battle he was fearless. In wisdom and ruling his kingdom he was without peer. But he wasn't some macho dude. He had a tender heart toward God and was both a poet and a musician.
In fact, he's the only man described in the Bible as the man after God's own heart. So, how many of you would like to be used by God? Raise your hand. Don't do it if you don't mean it. Alright, that's pretty much everybody except you, sir. Why, why? Alright, if you want to be used by, I know you raised your hand, I'm just kidding, but it wasn't very high. It was serious. Like this. No, I'm kidding. Okay, what kind of person does God use?
If you're taking notes, here's point number one. God uses ordinary people. God uses ordinary people. David was just an ordinary shepherd boy, though a good looking one, but he had a deep spiritual life and intense devotion to God despite the fact that he was just a boy.
Just a boy still, but he had this love for the Lord. But God loves to choose ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. Why?
Very simple answer. So he gets the glory. If he picks the most talented, if he picks the most handsome or beautiful, we say, well, of course, look at them.
But when he picks that other person, that person you would have never chosen, you say, well, that has to be the Lord. I remember in school, I goofed off so much in class, and I actually had a teacher write this on my report card. And it's funny, I remember it to this day. Quote, Greg Laurie spends too much time looking out the window, daydreaming and drawing cartoons.
He will never amount to anything. Thank you for those affirming words. By the way, I had that teacher killed. Michael Franzese helped.
These are jokes, people. No, you remember something like that, but God had a different plan for my life, as he does for every life. Again, God looks on the inward, we look on the outward. One of the greatest evangelists in all of American history was Dwight Lyman Moody, best known as D.L. Moody. Now, D.L. Moody was the Billy Graham of his day.
D.L. Moody was not an attractive man. He was not an especially intelligent man. He mangled the English language, but God handpicked him. He was working in a shoe store, and one of his co-workers decided to share the gospel with Dwight. Dwight responded and gave his life to Jesus Christ. So Dwight went from selling souls to saving souls. And he really changed his world.
And he was a very unexpected choice. God uses ordinary people. God is looking for truly spiritual people.
God is looking for truly spiritual people. Not a holier than thou fake spirituality. I can't stand fake spirituality. People that are so quick to criticize others.
People that make themselves look better at the expense of others. People that brag about their spiritual accomplishments. And I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of godly people in my day. And I found that the most godly people were also the most down to earth people with a self-deprecating sense of humor.
They were easy to approach. Those people that act aloof and better than you and they do it in the name of spirituality. That isn't spirituality at all. David had real spirituality. It's reflected in his psalms. By the way, he wrote probably around 75 psalms.
Maybe more. In Psalm 57, he wrote, my heart is fixed, oh God. My heart is fixed.
I love that. He said, I know what I believe. I know what matters. And I'm fixed on this, Lord. In Psalm 27, he really lays out the very purpose of his life when he wrote in verse 4, one thing have I desired of the Lord. And thou will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his temple. Notice that phrase, one thing. One thing have I desired of the Lord. Paul had the same idea when he wrote over in Philippians 3, this one thing I do. Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forward to the things that are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The one thing. Do you have that one thing in your life?
A lot of us are like dogs going around in circles chasing our tails. I've told you before, the most godly man I ever met was Billy Graham. And I love to visit him in this mountain home in North Carolina in the little town of Montreat.
It was always a great treat. And I've had the privilege to visit a lot of beautiful homes and meet important people. But none impressed me like Billy Graham.
I'd rather go hang out in his front room than in the oval office. And he was such a down to earth godly guy. And he had dogs, German Shepherds. He loved German Shepherds.
And I would go to his house and he had this one German Shepherd. I don't know what was wrong with this dog. If it found some loco weed or something. This dog literally was perpetually running in a circle.
Running in a circle the whole time. You would get there, you'd leave a couple hours later, dog still running in a circle. I said to someone, what is wrong with that dog? They said he's chasing his tail.
I said, I've heard this expression. I didn't know dogs were actually this stupid. I mean just a shout out to the cat community. I've never seen a cat do that.
That's a level of idiocy. This dumb dog was chasing its tail. But we can be the same way. Chasing our tail.
Going around in circles and getting nowhere. Speaking of the one thing. One day Jesus went to the town of Bethany where Mary and Martha lived. They were good friends of his along with their brother Lazarus. And Jesus was hungry. Brought a few friends along.
Twelve in total. Hey Martha, good to see you. Would you mind making some lunch for us? And so she goes into the kitchen.
She's trying to whip up a feast fit for a king. Can you imagine if Jesus showed up at your house and wanted a meal? What would you feed him? Would you give him leftovers? Should we give him these deviled eggs or is that inappropriate?
I don't know. I mean Jesus Christ, God incarnate, sitting in your house. Well of course Martha wants to make a fantastic meal for Jesus.
Wouldn't you? But Mary wasn't helping. She's like, where's Mary? She looks out in the front room. Mary's just sitting at his feet looking up at him.
Give me a break. I need some help here in the kitchen. So she became so frustrated. She bursts out of the kitchen. Probably has her apron on.
Food splattered everywhere. Puts her hands on her hips. And she says to Jesus, Lord tell my sister to come lend me a hand. I love what Jesus said. He said in Luke 10, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much.
You're getting worked up over nothing. One thing is essential. And Mary has chosen it. It's the main course. And it will not be taken from her. You know Martha look I'm thankful you're making me a meal. But this is the main course.
Mary got it right. It's the one thing. One thing have I desired of the Lord.
That will I seek after. This one thing I do says Paul. Forgetting the things that are behind. Jesus says to Martha one thing is important. It's the one thing that singular clear aim in life.
It's been said quote our greatest danger in life is permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important. What is the one thing in your life right now? What fires you up? What gets your blood pumping? What are you really passionate about?
We all would say well Jesus Jesus. Yeah good. I'm sure that's true for many of us. But is it really? Is that really the thing you're the most fired up about or is it something else? It could be your career. It could be money. It could be possessions. It could be the pursuit of success. It could be relationships.
And by the way there's nothing wrong with any of those things I just mentioned. But they should not be the one thing. The one thing should be the pursuit of God.
When you get that right you get everything right. The pursuit of God. Yes you can have a career. Yes you can have possessions.
Yes you can have relationships. These are things God will give you. But the most important thing is the pursuit of God. Jesus put it this way.
Seek first. It's the one thing again. The kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. What things?
In context He said don't be like non-believers that worry about what they're going to eat. What they're going to drink. What they're going to wear. We could add what they're going to drive.
What they're going to do. Hey put God first and all these things shall be added to you. This is why David was a man after God's own heart. His heart was fixed on the Lord and he had that one thing before him.
Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Hey everyone I want you to know about our app called Harvest Plus. Think of it as a Harvest version of Netflix.
We have all of our resources in one place. We have our movies like Steve McQueen The Salvation of an American Icon. Johnny Cash The Redemption of an American Icon. A Rush of Hope and much more. Then we have our television program, daily devotions and much more.
So go and download the Harvest Plus app. Well so far today Pastor Greg has pointed out that God uses ordinary people and God is looking for truly spiritual people. What else does God desire? Pastor Greg continues.
Number three. David was a faithful man. He was a faithful man. Now at this particular point in his life his job was to watch his sheep.
He mentions later he faced off with lions to protect him and won. And he would spend hours worshiping the Lord and tending his sheep. Listen just because God has called you to be a leader it doesn't mean you are ready. God may show you that he has called you into leadership of some kind. But there will be a series of tests you will need to go through first. Sometimes God will give you a little glimpse of your future.
A sense of where you are going to go. That is a good thing. God gave to Joseph a very profound vision of what he was going to do and that his brothers would be bowing before him one day. But honestly sometimes it is best to keep your visions and dreams to yourself. Because he told that to his brothers. Hey guys guess what I had a vision and you are all like bowing before me. And they are like we are going to kill you.
Well they didn't kill him but they sold him into slavery didn't they? So you know you need to wait on these things. The Lord will show you. Don't go boasting of what you think God has called you to do. Just be faithful in the little things.
And if it is meant to happen it will happen. Not through your manipulation or conniving. God will bring it about. Now keep in mind David has been anointed to be king. He is the king but he is not walking around saying hey I am the king now.
He just went back to tending the sheep. He wrote a lot of beautiful psalms as I mentioned. But one psalm that probably stands out above all the others is Psalm 23. I think Psalm 23 next to the Lord's Prayer is probably the best known chapter from the Bible. Even by many non-believers. It is recited at funerals and hospital beds when we are afraid.
It shows up in movies like Titanic and songs like Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio. You never know when you are going to hear Psalm 23. And you think how did that come about? And here is the way I see it. David is just sitting around one day looking at his stupid sheep. And he is thinking the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in cream pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters. I mean really when you break that down. I know it is poetic and beautiful. But think about what he is actually saying. The Lord is my shepherd. He is thinking sheep are stupid.
I am stupid. Sheep are dependent upon me the shepherd to protect them. I am dependent on the Lord to protect me as my shepherd. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
You ever notice that? Makes me. Why would you have to be made to lie down in a green pasture? Because if you are a sheep you are dumb. Because sheep it is time to eat.
Come on here. Time to eat. Eat the grass. Now lie down beside the still waters and drink. You have got to drink sheep. They need the help of the shepherd.
But then he writes later. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. He would be very familiar with the primary tools of his shepherd. A rod and a staff. The staff we know what that is a long crooked instrument.
The rod basically a club. You need both to direct sheep. You will use that staff to pull them back into line when they do go astray and they often do.
But then periodically if they continue to disobey you give them a whack with the rod. Because better to be a whack sheep than a dead one. I read a news article about a bunch of sheep. This happened in Turkey. One sheep walked off the edge of a cliff and others follow.
What is wrong with these animals? The first sheep get up on the cliff and say ok I am going to walk off the cliff now. Everybody follow in single file. Let's go.
It is not that bad. Let's go. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
Boom. You think after the 500 sheep one of the sheep would have said I am not doing this. No we got to go.
Let's go. We are sheep. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way the Bible says. The Lord is my shepherd. But yea though I walk through that valley you are with me.
And how true that is. How much comfort that has brought to people facing death. How many times has that first been read to someone on their death bed.
And how many times has that first brought comfort to someone going through a time of trial. Maybe I am talking to someone that is in a valley of sorts. Of the shadow of death. You need to be reminded that you are not alone in this valley and the Lord is walking with you. Yea though I walk through. He didn't say yea though I die in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil.
Why? Because you are with me. God is with you too.
Isn't that great to know. Maybe he thought of it when he was facing Goliath. Oh wow he is big.
Over nine feet tall. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death you are with me. Bottom line David longed for closeness with God. That is why he is called the man after God's own heart.
His heart seemed to beat in time with the Lord's. Listen if you want to be a man or a woman of God you would do well to have the same priorities. Have that one thing in your life. Again David said one thing of I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after. Don't be like the proverbial dog chasing its tail.
Get your focus. David was not perfect. He was flawed. He failed on more than one occasion and blew a hole in his hole if you will. God gave him a second chance and a third chance and a fourth one.
And again I want to refocus on this. Jesus identified with David. Jesus the son of David was born in Bethlehem because David was born in Bethlehem.
So when the rule went out when Quirinius was governor that everyone should be taxed from Caesar Augustus. You went to the home of your ancestors so Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And then Jesus lived a perfect life and then he went and died on the cross and he rose again from the dead three days later. And he is alive and he is here. And he is ready to forgive any one of us who have failed. Because we have sinned. We have fallen short. We have messed up.
Other things have crowded him out of our lives. But here is Jesus the son of David ready to forgive us and give to us a second chance as he did to David so many years ago. If you don't have this relationship with God right now. If you don't know that your sin is forgiven or maybe you have forgotten about the one thing.
And you have been distracted by the many things. Or even worse you have gone after a sinful thing. This would be a good time to commit or recommit your life to the Lord. Let's all pray. Father thank you for your word to us now. Thank you for what Jesus did on the cross. Thank you for the price that he paid. And now I pray for any that have joined us who may not yet know you.
Help them to come to you right now. Listen if you have never asked Christ to come into your life. Or if you want to make a recommitment to him today you could just pray this simple prayer. Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner. But you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin.
And rose again from the dead. I choose to follow you Lord. I want to have that one thing in my life. I want to put you first in my life. I want to be a man after your heart.
A woman after your heart. I commit myself to you now. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Let us send you Pastor Greg's New Believers Bible.
It's in an easy to understand translation. And it will help answer your questions and help you build a solid foundation for spiritual growth. We'll send you the New Believers Bible without charge. When you call us at 1-800-821-3300.
Call anytime 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to Harvest.org and click the words Know God. And Pastor Greg we're so thankful for the work God is doing through this ministry. We're touching lives for eternity. And we're really thankful for our friends who see the fruit of this ministry. And invest so this work can reach even further.
Isn't that right? Absolutely. When you invest in Harvest Ministries you're investing in the souls of men and women, boys and girls. And what is the value of a soul?
Well let me personalize it. What's the value of your soul? What's the value of the soul of your husband, your wife, your son or your daughter? Or your mom or your dad?
Or your best friend? Well I would say you probably couldn't put a price tag on it. It's so valuable. Well listen, God says all souls are mine.
God loves us and sent his son to die on the cross to pay the price for all of our sins so we could be forgiven and come into a relationship with him. I can't think of a better investment of my resources, of my money, than in the work of the kingdom of God. So we would ask you to prayerfully consider investing in Harvest Ministries as we continue on to fulfill the Great Commission.
Yeah that's right. And you can make your donation right now at harvest.org. Or write us at A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call 1-800-821-3300.
That's a 24-7 phone number, 1-800-821-3300. Well next time, as Pastor Greg continues our studies of the life of David, we follow along as David encounters a 9 foot 6 inch giant named Goliath. Pastor Greg offers important counsel for defeating our giants. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie.
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