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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - Make A Difference | April 28, 2026
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- Greg laurie: you are an influencer.
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- You have a platform and you have a following.
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- Now, it could be on social media but in your world you have a
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- Sphere of influence where you influence other people.
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- So it really comes down to this.
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- Are you a good or are you a bad influence?
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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: did you know that the biggest celebrities in america
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- Today are not movie stars, they're not rock stars, they're
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- Not tv stars, they're media stars, specifically social
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- Media stars.
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- They're called influencers.
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- Now, some social media people have a lot of followers, over
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- 900 million.
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- I looked it up to see who had the most followers.
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- The number one person out there is cristiano ronaldo with 901
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- Million followers.
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- I didn't even know who he was.
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- He's what they would call a footballer.
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- We might call him a soccer player.
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- And then there's lionel messi and he has 496 followers, selena
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- Gomez, she has 430 million followers.
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- I've heard of her.
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- Kylie jenner, 399 million followers.
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- Dwayne johnson, the rock, he has 395 million followers.
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- Ariana grande has 380 million followers.
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- Funny thing, i got an ariana grande at starbucks this morning
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- And it was very good.
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- And then kim kardashian has 364 million.
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- Oh, is that all?
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- You know, but that's a lot of followers, and because of this,
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- A lot of young people today are thinking, now why would i want
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- To go work over there when i could be an influencer and
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- Monetize my platform and make a living doing this?
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- One study found that fortune and fame were the first and second
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- Goals of millennials.
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- So what are your goals in life?
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- Number one, fortune and fame.
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- Number two, fortune and fame, okay?
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- One in four millennials would quit their jobs to
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- Become famous.
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- One in six preferred fame to having children.
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- One in 12 admitted they would disown their family to
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- Be famous.
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- We're taking it a little too far here but why do we have this
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- Desire to be famous?
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- Why would we want a lot of followers?
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- I think it's because, deep down inside, we want our lives to
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- Matter, we want significance, we want to be noticed.
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- I don't think those are bad things, by the way, but let's
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- Just say for the sake of a point, you had 900 million
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- Followers on your instagram page.
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- What would you say to them?
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- "well, i would post a photo of myself."
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- Okay, what else?
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- "and my new outfit."
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- Yeah, what else?
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- "i have some cool cat videos."
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- Okay, really?
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- Listen to this.
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- You are an influencer.
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- You have a platform and you have a following.
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- Now, it could be on social media but in your world you have a
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- Sphere of influence where you influence other people.
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- So it really comes down to this.
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- Are you a good or are you a bad influence?
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- Here's what jesus said 2000 years ago, that is very relevant
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- To this topic of influencing others.
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- Matthew 5, starting in verse 13, he says: "you are the salt of
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- The earth; but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
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- Made salty again?
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- It's no longer good for anything, except to be thrown
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- Out and trampled underfoot.
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- You are the light of the world.
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- A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
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- Neither do people put a lamp and--get a lamp and put it
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- Under a bowl.
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- Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to
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- Everyone in the house.
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- In the same way, let your light shine to others, that they may
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- See your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven."
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- We'll stop there.
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- Salt and light.
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- Why did jesus use these two word pictures?
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- Answer: because the world is a dark and corrupt place and it
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- Needs salt and it needs light.
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- You know, despite all of our advances in every field, from
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- Science and medicine and education and technology, we
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- Just go from bad to worse.
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- Matter--modern man has just found more ways to corrupt and
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- Destroy himself.
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- We go from war to greater war, from crime to greater crime,
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- From immorality to greater immorality, from perversion to
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- Greater perversion.
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- We're just playing out the truth of the scripture that says: "the
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- Heart is deceitfully wicked above all things.
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- Who can know it?"
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- You know, if you believe that man is basically good, you're
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- Gonna be very disappointed in life.
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- But once you accept the biblical premise, that man is not
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- Basically good, man, and when i speak of man, i'm speaking of
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- All humanity.
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- We are sinners separated from god, bringing me to point number
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- Two, something they think that they can evade the culture
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- Through isolation.
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- You know, you try to remove yourselves and your children
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- From our culture, but your culture will find you.
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- And so i think we need to do everything we can to prepare
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- Ourselves and our children to live in the real world as
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- Followers of jesus christ.
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- And so we want to be the salt of the earth.
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- Our goal as christians is not to isolate but to infiltrate and
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- Impact culture without being compromised by it.
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- Let me say that again.
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- Our goal as christians is not to isolate but to infiltrate and
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- Impact culture without being compromised by it.
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- It's a tricky balance.
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- Jesus put it this way in john 17.
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- In his prayer to the father, he said, "i'm not asking you to
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- Take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil
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- One and i am sending them into the world."
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- Wow, jesus is saying, "i'm sending you into the world."
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- So we're effectively living behind enemy lines.
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- As an old hymn says, "this world is not my home.
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- I'm just a-passing through."
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- It's important to remember that.
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- So here's point number three, as christians, we need to invade,
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- Not evade, the culture.
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- Invade, not evade.
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- So we try to engage people and they don't seem to be listening
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- To us and you may wonder why.
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- You might say, "hey, you know, i try to talk to people about
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- Jesus and they just terminate the conversation."
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- Okay, what did you say to them?
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- "well, i saw this non-believer and i said, 'hey,
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- Uncircumcised philistine.'"
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- Okay, there's part of the problem.
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- That's a good way to burn a bridge.
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- "'have you been washed in the blood, sanctified,
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- Justified, redeemed?
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- And have you become a part of the body of christ?'
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- And they turned around and walked away."
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- They don't even know what you're talking about.
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- You just told them to be washed in blood and get in some body.
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- What?
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- We cannot assume that our listeners today understand what
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- We're talking about.
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- America, in particular, has never been more biblically
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- Illiterate than it is right now.
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- I've been preaching 50 years and people were more literate
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- Biblically when i started than when they are--than they
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- Are today.
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- And so i don't think we can assume that our listener
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- Understands even our terminology.
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- We need to break things down, explain them, and try to find
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- Common ground with them and build a bridge to them.
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- Paul wrote in 1 corinthians 9:22: "i try to find common
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- Ground with everyone so i can bring them to christ.
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- I do all of this to spread the good news."
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- Here at harvest, our objective is to reach as many people as
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- We can.
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- That's point number four, we need to bring them the message
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- Of the gospel.
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- Now, when you bring the gospel message, know this:
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- It's powerful.
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- That's why paul said, "i'm not ashamed of the gospel.
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- It is the power of god unto salvation to everyone
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- Who believes."
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- And the word that he used for power is a word that means
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- Explosive, okay?
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- Not everyone's gonna respond favorably to this message.
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- In 2 corinthians 2 paul says, wherever we go, the lord uses us
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- To tell others about him and it's like good news.
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- Like a sweet perfume, our lives are like a fragrance, but the
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- Fragrance is perceived differently from those who are
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- Being saved to those who are perishing.
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- So to some, it's a fragrance.
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- To another--to others, not so much.
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- You know, some people wear too much cologne or perfume.
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- Am i right?
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- How do you know who they are?
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- They're usually sitting by themselves because they come to
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- Church, all the seats around them are empty.
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- If they give you a hug, you smell like whatever scent they
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- Were wearing 2 hours later, you smell like chanel number 5 and,
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- Sadly, it was a guy.
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- Okay, so--but it's like garlic.
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- You know, garlic is great when you're cooking, but it's not so
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- Great on your breath afterwards, is it?
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- So when we live as christians, for some, it's
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- A sweet fragrance.
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- They love it.
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- For others, they actually find what we say and do offensive.
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- And so that's what paul is saying, bringing me to point
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- Number five: before i can effectively tell them, i must
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- First live it.
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- There's nothing worse than a hypocritical christian.
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- The world is looking for authenticity.
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- They're looking for you to be real.
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- We must be before we can effectively speak.
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- We need to practice what we preach and we are to be salt.
- 00:10:13.723 --> 00:10:17.793
- Let's go back to that statement of jesus again, verse 13:
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- “you're the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses
- 00:10:20.863 --> 00:10:23.733
- Its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
- 00:10:23.733 --> 00:10:26.569
- It's no longer good for anything except to be thrown out
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- And trampled under foot."
- 00:10:30.239 --> 00:10:32.108
- ♪♪♪
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- Greg: hey, greg laurie here, welcome to my podcast.
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- I have a very special guest, joel rosenberg.
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- Levi, thanks for being on my podcast.
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- Michael franzese.
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- Thank you for making time for me.
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- Because you deal with some pretty weighty heavy subjects
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- And i think when you can bring humor in
- 00:10:50.493 --> 00:10:52.962
- It actually helps the viewer to take in all that information.
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- ♪♪♪
- 00:10:57.233 --> 00:11:00.970
- Greg: is it hard to be a man of faith in what you do?
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- Male: it's not, in fact, it's the only way
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- I'm allowed and enabled to do this job.
- 00:11:07.143 --> 00:11:10.312
- ♪♪♪
- 00:11:10.312 --> 00:11:12.381
- Male: hollywood's not the hope of the world,
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- The local church is the hope of the world,
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- And i've always felt like it's my job to set a volleyball
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- That can be spiked at the local level.
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- Greg: no one is beyond the reach of god.
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- I mean if god can reach michael franzese,
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- Who can god not reach?
- 00:11:25.695 --> 00:11:27.496
- ♪♪♪
- 00:11:27.496 --> 00:11:31.534
- Greg: how long does it take to become a christian?
- 00:11:33.703 --> 00:11:37.073
- It could happen just like that, it's an amazing thing.
- 00:11:37.073 --> 00:11:40.142
- I remember when i asked the lord to come into my life.
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- I was a 17-year-old kid, i was on my high school campus
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- And i sat at a distance and watched what we called
- 00:11:47.416 --> 00:11:50.319
- The jesus freaks on our campus.
- 00:11:50.319 --> 00:11:52.922
- They would sit around in a circle and sing songs about god.
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- And i'd watch them thinking, "these poor delusional
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- People, they're so weird.
- 00:11:58.861 --> 00:12:00.730
- They're so strange and this is all wrong.
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- None of it is true, it couldn't possibly be true."
- 00:12:03.599 --> 00:12:07.269
- And as i sat there and watched them, a guy got up to speak.
- 00:12:07.269 --> 00:12:10.840
- His name was lonnie and he made one statement.
- 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:13.142
- He said, "jesus said you're for me or against me."
- 00:12:13.142 --> 00:12:16.779
- I looked back at the christians, i thought,
- 00:12:16.779 --> 00:12:18.848
- "well, they're for him and i'm not one of them,
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- Does that mean i'm against him?"
- 00:12:21.417 --> 00:12:23.185
- And suddenly i believed, just like that i believed.
- 00:12:23.185 --> 00:12:26.055
- How could that possibly happen?
- 00:12:26.055 --> 00:12:28.090
- Maybe that happened for you, you just suddenly believed.
- 00:12:28.090 --> 00:12:31.894
- Now for others it takes a little while to come around
- 00:12:31.894 --> 00:12:34.797
- And they warm up to it.
- 00:12:34.797 --> 00:12:36.432
- I literally in a moment went from darkness to light.
- 00:12:36.432 --> 00:12:40.236
- And so look, there's no secret thing to say to a person.
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- I've had people come up to me and say,
- 00:12:43.706 --> 00:12:45.040
- "greg, you're an evangelist.
- 00:12:45.040 --> 00:12:46.509
- What is the one thing i can say to my non-believing friend
- 00:12:46.509 --> 00:12:48.477
- To make them believe?"
- 00:12:48.477 --> 00:12:49.845
- Are you kidding me?
- 00:12:49.845 --> 00:12:51.180
- If i knew such a thing i would tell you all about it.
- 00:12:51.180 --> 00:12:53.916
- You would've already heard it.
- 00:12:53.916 --> 00:12:55.618
- There's no one thing i or anyone else can say
- 00:12:55.618 --> 00:12:58.320
- To make a person believe.
- 00:12:58.320 --> 00:12:59.722
- It needs to be a work of the holy spirit.
- 00:12:59.722 --> 00:13:02.124
- But here's our job, our job is to share the gospel,
- 00:13:02.124 --> 00:13:04.960
- To model the gospel, and as people see it in us
- 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:08.631
- They're drawn to hear what we have to say.
- 00:13:08.631 --> 00:13:12.034
- Conversion, that can happen in a nanosecond.
- 00:13:12.034 --> 00:13:16.205
- So keep praying for people you know that don't know the lord.
- 00:13:16.205 --> 00:13:19.375
- ♪♪♪
- 00:13:19.909 --> 00:13:22.812
- Greg: when you're a salty christian in the best use of
- 00:13:22.812 --> 00:13:26.182
- That word you will stimulate in others of thirst for god.
- 00:13:26.182 --> 00:13:30.386
- One of the greatest compliments people can pay to a
- 00:13:30.386 --> 00:13:33.589
- Christian is when they ask, "why are you the way that you are?"
- 00:13:33.589 --> 00:13:37.993
- But here's a problem.
- 00:13:37.993 --> 00:13:39.328
- It's when we're not salty enough.
- 00:13:39.328 --> 00:13:42.431
- Jesus says in matthew 5:13, "if the salt loses its saltiness,
- 00:13:42.498 --> 00:13:46.869
- What good is it?
- 00:13:47.603 --> 00:13:48.971
- It's not good for anything."
- 00:13:48.971 --> 00:13:50.573
- "not good for anything."
- 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:52.007
- Those are pretty heavy-duty words.
- 00:13:52.007 --> 00:13:54.376
- Years ago, we were traveling to europe, we were speaking at some
- 00:13:54.443 --> 00:13:57.713
- Pastors conferences and i bought something called a backpack
- 00:13:57.713 --> 00:14:01.951
- Stroller because jonathan was a little guy and i had to put him
- 00:14:01.951 --> 00:14:07.423
- In a stroller and then i had a backpack to carry him around and
- 00:14:07.423 --> 00:14:09.892
- I didn't want to take all of that hardware overseas.
- 00:14:09.892 --> 00:14:13.195
- So i said, "well, this is a great idea.
- 00:14:13.195 --> 00:14:14.830
- It's one device that does both: a backpack stroller."
- 00:14:14.830 --> 00:14:17.900
- And i didn't test it out till i got there.
- 00:14:17.967 --> 00:14:20.369
- And i opened this thing up and it was the worst designed object
- 00:14:20.436 --> 00:14:23.672
- Of all time because you had to hold it up the whole time.
- 00:14:23.672 --> 00:14:27.343
- There were no back wheels.
- 00:14:27.343 --> 00:14:28.777
- So you're in the little stroller, but there's no back
- 00:14:28.777 --> 00:14:31.814
- Wheels so you can't lay it down.
- 00:14:31.814 --> 00:14:33.382
- So you just have to hold it.
- 00:14:33.382 --> 00:14:34.717
- And i thought, "this is impractical."
- 00:14:34.717 --> 00:14:36.385
- And then when i put it on in the backpack form, the wheels dug
- 00:14:36.452 --> 00:14:39.655
- Into my back.
- 00:14:39.655 --> 00:14:41.257
- So i discarded it.
- 00:14:41.323 --> 00:14:42.925
- It was worthless.
- 00:14:42.992 --> 00:14:44.360
- And we still, to this day, use that expression.
- 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:46.829
- We'll look at something that doesn't seem to be working and
- 00:14:46.829 --> 00:14:49.131
- We'll say, "it's a backpack stroller," right?
- 00:14:49.131 --> 00:14:52.101
- A backpack stroller, an unsalty christian.
- 00:14:54.503 --> 00:14:59.341
- Notice that jesus says first we are to be salt, then we are to
- 00:14:59.408 --> 00:15:02.878
- Be light.
- 00:15:02.878 --> 00:15:04.747
- First you're salt, then you're light.
- 00:15:04.813 --> 00:15:07.116
- Why is it given in this order?
- 00:15:07.182 --> 00:15:09.752
- Well, first the salt, i have a preserving effect.
- 00:15:09.752 --> 00:15:12.554
- I create in others a thirst for god.
- 00:15:13.322 --> 00:15:15.891
- And then having acted as salt, i can function as light and,
- 00:15:15.958 --> 00:15:20.062
- Effectively, i earn the right to be heard, see?
- 00:15:20.062 --> 00:15:24.199
- "well, you know what, i admire your life," a non-believer says.
- 00:15:24.266 --> 00:15:28.337
- "look at your family.
- 00:15:28.404 --> 00:15:29.738
- How do you raise kids like that in this world today," they ask
- 00:15:29.738 --> 00:15:35.678
- As their baby is looking at an ipad in their stroller, or
- 00:15:35.678 --> 00:15:39.715
- They're letting their kids behave in a crazy way with
- 00:15:39.715 --> 00:15:42.685
- Complete disrespect and total irresponsibility, or they ask
- 00:15:42.685 --> 00:15:47.323
- You, "how can you have a smile on your face when you're going
- 00:15:47.323 --> 00:15:50.626
- Through the hardship you're going through?"
- 00:15:50.626 --> 00:15:52.995
- You know, so you've been salt.
- 00:15:52.995 --> 00:15:54.396
- Now, you've earned the right to be light and so you live it,
- 00:15:54.396 --> 00:15:58.934
- Then you speak it.
- 00:15:58.934 --> 00:16:00.269
- Point number eight: light exposes the darkness.
- 00:16:00.269 --> 00:16:03.839
- It exposes the darkness.
- 00:16:03.839 --> 00:16:05.908
- It's funny how in the dark you can't find something, flip on
- 00:16:05.975 --> 00:16:08.577
- The light and you find it.
- 00:16:08.577 --> 00:16:10.212
- You're driving in your car at night and you're eating a
- 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:12.982
- Burrito and you drop it and lose it.
- 00:16:12.982 --> 00:16:15.451
- The next morning you turn the lights on, you find that burrito
- 00:16:15.517 --> 00:16:18.387
- And the one you lost 2 weeks ago as well, which, by the way, has
- 00:16:18.387 --> 00:16:22.057
- Become its own life form and has climbed up into your child's car
- 00:16:22.057 --> 00:16:25.260
- Seat and strapped itself in, so.
- 00:16:25.260 --> 00:16:27.863
- But this is the thing, light shows you things you would not
- 00:16:27.930 --> 00:16:31.000
- Otherwise see.
- 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:32.334
- And in the same way when a christian is living as they
- 00:16:32.334 --> 00:16:34.803
- Should, their mere presence in a room changes the temperature, it
- 00:16:34.803 --> 00:16:39.708
- Changes the dynamic.
- 00:16:39.708 --> 00:16:41.143
- Here comes the salty light bulb.
- 00:16:41.143 --> 00:16:44.546
- Hey, how's it going?
- 00:16:44.613 --> 00:16:45.981
- I mean, they're in the middle of telling a dirty joke and they're
- 00:16:45.981 --> 00:16:48.684
- Having a good time and all of a sudden you walk in and the
- 00:16:48.684 --> 00:16:51.186
- Conversation stops.
- 00:16:51.186 --> 00:16:53.222
- I kinda like that.
- 00:16:53.288 --> 00:16:54.957
- Here comes the representative of jesus christ.
- 00:16:55.024 --> 00:16:58.694
- What's even worse is when you know the punch line to the joke.
- 00:16:58.761 --> 00:17:02.664
- Be that salt, be that light, be that person that makes a
- 00:17:02.731 --> 00:17:07.403
- Difference, but don't expect a standing ovation.
- 00:17:07.403 --> 00:17:11.006
- Jesus said, "this is the condemnation.
- 00:17:11.907 --> 00:17:14.209
- Light has come into the world, but men love darkness rather
- 00:17:14.209 --> 00:17:18.080
- Than light, because their deeds are evil.
- 00:17:18.080 --> 00:17:20.516
- And everyone who is evil practices evil and they hate the
- 00:17:20.516 --> 00:17:24.586
- Light and they don't come to the light, lest their deeds
- 00:17:24.586 --> 00:17:27.823
- Should be exposed."
- 00:17:27.823 --> 00:17:29.825
- And that can happen without you even saying a word.
- 00:17:29.892 --> 00:17:32.995
- Listen, few things are harder to put up with than a good example.
- 00:17:32.995 --> 00:17:38.467
- Few things are harder to put up with than a good example.
- 00:17:38.534 --> 00:17:41.437
- When you're a good example, it drives people crazy.
- 00:17:41.437 --> 00:17:44.606
- They wanna see you mess up, they wanna see you fall short so they
- 00:17:44.673 --> 00:17:48.410
- Can say "hypocrite," right?
- 00:17:48.410 --> 00:17:50.813
- You keep your light shining and how does that light shine?
- 00:17:50.879 --> 00:17:55.117
- It shines through good works.
- 00:17:55.117 --> 00:17:57.319
- Listen, people don't care about how much you know, until they
- 00:17:57.386 --> 00:18:01.657
- Know how much you care.
- 00:18:01.657 --> 00:18:04.026
- You may win the theological debate and blow your listener
- 00:18:04.093 --> 00:18:09.164
- Out of the water.
- 00:18:09.164 --> 00:18:10.499
- Yeah, you know what?
- 00:18:10.499 --> 00:18:11.834
- You're smart, you had the answers but you're mean and i
- 00:18:11.834 --> 00:18:15.204
- Don't wanna talk to you anymore.
- 00:18:15.204 --> 00:18:17.239
- But then you can be a loving person and help someone.
- 00:18:17.306 --> 00:18:19.608
- "let me help you change your tire.
- 00:18:19.608 --> 00:18:21.610
- Let me help you do this thing you need done.
- 00:18:21.677 --> 00:18:24.480
- Let me assist you," and they go, "wow, i really like this
- 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:26.682
- Person," and their heart will open up to you.
- 00:18:26.682 --> 00:18:29.952
- So we need to show people and i think that christians do this
- 00:18:30.018 --> 00:18:34.490
- So well.
- 00:18:34.490 --> 00:18:35.991
- Yeah, we want to preach the gospel, but we'll show our good
- 00:18:36.058 --> 00:18:38.994
- Works in practical ways as well.
- 00:18:38.994 --> 00:18:41.263
- Through our church, harvest riverside, harvest orange
- 00:18:41.263 --> 00:18:45.033
- County, and harvest maui, we've done so much in this last
- 00:18:45.033 --> 00:18:49.404
- Year alone.
- 00:18:49.404 --> 00:18:51.173
- As last easter was approaching, we gave away 1,500 easter
- 00:18:51.173 --> 00:18:56.245
- Baskets for little children that had really nothing.
- 00:18:56.245 --> 00:18:59.114
- We hosted a back-to-school event in partnership with in-n-out
- 00:18:59.181 --> 00:19:02.985
- Burger and the department of education.
- 00:19:03.051 --> 00:19:05.120
- It helped 6,000 people.
- 00:19:05.120 --> 00:19:07.122
- We gave out 4,000 backpacks filled with things that children
- 00:19:07.122 --> 00:19:11.293
- Need and we provided free dental care.
- 00:19:11.293 --> 00:19:14.163
- We didn't do it ourselves.
- 00:19:14.163 --> 00:19:15.531
- We had actual dentists do it.
- 00:19:15.531 --> 00:19:16.865
- I want you to know that.
- 00:19:16.865 --> 00:19:18.233
- Be frightening, "here, let me do--drill."
- 00:19:18.233 --> 00:19:20.169
- No, not that.
- 00:19:20.169 --> 00:19:21.803
- And we--they were given haircuts by professionals.
- 00:19:21.803 --> 00:19:25.007
- Again, people who volunteered their time, and they were given
- 00:19:25.007 --> 00:19:28.644
- Medical screenings and they were given free burgers and fries
- 00:19:28.644 --> 00:19:33.415
- From in-n-out burger.
- 00:19:33.415 --> 00:19:35.217
- And then over on maui after the devastating wildfires that
- 00:19:35.217 --> 00:19:39.788
- Destroyed so many homes and lives were lost as well, we were
- 00:19:39.788 --> 00:19:43.625
- There offering food pallets filled with water, diapers,
- 00:19:43.625 --> 00:19:48.197
- Other necessities.
- 00:19:48.197 --> 00:19:49.531
- We gave away hundreds of bibles to people and prayed with
- 00:19:49.531 --> 00:19:54.069
- Hundreds of people and hosted events for families that were
- 00:19:54.069 --> 00:19:58.307
- Demoralized and devastated by the effects of that fire.
- 00:19:58.307 --> 00:20:02.978
- We had an evangelism team go over and share the gospel and
- 00:20:02.978 --> 00:20:06.648
- 100 people made a profession of faith.
- 00:20:06.648 --> 00:20:08.584
- We're all about showing it through good works and it earns
- 00:20:08.584 --> 00:20:12.588
- Us--it earns us the right to proclaim the gospel.
- 00:20:12.588 --> 00:20:20.229
- Point number 10: let your light shine like you were the only one
- 00:20:20.229 --> 00:20:24.399
- In the world.
- 00:20:24.399 --> 00:20:25.734
- Let your light shine like you were the only one in the world.
- 00:20:25.734 --> 00:20:28.637
- Look at verse 13: "you are the light of the world.
- 00:20:28.637 --> 00:20:31.406
- You are the salt of the earth."
- 00:20:31.406 --> 00:20:33.008
- You might underline in your bible, "you."
- 00:20:33.008 --> 00:20:34.843
- He uses it twice.
- 00:20:34.843 --> 00:20:36.211
- "you are the light of the world.
- 00:20:36.211 --> 00:20:38.513
- You are the salt of the earth."
- 00:20:38.513 --> 00:20:40.849
- In the original language, it would imply you and you alone
- 00:20:40.849 --> 00:20:45.287
- Are the salt of the earth.
- 00:20:45.287 --> 00:20:46.955
- You and you alone are the light of the world.
- 00:20:46.955 --> 00:20:49.691
- Question: what kind of world would we live in today if every
- 00:20:51.026 --> 00:20:55.163
- Christian behaved just as you do?
- 00:20:55.163 --> 00:20:58.100
- How many would be attracted or turned off to the gospel?
- 00:20:58.166 --> 00:21:02.771
- What kind of general opinion do you think people would have of
- 00:21:02.771 --> 00:21:06.141
- Christianity if you were its sole representative?
- 00:21:06.141 --> 00:21:11.146
- Now you're thinking, "that's kind of a lot of
- 00:21:11.213 --> 00:21:12.748
- Pressure, greg."
- 00:21:12.748 --> 00:21:14.082
- Hey, news flash, you are its sole representative in your
- 00:21:14.082 --> 00:21:18.053
- Sphere of influence, in some cases.
- 00:21:18.053 --> 00:21:20.355
- You may be the only christian some people know and they
- 00:21:20.422 --> 00:21:23.792
- Haven't even told you this yet, but they're watching you.
- 00:21:23.792 --> 00:21:26.628
- And not only are they watching you, they're hoping you slip up.
- 00:21:26.695 --> 00:21:31.066
- But when you don't slip up or if you do slip up, you apologize
- 00:21:31.133 --> 00:21:34.803
- For it and own it, they say, "there's something different
- 00:21:34.803 --> 00:21:38.106
- About that person.
- 00:21:38.106 --> 00:21:39.441
- I have to keep my eye on them."
- 00:21:39.441 --> 00:21:40.809
- You're being salt, you're stimulating the thirst.
- 00:21:40.809 --> 00:21:43.111
- You're doing your job.
- 00:21:43.111 --> 00:21:44.846
- Listen, there are five gospels.
- 00:21:44.846 --> 00:21:48.116
- "greg, you're mistaken.
- 00:21:48.183 --> 00:21:49.518
- There's only four."
- 00:21:49.518 --> 00:21:50.886
- No, there's five, actually: matthew, mark, luke, john,
- 00:21:50.886 --> 00:21:54.690
- And you.
- 00:21:54.690 --> 00:21:56.024
- You're the fifth gospel.
- 00:21:56.024 --> 00:21:57.693
- You're the only bible some people are ever going to read.
- 00:21:57.759 --> 00:22:00.996
- They're literally evaluating christ based on you.
- 00:22:02.264 --> 00:22:07.636
- "oh, i can't handle that."
- 00:22:07.703 --> 00:22:09.037
- Well, handle it, and do the best that you can, because you and
- 00:22:09.037 --> 00:22:12.774
- You alone are the salt of the earth.
- 00:22:12.774 --> 00:22:14.509
- You and you alone are the light of the world.
- 00:22:14.509 --> 00:22:17.079
- Christians are walking epistles written by god and read by men.
- 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:23.051
- So let's put this all together and wrap it up.
- 00:22:23.118 --> 00:22:25.187
- Salt is valuable, it preserves, it stimulates thirst.
- 00:22:25.187 --> 00:22:29.157
- Light exposes and shows us the way we do this through good
- 00:22:29.157 --> 00:22:34.229
- Works and gospel proclamation.
- 00:22:34.229 --> 00:22:36.732
- This is who we are in this culture.
- 00:22:36.732 --> 00:22:39.234
- Now i'm asking you, are you doing it?
- 00:22:39.234 --> 00:22:41.303
- Listen, you and you alone make a difference.
- 00:22:41.370 --> 00:22:45.340
- You have a part to play.
- 00:22:45.340 --> 00:22:46.742
- I heard it once said, quote, "i am only one but i am one.
- 00:22:46.742 --> 00:22:50.645
- I cannot do everything, but i can do something and what i can
- 00:22:50.645 --> 00:22:54.649
- Do i ought to do and what i ought to do, by the
- 00:22:54.649 --> 00:22:57.052
- Grace of god, i will do."
- 00:22:57.052 --> 00:23:00.455
- So, be the salt and be the light.
- 00:23:00.455 --> 00:23:03.258
- Now, let me close.
- 00:23:03.258 --> 00:23:05.260
- Some of you listening to what i'm saying are not believers and
- 00:23:05.327 --> 00:23:09.030
- You are actually living in darkness.
- 00:23:09.030 --> 00:23:11.299
- We all are before we're christians.
- 00:23:11.299 --> 00:23:13.235
- We don't know it because, well, it's all we've ever known.
- 00:23:13.235 --> 00:23:17.072
- The story is told from history of a castle-like prison in paris
- 00:23:17.139 --> 00:23:21.777
- Known as the bastille that was about to be destroyed in 1789.
- 00:23:21.777 --> 00:23:27.048
- There was a prisoner who had been confined there for years in
- 00:23:27.115 --> 00:23:30.819
- This dark dingy place.
- 00:23:30.819 --> 00:23:33.321
- And so, he was released and he came out of his dark prison cell
- 00:23:33.388 --> 00:23:38.293
- And the light was so blinding, he turned back and said, "i want
- 00:23:38.360 --> 00:23:42.531
- To be kept in the prison.
- 00:23:42.531 --> 00:23:44.266
- I wanna die in this prison.
- 00:23:44.332 --> 00:23:46.134
- I can't handle the light."
- 00:23:46.134 --> 00:23:48.703
- And that's just the problem is you can become too comfortable
- 00:23:48.770 --> 00:23:51.907
- In the dark.
- 00:23:51.907 --> 00:23:53.341
- And some people are.
- 00:23:53.341 --> 00:23:54.676
- You ever notice how bars are so often dark?
- 00:23:54.676 --> 00:23:57.312
- I spent a lot of time in bars.
- 00:23:58.380 --> 00:24:00.282
- Really?
- 00:24:00.282 --> 00:24:01.650
- Yeah, when i was a kid, living with my alcoholic mother who
- 00:24:01.650 --> 00:24:04.920
- Seemed to live in bars and i would sit around and wait for
- 00:24:04.920 --> 00:24:08.190
- Her to stop drinking so we could go home.
- 00:24:08.190 --> 00:24:10.892
- But people living in darkness, they need the light turned on
- 00:24:10.959 --> 00:24:15.564
- And here's the problem.
- 00:24:15.630 --> 00:24:17.365
- It's not that god will not forgive you, but it's that you
- 00:24:17.432 --> 00:24:20.735
- Could come to a point in your life where you would no longer
- 00:24:20.735 --> 00:24:23.638
- Want his forgiveness.
- 00:24:23.638 --> 00:24:26.241
- The bible says, "harden not your heart if you can hear
- 00:24:26.308 --> 00:24:30.078
- His voice."
- 00:24:30.078 --> 00:24:31.413
- Every time you hear the gospel and don't respond to it in the
- 00:24:31.413 --> 00:24:34.549
- Affirmative, your heart gets a little bit harder.
- 00:24:34.549 --> 00:24:37.953
- The bible says, "he who is often reproved, hardens his heart and
- 00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:41.590
- He will be cut off.
- 00:24:41.590 --> 00:24:42.924
- And that without remedy."
- 00:24:42.924 --> 00:24:44.292
- Let me paraphrase that.
- 00:24:44.292 --> 00:24:45.627
- You hear the truth, you say no to the truth.
- 00:24:45.627 --> 00:24:47.762
- Your heart gets a little tougher.
- 00:24:47.762 --> 00:24:49.431
- So some people say, "well, i'll come to christ on my deathbed."
- 00:24:49.431 --> 00:24:54.102
- Okay, are you sure you're gonna have a death bed?
- 00:24:54.169 --> 00:24:58.874
- For some, death comes suddenly, without warning.
- 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:02.143
- They don't know that day is their last day.
- 00:25:02.210 --> 00:25:05.146
- For others, yes, they get older or they get sick and they know
- 00:25:05.146 --> 00:25:09.117
- That death is coming and they're told by people to get their
- 00:25:09.117 --> 00:25:13.355
- Affairs in order, so they're ready to die.
- 00:25:13.355 --> 00:25:17.993
- But you think those people are all open to the gospel?
- 00:25:17.993 --> 00:25:21.730
- I would hope so, but i know some people, they've lived so long in
- 00:25:21.730 --> 00:25:24.900
- Sin, they're like that prisoner in that prison in paris who's so
- 00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:30.005
- Used to the dark, they wanna stay in the dark.
- 00:25:30.005 --> 00:25:32.841
- So it's not that you get to a point where god would not
- 00:25:32.841 --> 00:25:35.377
- Forgive you, as much as you get to a point where you would not
- 00:25:35.377 --> 00:25:38.580
- Want to be forgiven, you see?
- 00:25:38.580 --> 00:25:41.216
- Because you've hardened your heart.
- 00:25:41.216 --> 00:25:43.985
- The bible says, "seek the lord while he may be found, call upon
- 00:25:43.985 --> 00:25:47.455
- Him while he is near.
- 00:25:47.455 --> 00:25:48.990
- Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man,
- 00:25:48.990 --> 00:25:52.360
- His thoughts.
- 00:25:52.360 --> 00:25:53.695
- Let him return to our god who will abundantly pardon."
- 00:25:53.695 --> 00:25:58.099
- Greg: have you ever wondered how to find personal happiness?
- 00:26:01.336 --> 00:26:04.673
- Hi, i'm pastor greg laurie.
- 00:26:04.739 --> 00:26:06.408
- Let me tell you a secret about finding happiness.
- 00:26:06.408 --> 00:26:09.644
- The least happy people are the people that live to be happy.
- 00:26:09.711 --> 00:26:13.415
- But here's the secret.
- 00:26:14.015 --> 00:26:15.951
- The bible says, "happy are the people whose god is the lord."
- 00:26:15.951 --> 00:26:20.822
- You will never find happiness from seeking it.
- 00:26:20.822 --> 00:26:23.758
- But if you come into a relationship with god through
- 00:26:23.825 --> 00:26:26.428
- Jesus, you'll find the happiness you've been looking for in life.
- 00:26:26.428 --> 00:26:32.033
- He's just a prayer away.
- 00:26:32.033 --> 00:26:34.269
- There's a number on the screen.
- 00:26:34.269 --> 00:26:36.037
- You can call that number and i wanna send you a free bible and
- 00:26:36.037 --> 00:26:40.375
- Tell you how to be a happy person and come into a
- 00:26:40.375 --> 00:26:43.578
- Relationship with god so you have purpose in this life and
- 00:26:43.578 --> 00:26:48.016
- The life to come.
- 00:26:48.016 --> 00:26:49.384
- You have the hope of heaven.
- 00:26:49.384 --> 00:26:51.653
- ♪♪♪
- 00:26:52.220 --> 00:26:57.258
- Female announcer: jesus says that where two or three are
- 00:27:00.428 --> 00:27:02.831
- Gathered in my name, there i am in the midst of them.
- 00:27:02.831 --> 00:27:07.268
- We are all different.
- 00:27:07.268 --> 00:27:08.637
- We have different interests, different personalities,
- 00:27:08.637 --> 00:27:11.773
- Different upbringings, and different ways we do life,
- 00:27:11.773 --> 00:27:15.710
- But here, we have a deep connection,
- 00:27:15.710 --> 00:27:19.247
- And you are welcome here.
- 00:27:19.247 --> 00:27:23.351
- This is harvest.
- 00:27:23.351 --> 00:27:27.088
