Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - How Could A God Of Love Send Someone To Hell? | August 31, 2025
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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.
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- 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.
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- 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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- 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."
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- You might underline the word books--plural--more than one.
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- "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.
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- The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hades
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- Delivered up the dead that were in them.
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- 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.
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- Anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the
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- Lake of fire."
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- So we start with a great white throne.
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- It's great because of its awesome power and ultimate
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- Purpose, and the purpose of that great white throne is judgment.
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- And here we stand before god.
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- Now, what happens to a non-believer when they die?
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- A non-believer goes to hades, and, over in luke chapter 16,
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- Jesus told an interesting story.
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- It could be perceived as a parable--a parable is an
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- Illustration, not necessarily a true story, but just an
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- Illustration built on things people were familiar with;
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- Parables were like earthly stories with heavenly meanings.
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- But, in this particular account, he uses a name in his story; he
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- Talks about lazarus and a rich man.
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- Therefore, we don't think it's a parable.
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- In other words, this is a behind the scenes peak at what happens
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- On the other side.
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- We have two men dying on the same day.
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- One man is lazarus; he's impoverished; he's living off
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- The table scraps of the rich man who is selfish and self-absorbed
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- And is living an evil life.
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- So they both die.
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- So we have the picture of a believer and a non-believer
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- Dying--and everyone dies; death is no respecter of persons.
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- Believers as well as non-believers get cancer; they
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- Have auto accidents; they have heart attacks; they die; we
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- All die.
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- But lazarus, the believer, goes straight into the presence of
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- God at death in this story jesus told.
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- Luke 16:22, "so the beggar died and was carried by the angels to
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- Abraham's bosom.
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- The rich man died and was buried."
- 00:11:18.925 --> 00:11:21.661
- So, when a believer dies, in contrast to a non-believer, you
- 00:11:21.661 --> 00:11:25.499
- Are ushered into the presence of god by an angel.
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- I find that comforting, don't you?
- 00:11:29.236 --> 00:11:31.972
- You wonder, "what happened to my loved one when they died?"
- 00:11:31.972 --> 00:11:33.707
- Angel escorted them to heaven; that's an awesome escort.
- 00:11:33.707 --> 00:11:38.278
- Sixteen years ago, my son left this life and went into the
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- Afterlife after an automobile accident, and i believe that he
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- Was escorted by an angel.
- 00:11:46.219 --> 00:11:47.788
- You know, angels are very involved in your life, every
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- Single day, but you're probably not even aware of what
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- They're doing.
- 00:11:53.693 --> 00:11:55.028
- Sometimes people ask, "do we have guardian angels?"
- 00:11:55.028 --> 00:11:57.464
- I don't know with certainty, but i think maybe we do.
- 00:11:57.464 --> 00:12:01.168
- But, if we don't have a guardian angel--maybe we've worn out a
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- Few of them, i don't know--but, if we don't have a guardian
- 00:12:04.504 --> 00:12:07.641
- Angel, we have angels actively involved.
- 00:12:07.641 --> 00:12:09.843
- The bible says, "the angel of the lord surrounds those that
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- Fear him."
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- Sometimes they guide us; sometimes they stop us; they
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- Protect us; they're involved.
- 00:12:17.384 --> 00:12:18.919
- They're sort of like navy seals; you don't know what they did,
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- But they just get the job done, right?
- 00:12:22.189 --> 00:12:24.624
- It's angels are sort of like god's secret agents.
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- And so, they're guiding us through life; they're
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- Protecting us.
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- And then one day they fulfill their final task, which is
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- Escorting us into god's presence.
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- And so lazarus dies and goes into the presence of the lord.
- 00:12:37.370 --> 00:12:41.575
- But now the non-believer dies on the same day; he also goes to
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- This place called hades.
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- Okay, so, hades--this is all prior to the death and
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- Resurrection of jesus--was where all people went, and it
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- Had a comfort section and a torment section--or another way
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- To put it, smoking and non-smoking, all right?
- 00:12:58.825 --> 00:13:02.462
- So, if you were a believer, you went into the comfort section of
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- Hades, into abraham's bosom and the care of abraham.
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- And, if you were a non-believer, you went into the
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- Torment section.
- 00:13:13.907 --> 00:13:15.408
- And, in this vivid account that jesus gave in luke 16, we see
- 00:13:15.408 --> 00:13:20.046
- The man in the torment section saying, "i wanna cross over.
- 00:13:20.046 --> 00:13:24.284
- Give me--send me some water to cool my tongue."
- 00:13:24.284 --> 00:13:27.087
- It's a really scary scenario laid before us.
- 00:13:27.087 --> 00:13:30.290
- So, once christ died on the cross, he went to heaven.
- 00:13:30.290 --> 00:13:36.329
- And, now, that's where every christian goes.
- 00:13:36.329 --> 00:13:39.566
- Remember when jesus was crucified, and the criminal next
- 00:13:39.566 --> 00:13:43.036
- To him said, "lord, remember me when you come into
- 00:13:43.036 --> 00:13:45.305
- Your kingdom?"
- 00:13:45.305 --> 00:13:46.673
- Jesus said, "truly, truly, i say to you, today you will be with
- 00:13:46.673 --> 00:13:49.910
- Me in paradise."
- 00:13:49.910 --> 00:13:51.278
- So, what happens to a christian when they die?
- 00:13:51.278 --> 00:13:53.446
- Now we go straight to heaven.
- 00:13:53.446 --> 00:13:55.181
- We don't go to the comfort section of hades.
- 00:13:55.181 --> 00:13:58.018
- We go straight to heaven into the presence of god, as the
- 00:13:58.018 --> 00:14:01.721
- Apostle paul says, "to be absent from the body is to be present
- 00:14:01.721 --> 00:14:06.293
- With the lord."
- 00:14:06.293 --> 00:14:08.261
- So the moment you take your last breath on earth, you take your
- 00:14:08.261 --> 00:14:11.798
- First breath in heaven.
- 00:14:11.798 --> 00:14:13.800
- You close your eyes on earth, you open them in heaven--and
- 00:14:13.800 --> 00:14:18.271
- It's just like that, just like a flash.
- 00:14:18.271 --> 00:14:21.541
- And paul writes also, "i wanna depart and be with christ, which
- 00:14:21.541 --> 00:14:25.545
- Is far better."
- 00:14:25.545 --> 00:14:27.580
- Far better, heaven's way better than earth.
- 00:14:27.580 --> 00:14:31.451
- And the words that he uses could be translated, "far, far
- 00:14:31.451 --> 00:14:34.487
- Better," or, as they would say in hawaii, "mo better,
- 00:14:34.487 --> 00:14:37.490
- Bra," right?
- 00:14:37.490 --> 00:14:39.059
- It's mo better, way better.
- 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:42.595
- Think of the purest joy on earth, multiply it 1,000 times,
- 00:14:42.595 --> 00:14:48.001
- And you get a fleeting glimpse of heaven's euphoria.
- 00:14:48.001 --> 00:14:52.539
- Of heaven, the bible says, "in his presence, there is fullness
- 00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:55.809
- Of joy, and on his right hand, there are
- 00:14:55.809 --> 00:14:57.844
- Pleasures forevermore."
- 00:14:57.844 --> 00:14:59.679
- Point number 5, only non-believers will stand at the
- 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:02.349
- Great white throne judgment.
- 00:15:02.349 --> 00:15:04.250
- So death and hades deliver up the dead that were in them, so
- 00:15:04.250 --> 00:15:07.721
- The non-believer goes to this place of hades, this difficult
- 00:15:07.721 --> 00:15:13.159
- Section--torment section, if you will--and now they come to
- 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:15.929
- The great white throne judgment.
- 00:15:15.929 --> 00:15:18.999
- And you're judged from the books, plural.
- 00:15:18.999 --> 00:15:22.202
- What are these books?
- 00:15:22.202 --> 00:15:23.570
- No one knows, so i'll just make a bunch of stuff up.
- 00:15:23.570 --> 00:15:26.439
- No, not really; this is based on other scriptures.
- 00:15:26.439 --> 00:15:30.677
- Maybe one of those books is a book of god's law, you know, the
- 00:15:30.677 --> 00:15:35.682
- Commandments of god that we've broken.
- 00:15:35.682 --> 00:15:38.385
- Imagine, if every time you broke a commandment, it was recorded
- 00:15:38.385 --> 00:15:41.521
- In a book; that'd be a big book, right?
- 00:15:41.521 --> 00:15:44.924
- And the bible says, "god gave us the law that every mouth would
- 00:15:44.924 --> 00:15:48.261
- Be stopped and all the world would be guilty before god."
- 00:15:48.261 --> 00:15:51.965
- Maybe one of those books is a record of every time you heard
- 00:15:51.965 --> 00:15:56.102
- The gospel and rejected it-- because some people would
- 00:15:56.102 --> 00:15:59.339
- Probably say, "hold on now; i never heard this.
- 00:15:59.339 --> 00:16:01.708
- I never heard someone say i needed to believe in jesus."
- 00:16:01.708 --> 00:16:05.211
- Well, actually you did, and here's a record of all those
- 00:16:05.211 --> 00:16:08.982
- Times you heard it throughout your childhood, and you rejected
- 00:16:08.982 --> 00:16:12.919
- It--i don't know--with any certainty.
- 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:14.888
- But then, if you're not found written in the book of life,
- 00:16:14.888 --> 00:16:18.691
- You're cast into the lake of fire.
- 00:16:18.691 --> 00:16:20.860
- If you're a christian, your name is written in the book of life.
- 00:16:20.860 --> 00:16:25.965
- That's the good news, right?
- 00:16:25.965 --> 00:16:32.038
- But what about these people that don't have their name written in
- 00:16:32.038 --> 00:16:35.108
- The book of life?
- 00:16:35.108 --> 00:16:37.010
- They are sent to ultimate judgment.
- 00:16:37.010 --> 00:16:41.181
- How could a god of love send someone to hell?
- 00:16:41.181 --> 00:16:45.318
- Simple answer: god doesn't send anyone to hell.
- 00:16:45.318 --> 00:16:49.789
- God wants you in heaven, but he's not gonna force you against
- 00:16:49.789 --> 00:16:54.027
- Your will.
- 00:16:54.027 --> 00:16:55.361
- He's not gonna say, "get up to heaven right now, young man.
- 00:16:55.361 --> 00:16:59.199
- I don't care if you like it, you're going to heaven."
- 00:16:59.199 --> 00:17:01.401
- No, if you don't wanna go to heaven, you don't have to go
- 00:17:01.401 --> 00:17:05.538
- To heaven.
- 00:17:05.538 --> 00:17:06.906
- And there are many that don't want to.
- 00:17:06.906 --> 00:17:09.008
- J.i. packer, great theologian, said, "scripture sees hell
- 00:17:09.008 --> 00:17:13.680
- As self-chosen.
- 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:15.748
- Hell appears as god's gesture of respect for human choice.
- 00:17:15.748 --> 00:17:20.186
- All will receive what they actually choose, to be with god
- 00:17:20.186 --> 00:17:24.557
- Forever worshiping him, or without god forever, worshiping
- 00:17:24.557 --> 00:17:29.395
- Themselves," end quote.
- 00:17:29.395 --> 00:17:32.165
- C.s. lewis put it this way,
- 00:17:32.165 --> 00:17:34.334
- And i quote, "there are only two kinds
- 00:17:34.334 --> 00:17:36.336
- Of people in the end: those who say to god, 'thy will be done,'
- 00:17:36.336 --> 00:17:40.440
- And those to whom god says, in the end, 'thy will be done.'
- 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:44.878
- All are in hell because they choose it.
- 00:17:44.878 --> 00:17:48.114
- Without that self-choice, there could be no hell," end quote.
- 00:17:48.114 --> 00:17:53.186
- It's your choice, so i don't say god sends people there; you send
- 00:17:53.186 --> 00:17:58.124
- Self there.
- 00:17:58.124 --> 00:17:59.459
- The gates of hell are locked from the inside.
- 00:17:59.459 --> 00:18:02.629
- If you wanna go to heaven, then you choose to follow jesus
- 00:18:02.629 --> 00:18:06.266
- Christ, and he shows you how to do it.
- 00:18:06.266 --> 00:18:08.868
- So i have to tell you what the bible says because, to promise
- 00:18:08.868 --> 00:18:13.373
- Heaven and not warn of hell is not giving the whole gospel.
- 00:18:13.373 --> 00:18:18.311
- You say, "well, what if i wanna spend eternity in heaven?"
- 00:18:18.311 --> 00:18:21.114
- Well, then go the way god tells you to go.
- 00:18:21.114 --> 00:18:23.750
- Let's say that you said, "hey, greg, i wanna go visit
- 00:18:23.750 --> 00:18:26.753
- Harvest riverside."
- 00:18:26.753 --> 00:18:28.121
- Okay, great.
- 00:18:28.121 --> 00:18:29.489
- "how do i get there?"
- 00:18:29.489 --> 00:18:30.857
- All right, well, you get on the 55, you get on the 91, and then
- 00:18:30.857 --> 00:18:34.928
- You go up to riverside, and there's a little off-ramp
- 00:18:34.928 --> 00:18:37.330
- Called adams.
- 00:18:37.330 --> 00:18:38.665
- You pull off on adams, and you'll wait there for maybe 10
- 00:18:38.665 --> 00:18:40.800
- Minutes--because, i don't know why, it's a really long light,
- 00:18:40.800 --> 00:18:43.970
- And then it goes green, and it's red again, yeah, so--then you
- 00:18:43.970 --> 00:18:49.642
- Keep going up, and it intersects with arlington, adams
- 00:18:49.642 --> 00:18:53.546
- And arlington.
- 00:18:53.546 --> 00:18:54.881
- That's where our church is; you can't miss it.
- 00:18:54.881 --> 00:18:56.783
- "yeah, you know, i don't really agree with that."
- 00:18:56.783 --> 00:18:59.419
- What do you mean?
- 00:18:59.419 --> 00:19:00.753
- "i don't agree.
- 00:19:00.753 --> 00:19:02.222
- I think all roads lead to harvest."
- 00:19:02.222 --> 00:19:04.457
- What, are you insane?
- 00:19:04.457 --> 00:19:06.459
- I just told you how to get there.
- 00:19:06.459 --> 00:19:08.261
- "no, i think it's in san diego."
- 00:19:08.261 --> 00:19:10.363
- Actually, it isn't.
- 00:19:10.363 --> 00:19:11.798
- "well, we're gonna go to san diego and look for it."
- 00:19:11.798 --> 00:19:13.766
- Have fun there; you're not gonna find what you're looking for.
- 00:19:13.766 --> 00:19:17.670
- Or it'd be like buying an electric car.
- 00:19:17.670 --> 00:19:20.039
- And so you pull into the gas station--and people have done
- 00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:25.645
- This; i've seen videos of people trying to put gas in teslas; i'm
- 00:19:25.645 --> 00:19:30.683
- Not making this up.
- 00:19:30.683 --> 00:19:32.485
- And so, you're looking for a place to put the gas; there's
- 00:19:32.485 --> 00:19:36.389
- Nowhere to put it.
- 00:19:36.389 --> 00:19:37.724
- First of all, that's dangerous because that could be on fire,
- 00:19:37.724 --> 00:19:42.729
- How do i say it, okay?
- 00:19:42.729 --> 00:19:44.297
- So, "well, i don't agree with that.
- 00:19:44.297 --> 00:19:47.166
- I don't think that this should run on electricity or a battery.
- 00:19:47.166 --> 00:19:50.937
- I think it should run--" well, think whatever you want.
- 00:19:50.937 --> 00:19:53.840
- It was designed to be plugged in and charged and run on a
- 00:19:53.840 --> 00:19:57.477
- Battery, and this is the way you do it.
- 00:19:57.477 --> 00:20:00.046
- But then we'll come to god, and we'll say, "well, i don't
- 00:20:00.046 --> 00:20:03.383
- Believe that jesus is the only way to god.
- 00:20:03.383 --> 00:20:05.618
- Why do you christians say jesus is the only way to god?"
- 00:20:05.618 --> 00:20:09.289
- Well, technically, it was jesus that said it, so we're simply
- 00:20:09.289 --> 00:20:14.661
- Repeating what he said.
- 00:20:14.661 --> 00:20:16.963
- And jesus said--i think all of us know this verse, john 14:6--
- 00:20:16.963 --> 00:20:20.967
- We can say it together, i'm sure, "i am the way, the truth,
- 00:20:20.967 --> 00:20:25.071
- And the life.
- 00:20:25.071 --> 00:20:26.406
- And no man comes to the father but by me--or through me."
- 00:20:26.406 --> 00:20:30.710
- The bible says, "there's one god, one mediator between god
- 00:20:30.710 --> 00:20:34.080
- And man, and it's a man, christ jesus."
- 00:20:34.080 --> 00:20:37.283
- Peter preached and said, "there is salvation found in no other
- 00:20:37.283 --> 00:20:41.254
- Name under heaven by which a man can be saved."
- 00:20:41.254 --> 00:20:45.158
- So, there it is; why do we say it?
- 00:20:45.158 --> 00:20:47.760
- Because jesus said it.
- 00:20:47.760 --> 00:20:49.729
- Seventy percent of americans believe many religions can lead
- 00:20:49.729 --> 00:20:53.566
- To eternal life, and strangely-- and wrongly--56% of so-called
- 00:20:53.566 --> 00:20:59.672
- Evangelical christians say there are many paths to god apart from
- 00:20:59.672 --> 00:21:05.278
- Jesus christ.
- 00:21:05.278 --> 00:21:06.612
- Okay, they're wrong.
- 00:21:06.612 --> 00:21:08.681
- A biblical christian who understands what scripture says
- 00:21:08.681 --> 00:21:12.318
- Would go with what jesus said.
- 00:21:12.318 --> 00:21:13.986
- "well, that's so intolerant.
- 00:21:13.986 --> 00:21:15.888
- That's so narrow-minded.
- 00:21:15.888 --> 00:21:17.824
- I believe all roads lead to god.
- 00:21:17.824 --> 00:21:20.126
- I believe all religions teach the same thing."
- 00:21:20.126 --> 00:21:23.129
- If someone says that to you, that's their way of saying, "hi,
- 00:21:23.129 --> 00:21:26.899
- I'm completely ignorant."
- 00:21:26.899 --> 00:21:30.703
- Because any look, even a casual glance, at the religions of the
- 00:21:30.703 --> 00:21:35.508
- World would clearly show they don't all teach the same thing
- 00:21:35.508 --> 00:21:40.079
- At all.
- 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:41.414
- As an example, christians believe in a personal god.
- 00:21:41.414 --> 00:21:43.583
- Buddhists are pantheistic, denying the existence of a
- 00:21:43.583 --> 00:21:47.453
- Personal god.
- 00:21:47.453 --> 00:21:49.355
- So, the views just are different in every one.
- 00:21:49.355 --> 00:21:52.291
- So don't say all religions teach the same thing.
- 00:21:52.291 --> 00:21:55.094
- And then there's this one, "we're all children of god."
- 00:21:55.094 --> 00:21:59.832
- No, you aren't; you're not all children--i know, i'm gonna
- 00:21:59.832 --> 00:22:03.169
- Offend someone; i told you, right?
- 00:22:03.169 --> 00:22:04.570
- Didn't i say that?
- 00:22:04.570 --> 00:22:05.938
- You're not all children of god.
- 00:22:05.938 --> 00:22:07.473
- "how dare you say that, greg?"
- 00:22:07.473 --> 00:22:09.275
- Well, where in the bible does it say we're all children of god?
- 00:22:09.275 --> 00:22:13.079
- Here's what the bible says, "for as many as received him, to them
- 00:22:13.079 --> 00:22:17.650
- He gave the power to become sons of god."
- 00:22:17.650 --> 00:22:21.687
- I am a child of god because i believed in jesus, and i was
- 00:22:21.687 --> 00:22:26.392
- Adopted into his family.
- 00:22:26.392 --> 00:22:29.028
- I'm adopted, right?
- 00:22:29.028 --> 00:22:35.535
- I was adopted by a man named oscar laurie; he made me his
- 00:22:35.535 --> 00:22:39.806
- Son legally.
- 00:22:39.806 --> 00:22:41.240
- So that's a privilege; i now can take his last name, though i
- 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:45.611
- Didn't like it as a child, quite frankly, but i'm fine with
- 00:22:45.611 --> 00:22:49.749
- It now.
- 00:22:49.749 --> 00:22:51.083
- But, you know, it is a girl's name, after all, isn't it?
- 00:22:51.083 --> 00:22:53.186
- So--but i am adopted, and the same is true when you become
- 00:22:53.186 --> 00:22:57.557
- A believer.
- 00:22:57.557 --> 00:22:58.925
- Now, i think we could say, we're all created by god; we're all
- 00:22:58.925 --> 00:23:02.428
- Made in the image of god; we're all loved by god.
- 00:23:02.428 --> 00:23:06.866
- But we're not all children of god.
- 00:23:06.866 --> 00:23:09.135
- You become a child of god by believing in the son of god who
- 00:23:09.135 --> 00:23:13.606
- Died on the cross for your sin and rose from the dead.
- 00:23:13.606 --> 00:23:16.809
- "well, i just think all roads lead to god."
- 00:23:16.809 --> 00:23:19.645
- Really?
- 00:23:19.645 --> 00:23:20.980
- Okay, let's play that out in the real world.
- 00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:22.849
- Let's say you boarded a flight at lax,
- 00:23:22.849 --> 00:23:26.219
- The worst airport in america.
- 00:23:26.219 --> 00:23:30.056
- It actually is.
- 00:23:30.056 --> 00:23:32.091
- It's always under construction, never seems to improve, traffic
- 00:23:32.091 --> 00:23:37.096
- Is always backed up forever, the worst.
- 00:23:37.096 --> 00:23:40.766
- Anyway, i digress.
- 00:23:40.766 --> 00:23:42.101
- Okay, so you go down to lax and you board your flight and you're
- 00:23:42.101 --> 00:23:48.274
- Taxiing down the runway, and the voice of the captain comes over
- 00:23:48.274 --> 00:23:51.544
- The intercom system.
- 00:23:51.544 --> 00:23:53.145
- "good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
- 00:23:53.145 --> 00:23:54.480
- Welcome to flight 231 with direct service to honolulu,
- 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:57.683
- Hawaii.
- 00:23:57.683 --> 00:23:59.185
- Um, by the way, folks, i'm not gonna be using my navigational
- 00:23:59.185 --> 00:24:03.489
- Equipment today, nor am i gonna consult a map, because, folks,
- 00:24:03.489 --> 00:24:09.996
- I believe that all roads lead to hawaii."
- 00:24:09.996 --> 00:24:15.101
- "wait, hawaii is, like, a speck in the middle of the ocean."
- 00:24:15.101 --> 00:24:20.006
- "no, so, mahalo and aloha."
- 00:24:20.006 --> 00:24:25.711
- "get me off this plane. you are a crazy man!"
- 00:24:25.711 --> 00:24:29.148
- What would you think of a doctor, you go in for surgery,
- 00:24:29.148 --> 00:24:31.450
- He says, "i haven't read your charts,
- 00:24:31.450 --> 00:24:33.119
- I don't know what you're dealing with.
- 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:35.555
- I have a little time, i've got a scalpel, let's do this."
- 00:24:35.555 --> 00:24:38.090
- "wait, no, no, no, no, no, i want you
- 00:24:38.090 --> 00:24:40.993
- To give attention to detail."
- 00:24:40.993 --> 00:24:42.728
- And yet we come to god, who tells us how to come
- 00:24:42.728 --> 00:24:45.531
- Into a relationship with him, and we have the audacity
- 00:24:45.531 --> 00:24:48.935
- To say, "i don't agree with you."
- 00:24:48.935 --> 00:24:50.703
- Who are you to have an opinion on this topic?
- 00:24:50.703 --> 00:24:54.340
- Who are you to argue with the son of god?
- 00:24:54.340 --> 00:24:57.276
- You see, jesus is the only way to god because there's never
- 00:24:57.276 --> 00:25:00.680
- Been anyone like jesus before.
- 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:03.449
- He wasn't a prophet; he wasn't a guru.
- 00:25:03.449 --> 00:25:07.019
- He was fully god and fully man, and he walked among us, and he
- 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:11.424
- Lived a perfect life.
- 00:25:11.424 --> 00:25:12.825
- Then he died a perfect death.
- 00:25:12.825 --> 00:25:14.860
- And, with one hand, he took hold of sinful humanity, and, with
- 00:25:14.860 --> 00:25:18.297
- The other hand, he took hold of a holy god, and nails were
- 00:25:18.297 --> 00:25:21.867
- Pounded into those hands, and he died for our sin.
- 00:25:21.867 --> 00:25:25.538
- That's why christ--and christ alone--is the only one who can
- 00:25:25.538 --> 00:25:29.208
- Connect us to the father in heaven.
- 00:25:29.208 --> 00:25:31.477
- That's god's way; this is god's lifeline.
- 00:25:31.477 --> 00:25:37.917
- Let's summarize.
- 00:25:37.917 --> 00:25:39.919
- How could a god of love send someone to hell?
- 00:25:39.919 --> 00:25:41.887
- He doesn't.
- 00:25:41.887 --> 00:25:43.389
- Hell was not created for people; it was created for the devil and
- 00:25:43.389 --> 00:25:46.759
- His angels.
- 00:25:46.759 --> 00:25:48.094
- You have a choice in the matter.
- 00:25:48.094 --> 00:25:49.562
- If you reject god's provision and offer of forgiveness and end
- 00:25:49.562 --> 00:25:53.132
- Up in hell, you have no one to blame but yourself.
- 00:25:53.132 --> 00:25:56.535
- The gates of hell are locked from the inside.
- 00:25:56.535 --> 00:25:59.905
- Issue number 2, how can you say jesus christ is the only way
- 00:25:59.905 --> 00:26:03.042
- To god?
- 00:26:03.042 --> 00:26:04.410
- To be technical, it was jesus who said it.
- 00:26:04.410 --> 00:26:06.412
- He's the only one uniquely qualified to bridge the gap
- 00:26:06.412 --> 00:26:09.448
- Between a holy god and sinful humanity.
- 00:26:09.448 --> 00:26:12.318
- He died for our sins; he atoned for our sins; he rose again from
- 00:26:12.318 --> 00:26:16.789
- The dead; and he himself said, he was the way, the truth, and
- 00:26:16.789 --> 00:26:20.793
- The life, and no man comes to the father but by him.
- 00:26:20.793 --> 00:26:26.732
- Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie. i've got some good news for you.
- 00:26:30.870 --> 00:26:33.572
- God loves you, and god has a plan for your life.
- 00:26:33.572 --> 00:26:37.410
- Here's the problem: we're separated from god by our sin
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- Because we've all broken his commandments.
- 00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:43.816
- But the good news is that 2,000 years ago, god sent
- 00:26:43.816 --> 00:26:47.286
- His son, jesus christ, to die on the cross for your sin,
- 00:26:47.286 --> 00:26:51.691
- And then to rise again from the dead.
- 00:26:51.691 --> 00:26:54.093
- The same jesus who died and rose is alive and ready
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- To come into your life right now.
- 00:26:57.396 --> 00:26:59.932
- Would you like your sin forgiven?
- 00:26:59.932 --> 00:27:02.001
- Would you like to know that when you die you will go to heaven?
- 00:27:02.001 --> 00:27:04.870
- If so, pray this simple prayer with me right now.
- 00:27:04.870 --> 00:27:08.174
- Just say, "lord jesus, i know i'm a sinner, but i believe
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- You're the savior, who died on the cross for my sin.
- 00:27:11.877 --> 00:27:15.347
- I turn from my sin now, and i choose to follow you
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- From this moment forward."
- 00:27:18.851 --> 00:27:21.220
- Did you just pray that prayer with me?
- 00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:23.055
- If you did, god in heaven has heard you.
- 00:27:23.055 --> 00:27:26.425
- Congratulations, and welcome to the family of god.
- 00:27:26.425 --> 00:27:26.425
