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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - It's Time To Pray | January 3, 2025
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- Greg laurie: you have not because you ask not.
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- "well, we are struggling right now financially,
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- It's hard to make ends meet."
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- Okay, hold on, have you prayed about that specifically?
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- Could it be that god will provide for you supernaturally
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- And he is just waiting for you to ask?
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- You have not because you ask not.
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- Jesus said, "ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find;
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- Knock and the door shall be opened.
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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: how many of you believe in the power of prayer?
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- Raise your hand up.
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- How many of you don't pray as much as you ought to?
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- Raise your hand up.
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- Yeah, i'm with you, i'm with you.
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- Why don't we pray more?
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- I don't know the answer.
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- Sometimes we offer up what we think
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- Are reasons, but in reality are excuses.
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- We might say, "well, i don't pray more
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- Because i just don't have the time.
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- I'm so busy."
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- Of course, the response to that is, how much time
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- Do you spend on social media, right?
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- I mean, think about that.
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- Local researchers say people check their facebook, twitter,
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- Tiktok, et cetera, other media accounts, 17 times per day.
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- Pretty much every waking hour, teenagers spend
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- Nine hours every day consuming media.
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- You've had it happen, haven't you?
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- You start flipping through those little videos and next thing you
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- Know 45 minutes are gone, even an hour is gone.
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- But we say, "i don't have time to pray."
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- What if you prayed 17 times a day as
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- Much as you check social media?
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- One of the biggest lessons from social media will prove that in
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- The last day, prayerlessness was not from a lack of time.
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- And then some people will say, "well,
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- I don't pray more because, well, i don't
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- Really know that prayer is all that important."
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- Now, we probably wouldn't verbalize it,
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- But in a way maybe it's true because
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- We don't really think it matters that much.
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- But of course we should pray and we should pray often.
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- Jesus himself prayed, and jesus was god incarnate walking among
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- Us, and yet how often do we read in the gospels of jesus spending
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- The night in prayer or retreating by himself to pray?
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- Here's another excuse we offer as to why we don't pray, we
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- Don't really believe that prayer works.
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- We don't really believe it works, but in fact it does.
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- In fact, the bible even says in james 4:2,
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- "you have not because you ask not."
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- Try this thought on for size.
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- I believe that there are certain things god wants to do for you
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- And in you, certain things that god wants to
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- Give to you, they may not be yours because
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- You have simply failed to pray about it.
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- Again, "you have not because you ask not."
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- You might say, "well, i'm having problems with my family and i
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- Just don't know what to do anymore."
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- Have you prayed about it?
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- Have you specifically brought that need before the lord?
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- You have not because you ask not.
- 00:03:31.788 --> 00:03:34.023
- "well, we are struggling right now financially,
- 00:03:34.023 --> 00:03:36.125
- It's hard to make ends meet."
- 00:03:36.125 --> 00:03:37.460
- Okay, hold on, have you prayed about that specifically?
- 00:03:37.460 --> 00:03:41.497
- Could it be that god will provide for you supernaturally
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- And he's just waiting for you to ask?
- 00:03:44.834 --> 00:03:46.703
- "you have not because you ask not."
- 00:03:46.703 --> 00:03:49.305
- "well, i'm sick and the doctor hasn't given me any real hope."
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- Have you prayed about that?
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- Could it be that god wants to touch and heal
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- You and he's just waiting for you to ask?
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- Jesus said, "ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find;
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- Knock and the door shall be opened."
- 00:04:05.088 --> 00:04:07.423
- But in the original language,
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- It's implied to do it continuously.
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- So keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
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- "you have not because you ask not."
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- Now, let's read about what james says about prayer.
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- James 5 verse 13.
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- "is any among you in trouble?
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- Let them pray. is anyone happy?
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- Let them sing songs of praise.
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- Is any among you sick?
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- Let them call the elders of the church to pray
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- Over them and anoint them with oil in the name
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- Of the lord and their prayer offered in faith will make
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- The sick person well and the lord will raise them up.
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- If they've sinned, their sins will be forgiven.
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- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray
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- For each other so you may be healed.
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- The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
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- James gives us four specific and practical
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- Areas in which prayer is vital.
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- Number one, you should pray when you're facing trouble.
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- Am i talking to someone right now that's facing trouble?
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- Another translation says, "when you're afflicted."
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- Are you afflicted right now?
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- Are you facing a severe hardship?
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- Are you looking at what looks to be an insurmountable obstacle?
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- What should you do?
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- We should pray.
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- The temptation is to get angry at god for allowing this to
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- Happen when in reality we should pray.
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- Every trouble is a call to pray.
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- So you should turn your panic into prayer,
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- You should turn your worry into worship.
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- As paul writes in philippians, "in everything,
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- With prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,
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- Let your request be made known to god."
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- So go to him in your time of trouble.
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- Sometimes god may send the affliction himself.
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- Let's be honest, we don't pray as much when
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- Things are going well as we do when they aren't
- 00:06:03.272 --> 00:06:05.908
- Going well, is that true for you?
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- When things are going great we say, "oh, fantastic.
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- Hey, you know, i don't need to pray."
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- But when you're in trouble, you pray.
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- The lord may allow affliction to get your attention.
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- The psalmist wrote, "before i was afflicted,
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- I went astray but now i have kept your word."
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- And sometimes god will allow it.
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- He will allow that and maybe the devil bringing it in your
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- Direction, but god has allowed it for his purposes.
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- But the main thing is pray about it.
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- There's nothing wrong with asking
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- God to remove your affliction.
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- So if you're facing trouble, whatever kind it is,
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- It's okay to go to the lord and say,
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- "lord, would you remove this from me?"
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- And maybe the lord will say, yes, i will.
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- And maybe the lord will say, "no, i have a purpose in it, so
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- You need to be patient and wait on me."
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- But i think the best model for prayer in times
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- Like that is following the example of jesus.
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- In the garden of gethsemane as he contemplated
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- What was ahead with the crucifixion, he said,
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- "if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.
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- Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done."
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- So you can say, "lord, if there's a way out of this, if
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- You might remove this problem, i would really appreciate it, but
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- You may have a greater purpose therefore, i say to you, father,
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- Not my will, but yours be done."
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- Which brings me to point number two, when things
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- Are going well, we should praise god.
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- Verse 13, "is anyone happy?
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- Let them sing songs of praise."
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- You know, we call on the lord when things aren't going well,
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- Do we give thanks to god when they are?
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- You know, you get up one morning and there's no real problem to
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- Speak of and you say, "lord, thank you for a beautiful day.
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- Thank you for my health, thank you
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- For my family, thank you for my job.
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- Thank you for everything, lord, thank you for saving me.
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- Thank you for changing me, lord, thank you
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- That you're in control of my life."
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- That can really lift your mood, i'll tell you that.
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- When you just start giving thanks
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- For all that god has done.
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- We all remember the story of the 10 lepers who are healed by
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- Jesus but only one returned to give thanks.
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- And jesus said to him, "hey, i thought
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- I healed ten, where are the other nine?"
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- Remember to give thanks to god for what he has done.
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- Number three, we should pray when we are sick.
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- We should pray when we're sick.
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- Verse 14, "is there anyone among you who is sick?
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- Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them, and
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- Anoint them with oil in the name of the lord and their prayer
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- Offered in faith will make the sick person well."
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- Question, does god still heal people today?
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- I believe he does.
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- As i've said before, god is still in the healing
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- Business, have we asked him to heal us?
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- I do believe there's a promise of physical healing in scripture
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- There in isaiah 53:5 and quoted again in the
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- New testament, "by his stripes we are healed."
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- So what should we do when we are sick?
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- The answer is, call for the elders of
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- The church to pray over the person.
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- And verse 15 says, "the prayer offered in
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- Faith will make the sick person well."
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- That doesn't mean there's some special prayer that you pray, it
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- Just means with as much faith as you can muster
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- You ask god to heal you, but then you go
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- To the leaders of the church to pray for you.
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- So we pray and we bring it to the lord.
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- Greg: you know, i believe we're living in the last days,
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- And by that i mean i believe that jesus could come back at
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- Any moment, and jesus spoke to the church of philadelphia in
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- Revelation chapter 3, and he says,
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- "i have set before you an open door and no man can shut it."
- 00:09:53.869 --> 00:09:58.674
- You know, the apostle paul alluded to this idea when he
- 00:09:58.674 --> 00:10:01.143
- Said, "a door was open for me by the lord to preach the gospel."
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- God opens doors.
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- There might be somebody you know and they've been closed to the
- 00:10:07.950 --> 00:10:10.786
- Gospel, and all of a sudden you find they're open to the gospel.
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- That's called an open door.
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- There might be an opportunity to go to a place you've never been
- 00:10:15.758 --> 00:10:18.594
- Before and tell people about jesus or show the love of jesus.
- 00:10:18.594 --> 00:10:22.665
- That, too, is an open door.
- 00:10:22.665 --> 00:10:24.634
- You know, when covid hit, we closed down our church for a few
- 00:10:24.634 --> 00:10:28.270
- Weeks, and now we're reopened again having live services,
- 00:10:28.270 --> 00:10:31.807
- But we went online, and we've been able to reach a whole new
- 00:10:31.807 --> 00:10:35.645
- Audience of thousands of new people around the nation and
- 00:10:35.645 --> 00:10:39.281
- Even around the world, so god closed one door
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- And he opened another.
- 00:10:42.184 --> 00:10:43.919
- Open doors of opportunity are everywhere, just look for them.
- 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:48.357
- So i encourage you.
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- Say, "lord, open a door somewhere where i can
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- Tell someone about you."
- 00:10:52.528 --> 00:10:54.830
- You'll be blessed if you do it, and the person you speak with,
- 00:10:54.830 --> 00:10:57.767
- They'll even be more blessed.
- 00:10:57.767 --> 00:11:00.403
- Greg: number four, when we pray, we should confess our sin.
- 00:11:04.540 --> 00:11:09.078
- Verse 15, "if they have sin, they will be forgiven."
- 00:11:09.078 --> 00:11:12.615
- Now this verse appears to suggest that
- 00:11:12.615 --> 00:11:15.084
- One sin could contribute to sickness.
- 00:11:15.084 --> 00:11:18.854
- Now, let me explain this carefully.
- 00:11:18.854 --> 00:11:20.556
- In a broad sense, all sickness is a result of sin.
- 00:11:20.556 --> 00:11:25.528
- I don't mean personal sin, i mean sin in general.
- 00:11:25.528 --> 00:11:29.231
- If adam and eve had not eaten of the forbidden fruit, we would've
- 00:11:29.231 --> 00:11:33.035
- Never gotten sick, if adam and eve had not eaten of the
- 00:11:33.035 --> 00:11:36.605
- Forbidden fruit, we would've never aged.
- 00:11:36.605 --> 00:11:40.042
- If adam and eve had not eaten of the forbidden
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- Fruit, i would've a full head of hair.
- 00:11:42.144 --> 00:11:46.282
- But because they sinned, sin and death entered the world.
- 00:11:46.282 --> 00:11:50.286
- Romans 5:12 says, "when adam sinned, sin entered the world,
- 00:11:50.286 --> 00:11:53.989
- Adam's sin brought death and death spread
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- To everyone for everyone has sin."
- 00:11:56.392 --> 00:11:59.261
- But sometimes, sometimes, i underline that word, there can
- 00:11:59.261 --> 00:12:03.532
- Be a connection between personal sin and an affliction.
- 00:12:03.532 --> 00:12:08.771
- There's a story in john 5:14 where there
- 00:12:08.771 --> 00:12:11.640
- Was a paralytic that jesus healed.
- 00:12:11.640 --> 00:12:15.211
- And then jesus said to him, "see you are well again, stop sinning
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- Or something worse may happen to you."
- 00:12:19.181 --> 00:12:23.452
- And so that doesn't mean if you have a disability it's because
- 00:12:23.452 --> 00:12:28.157
- You've sinned, what it does mean is there can be a connection.
- 00:12:28.157 --> 00:12:32.428
- But having said that, there are some people that
- 00:12:32.428 --> 00:12:35.865
- Are afflicted who are godly men and women,
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- And it has nothing to do with their sin.
- 00:12:38.734 --> 00:12:40.603
- Remember the story of job again?
- 00:12:40.603 --> 00:12:42.438
- Job was a perfect and upright man, one that
- 00:12:42.438 --> 00:12:44.440
- Feared god and shunned evil, and yet the lord
- 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:47.443
- Allowed physical calamity to come upon his servant.
- 00:12:47.443 --> 00:12:51.714
- So we don't know that, so the best thing to
- 00:12:51.714 --> 00:12:53.649
- Do is just confess your sin to god.
- 00:12:53.649 --> 00:12:58.053
- Verse 16 says, "confess your sins to
- 00:12:58.053 --> 00:13:00.189
- Each other and pray for each other."
- 00:13:00.189 --> 00:13:03.492
- This means we do this with believers.
- 00:13:03.492 --> 00:13:05.694
- This is why a small group can be great because it's harder in a
- 00:13:05.694 --> 00:13:09.832
- Large group, but when you develop a close circle of
- 00:13:09.832 --> 00:13:13.636
- Friends who you trust and will keep your
- 00:13:13.636 --> 00:13:16.238
- Confidence, you can say, "hey, i'm struggling
- 00:13:16.238 --> 00:13:18.574
- With this, or i need your help there."
- 00:13:18.574 --> 00:13:20.910
- But also i would add, if you have sinned against someone, you
- 00:13:20.910 --> 00:13:24.780
- Should go to that person and ask them to
- 00:13:24.780 --> 00:13:27.216
- Forgive you, because unconfessed sin can
- 00:13:27.216 --> 00:13:29.985
- Bring your prayer life to a screeching halt.
- 00:13:29.985 --> 00:13:34.690
- The psalmist says, no, yeah, "if i regard iniquity
- 00:13:34.690 --> 00:13:38.661
- In my heart, the lord will not hear me."
- 00:13:38.661 --> 00:13:40.596
- So if you're holding onto some sin and you need to ask someone
- 00:13:40.596 --> 00:13:45.100
- To forgive you, that could hinder your prayers.
- 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:48.871
- In matthew 5:23, jesus says, "if you're presenting a sacrifice at
- 00:13:48.871 --> 00:13:53.042
- The altar and you suddenly remember someone has something
- 00:13:53.042 --> 00:13:57.146
- Against you, leave your sacrifice there
- 00:13:57.146 --> 00:13:58.948
- At the altar and be reconciled to that
- 00:13:58.948 --> 00:14:01.150
- Person, then offer your sacrifice to god."
- 00:14:01.150 --> 00:14:05.521
- Sometimes it's just going to someone and saying, "i'm sorry
- 00:14:05.521 --> 00:14:09.391
- That i said that to you, or i'm sorry i said that about you.
- 00:14:09.391 --> 00:14:14.563
- I'm sorry for this thing that i did
- 00:14:14.563 --> 00:14:16.899
- That was wrong, will you forgive me?"
- 00:14:16.899 --> 00:14:19.935
- Point number five, you are a righteous
- 00:14:19.935 --> 00:14:22.705
- Child of god, so pray like one.
- 00:14:22.705 --> 00:14:26.475
- You are a righteous child of god, so pray like one.
- 00:14:26.475 --> 00:14:29.945
- Look at verse 16.
- 00:14:29.945 --> 00:14:31.280
- "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
- 00:14:31.280 --> 00:14:36.418
- You might say, "well, greg, i'm not a righteous man or woman."
- 00:14:36.418 --> 00:14:39.188
- Excuse me, are you a christian?
- 00:14:39.188 --> 00:14:42.358
- If you are, then you are a righteous person.
- 00:14:42.358 --> 00:14:46.795
- I didn't say you always act like a righteous person, but
- 00:14:46.795 --> 00:14:50.499
- Positionally you are a righteous person.
- 00:14:50.499 --> 00:14:53.669
- 1 corinthians 1:30 says, "christ has made us righteous, he's made
- 00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:58.173
- Us pure and holy, and he's freed us from sin."
- 00:14:58.173 --> 00:15:01.911
- So you're a member of god's family, behave like that.
- 00:15:01.911 --> 00:15:06.982
- Don't come, you know, with timidity to god.
- 00:15:06.982 --> 00:15:09.985
- "father, i just pray this."
- 00:15:09.985 --> 00:15:14.089
- No, come boldly, you're his child.
- 00:15:14.089 --> 00:15:16.792
- "let us come boldly to the throne of grace
- 00:15:16.792 --> 00:15:19.028
- That we might find mercy in time of need."
- 00:15:19.028 --> 00:15:21.230
- Boldly.
- 00:15:21.230 --> 00:15:22.564
- "lord, it's your son, lord, it's your daughter.
- 00:15:22.564 --> 00:15:26.602
- Father, i'm your child and i come to you now with this need
- 00:15:26.602 --> 00:15:29.672
- Or with this petition or whatever it is."
- 00:15:29.672 --> 00:15:32.508
- When you're a member of the family of god, you have access.
- 00:15:32.508 --> 00:15:36.512
- Use it boldly, isn't that great to know?
- 00:15:36.512 --> 00:15:43.719
- It's not based on what you've done,
- 00:15:43.719 --> 00:15:46.355
- It's based on what he's done for you.
- 00:15:46.355 --> 00:15:48.924
- It's through the blood of jesus, through a new and living way
- 00:15:48.924 --> 00:15:51.961
- Hebrews says, that i have access to the throne of god.
- 00:15:51.961 --> 00:15:56.865
- Bringing me to point number six, despite your flaws,
- 00:15:56.865 --> 00:15:59.902
- God hears and will answer your prayers.
- 00:15:59.902 --> 00:16:03.105
- Despite your flaws, god will hear and answer your prayers.
- 00:16:03.105 --> 00:16:07.376
- Verse 17, "elijah was as human as we are, yet
- 00:16:07.376 --> 00:16:11.847
- When he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall,
- 00:16:11.847 --> 00:16:14.516
- None fell for three and a half years.
- 00:16:14.516 --> 00:16:16.952
- Then when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain
- 00:16:16.952 --> 00:16:20.022
- And the earth began to yield its crops."
- 00:16:20.022 --> 00:16:22.958
- I love that.
- 00:16:22.958 --> 00:16:24.293
- Interesting elijah is used as an example.
- 00:16:24.293 --> 00:16:27.563
- What a prophet he was.
- 00:16:27.563 --> 00:16:30.299
- He did miracles on another level.
- 00:16:30.299 --> 00:16:32.668
- This is elijah who outran chariots, raised the dead,
- 00:16:32.668 --> 00:16:37.639
- Called fire down from heaven, and stopped the rain.
- 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:41.443
- He was so powerfully used of god, you can almost think of him
- 00:16:41.443 --> 00:16:44.146
- As a superhero, especially when you see
- 00:16:44.146 --> 00:16:47.016
- Him stand boldly on mount carmel and face off of the prophets
- 00:16:47.016 --> 00:16:51.186
- Of baal and say, "let whoever of us is serving the
- 00:16:51.186 --> 00:16:55.157
- Real god, let that god answer by fire.
- 00:16:55.157 --> 00:16:57.393
- You guys go first."
- 00:16:57.393 --> 00:16:59.261
- So the prophets of baal scream and yell and cut themselves and
- 00:16:59.261 --> 00:17:02.898
- It goes on for hours and there's no fire that comes from heaven.
- 00:17:02.898 --> 00:17:07.169
- Elijah says, "now it's my turn."
- 00:17:07.169 --> 00:17:09.304
- And then he said, "i want you to take water and douse the altar."
- 00:17:09.304 --> 00:17:13.442
- Which water was very scarce at
- 00:17:13.442 --> 00:17:14.777
- That point because of the drought.
- 00:17:14.777 --> 00:17:16.845
- So they pour water over the altar,
- 00:17:16.845 --> 00:17:18.614
- They do it again, they do it again.
- 00:17:18.614 --> 00:17:20.382
- And then he calls out to the lord to answer by fire.
- 00:17:20.382 --> 00:17:23.452
- And fire comes from heaven and consumes the
- 00:17:23.452 --> 00:17:26.388
- Altar, and elijah gives the order,
- 00:17:26.388 --> 00:17:28.424
- "have all of these false prophets put to death."
- 00:17:28.424 --> 00:17:31.560
- This is some prophet, i'll tell you.
- 00:17:31.560 --> 00:17:34.163
- But then we read that jezebel is so upset, she's the queen.
- 00:17:34.163 --> 00:17:38.567
- She puts a contract out on elijah, says, "he's gonna die."
- 00:17:38.567 --> 00:17:43.005
- And you would think he would blow this off.
- 00:17:43.005 --> 00:17:44.940
- "are you kidding me?
- 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:46.275
- I don't care about what she says."
- 00:17:46.275 --> 00:17:47.609
- No, he ran for his life and was depressed
- 00:17:47.609 --> 00:17:51.346
- And so filled with despair, he wanted to die.
- 00:17:51.346 --> 00:17:54.650
- Wait, what?
- 00:17:54.650 --> 00:17:55.984
- How could he go from mount carmel
- 00:17:55.984 --> 00:17:58.087
- To some cave where he wants to die?
- 00:17:58.087 --> 00:18:01.356
- Here's the answer, he was as human as you and i are.
- 00:18:01.356 --> 00:18:05.294
- Another translation puts it, he had feelings just like us.
- 00:18:05.294 --> 00:18:09.832
- So i bring this up, really, james brings it up.
- 00:18:09.832 --> 00:18:12.601
- And see elijah was flawed, he was as human as we are.
- 00:18:12.601 --> 00:18:16.605
- Yet he prayed and things happened,
- 00:18:16.605 --> 00:18:18.140
- So you can do the same.
- 00:18:18.140 --> 00:18:20.476
- You just pray in faith with as much faith as you have.
- 00:18:20.476 --> 00:18:23.245
- Sometimes people will say, "the reason you're sick
- 00:18:23.245 --> 00:18:25.747
- Still is you don't have enough faith."
- 00:18:25.747 --> 00:18:28.417
- That's wrong.
- 00:18:28.417 --> 00:18:29.852
- You can come and say, "lord, with
- 00:18:29.852 --> 00:18:32.254
- As much faith as i have, i pray."
- 00:18:32.254 --> 00:18:33.689
- And like that man in scripture said,
- 00:18:33.689 --> 00:18:35.457
- "lord, i believe, help my unbelief."
- 00:18:35.457 --> 00:18:39.895
- You see? so you just pray.
- 00:18:39.895 --> 00:18:42.030
- That's what elijah did.
- 00:18:42.030 --> 00:18:43.999
- Final point number seven, prayerful
- 00:18:43.999 --> 00:18:47.102
- People are compassionate people.
- 00:18:47.102 --> 00:18:50.472
- Prayerful people are compassionate people.
- 00:18:50.472 --> 00:18:53.175
- Look at verse 19, "my dear brothers and sisters, as someone
- 00:18:53.175 --> 00:18:56.979
- Among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you
- 00:18:56.979 --> 00:19:00.549
- Can be sure that whoever brings that sinner back
- 00:19:00.549 --> 00:19:03.185
- From wandering will save that person from death
- 00:19:03.185 --> 00:19:06.155
- And bring about the forgiveness of many sins."
- 00:19:06.155 --> 00:19:09.725
- Wow!
- 00:19:09.725 --> 00:19:11.193
- What an interesting way to end this great epistle.
- 00:19:11.193 --> 00:19:14.563
- James is concerned with the person
- 00:19:14.563 --> 00:19:16.632
- Who has walked away from the lord.
- 00:19:16.632 --> 00:19:18.600
- By the way, not someone who has just slipped up, but someone who
- 00:19:18.600 --> 00:19:22.437
- Has deliberately turned their back on god.
- 00:19:22.437 --> 00:19:25.774
- The phrase here for "wandered away" has
- 00:19:25.774 --> 00:19:28.210
- The same greek word as the word planet.
- 00:19:28.210 --> 00:19:31.213
- The idea is of someone who like a planet has
- 00:19:31.213 --> 00:19:34.183
- Left their orbit, someone that maybe has left
- 00:19:34.183 --> 00:19:38.120
- Something they once knew in an intimate way.
- 00:19:38.120 --> 00:19:41.356
- And we know people like this, we worshiped with them, we prayed
- 00:19:41.356 --> 00:19:45.861
- With them, we heard the word of god with them, we served
- 00:19:45.861 --> 00:19:49.231
- Alongside of them and one day they walk away.
- 00:19:49.231 --> 00:19:51.900
- We're thinking, what's that all about?
- 00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:54.736
- You hear this expression today, people
- 00:19:54.736 --> 00:19:57.172
- Are deconstructing their faith.
- 00:19:57.172 --> 00:19:59.141
- I'm deconstructing.
- 00:19:59.141 --> 00:20:00.842
- Hey, maybe you never constructed to start with.
- 00:20:00.842 --> 00:20:04.379
- Did you really have faith?
- 00:20:04.379 --> 00:20:06.815
- If you had real faith in a real god, that is a faith that's
- 00:20:06.815 --> 00:20:11.453
- Gonna sustain you through thick and thin.
- 00:20:11.453 --> 00:20:13.956
- "well, i saw hypocrisy."
- 00:20:13.956 --> 00:20:16.024
- Okay, i'm sorry.
- 00:20:16.024 --> 00:20:18.126
- Listen, i've been a pastor almost 50 years.
- 00:20:18.126 --> 00:20:20.829
- I've seen hypocrisy.
- 00:20:20.829 --> 00:20:23.198
- I've seen people fall short.
- 00:20:23.198 --> 00:20:26.068
- I have seen things that disappoint me deeply among my
- 00:20:26.068 --> 00:20:30.372
- Fellow believers and i've seen great stories of faith and trust
- 00:20:30.372 --> 00:20:35.644
- In god and people that have honored the
- 00:20:35.644 --> 00:20:37.613
- Lord, far more of those than the other.
- 00:20:37.613 --> 00:20:39.448
- Having said all that, jesus christ
- 00:20:39.448 --> 00:20:41.817
- Has never disappointed me.
- 00:20:41.817 --> 00:20:43.652
- Jesus christ has never let me down, put your eyes on him.
- 00:20:43.652 --> 00:20:52.060
- "yeah, but greg, you don't understand.
- 00:20:52.060 --> 00:20:53.395
- My parents, they say they're
- 00:20:53.395 --> 00:20:54.730
- Christians, and they're hypocrites."
- 00:20:54.730 --> 00:20:57.032
- Yeah, grow up, and move outta your house,
- 00:20:57.032 --> 00:20:59.801
- You're 40 now, stop living off your parents.
- 00:20:59.801 --> 00:21:04.606
- Get a job.
- 00:21:04.606 --> 00:21:08.644
- So what if they are hypocrites?
- 00:21:08.644 --> 00:21:10.545
- I'm sorry, pray for them.
- 00:21:10.545 --> 00:21:13.715
- You're accountable to god for what christ has said to you.
- 00:21:13.715 --> 00:21:18.086
- And there are people that do fall away, but here's the thing,
- 00:21:18.086 --> 00:21:20.756
- I believe if a person is a true believer, even if they have a
- 00:21:20.756 --> 00:21:24.326
- Lapse of faith or they fall away for a
- 00:21:24.326 --> 00:21:27.162
- Time, they'll always return to god.
- 00:21:27.162 --> 00:21:30.866
- And if they don't return to god, i suggest to
- 00:21:30.866 --> 00:21:33.669
- You they were never a believer to begin with.
- 00:21:33.669 --> 00:21:37.873
- Because john says, "hey, these people left us and if they were
- 00:21:37.873 --> 00:21:41.176
- With us, they would've stayed with us but they left us, and it
- 00:21:41.176 --> 00:21:43.478
- Shows they never really were part of us."
- 00:21:43.478 --> 00:21:46.448
- That's a loose paraphrase, but that's what he said.
- 00:21:46.448 --> 00:21:49.217
- But a prodigal will always make his way home.
- 00:21:49.217 --> 00:21:52.321
- So what should we do when a fellow believer falls?
- 00:21:52.321 --> 00:21:56.591
- Should we confront them?
- 00:21:56.591 --> 00:21:58.460
- Should we ostracize them?
- 00:21:58.460 --> 00:22:01.930
- Should we leave them alone?
- 00:22:01.930 --> 00:22:03.899
- Should we call 'em out on social media?
- 00:22:03.899 --> 00:22:06.601
- That's a popular thing to do.
- 00:22:06.601 --> 00:22:07.969
- I'm gonna post a lot of stuff about them.
- 00:22:07.969 --> 00:22:10.439
- Do you have all of your facts straight?
- 00:22:10.439 --> 00:22:13.275
- Have you had a conversation with that person?
- 00:22:13.275 --> 00:22:16.111
- Are you sure what you're saying is actually true?
- 00:22:16.111 --> 00:22:19.047
- What should you do if you know someone
- 00:22:19.047 --> 00:22:22.217
- That has stumbled and has fallen?
- 00:22:22.217 --> 00:22:24.820
- Paul gives us some insight in galatians 6.
- 00:22:24.820 --> 00:22:27.055
- He says, "dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is
- 00:22:27.055 --> 00:22:30.125
- Overcome by sin, you who are godly should kick them when
- 00:22:30.125 --> 00:22:33.695
- They're down and tell everyone about their sin."
- 00:22:33.695 --> 00:22:38.033
- Have you read that verse?
- 00:22:38.033 --> 00:22:39.768
- No, you haven't 'cause it's not in the bible.
- 00:22:39.768 --> 00:22:42.137
- Here's what he actually says.
- 00:22:42.137 --> 00:22:44.406
- "dear brothers and sisters, if
- 00:22:44.406 --> 00:22:45.841
- Another believer is overcome by sin, you who are godly,"
- 00:22:45.841 --> 00:22:49.111
- Listen, "should gently and humbly help that person back
- 00:22:49.111 --> 00:22:54.516
- Onto the right path and be careful to not
- 00:22:54.516 --> 00:22:57.419
- Fall into the same temptation yourself.
- 00:22:57.419 --> 00:23:01.123
- Share each other's burdens, and in this way,
- 00:23:01.123 --> 00:23:03.492
- You will obey the law of christ."
- 00:23:03.492 --> 00:23:04.926
- If you think you're too important to help someone,
- 00:23:04.926 --> 00:23:07.529
- You're only fooling yourself, you're not that important.
- 00:23:07.529 --> 00:23:11.600
- So when i see someone fall, what do i do?
- 00:23:11.600 --> 00:23:15.404
- With humility i go to them, "let me help you up," why?
- 00:23:15.404 --> 00:23:20.442
- 'cause it could be you sometime.
- 00:23:20.442 --> 00:23:23.111
- You could be that person who falls.
- 00:23:23.111 --> 00:23:25.080
- You could be that person that stumbles, i could be.
- 00:23:25.080 --> 00:23:27.883
- We all have the propensity to sin.
- 00:23:27.883 --> 00:23:31.987
- Hebrews 2:1 says, "we must listen carefully to the truth
- 00:23:31.987 --> 00:23:35.557
- We've heard, or we may drift away from it."
- 00:23:35.557 --> 00:23:39.594
- And our job is to reconcile people with god.
- 00:23:39.594 --> 00:23:43.598
- 2 corinthians 5:18 says, "god has given us this
- 00:23:43.598 --> 00:23:46.802
- Task of reconciling people to him."
- 00:23:46.802 --> 00:23:50.405
- Listen, we're jesus people.
- 00:23:50.405 --> 00:23:54.409
- You understand what i'm saying?
- 00:23:54.409 --> 00:23:56.178
- This church was founded in revival.
- 00:23:56.178 --> 00:23:59.347
- We started around 1972 as the jesus movement was happening.
- 00:23:59.347 --> 00:24:04.453
- And we started out as a little bible study,
- 00:24:04.453 --> 00:24:06.922
- And we were called jesus people.
- 00:24:06.922 --> 00:24:09.124
- And sometimes we were derisively called jesus freaks.
- 00:24:09.124 --> 00:24:13.261
- I was fine with all of it.
- 00:24:13.261 --> 00:24:14.729
- Anything with the word jesus in it, i'm good.
- 00:24:14.729 --> 00:24:18.099
- We need to be jesus people.
- 00:24:18.099 --> 00:24:21.102
- The problem is, often christians are far more known for what
- 00:24:21.102 --> 00:24:25.240
- They're against than what they're for.
- 00:24:25.240 --> 00:24:28.610
- They know we're against this, we're against that, okay,
- 00:24:28.610 --> 00:24:31.112
- There's a place for all those things, but i want people to
- 00:24:31.112 --> 00:24:33.949
- Know i'm for jesus and i'm a jesus person.
- 00:24:33.949 --> 00:24:37.786
- And my big focus is i want you to be reconciled to god.
- 00:24:37.786 --> 00:24:42.557
- I want you to be in a relationship with god.
- 00:24:42.557 --> 00:24:45.260
- And if you've stumbled and fallen, i wanna help you get up
- 00:24:45.260 --> 00:24:48.163
- Again and get back into alignment with god.
- 00:24:48.163 --> 00:24:51.533
- That's what i'm called to do, that's what you're called to do,
- 00:24:51.533 --> 00:24:54.636
- That's what we're called to do, and that's what we're doing.
- 00:24:54.636 --> 00:24:57.539
- That's what we're all about.
- 00:24:57.539 --> 00:25:04.379
- Our message to our culture is god loves you, he'll change you,
- 00:25:04.379 --> 00:25:09.050
- And then we wanna lead them into christ and disciple them.
- 00:25:09.050 --> 00:25:12.354
- So are you in trouble or in distress?
- 00:25:12.354 --> 00:25:14.422
- Then pray. are you sick?
- 00:25:14.422 --> 00:25:16.491
- Then pray. is there a sin to confess?
- 00:25:16.491 --> 00:25:19.261
- Then confess it and turn from it.
- 00:25:19.261 --> 00:25:25.333
- Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie, i've got some good news for you.
- 00:25:29.504 --> 00:25:32.173
- God loves you and god has a plan for your life.
- 00:25:32.173 --> 00:25:35.977
- Here's the problem, we're separated from god by our sin
- 00:25:35.977 --> 00:25:39.514
- Because we've all broken his commandments.
- 00:25:39.514 --> 00:25:42.450
- But the good news is, is 2,000 years ago god sent
- 00:25:42.450 --> 00:25:45.787
- His son jesus christ to die on the cross for your
- 00:25:45.787 --> 00:25:49.291
- Sin, and then to rise again from the dead.
- 00:25:49.291 --> 00:25:52.527
- The same jesus who died and rose is alive and
- 00:25:52.527 --> 00:25:55.564
- Ready to come into your life right now.
- 00:25:55.564 --> 00:25:58.366
- Would you like your sin forgiven?
- 00:25:58.366 --> 00:26:00.468
- Would you like to know that when you die, you will go to heaven?
- 00:26:00.468 --> 00:26:03.471
- If so, pray this simple prayer with me right now.
- 00:26:03.471 --> 00:26:06.675
- Just say, "lord jesus, i know i'm a sinner, but i believe
- 00:26:06.675 --> 00:26:10.145
- You're the savior who died on the cross for my sin.
- 00:26:10.145 --> 00:26:13.748
- I turn from my sin now and i choose to
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- Follow you from this moment forward."
- 00:26:16.217 --> 00:26:19.487
- Did you just pray that prayer with me?
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- If you did, god in heaven
- 00:26:21.656 --> 00:26:23.458
- Has heard you and i wanna
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- Send you a new testament to start reading.
- 00:26:24.793 --> 00:26:27.729
- Greg: you know, the bible says: "a good person
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- Leaves an inheritance for their children's children."
- 00:26:33.034 --> 00:26:36.972
- God encourages all of us as christians to manage
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- Our money well so we can be a blessing to our families
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- And to others.
- 00:26:44.446 --> 00:26:45.780
- Harvest has a special gift for you today, an opportunity
- 00:26:45.780 --> 00:26:49.517
- To set up a will or a living trust completely free of charge.
- 00:26:49.517 --> 00:26:54.923
- Here's how you can learn more.
- 00:26:54.923 --> 00:26:56.992
- Greg: i'm excited to announce that here at harvest
- 00:26:57.058 --> 00:26:59.394
- We partnered with our friends at freewill.
- 00:26:59.394 --> 00:27:02.897
- Freewill is an easy to use estate planning tool
- 00:27:02.897 --> 00:27:05.700
- That allows you to make planned gifts to organizations
- 00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:08.903
- Of your choice.
- 00:27:08.903 --> 00:27:10.372
- It's a creative opportunity to support the work we're doing
- 00:27:10.372 --> 00:27:13.608
- Here at harvest ministries.
- 00:27:13.608 --> 00:27:15.310
- So as you make your plans, i hope you'll consider
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- Investing in this ministry so we can continue
- 00:27:18.179 --> 00:27:21.216
- To preach the gospel and teach the word of god
- 00:27:21.216 --> 00:27:23.852
- For years to come.
- 00:27:23.852 --> 00:27:25.186
- You can learn more at freewill.com/harvest.
- 00:27:25.186 --> 00:27:29.010