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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - How Could A God of Love Send Someone To Hell? | March 11, 2026
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- Greg laurie: c.s. lewis put it this way, and i quote,
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- "there are only two kinds of people in the end:
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- Those who say to god, 'thy will be done,'
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- And those to whom god says, in the end, 'thy will be done.'
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- All are in hell because they choose it.
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- Without that self-choice, there could be no hell.
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- ♪ this is the day, ♪
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- ♪ the day when life begins. ♪
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- ♪ this is the day, ♪
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- ♪ the day when life begins. ♪♪
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- Greg: hot button issues.
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- The title of my message is, "how could a god of love
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- Send someone to hell?"
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- So, a number of years ago, i was preaching, i was standing
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- At the back door meeting people, and some guy comes up to me and
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- Shakes my hand and says, "that was a hell of a
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- Message, pastor."
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- I'm like, "okay, is this your first time here?"
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- You know, i was kind of hoping it would be more of a heaven of
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- A message, but, i think, in his way, he was trying to
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- Compliment me.
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- But there's that word, hell, you know, and we sometimes--people
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- Will say, "i don't like these hellfire and
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- Brimstone preachers."
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- Now, if by that, you mean someone standing on a street
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- Corner with a sign with a slogan, "you're going to burn
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- Hell," with flames added for effect, i would be with you.
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- But, frankly, i can't remember the last time i heard a hellfire
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- And brimstone message.
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- And, by that, i mean, i can't remember the last time i heard
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- Someone actually preach on the topic of hell.
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- So, that's what i want to talk about.
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- Now, i'm not suggesting we're gonna do this every sunday--all
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- Hell, all the time at harvest, right--but i'm not gonna run
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- From a subject because it's uncomfortable or because we have
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- A misunderstanding of it.
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- It's worth considering that jesus christ, who was the very
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- Personification of love, spoke more about hell than all the
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- Other preachers in the bible put together, why?
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- Because the last thing god wants is for anyone to go to
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- This place.
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- So i'm gonna answer the question, how could a god of
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- Love send someone to hell?
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- And i'm also gonna answer the question, how can you say, as
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- Christians, that jesus is the only way to god?
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- How can you say that?
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- That's so narrow minded; that's so intolerant; that's so
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- Unloving, and all religions teach the same thing.
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- Okay, we'll address all of those issues together.
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- And this brings me to point number 1: when we come to this
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- Topic--and, really, any topic-- we need to look at it
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- Biblically, not emotionally.
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- For some reason, there are some subjects that we have more of an
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- Emotional reaction to than others, and this probably would
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- Be one of them.
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- So we need to think biblically.
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- A poll by the pew research center revealed that people
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- Define heaven and hell as follows: heaven is a place where
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- People who have lived good lives are eternally rewarded, and hell
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- Is a place where people who have lived bad lives will die and be
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- Eternally punished.
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- That's wrong--so that means the vast majority of people have a
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- False view of heaven and hell.
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- Heaven is not created for people who've lived good lives.
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- Heaven is for forgiven people, not good people, and that's good
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- News for all of us, right?
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- And, even on our best day, we're nowhere close to being good
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- Enough for heaven.
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- It's for forgiven people.
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- And hell is a place where people who've live bad lives will die?
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- Listen, it's a place that's not even created for people.
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- According to jesus, hell was created for the devil and
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- His angels.
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- It's not something that god wants to send any person to--
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- And i'll explain that more in just a few moments.
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- We've made hell a joke when it's no laughing matter.
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- I mean, we punctuate our sentences, as i mentioned
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- Earlier, with references to hell.
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- For instance, if something is going wrong, people will say,
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- "all hell broke loose."
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- If you had a great time, "we had a hell of a good time,"
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- We'll say.
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- If you're mad at someone, "you can just go to hell."
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- Then, the funny thing is, some of the people who tell others to
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- Go to hell, don't believe hell exists.
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- So, what are you really saying?
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- "you can just go to a place that doesn't even exist."
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- Doesn't have quite the impact, now, does it?
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- There's actually a place in michigan named hell, that's the
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- City, hell, michigan.
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- And the way that came about is, in 1841, george reeves, an early
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- Settler, found this little swampy area, and he bought it,
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- And they were going to build a town there, and they said, "what
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- Do you want to name the town?"
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- He says, "i don't care; call it hell if you want."
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- And they did: hell, michigan.
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- So, if you want to go to hell, i guess you could go there.
- 00:05:22.321 --> 00:05:28.260
- But hell is real, as is heaven, and there is an afterlife.
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- J.i. packer, a theologian, said, quote, "an endless hell can no
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- More be removed from the new testament than an endless
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- Heaven can."
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- Yes, there is an afterlife, and we need to think about it
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- Carefully because we're all gonna enter it, maybe sooner
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- Than we thought.
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- And we decide in this life where we will spend the afterlife.
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- Now, there's a lot of misinformation about hell,
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- Ranging from hell being a big party, being ruled over by a
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- Cartoon caricature called satan.
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- Let me tell you a few things about the devil.
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- He doesn't have red skin; he doesn't have pointed ears; he
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- Doesn't have a tail; he doesn't have a pitchfork; and he doesn't
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- Have hooves.
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- That's a caricature of satan.
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- Here's another thing maybe i don't know if you knew this
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- Or not.
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- The devil does not live in hell.
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- Hell is created for the devil; ultimately, satan is going to be
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- Sent to hell, but he doesn't rule from hell from some
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- Fiery throne.
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- The bible calls him the prince of the power of the air.
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- He's just kind of moving around, as peter describes him, "like a
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- Roaring lion seeking whom he may devour."
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- In the book of job, the angels came to present themselves
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- Before the lord, and satan was among them, and the lord said to
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- Lucifer, "what have you been doing?"
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- He said, "just walking around, roaming around, watching
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- Everything that's going on."
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- In the book of revelation, we're told, "he knows his time
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- Is short."
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- That's why it seems like the devil is working overtime
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- Right now.
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- The bible says, "in the last days there will be satanically
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- Energized times," and we can all see it before our very eyes,
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- Can't we?
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- So, he doesn't rule from hell; he's going to be sent to hell.
- 00:07:19.204 --> 00:07:23.074
- Now, we hear of demons; where do demons come from?
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- Well, demons are fallen angels.
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- Satan, the devil, lucifer, was once a high-ranking angelic
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- Being, but he rebelled against god, and he took one-third of
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- The angels with him, who now are fallen angels, also known
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- As demons.
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- These are the principalities and powers that the bible tells
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- Us about.
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- So, the devil has limitations.
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- He can only be in one place at one time, in contrast to god
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- Who's omnipresent, who can be everywhere all at once.
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- The devil is not all powerful.
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- He has certain power, considerable power, but
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- It's limited.
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- God is omnipotent, which means he has unlimited power.
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- The devil has certain knowledge, though he doesn't know
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- Everything; he knows some things.
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- God is omniscient, meaning he knows all things.
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- And hell is not a party; it's a place of outer darkness; it's a
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- Place of isolation; it's a place that nobody wants to end up in.
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- You know, more than half of the 40 parables that jesus told deal
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- With eternal judgment and hell.
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- So it's something we should pay attention to.
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- Greg: greg laurie here.
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- You know, there is a very special group of people
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- I want to introduce you to.
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- They are a group of people who are passionate about the gospel
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- Of jesus christ being proclaimed in this nation and beyond.
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- In fact, these people make possible our radio program, our
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- Harvest crusades, our evangelistic movies like "jesus
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- Revolution," and so much more.
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- Without them, harvest ministries could not even exist,
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- So who are these amazing people?
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- We call them harvest partners.
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- They are people who have chosen to give monthly to harvest to
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- Keep the gospel moving forward.
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- Some can only give a little, others can give more,
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- But all of it makes a big difference.
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- Jesus said, "the harvest is plentiful,
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- But the laborers are few.
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- Therefore, pray the lord of the harvest to send out
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- Laborers into his harvest."
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- Will you become a harvest partner and help us fulfill the
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- Great commission in our lifetime?
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- Let's do this together.
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- Greg: so this is a description of the final judgment for
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- All mankind.
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- I would add, only non-believers will be present at the judgment
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- We're going to read about here.
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- Revelation 20, verse 11, john writes, "then i saw a great
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- White throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth
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- And the heaven fled away.
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- And there was found no place for them, and i saw the dead, small
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- And great, standing before god, and the books were opened."
- 00:10:12.410 --> 00:10:15.981
- You might underline the word books--plural--more than one.
- 00:10:15.981 --> 00:10:19.384
- "and another book was opened--" you might underline that--
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- "which is the book of life.
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- And the dead were judged according to their works, by the
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- Things which were written in the books.
- 00:10:27.192 --> 00:10:29.594
- The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hades
- 00:10:29.594 --> 00:10:33.465
- Delivered up the dead that were in them.
- 00:10:33.465 --> 00:10:35.600
- And they were judged, each one according to his works.
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- Then death and hades were cast into the lake of fire.
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- This is the second death.
- 00:10:42.273 --> 00:10:44.809
- Anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the
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- Lake of fire."
- 00:10:48.647 --> 00:10:50.015
- So we start with a great white throne.
- 00:10:50.015 --> 00:10:53.218
- It's great because of its awesome power and ultimate
- 00:10:53.218 --> 00:10:57.222
- Purpose, and the purpose of that great white throne is judgment.
- 00:10:57.222 --> 00:11:03.461
- And here we stand before god.
- 00:11:03.461 --> 00:11:07.132
- Now, what happens to a non-believer when they die?
- 00:11:07.132 --> 00:11:10.769
- A non-believer goes to hades, and, over in luke chapter 16,
- 00:11:10.769 --> 00:11:16.408
- Jesus told an interesting story.
- 00:11:16.408 --> 00:11:18.977
- It could be perceived as a parable--a parable is an
- 00:11:18.977 --> 00:11:21.746
- Illustration, not necessarily a true story, but just an
- 00:11:21.746 --> 00:11:25.283
- Illustration built on things people were familiar with;
- 00:11:25.283 --> 00:11:28.820
- Parables were like earthly stories with heavenly meanings.
- 00:11:28.820 --> 00:11:32.957
- But, in this particular account, he uses a name in his story; he
- 00:11:32.957 --> 00:11:36.995
- Talks about lazarus and a rich man.
- 00:11:36.995 --> 00:11:39.597
- Therefore, we don't think it's a parable.
- 00:11:39.597 --> 00:11:41.566
- In other words, this is a behind the scenes peak at what happens
- 00:11:41.566 --> 00:11:46.337
- On the other side.
- 00:11:46.337 --> 00:11:48.006
- We have two men dying on the same day.
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- One man is lazarus; he's impoverished; he's living off
- 00:11:50.542 --> 00:11:54.479
- The table scraps of the rich man who is selfish and self-absorbed
- 00:11:54.479 --> 00:12:00.285
- And is living an evil life.
- 00:12:00.285 --> 00:12:02.020
- So they both die.
- 00:12:02.020 --> 00:12:03.354
- So we have the picture of a believer and a non-believer
- 00:12:03.354 --> 00:12:06.291
- Dying--and everyone dies; death is no respecter of persons.
- 00:12:06.291 --> 00:12:10.962
- Believers as well as non-believers get cancer; they
- 00:12:10.962 --> 00:12:14.599
- Have auto accidents; they have heart attacks; they die; we
- 00:12:14.599 --> 00:12:17.702
- All die.
- 00:12:17.702 --> 00:12:19.037
- But lazarus, the believer, goes straight into the presence of
- 00:12:19.037 --> 00:12:22.173
- God at death in this story jesus told.
- 00:12:22.173 --> 00:12:24.476
- Luke 16:22, "so the beggar died and was carried by the angels to
- 00:12:24.476 --> 00:12:29.147
- Abraham's bosom.
- 00:12:29.147 --> 00:12:30.482
- The rich man died and was buried."
- 00:12:30.482 --> 00:12:33.218
- So, when a believer dies, in contrast to a non-believer, you
- 00:12:33.218 --> 00:12:37.055
- Are ushered into the presence of god by an angel.
- 00:12:37.055 --> 00:12:40.792
- I find that comforting, don't you?
- 00:12:40.792 --> 00:12:43.528
- You wonder, "what happened to my loved one when they died?"
- 00:12:43.528 --> 00:12:45.263
- Angel escorted them to heaven; that's an awesome escort.
- 00:12:45.263 --> 00:12:49.834
- Sixteen years ago, my son left this life and went into the
- 00:12:49.834 --> 00:12:53.004
- Afterlife after an automobile accident, and i believe that he
- 00:12:53.004 --> 00:12:57.776
- Was escorted by an angel.
- 00:12:57.776 --> 00:12:59.344
- You know, angels are very involved in your life, every
- 00:12:59.344 --> 00:13:02.647
- Single day, but you're probably not even aware of what
- 00:13:02.647 --> 00:13:05.250
- They're doing.
- 00:13:05.250 --> 00:13:06.584
- Sometimes people ask, "do we have guardian angels?"
- 00:13:06.584 --> 00:13:09.020
- I don't know with certainty, but i think maybe we do.
- 00:13:09.020 --> 00:13:12.724
- But, if we don't have a guardian angel--maybe we've worn out a
- 00:13:12.724 --> 00:13:16.060
- Few of them, i don't know--but, if we don't have a guardian
- 00:13:16.060 --> 00:13:19.197
- Angel, we have angels actively involved.
- 00:13:19.197 --> 00:13:21.399
- The bible says, "the angel of the lord surrounds those that
- 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:24.602
- Fear him."
- 00:13:24.602 --> 00:13:25.970
- Sometimes they guide us; sometimes they stop us; they
- 00:13:25.970 --> 00:13:28.940
- Protect us; they're involved.
- 00:13:28.940 --> 00:13:30.475
- They're sort of like navy seals; you don't know what they did,
- 00:13:30.475 --> 00:13:33.745
- But they just get the job done, right?
- 00:13:33.745 --> 00:13:36.181
- It's angels are sort of like god's secret agents.
- 00:13:36.181 --> 00:13:39.083
- And so, they're guiding us through life; they're
- 00:13:39.083 --> 00:13:41.486
- Protecting us.
- 00:13:41.486 --> 00:13:42.987
- And then one day they fulfill their final task, which is
- 00:13:42.987 --> 00:13:45.790
- Escorting us into god's presence.
- 00:13:45.790 --> 00:13:48.927
- And so lazarus dies and goes into the presence of the lord.
- 00:13:48.927 --> 00:13:53.131
- But now the non-believer dies on the same day; he also goes to
- 00:13:53.131 --> 00:13:57.302
- This place called hades.
- 00:13:57.302 --> 00:13:58.636
- Okay, so, hades--this is all prior to the death and
- 00:13:58.636 --> 00:14:02.574
- Resurrection of jesus--was where all people went, and it
- 00:14:02.574 --> 00:14:05.677
- Had a comfort section and a torment section--or another way
- 00:14:05.677 --> 00:14:10.381
- To put it, smoking and non-smoking, all right?
- 00:14:10.381 --> 00:14:14.018
- So, if you were a believer, you went into the comfort section of
- 00:14:14.018 --> 00:14:17.222
- Hades, into abraham's bosom and the care of abraham.
- 00:14:17.222 --> 00:14:22.827
- And, if you were a non-believer, you went into the
- 00:14:22.827 --> 00:14:25.463
- Torment section.
- 00:14:25.463 --> 00:14:26.965
- And, in this vivid account that jesus gave in luke 16, we see
- 00:14:26.965 --> 00:14:31.603
- The man in the torment section saying, "i wanna cross over.
- 00:14:31.603 --> 00:14:35.840
- Give me--send me some water to cool my tongue."
- 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:38.643
- It's a really scary scenario laid before us.
- 00:14:38.643 --> 00:14:41.846
- So, once christ died on the cross, he went to heaven.
- 00:14:41.846 --> 00:14:47.886
- And, now, that's where every christian goes.
- 00:14:47.886 --> 00:14:51.122
- Remember when jesus was crucified, and the criminal next
- 00:14:51.122 --> 00:14:54.592
- To him said, "lord, remember me when you come into
- 00:14:54.592 --> 00:14:56.861
- Your kingdom?"
- 00:14:56.861 --> 00:14:58.229
- Jesus said, "truly, truly, i say to you, today you will be with
- 00:14:58.229 --> 00:15:01.466
- Me in paradise."
- 00:15:01.466 --> 00:15:02.834
- So, what happens to a christian when they die?
- 00:15:02.834 --> 00:15:05.003
- Now we go straight to heaven.
- 00:15:05.003 --> 00:15:06.738
- We don't go to the comfort section of hades.
- 00:15:06.738 --> 00:15:09.574
- We go straight to heaven into the presence of god, as the
- 00:15:09.574 --> 00:15:13.278
- Apostle paul says, "to be absent from the body is to be present
- 00:15:13.278 --> 00:15:17.849
- With the lord."
- 00:15:17.849 --> 00:15:19.817
- So the moment you take your last breath on earth, you take your
- 00:15:19.817 --> 00:15:23.354
- First breath in heaven.
- 00:15:23.354 --> 00:15:25.356
- You close your eyes on earth, you open them in heaven--and
- 00:15:25.356 --> 00:15:29.827
- It's just like that, just like a flash.
- 00:15:29.827 --> 00:15:33.097
- And paul writes also, "i wanna depart and be with christ, which
- 00:15:33.097 --> 00:15:37.101
- Is far better."
- 00:15:37.101 --> 00:15:39.137
- Far better, heaven's way better than earth.
- 00:15:39.137 --> 00:15:43.007
- And the words that he uses could be translated, "far, far
- 00:15:43.007 --> 00:15:46.044
- Better," or, as they would say in hawaii, "mo better,
- 00:15:46.044 --> 00:15:49.047
- Bra," right?
- 00:15:49.047 --> 00:15:50.615
- It's mo better, way better.
- 00:15:50.615 --> 00:15:54.152
- Think of the purest joy on earth, multiply it 1,000 times,
- 00:15:54.152 --> 00:15:59.557
- And you get a fleeting glimpse of heaven's euphoria.
- 00:15:59.557 --> 00:16:04.095
- Of heaven, the bible says, "in his presence, there is fullness
- 00:16:04.095 --> 00:16:07.365
- Of joy, and on his right hand, there are
- 00:16:07.365 --> 00:16:09.400
- Pleasures forevermore."
- 00:16:09.400 --> 00:16:11.235
- Point number 5, only non-believers will stand at the
- 00:16:11.235 --> 00:16:13.905
- Great white throne judgment.
- 00:16:13.905 --> 00:16:15.807
- So death and hades deliver up the dead that were in them, so
- 00:16:15.807 --> 00:16:19.277
- The non-believer goes to this place of hades, this difficult
- 00:16:19.277 --> 00:16:24.716
- Section--torment section, if you will--and now they come to
- 00:16:24.716 --> 00:16:27.485
- The great white throne judgment.
- 00:16:27.485 --> 00:16:30.555
- And you're judged from the books, plural.
- 00:16:30.555 --> 00:16:33.758
- What are these books?
- 00:16:33.758 --> 00:16:35.126
- No one knows, so i'll just make a bunch of stuff up.
- 00:16:35.126 --> 00:16:37.996
- No, not really; this is based on other scriptures.
- 00:16:37.996 --> 00:16:42.233
- Maybe one of those books is a book of god's law, you know, the
- 00:16:42.233 --> 00:16:47.238
- Commandments of god that we've broken.
- 00:16:47.238 --> 00:16:49.941
- Imagine, if every time you broke a commandment, it was recorded
- 00:16:49.941 --> 00:16:53.077
- In a book; that'd be a big book, right?
- 00:16:53.077 --> 00:16:56.481
- And the bible says, "god gave us the law that every mouth would
- 00:16:56.481 --> 00:16:59.817
- Be stopped and all the world would be guilty before god."
- 00:16:59.817 --> 00:17:03.521
- Maybe one of those books is a record of every time you heard
- 00:17:03.521 --> 00:17:07.658
- The gospel and rejected it-- because some people would
- 00:17:07.658 --> 00:17:10.895
- Probably say, "hold on now; i never heard this.
- 00:17:10.895 --> 00:17:13.264
- I never heard someone say i needed to believe in jesus."
- 00:17:13.264 --> 00:17:16.768
- Well, actually you did, and here's a record of all those
- 00:17:16.768 --> 00:17:20.538
- Times you heard it throughout your childhood, and you rejected
- 00:17:20.538 --> 00:17:24.475
- It--i don't know--with any certainty.
- 00:17:24.475 --> 00:17:26.444
- But then, if you're not found written in the book of life,
- 00:17:26.444 --> 00:17:30.248
- You're cast into the lake of fire.
- 00:17:30.248 --> 00:17:32.417
- If you're a christian, your name is written in the book of life.
- 00:17:32.417 --> 00:17:37.522
- That's the good news, right?
- 00:17:37.522 --> 00:17:43.594
- But what about these people that don't have their name written in
- 00:17:43.594 --> 00:17:46.664
- The book of life?
- 00:17:46.664 --> 00:17:48.566
- They are sent to ultimate judgment.
- 00:17:48.566 --> 00:17:52.737
- How could a god of love send someone to hell?
- 00:17:52.737 --> 00:17:56.874
- Simple answer: god doesn't send anyone to hell.
- 00:17:56.874 --> 00:18:01.345
- God wants you in heaven, but he's not gonna force you against
- 00:18:01.345 --> 00:18:05.583
- Your will.
- 00:18:05.583 --> 00:18:06.918
- He's not gonna say, "get up to heaven right now, young man.
- 00:18:06.918 --> 00:18:10.755
- I don't care if you like it, you're going to heaven."
- 00:18:10.755 --> 00:18:12.957
- No, if you don't wanna go to heaven, you don't have to go
- 00:18:12.957 --> 00:18:17.095
- To heaven.
- 00:18:17.095 --> 00:18:18.463
- And there are many that don't want to.
- 00:18:18.463 --> 00:18:20.565
- J.i. packer, great theologian, said, "scripture sees hell
- 00:18:20.565 --> 00:18:25.236
- As self-chosen.
- 00:18:25.236 --> 00:18:27.305
- Hell appears as god's gesture of respect for human choice.
- 00:18:27.305 --> 00:18:31.742
- All will receive what they actually choose, to be with god
- 00:18:31.742 --> 00:18:36.114
- Forever worshiping him, or without god forever, worshiping
- 00:18:36.114 --> 00:18:40.952
- Themselves," end quote.
- 00:18:40.952 --> 00:18:43.721
- C.s. lewis put it this way,
- 00:18:43.721 --> 00:18:45.890
- And i quote, "there are only two kinds
- 00:18:45.890 --> 00:18:47.892
- Of people in the end: those who say to god, 'thy will be done,'
- 00:18:47.892 --> 00:18:51.996
- And those to whom god says, in the end, 'thy will be done.'
- 00:18:51.996 --> 00:18:56.434
- All are in hell because they choose it.
- 00:18:56.434 --> 00:18:59.670
- Without that self-choice, there could be no hell," end quote.
- 00:18:59.670 --> 00:19:04.742
- It's your choice, so i don't say god sends people there; you send
- 00:19:04.742 --> 00:19:09.680
- Self there.
- 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:11.015
- The gates of hell are locked from the inside.
- 00:19:11.015 --> 00:19:14.185
- If you wanna go to heaven, then you choose to follow jesus
- 00:19:14.185 --> 00:19:17.822
- Christ, and he shows you how to do it.
- 00:19:17.822 --> 00:19:20.424
- So i have to tell you what the bible says because, to promise
- 00:19:20.424 --> 00:19:24.929
- Heaven and not warn of hell is not giving the whole gospel.
- 00:19:24.929 --> 00:19:29.867
- You say, "well, what if i wanna spend eternity in heaven?"
- 00:19:29.867 --> 00:19:32.670
- Well, then go the way god tells you to go.
- 00:19:32.670 --> 00:19:35.306
- Let's say that you said, "hey, greg, i wanna go visit
- 00:19:35.306 --> 00:19:38.309
- Harvest riverside."
- 00:19:38.309 --> 00:19:39.677
- Okay, great.
- 00:19:39.677 --> 00:19:41.045
- "how do i get there?"
- 00:19:41.045 --> 00:19:42.413
- All right, well, you get on the 55, you get on the 91, and then
- 00:19:42.413 --> 00:19:46.484
- You go up to riverside, and there's a little off-ramp
- 00:19:46.484 --> 00:19:48.886
- Called adams.
- 00:19:48.886 --> 00:19:50.221
- You pull off on adams, and you'll wait there for maybe 10
- 00:19:50.221 --> 00:19:52.356
- Minutes--because, i don't know why, it's a really long light,
- 00:19:52.356 --> 00:19:55.526
- And then it goes green, and it's red again, yeah, so--then you
- 00:19:55.526 --> 00:20:01.199
- Keep going up, and it intersects with arlington, adams
- 00:20:01.199 --> 00:20:05.102
- And arlington.
- 00:20:05.102 --> 00:20:06.437
- That's where our church is; you can't miss it.
- 00:20:06.437 --> 00:20:08.339
- "yeah, you know, i don't really agree with that."
- 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:10.975
- What do you mean?
- 00:20:10.975 --> 00:20:12.310
- "i don't agree.
- 00:20:12.310 --> 00:20:13.778
- I think all roads lead to harvest."
- 00:20:13.778 --> 00:20:16.013
- What, are you insane?
- 00:20:16.013 --> 00:20:18.015
- I just told you how to get there.
- 00:20:18.015 --> 00:20:19.817
- "no, i think it's in san diego."
- 00:20:19.817 --> 00:20:21.919
- Actually, it isn't.
- 00:20:21.919 --> 00:20:23.354
- "well, we're gonna go to san diego and look for it."
- 00:20:23.354 --> 00:20:25.323
- Have fun there; you're not gonna find what you're looking for.
- 00:20:25.323 --> 00:20:29.227
- Or it'd be like buying an electric car.
- 00:20:29.227 --> 00:20:31.596
- And so you pull into the gas station--and people have done
- 00:20:31.596 --> 00:20:37.201
- This; i've seen videos of people trying to put gas in teslas; i'm
- 00:20:37.201 --> 00:20:42.240
- Not making this up.
- 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:44.041
- And so, you're looking for a place to put the gas; there's
- 00:20:44.041 --> 00:20:47.945
- Nowhere to put it.
- 00:20:47.945 --> 00:20:49.280
- First of all, that's dangerous because that could be on fire,
- 00:20:49.280 --> 00:20:54.285
- How do i say it, okay?
- 00:20:54.285 --> 00:20:55.853
- So, "well, i don't agree with that.
- 00:20:55.853 --> 00:20:58.723
- I don't think that this should run on electricity or a battery.
- 00:20:58.723 --> 00:21:02.493
- I think it should run--" well, think whatever you want.
- 00:21:02.493 --> 00:21:05.396
- It was designed to be plugged in and charged and run on a
- 00:21:05.396 --> 00:21:09.033
- Battery, and this is the way you do it.
- 00:21:09.033 --> 00:21:11.602
- But then we'll come to god, and we'll say, "well, i don't
- 00:21:11.602 --> 00:21:14.939
- Believe that jesus is the only way to god.
- 00:21:14.939 --> 00:21:17.174
- Why do you christians say jesus is the only way to god?"
- 00:21:17.174 --> 00:21:20.845
- Well, technically, it was jesus that said it, so we're simply
- 00:21:20.845 --> 00:21:26.217
- Repeating what he said.
- 00:21:26.217 --> 00:21:28.519
- And jesus said--i think all of us know this verse, john 14:6--
- 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:32.523
- We can say it together, i'm sure, "i am the way, the truth,
- 00:21:32.523 --> 00:21:36.627
- And the life.
- 00:21:36.627 --> 00:21:37.962
- And no man comes to the father but by me--or through me."
- 00:21:37.962 --> 00:21:42.266
- The bible says, "there's one god, one mediator between god
- 00:21:42.266 --> 00:21:45.636
- And man, and it's a man, christ jesus."
- 00:21:45.636 --> 00:21:48.839
- Peter preached and said, "there is salvation found in no other
- 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:52.810
- Name under heaven by which a man can be saved."
- 00:21:52.810 --> 00:21:56.714
- So, there it is; why do we say it?
- 00:21:56.714 --> 00:21:59.317
- Because jesus said it.
- 00:21:59.317 --> 00:22:01.285
- Seventy percent of americans believe many religions can lead
- 00:22:01.285 --> 00:22:05.122
- To eternal life, and strangely-- and wrongly--56% of so-called
- 00:22:05.122 --> 00:22:11.228
- Evangelical christians say there are many paths to god apart from
- 00:22:11.228 --> 00:22:16.834
- Jesus christ.
- 00:22:16.834 --> 00:22:18.169
- Okay, they're wrong.
- 00:22:18.169 --> 00:22:20.237
- A biblical christian who understands what scripture says
- 00:22:20.237 --> 00:22:23.874
- Would go with what jesus said.
- 00:22:23.874 --> 00:22:25.543
- "well, that's so intolerant.
- 00:22:25.543 --> 00:22:27.445
- That's so narrow-minded.
- 00:22:27.445 --> 00:22:29.380
- I believe all roads lead to god.
- 00:22:29.380 --> 00:22:31.682
- I believe all religions teach the same thing."
- 00:22:31.682 --> 00:22:34.685
- If someone says that to you, that's their way of saying, "hi,
- 00:22:34.685 --> 00:22:38.456
- I'm completely ignorant."
- 00:22:38.456 --> 00:22:42.259
- Because any look, even a casual glance, at the religions of the
- 00:22:42.259 --> 00:22:47.064
- World would clearly show they don't all teach the same thing
- 00:22:47.064 --> 00:22:51.635
- At all.
- 00:22:51.635 --> 00:22:52.970
- As an example, christians believe in a personal god.
- 00:22:52.970 --> 00:22:55.139
- Buddhists are pantheistic, denying the existence of a
- 00:22:55.139 --> 00:22:59.009
- Personal god.
- 00:22:59.009 --> 00:23:00.911
- So, the views just are different in every one.
- 00:23:00.911 --> 00:23:03.848
- So don't say all religions teach the same thing.
- 00:23:03.848 --> 00:23:06.650
- And then there's this one, "we're all children of god."
- 00:23:06.650 --> 00:23:11.389
- No, you aren't; you're not all children--i know, i'm gonna
- 00:23:11.389 --> 00:23:14.725
- Offend someone; i told you, right?
- 00:23:14.725 --> 00:23:16.127
- Didn't i say that?
- 00:23:16.127 --> 00:23:17.495
- You're not all children of god.
- 00:23:17.495 --> 00:23:19.029
- "how dare you say that, greg?"
- 00:23:19.029 --> 00:23:20.831
- Well, where in the bible does it say we're all children of god?
- 00:23:20.831 --> 00:23:24.635
- Here's what the bible says, "for as many as received him, to them
- 00:23:24.635 --> 00:23:29.206
- He gave the power to become sons of god."
- 00:23:29.206 --> 00:23:33.244
- I am a child of god because i believed in jesus, and i was
- 00:23:33.244 --> 00:23:37.948
- Adopted into his family.
- 00:23:37.948 --> 00:23:40.584
- I'm adopted, right?
- 00:23:40.584 --> 00:23:47.091
- I was adopted by a man named oscar laurie; he made me his
- 00:23:47.091 --> 00:23:51.362
- Son legally.
- 00:23:51.362 --> 00:23:52.797
- So that's a privilege; i now can take his last name, though i
- 00:23:52.797 --> 00:23:57.168
- Didn't like it as a child, quite frankly, but i'm fine with
- 00:23:57.168 --> 00:24:01.305
- It now.
- 00:24:01.305 --> 00:24:02.640
- But, you know, it is a girl's name, after all, isn't it?
- 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:04.742
- So--but i am adopted, and the same is true when you become
- 00:24:04.742 --> 00:24:09.113
- A believer.
- 00:24:09.113 --> 00:24:10.481
- Now, i think we could say, we're all created by god; we're all
- 00:24:10.481 --> 00:24:13.984
- Made in the image of god; we're all loved by god.
- 00:24:13.984 --> 00:24:18.422
- But we're not all children of god.
- 00:24:18.422 --> 00:24:20.691
- You become a child of god by believing in the son of god who
- 00:24:20.691 --> 00:24:25.162
- Died on the cross for your sin and rose from the dead.
- 00:24:25.162 --> 00:24:28.165
- You see, jesus is the only way to god because there's never
- 00:24:28.165 --> 00:24:31.569
- Been anyone like jesus before.
- 00:24:31.569 --> 00:24:34.338
- He wasn't a prophet; he wasn't a guru.
- 00:24:34.338 --> 00:24:37.908
- He was fully god and fully man, and he walked among us, and he
- 00:24:37.908 --> 00:24:42.313
- Lived a perfect life.
- 00:24:42.313 --> 00:24:43.714
- Then he died a perfect death.
- 00:24:43.714 --> 00:24:45.749
- And, with one hand, he took hold of sinful humanity, and, with
- 00:24:45.749 --> 00:24:49.186
- The other hand, he took hold of a holy god, and nails were
- 00:24:49.186 --> 00:24:52.756
- Pounded into those hands, and he died for our sin.
- 00:24:52.756 --> 00:24:56.427
- That's why christ--and christ alone--is the only one who can
- 00:24:56.427 --> 00:25:00.097
- Connect us to the father in heaven.
- 00:25:00.097 --> 00:25:02.366
- That's god's way; this is god's lifeline.
- 00:25:02.366 --> 00:25:08.806
- Let's summarize.
- 00:25:08.806 --> 00:25:10.808
- How could a god of love send someone to hell?
- 00:25:10.808 --> 00:25:12.776
- He doesn't.
- 00:25:12.776 --> 00:25:14.278
- Hell was not created for people; it was created for the devil and
- 00:25:14.278 --> 00:25:17.648
- His angels.
- 00:25:17.648 --> 00:25:18.983
- You have a choice in the matter.
- 00:25:18.983 --> 00:25:20.451
- If you reject god's provision and offer of forgiveness and end
- 00:25:20.451 --> 00:25:24.021
- Up in hell, you have no one to blame but yourself.
- 00:25:24.021 --> 00:25:27.424
- The gates of hell are locked from the inside.
- 00:25:27.424 --> 00:25:30.794
- Issue number 2, how can you say jesus christ is the only way
- 00:25:30.794 --> 00:25:33.931
- To god?
- 00:25:33.931 --> 00:25:35.299
- To be technical, it was jesus who said it.
- 00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:37.301
- He's the only one uniquely qualified to bridge the gap
- 00:25:37.301 --> 00:25:40.337
- Between a holy god and sinful humanity.
- 00:25:40.337 --> 00:25:43.207
- He died for our sins; he atoned for our sins; he rose again from
- 00:25:43.207 --> 00:25:47.678
- The dead; and he himself said, he was the way, the truth, and
- 00:25:47.678 --> 00:25:51.682
- The life, and no man comes to the father but by him.
- 00:25:51.682 --> 00:25:56.820
- Greg: hi, my name is greg laurie.
- 00:26:00.624 --> 00:26:01.992
- I started searching for god at a very young age.
- 00:26:01.992 --> 00:26:06.163
- And my search led me into a lot of wrong directions, including
- 00:26:06.163 --> 00:26:09.800
- Drug use, and i almost destroyed my life completely.
- 00:26:09.800 --> 00:26:13.637
- But someone told me about jesus christ, and it changed my
- 00:26:13.637 --> 00:26:18.075
- Life forever.
- 00:26:18.075 --> 00:26:19.443
- And i want you to know that, whatever course your life is on
- 00:26:19.443 --> 00:26:22.179
- Right now, it can change if you realize there's a god in heaven
- 00:26:22.179 --> 00:26:25.983
- Who loves you; he has a plan for your life.
- 00:26:25.983 --> 00:26:29.853
- I prayed this prayer to ask jesus into my life at the age of
- 00:26:29.853 --> 00:26:33.557
- 17, but here i am at the age of 70, and i can tell you, i made
- 00:26:33.557 --> 00:26:38.262
- The best choice i ever could make.
- 00:26:38.262 --> 00:26:40.164
- You can make that same choice yourself.
- 00:26:40.164 --> 00:26:42.466
- You could just say, "jesus help me, forgive me of my sin.
- 00:26:42.466 --> 00:26:46.303
- I wanna go to heaven when i die.
- 00:26:46.303 --> 00:26:48.205
- I want a relationship with you."
- 00:26:48.205 --> 00:26:50.941
- If you would pray a prayer like that, god will hear you and
- 00:26:50.941 --> 00:26:54.044
- Answer you.
- 00:26:54.044 --> 00:26:57.314
- Female announcer: jesus says that where two or three are
- 00:27:01.418 --> 00:27:03.821
- Gathered in my name, there i am in the midst of them.
- 00:27:03.821 --> 00:27:08.258
- We are all different.
- 00:27:08.258 --> 00:27:09.627
- We have different interests, different personalities,
- 00:27:09.627 --> 00:27:12.763
- Different upbringings, and different ways we do life,
- 00:27:12.763 --> 00:27:16.700
- But here, we have a deep connection,
- 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:20.237
- And you are welcome here.
- 00:27:20.237 --> 00:27:24.341
- This is harvest.
- 00:27:24.341 --> 00:27:24.341
