So What? | Living with Urgency

Hey everybody, Greg Laurie here.

Let me ask you a question. Are you eager to make a difference in the spiritual lives of others? When you give to Harvest, you become a part of our mission to make God known through unique avenues like television, radio, and large-scale evangelistic events.

Support us today at harvest.org slash donate, and help us to continue to spread the gospel around the world. Pastor Greg Laurie says when we tell others of the Lord's return, we need to make sure our walk matches our talk. The whole point of talking about the imminent return of Jesus is it should affect us in the way that we live.

John writes, he that has the soul purifies himself even as he is pure. So it all comes down to this, what I believe about the end times should affect me in the way that I live in these times. If you walk through a busy airport, you'll see some people are casually moving toward their gate, but others are sprinting as fast as they can. Why? Because they're running out of time. They don't want to miss their flight.

The lateness of the hour affects the action of their feet. Today on A New Beginnings, Pastor Greg Laurie says we should show that same urgency when it comes to the return of Christ. Time's running out, and we need to be about the Lord's business until he arrives. Luke chapter 12, and the title of my message is, so what? So I heard about a Sunday school teacher that was talking to her class of young people about the return of Jesus Christ. And she asked her class a question, which was, what would you do if Jesus came back tomorrow? And one little boy said, I'd clean my room. And the teacher asked, well, why do you say that? The little guy says, because my mom says, my room looks like a tornado hit it, and I don't want Jesus to think he came back to a disaster zone. And really, that little kid got it right.

There was cause and effect. In other words, in his mind, he realized that if Jesus were to come back, he needs to take some kind of action. In his case, it's clean his room. Does your life look like a disaster zone right now?

Do you need to clean your room, so to speak? See, the whole point of talking about the imminent return of Jesus is it should affect us in the way that we live. John writes, he that has this hope purifies himself, even as he is pure. So it all comes down to this, what I believe about the end times should affect me in the way that I live in these times. And that's why I've entitled this message, so what? Not as in, so what?

But more like, so what? So what do I do in light of the fact that Christ could come back again? We should live every day as though it were our last day, because one day it will be. Someone once asked the great evangelist, D.L. Moody, if you knew the Lord would return tonight, how would you spend the rest of your day?

Without hesitation, Moody replied, I wouldn't do anything different than I do every day. So in this series we've talked about the rapture, we've talked about Israel, we've talked about why Bible prophecy matters and why we should indeed study it and to the best of our ability understand it. Now we're going to focus specifically on what Jesus says we should be doing as we await his return. That brings us to Luke chapter 12, starting in verse 36. Jesus says, be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them and put on an apron and serve them as they sit and eat. He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn but whenever he comes he will reward the servants who are ready. Understand this, Jesus says, if a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming he would not permit his house to be broken into. You must be ready all the time for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

So we'll stop there. So the analogy that Jesus is using is very familiar with his Jewish listeners. He's talking about a wedding, a classic first century Jewish wedding. It was an extended time of celebration and fun and there was one unique feature about these weddings and it is simply this, you did not know when the groom was coming. So he might come in the morning, he might come in the afternoon, he might come in the evening, but when he was coming a shout would be given out, the bridegroom is coming and if you weren't ready you would miss the wedding.

Snooze and you lose. So Jesus uses this backdrop, this illustration to talk about how we should be living as we wait for our bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, to return. Bringing me to point number one, if you're taking notes we should be shining lights in a dark place.

We should be shining lights in a dark place. Look at verse 35, be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. The New King James Version translates it, let your waste be girded and your lamps burning. So what does it mean to have your waste girded?

That's not verbiage we use today. Well they were robes back in those days, right? So to gird your waste simply meant that you cinched up your robe. Everyone would have a belt around a robe and you would keep things on your belt like an oil flask, a little extra oil, etc.

So you would sort of cinch up your robe giving you freedom of movement. To have your lamps burning meant you had sufficient oil in them. So if we were to update it for today we would say have fresh batteries in your flashlight. Or we might say have your cell phone charged, right?

That's the idea. Live in a state of readiness. But to have your light shine. You know we live in a world that seems to be getting darker and darker, don't you think? And so we need to be shining more brightly. Jesus said let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. So in effect you look for ways to earn the right so to speak to then share your faith. The problem is sometimes we're talking about Jesus but we're not living it.

That does not help. But then there are others that live it beautifully but they never talk about it. We have to find the balance of doing both at the same time. And notice that Jesus says in verse 38 he may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn but whenever he comes he will reward the servants who are ready. So what Jesus is saying is hey even if he comes later than you were expecting be ready. Number two we are to be watching for him.

What it means when the Bible says to be watching for him it's simply saying that you should be paying attention to what's happening in your world. You open up a newspaper. If you actually read a newspaper most people don't anymore. Or you go to your favorite news site. Or you see the news online.

You pay attention because signs of the times are happening around us reminding us that Christ is coming but I should be watching for him. Thirdly I need to be ready to go. Have your bags packed.

Have your comfortable shoes on. And maybe ask yourself this question before you do something. Before you go somewhere. This place that I'm about to go. This thing that I'm about to do. Would I be ashamed or embarrassed to be doing such a thing if Jesus were to come back. That's the idea. Is this something I would not want to be doing if Christ were coming back again.

So it should affect me in the way that I live. And number four I should not only be ready but I should be anxiously awaiting his return. Look at verse 36.

When he comes and knocks they open to him immediately. And that's how we should be. We should be excited that Christ is coming. It's a joyful thing to await the return of the Lord. Like the Apostle John who said, come quickly Lord Jesus. Number five we should not only be anxiously waiting but we should also be working.

Let me say that again. We should not only be anxiously waiting we should be working. Look at verse 43. Blessed is that servant whom the master will find so doing when he comes.

Underline those two words so doing. The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead. If watching for the Lord's return helps us prepare our own lives working will assure we bring others with us. So Jesus it says blessed is the man whom the Lord finds so doing. The word blessed is interchangeable as you know with the word happy.

Happy is the person who's busy doing the things of the Lord as they await the return of the Lord. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. It's a joy to hear when these studies have truly impacted lives.

Listen to these comments from one of our listeners. Pastor Greg, I've listened to you and watched your messages for many years. During that time you've helped me grow in my faith more than you'll ever know. Thank you not only for your biblical wisdom but for your sense of humor.

I love a good laugh. God bless you. If you have a story to share why not call us and give us all the details. Here's the number 1-866-871-1144.

It's a special number 866-871-1144. Well you've joined us for the final message in Pastor Greg's end time series called the future is written. Let's continue. So here's a final movement in this text that we're reading. Jesus gives a contrast to the believer who's watching and working to the unprepared servant. Luke 12 verse 45. But if that servant says in his heart my ambassador is delaying his coming and begins to beat his male and female servants and to eat and drink and be drunk the master of the servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him. So in contrast to the believer who's waiting we have this one who's not ready at all.

Now who is this person? Is this a description of a Christian or is it a description of a non-Christian? Or rather is it a description of someone who thinks they're a Christian when they really aren't a Christian at all? Paul asks this question in Corinthians.

Check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians or are you just pretending to be Christians when you actually aren't at all? That could be this category Christ is describing. This person is not ready.

This person is getting drunk. This person is seeing the Lord delays his coming and this person has a hard heart against God and they're not ready. And there are people like this today and I'll tell you something that might surprise you. The easiest place to get a hard heart is in church. You say well no that's not the easiest place to get a hard heart.

Oh 100 percent. And here's how it works. The same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay. The same message that transforms and liberates and changes one person can harden another. It's not the fault of the message.

It's the fault of the reaction of the person to the message. You see I decide what kind of soil my heart would be. Jesus gave what we call the parable of the sower. A sower went out to sow seed the Lord said and he sowed some seed and it fell on the roadside and the birds came and ate it. And then he said and another seed fell on ground that was embedded with rocks.

It had shot up quickly but it had no root and it withered. Other seed fell on ground that was filled with weeds and the weeds choked out the growth of the seed and other seed fell on good ground. These are they that hear the Word of God and keep it and bring forth fruit. So category one that's a person who hears the gospel just kind of blows it off.

Those are the birds taking the seed off of the roadside. But the other category someone that shoots up but withers. These are people that make a profession of faith. They look like they've really had a conversion but it does not stand the test of time.

I suggest to you they were never converted at all. But then that other category is interesting. It's choked up by weeds. Weeds don't burst out of the soil and grab a plant and start shaking it.

It's so gradual you might not even see it happening but slowly and surely the weed restricts the growth of the healthy plant. And Jesus said these are the people that allow the cares and riches of this life and the love of other things choke out the growth in their life spiritually. So for some people it's a gradual process of getting a hardened heart against God.

But the final category. These are the ones that hear the Word of God and keep it. So listen when you come to church you should come with an open heart. A heart to learn.

A willingness to listen. A desire to worship. And then when we leave this church having a desire to share it with others because the holiest moment of the church service is when we go out the back doors. Out into the world.

To fulfill the great commission. So let's review. Jesus is coming. We need to be ready. Number one.

We need to be shining lights in a dark place. Number two. We need to be watching for Him. Number three. We need to be ready to go. Fourthly. We need to be ready and anxiously awaiting His return.

And fifth and lastly. We're not only anxiously waiting but we are working. You know there is an interesting passage back in 2 Peter where he asks this question. First he tells us that the Lord is not late as some men count lateness but He is long suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. And then he goes on to say this. The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear.

Then he asks this question. What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to be living holy and godly lives. So then dear friends since you're looking forward to the Lord's return make every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace with Him.

Are you at peace with God right now? Are you like that little boy? And you need your room to be cleaned up. You need your life to be cleaned up. You are engaged in things that you as a Christian should not be engaged in. Or you're not really a Christian yet and you're kind of frightened by the idea that Jesus could come back again. You don't need to be.

That can all change. You can have peace with God through a relationship with Him. You have to admit you're a sinner and ask Jesus Christ to come into your life to forgive you of all of your sin. And He'll do that for you right here right now. So you can know I'm ready for the Lord's return. And if Christ were to come back today I'd say hallelujah. And if He comes a little later than I was hoping again I say hallelujah.

I'm ready to go no matter what. I'm ready to meet the Lord. And if you're not sure if you're ready to meet the Lord. If you're not sure that Christ is living in your life why don't you ask Him to come live in your heart right now. Jesus says behold I stand at the door and I knock and if you will hear my voice and open the door I will come in. Only you can open the door of your heart so to speak and ask Jesus to come in.

You can do that right now. Let's all bow our heads and pray together. Father I pray for any that have joined us who may not yet know you. If they have not asked you to forgive them of their sin we pray this will be the day they believe and have their sin forgiven and begin a new relationship with you. We ask your Holy Spirit to convict them of their sin and convince them of their need for Jesus and help them to do that right now. Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying together if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life. If you want Him to forgive you of your sin.

If you want to be ready for the Lord's return you can pray right now and ask Him to come into your life. You could just pray this simple prayer out loud after me if you like or in the quietness of your heart. Just pray these words Lord Jesus I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for me and rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord as my God and my friend. Thank you for hearing this prayer and answering this prayer in Jesus name I pray.

Amen. Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer with those who are making a decision for the Lord today and if you've just taken that step well first of all know that your sins are forgiven. The Bible says the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and we want to welcome you into the family of God and let us send you something to help you get started off right. It's Pastor Greg's New Believers Bible. We'll send it free of charge. It has hundreds of helps for those who have just begun their walk of faith.

It'll answer some of the questions that may be on your mind right now. Just ask for the New Believers Bible. You can call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation.

It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right Pastor Greg? Yeah it's really true Dave and I believe it's so important because you know the gospel saves lives. It saves eternal lives because when a person believes in Jesus according to scripture they pass from darkness to light from the power of Satan to the power of God and then of course that changes the course of their future.

That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything and thousands and thousands of people respond every single year. Thanks to the Lord. Also thanks to you for your investment in this ministry enabling us to reach people wherever they are. So if this is something you care about I encourage you to make a financial investment in A New Beginning and Harvest Ministries. Yeah that's right and we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today.

It can make a real difference not just for today or this week but for eternity. So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24-7 phone number 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning Box 4000 Riverside California 92514.

Or go online to harvest.org. Well next time Pastor Greg begins a series of enlightening studies focusing on hot button issues. It's a series you don't want to miss. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.