1. TBN
  2. Programs
  3. harvest pastor greg laurie
  4. Episodes
  5. Greg Laurie - Jonah's Second Chance, And Yours
Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie - Jonah's Second Chance, And Yours

May 11, 2026 | 27:29

Greg Laurie - Jonah's Second Chance, And Yours
Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
#Harvest #Actions #Redemption #Deliverance #Forgiveness #Salvation #WalkwithGod #TrustGod #ServantofGod #GregLaurie

Closed captions

Show Timecode
Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - Jonah's Second Chance, And Yours | May 11, 2026
  • ...
  • 00:00:00.633 --> 00:00:01.333
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:00:02.001 --> 00:00:06.105
  • Greg laurie: here's an interesting statistic, 80-90% of
  • 00:00:06.205 --> 00:00:09.842
  • People who have heard the gospel shared with them heard it from
  • 00:00:09.942 --> 00:00:13.479
  • People who had known the lord for two years or less.
  • 00:00:13.612 --> 00:00:14.546
  • I wanna say that one more time.
  • 00:00:17.116 --> 00:00:18.650
  • Eighty to 90% of people who have had the gospel
  • 00:00:18.650 --> 00:00:21.987
  • Shared with them heard it from people who've known the lord for
  • 00:00:21.987 --> 00:00:25.391
  • Two years or less.
  • 00:00:25.391 --> 00:00:28.093
  • Why is that?
  • 00:00:28.093 --> 00:00:29.595
  • Why is it that those that know the least do the most, and those
  • 00:00:29.595 --> 00:00:33.565
  • That know the most often do the least?
  • 00:00:33.565 --> 00:00:36.902
  • ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins. ♪
  • 00:00:39.738 --> 00:00:47.513
  • ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins. ♪♪
  • 00:00:47.513 --> 00:00:54.253
  • Greg: i heard about a young girl who went out to share her
  • 00:00:57.890 --> 00:01:00.926
  • Faith on a street corner.
  • 00:01:00.926 --> 00:01:02.461
  • A little crowd gathered, and she was speaking.
  • 00:01:02.461 --> 00:01:06.765
  • A well-known atheist had been listening and kind of made his
  • 00:01:06.765 --> 00:01:10.602
  • Way up to the front of the group and while the young girl was
  • 00:01:10.602 --> 00:01:14.173
  • Talking about jesus, he said, "i have a question for you,
  • 00:01:14.173 --> 00:01:17.209
  • Young lady."
  • 00:01:17.209 --> 00:01:18.577
  • She said, "yes sir."
  • 00:01:18.577 --> 00:01:19.912
  • "yes, you're a christian, right?"
  • 00:01:19.912 --> 00:01:21.847
  • "yes, yes i am."
  • 00:01:21.847 --> 00:01:23.215
  • "oh, isn't that nice?
  • 00:01:23.215 --> 00:01:25.017
  • And as a christian you believe the bible is the word of god, is
  • 00:01:25.017 --> 00:01:28.654
  • That right?"
  • 00:01:28.654 --> 00:01:29.988
  • She said, "yes, i do believe it's the word of god."
  • 00:01:29.988 --> 00:01:31.523
  • "oh, is that so?
  • 00:01:31.523 --> 00:01:32.858
  • Well, if that is the case, do you believe all of those stories
  • 00:01:32.858 --> 00:01:36.095
  • In the bible?"
  • 00:01:36.095 --> 00:01:37.429
  • She said, "yes, i believe all of them."
  • 00:01:37.429 --> 00:01:39.131
  • "oh, do you believe in the miracles of the bible?"
  • 00:01:39.131 --> 00:01:42.601
  • She said, "yes, of course i do."
  • 00:01:42.601 --> 00:01:44.403
  • "oh really?
  • 00:01:44.403 --> 00:01:45.737
  • Oh, then you must believe the story of jonah being swallowed
  • 00:01:45.737 --> 00:01:49.208
  • By a whale?"
  • 00:01:49.208 --> 00:01:50.576
  • "yeah, i believe that story."
  • 00:01:50.576 --> 00:01:52.277
  • "how is that even possible?"
  • 00:01:52.277 --> 00:01:54.513
  • She said, "well, when i get to heaven, i'll ask him."
  • 00:01:54.513 --> 00:01:59.218
  • And then the atheist said, "well, what if he's not
  • 00:01:59.218 --> 00:02:01.286
  • In heaven?"
  • 00:02:01.286 --> 00:02:02.654
  • She said, "well then i guess you could ask him.
  • 00:02:02.654 --> 00:02:04.123
  • I don't know."
  • 00:02:04.123 --> 00:02:06.391
  • Get it?
  • 00:02:06.391 --> 00:02:07.759
  • Okay, so, jonah and the whale.
  • 00:02:07.759 --> 00:02:12.965
  • Was he swallowed by a whale?
  • 00:02:12.965 --> 00:02:14.633
  • Well, here's what the bible says.
  • 00:02:14.633 --> 00:02:16.168
  • It says he was swallowed by a sea creature that was
  • 00:02:16.168 --> 00:02:20.472
  • Specifically created by god for this event.
  • 00:02:20.472 --> 00:02:24.343
  • So it could have been a whale, it could have been some creature
  • 00:02:24.343 --> 00:02:27.779
  • That is no longer here, it could have been a one-off creation.
  • 00:02:27.779 --> 00:02:32.284
  • We don't know, but yes, it was sushi eating in reverse.
  • 00:02:32.284 --> 00:02:36.054
  • He was swallowed by some kind of a sea monster.
  • 00:02:36.054 --> 00:02:40.492
  • Why do i believe this?
  • 00:02:40.492 --> 00:02:41.860
  • Well, among other things, jesus himself validated it.
  • 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:45.130
  • People said, "we wanna see a miracle."
  • 00:02:45.130 --> 00:02:46.932
  • He said, "no sign will be given but that of the prophet jonah.
  • 00:02:46.932 --> 00:02:50.836
  • And as jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the
  • 00:02:50.836 --> 00:02:54.806
  • Fish, so will the son of man be three days and three nights in
  • 00:02:54.806 --> 00:02:58.610
  • The heart of the earth."
  • 00:02:58.610 --> 00:02:59.945
  • Effectively, jesus was saying, you guys want a miracle?
  • 00:02:59.945 --> 00:03:03.015
  • Here's your miracle.
  • 00:03:03.015 --> 00:03:04.383
  • "just as jonah was in that sea monster and came out, i will die
  • 00:03:04.383 --> 00:03:09.154
  • On the cross, rise again three days later."
  • 00:03:09.154 --> 00:03:12.057
  • That's the sign.
  • 00:03:12.057 --> 00:03:13.425
  • That's my message.
  • 00:03:13.425 --> 00:03:14.760
  • But he validated the story, so i don't see any reason to
  • 00:03:14.760 --> 00:03:17.596
  • Doubt it.
  • 00:03:17.596 --> 00:03:18.931
  • But i wanna talk about another creature in the story of jonah,
  • 00:03:18.931 --> 00:03:21.833
  • Not the whale.
  • 00:03:21.833 --> 00:03:23.202
  • I wanna talk to you about jonah and the worm.
  • 00:03:23.202 --> 00:03:26.505
  • You heard me right.
  • 00:03:26.505 --> 00:03:27.873
  • There's a worm in the story of jonah.
  • 00:03:27.873 --> 00:03:30.209
  • But you have to get all the way to the end of it to find out the
  • 00:03:30.209 --> 00:03:33.345
  • Role the worm played.
  • 00:03:33.345 --> 00:03:35.247
  • But the story of jonah is not about a man swallowed by
  • 00:03:35.247 --> 00:03:38.717
  • A whale.
  • 00:03:38.717 --> 00:03:40.052
  • That's only a few verses.
  • 00:03:40.052 --> 00:03:41.386
  • The story of jonah is how god used a very flawed individual to
  • 00:03:41.386 --> 00:03:46.792
  • Be instrumental in bringing about a spiritual awakening, and
  • 00:03:46.792 --> 00:03:51.797
  • It's also an encouraging book to us to show us how we could do
  • 00:03:51.797 --> 00:03:55.867
  • Something similar.
  • 00:03:55.867 --> 00:03:57.402
  • Jonah was called to preach to nineveh, which god described as
  • 00:03:57.402 --> 00:04:01.206
  • A great city, then he refused, and the lord sent a great wind.
  • 00:04:01.206 --> 00:04:06.411
  • Then he was thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish, but
  • 00:04:06.411 --> 00:04:10.182
  • The real story of jonah is that of a great god who showed great
  • 00:04:10.182 --> 00:04:14.853
  • Love to a lost city like nineveh.
  • 00:04:14.853 --> 00:04:18.457
  • And it's also the story of receiving a second chance.
  • 00:04:18.457 --> 00:04:22.494
  • I wonder if i'm talking to somebody here that could use a
  • 00:04:22.494 --> 00:04:25.097
  • Second chance in life, someone that missed the ultimate
  • 00:04:25.097 --> 00:04:29.668
  • Opportunity given to you by god.
  • 00:04:29.668 --> 00:04:32.271
  • Someone who was walking with the lord and walked away from the
  • 00:04:32.271 --> 00:04:35.874
  • Lord and you wonder if you could ever walk with him again.
  • 00:04:35.874 --> 00:04:39.211
  • The good news of the book of jonah is god gives
  • 00:04:39.211 --> 00:04:42.080
  • Second chances.
  • 00:04:42.080 --> 00:04:43.415
  • So here's point number one, jonah had a great message.
  • 00:04:43.415 --> 00:04:48.086
  • Jonah had a great message.
  • 00:04:48.086 --> 00:04:49.421
  • God told him, go and preach to nineveh.
  • 00:04:49.421 --> 00:04:52.090
  • We too have a great message.
  • 00:04:52.090 --> 00:04:54.259
  • We in fact have the greatest of all messages, and i wonder if we
  • 00:04:54.259 --> 00:04:59.431
  • Would take a step of obedience and let the lord use us if we
  • 00:04:59.431 --> 00:05:03.201
  • Too would not see something amazing happen.
  • 00:05:03.201 --> 00:05:06.405
  • But this all happened after god got hold of jonah's heart, after
  • 00:05:06.405 --> 00:05:10.742
  • He was swallowed by the whale, the fish, whatever it was.
  • 00:05:10.742 --> 00:05:14.913
  • They're in the belly of the beast wrapped in seaweed with
  • 00:05:14.913 --> 00:05:18.216
  • Humidity like you can't even imagine.
  • 00:05:18.216 --> 00:05:22.054
  • He finally came to his senses, but not straight away.
  • 00:05:22.054 --> 00:05:25.390
  • You'd have thought the moment that fish swallowed him, he'd
  • 00:05:25.390 --> 00:05:27.893
  • Have been calling out to god.
  • 00:05:27.893 --> 00:05:29.227
  • Oh no, he was so stubborn, he waited for three days to say
  • 00:05:29.227 --> 00:05:33.298
  • Anything to god.
  • 00:05:33.298 --> 00:05:34.666
  • Finally, he comes around, he acknowledges his sin, and you
  • 00:05:34.666 --> 00:05:38.203
  • Might say he had a personal revival in the belly of the
  • 00:05:38.203 --> 00:05:43.475
  • Sea creature.
  • 00:05:43.475 --> 00:05:44.810
  • And, you know, before you can bring an awakening to someone
  • 00:05:44.810 --> 00:05:49.281
  • Else, you have to experience it yourself.
  • 00:05:49.281 --> 00:05:52.351
  • Paul wrote in 1 corinthians 11, "that which i received of the
  • 00:05:52.351 --> 00:05:56.088
  • Lord, i have passed on to you."
  • 00:05:56.088 --> 00:05:58.423
  • Listen, it can't happen through you until it has first happened
  • 00:05:58.423 --> 00:06:01.960
  • To you.
  • 00:06:01.960 --> 00:06:03.428
  • So you have to have your own encounter with god, your own
  • 00:06:03.428 --> 00:06:07.599
  • Relationship with god.
  • 00:06:07.599 --> 00:06:09.067
  • And what was jonah to preach?
  • 00:06:09.067 --> 00:06:10.602
  • The message god gave him.
  • 00:06:10.602 --> 00:06:12.204
  • Look at jonah chapter 3, verse 2: "arise," the lord says, "go
  • 00:06:12.204 --> 00:06:16.341
  • To nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message i
  • 00:06:16.341 --> 00:06:20.245
  • Tell you.
  • 00:06:20.245 --> 00:06:21.613
  • So jonah arose, went to nineveh according to the word of
  • 00:06:21.613 --> 00:06:24.349
  • The lord.
  • 00:06:24.349 --> 00:06:25.684
  • Now nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three day journey
  • 00:06:25.684 --> 00:06:28.720
  • In extent.
  • 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:30.088
  • And jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk,
  • 00:06:30.088 --> 00:06:33.024
  • And he cried out, 'forty days and nineveh will
  • 00:06:33.024 --> 00:06:36.128
  • Be overthrown.'"
  • 00:06:36.128 --> 00:06:37.496
  • So this is after he's been barfed on the shore of nineveh,
  • 00:06:37.496 --> 00:06:41.466
  • So he's been revived and ralphed.
  • 00:06:41.466 --> 00:06:45.337
  • He's been made victorious and now vomited.
  • 00:06:45.337 --> 00:06:50.475
  • I can just go on with those, okay, but you know, so here he's
  • 00:06:50.475 --> 00:06:53.044
  • Doing it now.
  • 00:06:53.044 --> 00:06:54.379
  • "okay, lord, i'm gonna do it."
  • 00:06:54.379 --> 00:06:55.747
  • And what a simple message, eight words.
  • 00:06:55.747 --> 00:06:58.216
  • Eight words.
  • 00:06:58.216 --> 00:06:59.584
  • Forty days and nineveh will be overthrown.
  • 00:06:59.584 --> 00:07:01.386
  • That sounds kind of depressing, but in a way there was hope in
  • 00:07:01.386 --> 00:07:04.589
  • This message because there was 40 days.
  • 00:07:04.589 --> 00:07:07.459
  • You guys, loose paraphrase, have 40 days to get your
  • 00:07:07.459 --> 00:07:10.562
  • Act together.
  • 00:07:10.562 --> 00:07:11.897
  • You have 40 days to repent and turn to god.
  • 00:07:11.897 --> 00:07:15.467
  • Listen, in contrast, god gave no warning to sodom and gomorrah.
  • 00:07:15.467 --> 00:07:20.138
  • He was looking for one righteous person in the city and couldn't
  • 00:07:20.138 --> 00:07:23.809
  • Find anyone with the exception of lot.
  • 00:07:23.809 --> 00:07:26.511
  • So at this point there's hope for this city, and that was the
  • 00:07:26.511 --> 00:07:30.582
  • Message god gave him, and god has given us a great message.
  • 00:07:30.582 --> 00:07:33.919
  • It's the gospel, which means good news.
  • 00:07:33.919 --> 00:07:36.121
  • Now we throw the word gospel around a lot.
  • 00:07:36.121 --> 00:07:37.956
  • Preach the gospel. i believe the gospel.
  • 00:07:37.956 --> 00:07:40.125
  • Great. what is the gospel?
  • 00:07:40.125 --> 00:07:42.027
  • If i just pointed to you, could you give me the gospel in maybe
  • 00:07:42.027 --> 00:07:45.130
  • A few moments?
  • 00:07:45.130 --> 00:07:46.465
  • It's really not that complex, but i wonder if most people have
  • 00:07:46.465 --> 00:07:50.168
  • Heard an accurate and biblical presentation of the gospel.
  • 00:07:50.168 --> 00:07:54.272
  • Here's the gospel super simplified.
  • 00:07:54.272 --> 00:07:57.375
  • God loves us.
  • 00:07:57.375 --> 00:07:58.777
  • God has a plan for our lives.
  • 00:07:58.777 --> 00:08:00.479
  • God wants a relationship with us, but there's something that
  • 00:08:00.479 --> 00:08:03.782
  • Separates us from god called sin.
  • 00:08:03.782 --> 00:08:06.518
  • There's nothing we can do to get rid of that sin.
  • 00:08:06.518 --> 00:08:10.455
  • All the religiosity in the world won't do it.
  • 00:08:10.455 --> 00:08:13.792
  • We need him to help us.
  • 00:08:13.792 --> 00:08:15.994
  • "but while we were yet sinners," the bible says, "christ died
  • 00:08:15.994 --> 00:08:20.298
  • For us."
  • 00:08:20.298 --> 00:08:21.633
  • So jesus christ, fully god and fully man, walked this earth,
  • 00:08:21.633 --> 00:08:25.737
  • Went to the cross, died on the cross in our place, and rose
  • 00:08:25.737 --> 00:08:30.075
  • Again from the dead three days later.
  • 00:08:30.075 --> 00:08:32.043
  • If we will turn from our sin, if we will repent of our sin and
  • 00:08:32.043 --> 00:08:36.381
  • Put our faith in him, we can be forgiven and know that we will
  • 00:08:36.381 --> 00:08:40.418
  • Go to heaven when we die and find the meaning and purpose
  • 00:08:40.418 --> 00:08:43.788
  • Of life.
  • 00:08:43.788 --> 00:08:45.156
  • That's the gospel simplified.
  • 00:08:45.156 --> 00:08:46.558
  • Now, you all know that i haven't said anything you haven't heard
  • 00:08:46.558 --> 00:08:49.494
  • Before, but i'm telling you, if you know the simple thing i just
  • 00:08:49.494 --> 00:08:53.164
  • Said, you are armed and dangerous, and you know a lot
  • 00:08:53.164 --> 00:08:57.702
  • More than most of the people out in this world today.
  • 00:08:57.702 --> 00:09:01.339
  • So jonah was called to preach his message 40 days and nineveh
  • 00:09:01.339 --> 00:09:05.577
  • Will be overthrown, and we're called to preach this message,
  • 00:09:05.577 --> 00:09:09.548
  • And here's what we need to know.
  • 00:09:09.548 --> 00:09:11.316
  • There is explosive power in the message of the gospel.
  • 00:09:11.316 --> 00:09:15.620
  • I don't need to add to it.
  • 00:09:15.620 --> 00:09:17.322
  • I don't need to take away from it.
  • 00:09:17.322 --> 00:09:19.391
  • I just need to proclaim it in its simplicity and watch
  • 00:09:19.391 --> 00:09:22.961
  • God work.
  • 00:09:22.961 --> 00:09:24.429
  • This is why paul said, "i'm not ashamed of the gospel of christ,
  • 00:09:24.429 --> 00:09:28.533
  • For it is the power of god to salvation to everyone
  • 00:09:28.533 --> 00:09:32.571
  • Who believes."
  • 00:09:32.571 --> 00:09:33.905
  • And the word that paul used, therefore, the power of the
  • 00:09:33.905 --> 00:09:37.142
  • Gospel, the power of god rather, is a word that translates
  • 00:09:37.142 --> 00:09:40.779
  • To explosive.
  • 00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:42.447
  • So there's explosive power in the simple message of
  • 00:09:42.447 --> 00:09:47.319
  • The gospel.
  • 00:09:47.319 --> 00:09:48.687
  • Another thing i noticed about jonah is he did
  • 00:09:48.687 --> 00:09:50.522
  • Not procrastinate.
  • 00:09:50.522 --> 00:09:52.324
  • He didn't put it off.
  • 00:09:52.324 --> 00:09:53.692
  • Once he knew what he was supposed to do, he did it.
  • 00:09:53.692 --> 00:09:56.528
  • The hardest people to reach are members of your own family,
  • 00:09:56.528 --> 00:10:01.132
  • Isn't that true?
  • 00:10:01.132 --> 00:10:02.667
  • They're the hardest.
  • 00:10:02.667 --> 00:10:04.035
  • And this might surprise you, but even jesus did not reach the
  • 00:10:04.035 --> 00:10:08.673
  • Members of his family at first.
  • 00:10:08.673 --> 00:10:10.609
  • Did you know that?
  • 00:10:10.609 --> 00:10:11.977
  • Now sometimes it's said jesus never had any brothers
  • 00:10:11.977 --> 00:10:15.146
  • Or sisters.
  • 00:10:15.146 --> 00:10:16.514
  • That's simply not true.
  • 00:10:16.514 --> 00:10:17.849
  • There are multiple passages in the bible that allude to the
  • 00:10:17.849 --> 00:10:20.952
  • Siblings of jesus.
  • 00:10:20.952 --> 00:10:23.088
  • Can you imagine being the brother or sister of jesus?
  • 00:10:23.088 --> 00:10:26.958
  • You'd be compared to him.
  • 00:10:26.958 --> 00:10:28.927
  • "honey, why can't you be more like jesus?"
  • 00:10:28.927 --> 00:10:31.896
  • Mommy's like, "perfect."
  • 00:10:31.896 --> 00:10:34.699
  • Jesus never complained.
  • 00:10:34.699 --> 00:10:36.167
  • Jesus always did his chores.
  • 00:10:36.167 --> 00:10:38.036
  • He always made his bed.
  • 00:10:38.036 --> 00:10:39.371
  • He hit the teen years.
  • 00:10:39.371 --> 00:10:40.739
  • He was the model teenager.
  • 00:10:40.739 --> 00:10:43.308
  • He was the perfect son.
  • 00:10:43.308 --> 00:10:45.377
  • He lived a flawless life, never a shade of hypocrisy, but yet we
  • 00:10:45.377 --> 00:10:49.714
  • Read his brothers and sisters did not believe in him.
  • 00:10:49.714 --> 00:10:52.717
  • In fact, on one occasion when he was speaking, they came to take
  • 00:10:52.717 --> 00:10:56.254
  • Him home because the scripture says they thought he had lost
  • 00:10:56.254 --> 00:10:59.491
  • His mind.
  • 00:10:59.491 --> 00:11:01.059
  • Now later they believed when he died on the cross and
  • 00:11:01.059 --> 00:11:03.695
  • Resurrected again, but my point is, who was a better example
  • 00:11:03.695 --> 00:11:07.899
  • Than jesus?
  • 00:11:07.899 --> 00:11:09.367
  • So if jesus christ, the son of the living god, had trouble
  • 00:11:09.367 --> 00:11:13.538
  • Reaching his own family, then you're gonna have challenges
  • 00:11:13.538 --> 00:11:16.474
  • When you try to reach your family.
  • 00:11:16.474 --> 00:11:18.576
  • Jesus said, "a prophet is not without honor except in his
  • 00:11:18.576 --> 00:11:21.746
  • Own town."
  • 00:11:21.746 --> 00:11:23.114
  • But later, as i said, they did believe, but it's hard, hard to
  • 00:11:23.114 --> 00:11:26.851
  • Have that conversation with your parents.
  • 00:11:26.851 --> 00:11:29.587
  • Hard sometimes to have that conversation with your children.
  • 00:11:29.587 --> 00:11:32.824
  • Maybe you came to faith later in life and you didn't raise them
  • 00:11:32.824 --> 00:11:36.961
  • As christians, and now you are a believer and now you're trying
  • 00:11:36.961 --> 00:11:40.565
  • To make up for lost time and you're telling them they should
  • 00:11:40.565 --> 00:11:43.802
  • Follow christ, and they're not interested.
  • 00:11:43.802 --> 00:11:47.138
  • It's hard to reach brothers and sisters.
  • 00:11:47.138 --> 00:11:51.176
  • I remember the hardest thing for me was reaching my own mother.
  • 00:11:51.176 --> 00:11:54.746
  • I would be preaching in stadiums and arenas and calling people to
  • 00:11:54.746 --> 00:11:59.684
  • Christ all over the place.
  • 00:11:59.684 --> 00:12:01.052
  • My own mother was not really a believer, and whenever i would
  • 00:12:01.052 --> 00:12:05.123
  • Raise the subject with her, she always said, "i don't wanna talk
  • 00:12:05.123 --> 00:12:08.593
  • About it.
  • 00:12:08.593 --> 00:12:09.928
  • I don't wanna talk about it."
  • 00:12:09.928 --> 00:12:11.296
  • But one day the lord directed me to go to her, and i drove over
  • 00:12:11.296 --> 00:12:15.233
  • To her house.
  • 00:12:15.233 --> 00:12:16.568
  • She was surprised to see me.
  • 00:12:16.568 --> 00:12:17.936
  • She didn't know i was coming, and i said, "mom, i wanna talk
  • 00:12:17.936 --> 00:12:21.339
  • To you."
  • 00:12:21.339 --> 00:12:22.707
  • She said, "about what?"
  • 00:12:22.707 --> 00:12:24.042
  • I said, "your soul."
  • 00:12:24.042 --> 00:12:25.410
  • She said, "i don't wanna talk about it."
  • 00:12:25.410 --> 00:12:26.745
  • I said, "today we're gonna talk about it."
  • 00:12:26.745 --> 00:12:28.480
  • And that resulted in my mom making a commitment to christ,
  • 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.883
  • So i'm so glad that i went when he directed me.
  • 00:12:31.883 --> 00:12:39.924
  • There's an urgency.
  • 00:12:39.924 --> 00:12:41.392
  • It's interesting how it says that jonah cried.
  • 00:12:41.392 --> 00:12:44.429
  • He cried this message out, jonah 3:4.
  • 00:12:44.429 --> 00:12:47.732
  • He cried in the belly of the fish too, and he called out to
  • 00:12:47.732 --> 00:12:51.169
  • God, and now he's crying out to these people.
  • 00:12:51.169 --> 00:12:53.671
  • And when we give this message, there needs to be an urgency.
  • 00:12:53.671 --> 00:12:56.641
  • And what we are saying, d.l.
  • 00:12:56.641 --> 00:12:58.176
  • Moody, a great evangelist from days gone by, said this, and i
  • 00:12:58.176 --> 00:13:02.080
  • Quote, "winners of souls must be first weepers of souls."
  • 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:07.085
  • You have to care.
  • 00:13:07.085 --> 00:13:08.620
  • There has to be an urgency.
  • 00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:09.988
  • Don't procrastinate.
  • 00:13:09.988 --> 00:13:11.756
  • So jonah was ready to give this message, and it was clear
  • 00:13:11.756 --> 00:13:16.027
  • And definite.
  • 00:13:16.027 --> 00:13:17.729
  • The gospel is clear and definite.
  • 00:13:17.729 --> 00:13:20.231
  • I don't need to apologize for the gospel.
  • 00:13:20.231 --> 00:13:23.067
  • I just need to give it to people, and it should be given
  • 00:13:23.067 --> 00:13:26.337
  • In a way where it's understandable.
  • 00:13:26.337 --> 00:13:28.239
  • I think sometimes people overly complicate it.
  • 00:13:28.239 --> 00:13:31.009
  • They add too many things to it.
  • 00:13:31.009 --> 00:13:32.377
  • They use too much religious verbiage that doesn't make sense
  • 00:13:32.377 --> 00:13:35.647
  • To people.
  • 00:13:35.647 --> 00:13:37.015
  • Break it down.
  • 00:13:37.015 --> 00:13:38.349
  • The bible says of jesus, "the common people heard him gladly."
  • 00:13:38.349 --> 00:13:43.188
  • That means the regular folks understood what jesus was
  • 00:13:43.188 --> 00:13:46.391
  • Saying, and people should understand what we're saying
  • 00:13:46.391 --> 00:13:50.028
  • As well.
  • 00:13:50.028 --> 00:13:51.362
  • Jonah gave a very clear message, and there was a great response.
  • 00:13:51.362 --> 00:13:54.532
  • That's my second point.
  • 00:13:54.532 --> 00:13:56.000
  • First, it was a great message.
  • 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:57.368
  • Number two, there was a great response.
  • 00:13:57.368 --> 00:13:59.938
  • Jonah 3:5.
  • 00:13:59.938 --> 00:14:01.439
  • "the people of nineveh believed god."
  • 00:14:01.439 --> 00:14:05.009
  • God promises his word will not return void but will prosper in
  • 00:14:05.009 --> 00:14:09.647
  • The place where he sends it.
  • 00:14:09.647 --> 00:14:11.916
  • The greatest revival in the history of the world came to
  • 00:14:11.916 --> 00:14:15.086
  • Nineveh because jonah preached god's message, not what the
  • 00:14:15.086 --> 00:14:18.690
  • People wanted to hear, and he gave it faithfully, and we need
  • 00:14:18.690 --> 00:14:23.228
  • To do the same.
  • 00:14:23.228 --> 00:14:25.563
  • His message was direct, but it was hopeful.
  • 00:14:25.563 --> 00:14:29.300
  • You say, "how is it hopeful?"
  • 00:14:29.300 --> 00:14:30.635
  • Forty days.
  • 00:14:30.635 --> 00:14:32.003
  • You got 40 days and then nineveh will be overthrown.
  • 00:14:32.003 --> 00:14:35.006
  • Our message is the same.
  • 00:14:35.006 --> 00:14:37.075
  • Take john 3:16 for instance.
  • 00:14:37.075 --> 00:14:38.977
  • I love john 3:16.
  • 00:14:38.977 --> 00:14:41.112
  • How many of you have memorized john 3:16?
  • 00:14:41.112 --> 00:14:43.448
  • All of you should.
  • 00:14:43.448 --> 00:14:44.816
  • So good.
  • 00:14:44.816 --> 00:14:46.150
  • Let's put it on the screen.
  • 00:14:46.150 --> 00:14:47.485
  • Memorize this verse, you can do it.
  • 00:14:47.485 --> 00:14:48.853
  • So let's see, there it is.
  • 00:14:48.853 --> 00:14:50.188
  • Let's say this out loud together.
  • 00:14:50.188 --> 00:14:51.556
  • Ready?
  • 00:14:51.556 --> 00:14:52.891
  • "for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,
  • 00:14:52.891 --> 00:14:57.061
  • That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have
  • 00:14:57.061 --> 00:15:00.732
  • Everlasting life."
  • 00:15:00.732 --> 00:15:03.434
  • That's the gospel in a nutshell.
  • 00:15:03.434 --> 00:15:06.204
  • And notice how it gives the offer of love, "for god so loved
  • 00:15:06.204 --> 00:15:10.141
  • The world," but then there's a warning, "whoever believes in
  • 00:15:10.141 --> 00:15:13.778
  • Him should not perish."
  • 00:15:13.778 --> 00:15:15.179
  • So it's obviously implied if you don't believe in him, you
  • 00:15:15.179 --> 00:15:18.816
  • Will perish.
  • 00:15:18.816 --> 00:15:20.184
  • And then the next verse, john 3:17, says, "for god did not
  • 00:15:20.184 --> 00:15:23.488
  • Send his son into the world to condemn it, but that the world
  • 00:15:23.488 --> 00:15:26.925
  • Through him might find life."
  • 00:15:26.925 --> 00:15:28.693
  • And so, you know, we wanna give him the good news, but you can't
  • 00:15:28.693 --> 00:15:32.096
  • Leave out the bad news.
  • 00:15:32.096 --> 00:15:34.132
  • Another verse that sums it up perfectly is romans 6:33, which
  • 00:15:34.132 --> 00:15:38.603
  • Says, "the wages of sin is death," but then it goes on to
  • 00:15:38.603 --> 00:15:44.175
  • Say, "but the gift of god is eternal life through jesus
  • 00:15:44.175 --> 00:15:47.011
  • Christ our lord."
  • 00:15:47.011 --> 00:15:48.346
  • So there's the warning, the wages of sin is death, but, but
  • 00:15:48.346 --> 00:15:53.484
  • The gift of god is eternal life.
  • 00:15:53.484 --> 00:15:56.054
  • Years ago i was in hawaii on the island of oahu, walking down
  • 00:15:56.054 --> 00:16:00.692
  • Kalakaua boulevard in waikiki beach, that's sort of the main
  • 00:16:00.692 --> 00:16:03.728
  • Drag there.
  • 00:16:03.728 --> 00:16:05.063
  • And there was some guy standing on a street corner with a sign
  • 00:16:05.063 --> 00:16:08.733
  • With this verse on it, "the wages of sin is death," and he
  • 00:16:08.733 --> 00:16:12.236
  • Had flames painted on it for good measure.
  • 00:16:12.236 --> 00:16:14.839
  • And he was yelling at people walking by, "you're going
  • 00:16:14.839 --> 00:16:18.042
  • To hell.
  • 00:16:18.042 --> 00:16:19.377
  • God's gonna judge you.
  • 00:16:19.377 --> 00:16:20.745
  • You're going to hell."
  • 00:16:20.745 --> 00:16:22.080
  • I thought, this guy's doing more harm than good.
  • 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.282
  • So i'm standing there watching him, "you're going to hell," he
  • 00:16:24.282 --> 00:16:26.985
  • Keeps saying this over and over, so i walked up to him, still,
  • 00:16:26.985 --> 00:16:30.021
  • "you're going to hell, you're going to hell."
  • 00:16:30.021 --> 00:16:32.256
  • "excuse me."
  • 00:16:32.256 --> 00:16:33.624
  • "you're going to hell."
  • 00:16:33.624 --> 00:16:34.959
  • "excuse me."
  • 00:16:34.959 --> 00:16:36.327
  • "what?"
  • 00:16:36.327 --> 00:16:37.662
  • "i had a thought.
  • 00:16:37.662 --> 00:16:39.030
  • "why don't you take your sign, the first part, it is the bible,
  • 00:16:39.030 --> 00:16:41.466
  • 'the wages of sin is death,' but on the flip side, put 'but the
  • 00:16:41.466 --> 00:16:44.836
  • Gift of god is eternal life through jesus christ our lord.'
  • 00:16:44.836 --> 00:16:47.905
  • Flip it around every now and then, you know."
  • 00:16:47.905 --> 00:16:50.541
  • Then he told me i was going to hell.
  • 00:16:50.541 --> 00:16:55.179
  • So i killed him.
  • 00:16:55.179 --> 00:16:56.514
  • Now, let me explain.
  • 00:16:56.514 --> 00:17:00.251
  • No, i didn't.
  • 00:17:00.251 --> 00:17:01.619
  • In my heart, baby, no, not really.
  • 00:17:01.619 --> 00:17:04.455
  • But i mean, he's only giving half the message, but you could
  • 00:17:04.455 --> 00:17:07.759
  • Do it the other way too.
  • 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:09.127
  • You could just say, "god loves you.
  • 00:17:09.127 --> 00:17:10.962
  • God wants you to go to heaven," but you don't warn them
  • 00:17:10.962 --> 00:17:13.164
  • Of judgment.
  • 00:17:13.164 --> 00:17:14.499
  • See, that's the same thing.
  • 00:17:14.499 --> 00:17:15.933
  • I got to give the whole message.
  • 00:17:15.933 --> 00:17:17.668
  • I can't fully appreciate the good news until i first
  • 00:17:17.668 --> 00:17:21.072
  • Understand the bad news.
  • 00:17:21.072 --> 00:17:23.608
  • The bad news is i am hopelessly separated from god, and there's
  • 00:17:23.608 --> 00:17:27.445
  • Nothing i could ever humanly do to make this right.
  • 00:17:27.445 --> 00:17:31.482
  • But the good news is while we were yet sinners, christ died
  • 00:17:31.482 --> 00:17:35.486
  • For us.
  • 00:17:35.486 --> 00:17:36.854
  • So jonah gave this balanced message, and we need to do
  • 00:17:36.854 --> 00:17:40.658
  • The same.
  • 00:17:40.658 --> 00:17:42.026
  • If god could bring a mighty revival to nineveh with no
  • 00:17:42.026 --> 00:17:45.530
  • Better representative than jonah and no more gospel than he
  • 00:17:45.530 --> 00:17:49.267
  • Preached in their streets, surely the lord could do the
  • 00:17:49.267 --> 00:17:52.236
  • Same for america.
  • 00:17:52.236 --> 00:17:54.806
  • That's why we're doing the harvest crusade.
  • 00:17:54.806 --> 00:17:57.041
  • That's why we're always looking for new and creative ways to
  • 00:17:57.041 --> 00:18:00.344
  • Reach new people, reach unexpected people in unexpected
  • 00:18:00.344 --> 00:18:05.249
  • Places with the unexpected message of the gospel.
  • 00:18:05.249 --> 00:18:09.654
  • So the whole town of nineveh turns to god.
  • 00:18:09.654 --> 00:18:12.690
  • Look at jonah chapter 3, verse 4, "on the day jonah entered the
  • 00:18:12.690 --> 00:18:16.160
  • City, he shouted to the crowds, 'forty days and nineveh will be
  • 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:19.297
  • Overthrown'" or destroyed.
  • 00:18:19.297 --> 00:18:21.432
  • "and the people of nineveh believed god's message, and from
  • 00:18:21.432 --> 00:18:24.769
  • The greatest to the least, they decided to go without food and
  • 00:18:24.769 --> 00:18:28.139
  • Wear sackcloth to show their sorrow."
  • 00:18:28.139 --> 00:18:30.975
  • Drop down to verse 8, "everyone was required to wear sackcloth
  • 00:18:30.975 --> 00:18:34.745
  • And pray earnestly to god.
  • 00:18:34.745 --> 00:18:36.614
  • Everyone must turn from their evil ways and stop all
  • 00:18:36.614 --> 00:18:40.251
  • Their violence.
  • 00:18:40.251 --> 00:18:41.586
  • And who can tell?
  • 00:18:41.586 --> 00:18:42.954
  • Perhaps even god will have pity on us and hold back his fierce
  • 00:18:42.954 --> 00:18:45.890
  • Anger from destroying us.
  • 00:18:45.890 --> 00:18:48.292
  • When god saw they had put a stop to their evil ways, he had mercy
  • 00:18:48.292 --> 00:18:52.196
  • On them and didn't carry out the destruction he had threatened."
  • 00:18:52.196 --> 00:18:56.567
  • Listen, the bible says god takes no pleasure in the death of
  • 00:18:56.567 --> 00:19:00.938
  • The wicked.
  • 00:19:00.938 --> 00:19:02.440
  • Yes, god is a holy god.
  • 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:04.475
  • Yes, god is a righteous god.
  • 00:19:04.475 --> 00:19:06.477
  • Yes, god is a loving god.
  • 00:19:06.477 --> 00:19:08.446
  • Yes, he is a merciful god, but he doesn't want to judge people.
  • 00:19:08.446 --> 00:19:13.751
  • That's why he put his judgment on jesus who died in our place.
  • 00:19:13.751 --> 00:19:20.091
  • But if we reject his offer of forgiveness over and over and
  • 00:19:20.091 --> 00:19:24.028
  • Over again and we end up one day eternally separated from him in
  • 00:19:24.028 --> 00:19:29.066
  • Hell, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
  • 00:19:29.066 --> 00:19:32.737
  • But here you see the mercy of god, and this did not make
  • 00:19:32.737 --> 00:19:37.375
  • Jonah happy.
  • 00:19:37.375 --> 00:19:38.910
  • So he had a great message, he had a great response, and now we
  • 00:19:38.910 --> 00:19:42.213
  • Come to a great contrast.
  • 00:19:42.213 --> 00:19:45.149
  • Look at jonah 4, verse 1, "this change of plans upset jonah, and
  • 00:19:45.149 --> 00:19:51.322
  • He became very angry."
  • 00:19:51.322 --> 00:19:52.657
  • Now what change of plans?
  • 00:19:52.657 --> 00:19:54.025
  • God just pardoned them.
  • 00:19:54.025 --> 00:19:55.693
  • God just forgave them and chose to not judge them.
  • 00:19:55.693 --> 00:19:58.396
  • Yeah, this upset jonah.
  • 00:19:58.396 --> 00:20:00.598
  • "and he complained to the lord about it, saying, 'didn't i say
  • 00:20:00.598 --> 00:20:04.635
  • Before i left home that you would do this, lord?
  • 00:20:04.635 --> 00:20:07.672
  • This is why i ran away to tarsus.
  • 00:20:07.672 --> 00:20:10.274
  • I knew you were a gracious and compassionate god, slow to get
  • 00:20:10.274 --> 00:20:14.011
  • Angry and filled with unfailing love.
  • 00:20:14.011 --> 00:20:16.347
  • I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying
  • 00:20:16.347 --> 00:20:20.051
  • These people.
  • 00:20:20.051 --> 00:20:21.419
  • Just kill me now, lord.
  • 00:20:21.419 --> 00:20:22.954
  • I'd rather be dead than alive because nothing i predicted is
  • 00:20:22.954 --> 00:20:26.791
  • Going to happen.'
  • 00:20:26.791 --> 00:20:28.292
  • And the lord replied, 'is it right for you to be angry
  • 00:20:28.292 --> 00:20:31.596
  • About this?'"
  • 00:20:31.596 --> 00:20:32.930
  • Jonah was angry with god.
  • 00:20:32.930 --> 00:20:34.265
  • Are you angry at god?
  • 00:20:34.265 --> 00:20:35.633
  • Is there anyone here that maybe feels like the lord has
  • 00:20:35.633 --> 00:20:39.370
  • Shortchanged you?
  • 00:20:39.370 --> 00:20:41.305
  • He didn't answer your prayers the way you wanted him to.
  • 00:20:41.305 --> 00:20:44.942
  • Your life did not turn out as you hoped it would.
  • 00:20:44.942 --> 00:20:48.913
  • Or god really blessed someone else more than you, and you're
  • 00:20:48.913 --> 00:20:51.849
  • Jealous of that.
  • 00:20:51.849 --> 00:20:53.651
  • You know, the funny thing about jonah is he wasn't wondering why
  • 00:20:53.651 --> 00:20:57.955
  • A good god would allow bad things.
  • 00:20:57.955 --> 00:21:00.925
  • He was wondering why a good god would allow good things to
  • 00:21:00.925 --> 00:21:05.796
  • Happen to bad people.
  • 00:21:05.796 --> 00:21:08.232
  • And the ninevites were bad people, but they turned to god
  • 00:21:08.232 --> 00:21:12.803
  • And they repented, and so he forgave them, but he was
  • 00:21:12.803 --> 00:21:16.674
  • Thinking god was gonna judge 'em.
  • 00:21:16.674 --> 00:21:18.109
  • In fact, he had his beach chair and he set it up.
  • 00:21:18.109 --> 00:21:22.280
  • You know, he was ready to watch it.
  • 00:21:22.280 --> 00:21:24.215
  • He had his popcorn and his milk duds.
  • 00:21:24.215 --> 00:21:27.184
  • That's what i get when i go to a movie theater popcorn and
  • 00:21:27.184 --> 00:21:29.654
  • Milk duds.
  • 00:21:29.654 --> 00:21:31.022
  • Who knows why?
  • 00:21:31.022 --> 00:21:32.356
  • That's what i do.
  • 00:21:32.356 --> 00:21:33.724
  • And the other day i was watching a movie and i'm eating these
  • 00:21:33.724 --> 00:21:36.560
  • Milk duds.
  • 00:21:36.560 --> 00:21:37.895
  • I thought, "i'm gonna pull a filling out of my teeth
  • 00:21:37.895 --> 00:21:39.397
  • With this.
  • 00:21:39.397 --> 00:21:40.765
  • I just feel it."
  • 00:21:40.765 --> 00:21:42.099
  • It didn't happen, thankfully, but he wanted to be entertained,
  • 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:44.602
  • "hey, judgment, nothing is more entertaining than judgment.
  • 00:21:44.602 --> 00:21:48.639
  • Here we go, let's go."
  • 00:21:48.639 --> 00:21:50.408
  • And it didn't happen.
  • 00:21:50.408 --> 00:21:51.842
  • And he was frustrated.
  • 00:21:51.842 --> 00:21:53.177
  • Enter the worm.
  • 00:21:53.177 --> 00:21:54.879
  • I promised you the worm, here it is.
  • 00:21:54.879 --> 00:21:58.482
  • Jonah 4, verse 5: "then jonah went out to the east side of the
  • 00:21:58.482 --> 00:22:03.654
  • City and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see if
  • 00:22:03.654 --> 00:22:07.558
  • Anything would happen to the city.
  • 00:22:07.558 --> 00:22:09.293
  • And the lord arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and
  • 00:22:09.293 --> 00:22:12.697
  • Soon it spread its broad leaves over jonah's head, shading him
  • 00:22:12.697 --> 00:22:16.167
  • From the sun that seized him from some of his discomfort, and
  • 00:22:16.167 --> 00:22:19.970
  • Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
  • 00:22:19.970 --> 00:22:22.306
  • But god also prepared a worm.
  • 00:22:22.306 --> 00:22:25.676
  • And the next morning at dawn, the worm ate through the plant,
  • 00:22:25.676 --> 00:22:29.714
  • And it soon died and withered away."
  • 00:22:29.714 --> 00:22:33.351
  • Wow, the last chapter of jonah is unbelievable, isn't it?
  • 00:22:33.351 --> 00:22:38.556
  • Now, the king james calls this plant a gourd.
  • 00:22:38.556 --> 00:22:41.592
  • It was a palm tree-like plant, offering him ample shade.
  • 00:22:41.592 --> 00:22:46.197
  • So he's sitting under his little personal palm tree.
  • 00:22:46.197 --> 00:22:49.967
  • He has his little gourd, and then it withered, so jonah was
  • 00:22:49.967 --> 00:22:53.504
  • Literally out of his gourd.
  • 00:22:53.504 --> 00:22:55.873
  • Now, what's the story about this worm?
  • 00:22:55.873 --> 00:22:58.342
  • Is this a big worm?
  • 00:22:58.342 --> 00:23:00.378
  • Is it a very hungry little worm?
  • 00:23:00.378 --> 00:23:02.046
  • I don't know what it was, but it's funny 'cause the same
  • 00:23:02.046 --> 00:23:04.482
  • Verbiage that's used about the whale or the great fish is used
  • 00:23:04.482 --> 00:23:07.918
  • Of the worm.
  • 00:23:07.918 --> 00:23:09.286
  • The lord prepared a great fish.
  • 00:23:09.286 --> 00:23:11.322
  • The lord prepared a worm that ate this plant, ate the stem of
  • 00:23:11.322 --> 00:23:15.793
  • The plant, and it withers and now he's upset.
  • 00:23:15.793 --> 00:23:19.130
  • He's upset because he's lost his shade, wow.
  • 00:23:19.130 --> 00:23:23.601
  • And he's more upset about that than anything else.
  • 00:23:23.601 --> 00:23:26.203
  • He was more interested in his personal comfort and the
  • 00:23:26.203 --> 00:23:29.273
  • Salvation of thousands of people.
  • 00:23:29.273 --> 00:23:32.643
  • And that brings us to one final point.
  • 00:23:32.643 --> 00:23:35.813
  • We have the great message to give today, the great commission
  • 00:23:35.813 --> 00:23:39.417
  • We call it.
  • 00:23:39.417 --> 00:23:40.751
  • So it was a great message and it was a great response and then an
  • 00:23:40.751 --> 00:23:46.824
  • Unusual shift here in the story, but we have our marching orders
  • 00:23:46.824 --> 00:23:52.496
  • And sometimes we can be a little bit like jonah.
  • 00:23:52.496 --> 00:23:56.066
  • "well, you know,
  • 00:23:56.066 --> 00:23:57.401
  • I went to the first harvest crusade.
  • 00:23:57.401 --> 00:23:59.270
  • I was there."
  • 00:23:59.270 --> 00:24:00.638
  • Good, very nice.
  • 00:24:00.638 --> 00:24:01.972
  • "but what about now?"
  • 00:24:01.972 --> 00:24:03.307
  • "well, i don't know, it's so crowded.
  • 00:24:03.307 --> 00:24:06.377
  • You have to go and wait in line, just sit there.
  • 00:24:06.377 --> 00:24:10.815
  • It's too inconvenient.
  • 00:24:10.815 --> 00:24:12.149
  • And besides, i don't know.
  • 00:24:12.149 --> 00:24:13.517
  • I wanted to hear this artist and this artist isn't there this
  • 00:24:13.517 --> 00:24:16.320
  • Year, you know."
  • 00:24:16.320 --> 00:24:17.788
  • Wait, hello, hello.
  • 00:24:17.788 --> 00:24:20.191
  • This is not about your personal comfort.
  • 00:24:20.191 --> 00:24:22.760
  • This is not about your little personal palm tree.
  • 00:24:22.760 --> 00:24:26.297
  • This is about the salvation of people who are separated
  • 00:24:26.297 --> 00:24:30.568
  • From god.
  • 00:24:30.568 --> 00:24:31.902
  • And i'm not saying this is the only way god can reach them, but
  • 00:24:31.902 --> 00:24:35.105
  • What i am saying is this is a really great opportunity to
  • 00:24:35.105 --> 00:24:38.876
  • Reach them, and we've seen, you've heard, well over 600,000
  • 00:24:38.876 --> 00:24:43.681
  • People go down on that field at angel stadium and make a public
  • 00:24:43.681 --> 00:24:47.585
  • Profession of faith.
  • 00:24:47.585 --> 00:24:48.986
  • And here's the thing, it's great, isn't it?
  • 00:24:48.986 --> 00:24:54.492
  • And here's the thing, they were brought because someone
  • 00:24:54.558 --> 00:24:56.994
  • Brought them.
  • 00:24:56.994 --> 00:24:58.329
  • They came because someone took them there with them.
  • 00:24:58.329 --> 00:24:59.830
  • Here's an interesting statistic.
  • 00:24:59.830 --> 00:25:01.665
  • Eighty to 90% of people who have heard the gospel
  • 00:25:01.665 --> 00:25:05.436
  • Shared with them, heard it from people who had known the lord
  • 00:25:05.436 --> 00:25:08.672
  • For two years or less.
  • 00:25:08.672 --> 00:25:10.875
  • I wanna say that one more time.
  • 00:25:10.875 --> 00:25:12.209
  • Eighty to 90% of people who have had the gospel
  • 00:25:12.209 --> 00:25:15.713
  • Shared with them, heard it from people who've known the lord for
  • 00:25:15.713 --> 00:25:19.116
  • Two years or less.
  • 00:25:19.116 --> 00:25:21.819
  • Why is that?
  • 00:25:21.819 --> 00:25:23.320
  • Why is it that those that know the least do the most, and those
  • 00:25:23.320 --> 00:25:27.291
  • That know the most often do the least?
  • 00:25:27.291 --> 00:25:30.027
  • Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie.
  • 00:25:33.631 --> 00:25:34.965
  • Years ago, i was in the ocean with my son
  • 00:25:34.965 --> 00:25:37.268
  • And we got caught in a rip tide.
  • 00:25:37.268 --> 00:25:40.170
  • Problem is, we were only a few feet from the shore.
  • 00:25:40.170 --> 00:25:43.240
  • The lifeguard comes to rescue me.
  • 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:44.808
  • I say, "i think i'm okay," and i finally got my feet
  • 00:25:44.808 --> 00:25:47.711
  • On firm ground.
  • 00:25:47.711 --> 00:25:49.480
  • But the problem was i was too proud to say i needed help.
  • 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:52.750
  • That's like us, drowning in sin, drowning in addiction,
  • 00:25:52.750 --> 00:25:57.321
  • Needing the help of god.
  • 00:25:57.321 --> 00:25:58.789
  • Here's what the bible says.
  • 00:25:58.789 --> 00:26:00.257
  • "whoever will call upon the name of the lord will be saved."
  • 00:26:00.257 --> 00:26:03.494
  • Whatever you're facing right now, jesus is ready to come
  • 00:26:03.494 --> 00:26:07.631
  • And help you, to save you.
  • 00:26:07.631 --> 00:26:09.300
  • You can just pray, "lord jesus, save me, forgive me of my sin.
  • 00:26:09.300 --> 00:26:13.404
  • I need a relationship with you.
  • 00:26:13.404 --> 00:26:15.272
  • I need hope of my life."
  • 00:26:15.272 --> 00:26:17.141
  • Pray that prayer.
  • 00:26:17.141 --> 00:26:18.475
  • He'll hear it and he'll answer it.
  • 00:26:18.475 --> 00:26:20.978
  • I want to send you a bible
  • 00:26:20.978 --> 00:26:22.513
  • At no charge to help you
  • 00:26:22.513 --> 00:26:24.281
  • Get started in a relationship
  • 00:26:24.281 --> 00:26:26.717
  • With jesus christ.
  • 00:26:26.717 --> 00:26:29.086
  • Greg: hey, greg laurie here. maybe you've seen this.
  • 00:26:32.056 --> 00:26:34.224
  • This is called the "new believer's bible," and a number
  • 00:26:34.224 --> 00:26:37.561
  • Of years ago, i wanted to do an edition of scripture with
  • 00:26:37.561 --> 00:26:42.433
  • Commentary that would make the bible more accessible to someone
  • 00:26:42.433 --> 00:26:47.304
  • Who's never read it before, like a new believer.
  • 00:26:47.304 --> 00:26:50.341
  • But today we live, of course, in a digital world,
  • 00:26:50.341 --> 00:26:54.144
  • So we've taken the curriculum from the "new believer's bible"
  • 00:26:54.144 --> 00:26:57.448
  • And we created this online community of people just like
  • 00:26:57.448 --> 00:27:00.918
  • You who are studying the word of god together.
  • 00:27:00.918 --> 00:27:04.355
  • By the way, this is free of charge, you can learn at
  • 00:27:04.355 --> 00:27:07.124
  • Your own pace, but most importantly, you'll experience
  • 00:27:07.124 --> 00:27:10.828
  • The power of god's word to transform your life.
  • 00:27:10.828 --> 00:27:14.465
  • The bible says of itself it's alive and powerful and sharper
  • 00:27:14.465 --> 00:27:19.303
  • Than any two-edged sword, so i hope you'll take your phone
  • 00:27:19.303 --> 00:27:23.207
  • Right now and join us online at harvest discipleship.
  • 00:27:23.207 --> 00:27:27.511
  • Let's learn and grow together.
  • 00:27:27.511 --> 00:27:29.980