Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
#GregLaurie
#Faith
#Purpose
#Pastors
#Christianity
#Religion
#Jesus
#Harvest
#LightoftheWorld
#Matthew5
Closed captions
Show Timecode
Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - Make A Difference | May 29, 2025
- ...
- 00:00:00.633 --> 00:00:01.333
- Greg laurie: you are an influencer.
- 00:00:05.137 --> 00:00:07.740
- You have a platform and you have a following.
- 00:00:07.840 --> 00:00:11.143
- Now, it could be on social media but in your world you have a
- 00:00:11.243 --> 00:00:14.713
- Sphere of influence where you influence other people.
- 00:00:14.847 --> 00:00:19.284
- So it really comes down to this.
- 00:00:19.385 --> 00:00:20.719
- Are you a good or are you a bad influence?
- 00:00:20.819 --> 00:00:24.590
- ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins. ♪
- 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:34.099
- ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins. ♪♪
- 00:00:35.434 --> 00:00:42.641
- Greg: did you know that the biggest celebrities in america
- 00:00:45.878 --> 00:00:49.181
- Today are not movie stars, they're not rock stars, they're
- 00:00:49.181 --> 00:00:53.786
- Not tv stars, they're media stars, specifically social
- 00:00:53.786 --> 00:00:59.925
- Media stars.
- 00:00:59.925 --> 00:01:01.260
- They're called influencers.
- 00:01:01.260 --> 00:01:02.895
- Now, some social media people have a lot of followers, over
- 00:01:02.895 --> 00:01:08.667
- 900 million.
- 00:01:08.667 --> 00:01:11.136
- I looked it up to see who had the most followers.
- 00:01:11.203 --> 00:01:13.772
- The number one person out there is cristiano ronaldo with 901
- 00:01:13.772 --> 00:01:18.477
- Million followers.
- 00:01:18.477 --> 00:01:19.812
- I didn't even know who he was.
- 00:01:19.812 --> 00:01:21.280
- He's what they would call a footballer.
- 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:23.282
- We might call him a soccer player.
- 00:01:23.282 --> 00:01:25.217
- And then there's lionel messi and he has 496 followers, selena
- 00:01:25.284 --> 00:01:32.157
- Gomez, she has 430 million followers.
- 00:01:32.157 --> 00:01:35.861
- I've heard of her.
- 00:01:35.861 --> 00:01:37.229
- Kylie jenner, 399 million followers.
- 00:01:37.229 --> 00:01:40.365
- Dwayne johnson, the rock, he has 395 million followers.
- 00:01:40.365 --> 00:01:45.637
- Ariana grande has 380 million followers.
- 00:01:45.704 --> 00:01:49.374
- Funny thing, i got an ariana grande at starbucks this morning
- 00:01:49.374 --> 00:01:53.245
- And it was very good.
- 00:01:53.245 --> 00:01:54.613
- And then kim kardashian has 364 million.
- 00:01:56.381 --> 00:01:59.618
- Oh, is that all?
- 00:01:59.618 --> 00:02:01.086
- You know, but that's a lot of followers, and because of this,
- 00:02:01.153 --> 00:02:05.357
- A lot of young people today are thinking, now why would i want
- 00:02:05.424 --> 00:02:08.160
- To go work over there when i could be an influencer and
- 00:02:08.160 --> 00:02:11.864
- Monetize my platform and make a living doing this?
- 00:02:11.864 --> 00:02:15.434
- One study found that fortune and fame were the first and second
- 00:02:15.434 --> 00:02:19.438
- Goals of millennials.
- 00:02:19.438 --> 00:02:21.273
- So what are your goals in life?
- 00:02:21.273 --> 00:02:22.674
- Number one, fortune and fame.
- 00:02:22.674 --> 00:02:24.143
- Number two, fortune and fame, okay?
- 00:02:24.143 --> 00:02:27.079
- One in four millennials would quit their jobs to
- 00:02:27.079 --> 00:02:29.381
- Become famous.
- 00:02:29.381 --> 00:02:30.749
- One in six preferred fame to having children.
- 00:02:30.749 --> 00:02:35.254
- One in 12 admitted they would disown their family to
- 00:02:35.320 --> 00:02:38.490
- Be famous.
- 00:02:38.490 --> 00:02:39.858
- We're taking it a little too far here but why do we have this
- 00:02:39.858 --> 00:02:43.996
- Desire to be famous?
- 00:02:43.996 --> 00:02:46.398
- Why would we want a lot of followers?
- 00:02:46.465 --> 00:02:49.568
- I think it's because, deep down inside, we want our lives to
- 00:02:49.568 --> 00:02:52.905
- Matter, we want significance, we want to be noticed.
- 00:02:52.905 --> 00:02:57.109
- I don't think those are bad things, by the way, but let's
- 00:02:57.109 --> 00:02:59.978
- Just say for the sake of a point, you had 900 million
- 00:02:59.978 --> 00:03:04.183
- Followers on your instagram page.
- 00:03:04.183 --> 00:03:06.885
- What would you say to them?
- 00:03:06.952 --> 00:03:08.487
- "well, i would post a photo of myself."
- 00:03:08.487 --> 00:03:10.589
- Okay, what else?
- 00:03:10.589 --> 00:03:11.924
- "and my new outfit."
- 00:03:11.924 --> 00:03:13.292
- Yeah, what else?
- 00:03:13.292 --> 00:03:14.626
- "i have some cool cat videos."
- 00:03:14.626 --> 00:03:15.994
- Okay, really?
- 00:03:15.994 --> 00:03:17.329
- Listen to this.
- 00:03:17.329 --> 00:03:18.697
- You are an influencer.
- 00:03:18.697 --> 00:03:20.365
- You have a platform and you have a following.
- 00:03:20.432 --> 00:03:23.535
- Now, it could be on social media but in your world you have a
- 00:03:23.535 --> 00:03:27.406
- Sphere of influence where you influence other people.
- 00:03:27.406 --> 00:03:31.910
- So it really comes down to this.
- 00:03:31.910 --> 00:03:33.345
- Are you a good or are you a bad influence?
- 00:03:33.345 --> 00:03:37.149
- Here's what jesus said 2000 years ago, that is very relevant
- 00:03:37.149 --> 00:03:41.486
- To this topic of influencing others.
- 00:03:41.486 --> 00:03:44.957
- Matthew 5, starting in verse 13, he says: "you are the salt of
- 00:03:44.957 --> 00:03:49.228
- The earth; but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
- 00:03:49.228 --> 00:03:52.764
- Made salty again?
- 00:03:52.764 --> 00:03:54.132
- It's no longer good for anything, except to be thrown
- 00:03:54.132 --> 00:03:57.502
- Out and trampled underfoot.
- 00:03:57.502 --> 00:03:59.972
- You are the light of the world.
- 00:03:59.972 --> 00:04:02.074
- A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
- 00:04:02.074 --> 00:04:04.810
- Neither do people put a lamp and--get a lamp and put it
- 00:04:04.810 --> 00:04:08.914
- Under a bowl.
- 00:04:08.914 --> 00:04:10.282
- Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to
- 00:04:10.282 --> 00:04:12.551
- Everyone in the house.
- 00:04:12.551 --> 00:04:14.052
- In the same way, let your light shine to others, that they may
- 00:04:14.052 --> 00:04:17.589
- See your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven."
- 00:04:17.589 --> 00:04:21.126
- We'll stop there.
- 00:04:21.126 --> 00:04:22.461
- Salt and light.
- 00:04:22.461 --> 00:04:24.896
- Why did jesus use these two word pictures?
- 00:04:24.896 --> 00:04:28.333
- Answer: because the world is a dark and corrupt place and it
- 00:04:28.333 --> 00:04:33.272
- Needs salt and it needs light.
- 00:04:33.272 --> 00:04:35.574
- You know, despite all of our advances in every field, from
- 00:04:35.574 --> 00:04:39.778
- Science and medicine and education and technology, we
- 00:04:39.778 --> 00:04:45.050
- Just go from bad to worse.
- 00:04:45.050 --> 00:04:48.153
- Matter--modern man has just found more ways to corrupt and
- 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:52.157
- Destroy himself.
- 00:04:52.157 --> 00:04:53.525
- We go from war to greater war, from crime to greater crime,
- 00:04:53.525 --> 00:04:57.129
- From immorality to greater immorality, from perversion to
- 00:04:57.129 --> 00:05:01.133
- Greater perversion.
- 00:05:01.133 --> 00:05:02.501
- We're just playing out the truth of the scripture that says: "the
- 00:05:02.501 --> 00:05:05.971
- Heart is deceitfully wicked above all things.
- 00:05:05.971 --> 00:05:09.308
- Who can know it?"
- 00:05:09.308 --> 00:05:10.776
- You know, if you believe that man is basically good, you're
- 00:05:10.776 --> 00:05:14.813
- Gonna be very disappointed in life.
- 00:05:14.813 --> 00:05:17.115
- But once you accept the biblical premise, that man is not
- 00:05:17.182 --> 00:05:20.252
- Basically good, man, and when i speak of man, i'm speaking of
- 00:05:20.252 --> 00:05:23.555
- All humanity.
- 00:05:23.555 --> 00:05:24.890
- We are sinners separated from god, bringing me to point number
- 00:05:24.890 --> 00:05:29.127
- Two, something they think that they can evade the culture
- 00:05:29.127 --> 00:05:32.964
- Through isolation.
- 00:05:32.964 --> 00:05:34.866
- You know, you try to remove yourselves and your children
- 00:05:34.933 --> 00:05:37.769
- From our culture, but your culture will find you.
- 00:05:37.769 --> 00:05:42.107
- And so i think we need to do everything we can to prepare
- 00:05:42.174 --> 00:05:45.644
- Ourselves and our children to live in the real world as
- 00:05:45.644 --> 00:05:50.315
- Followers of jesus christ.
- 00:05:50.315 --> 00:05:52.684
- And so we want to be the salt of the earth.
- 00:05:52.684 --> 00:05:56.855
- Our goal as christians is not to isolate but to infiltrate and
- 00:05:56.855 --> 00:06:01.059
- Impact culture without being compromised by it.
- 00:06:01.059 --> 00:06:04.596
- Let me say that again.
- 00:06:04.596 --> 00:06:05.964
- Our goal as christians is not to isolate but to infiltrate and
- 00:06:05.964 --> 00:06:10.569
- Impact culture without being compromised by it.
- 00:06:10.569 --> 00:06:14.473
- It's a tricky balance.
- 00:06:14.539 --> 00:06:16.475
- Jesus put it this way in john 17.
- 00:06:16.541 --> 00:06:19.177
- In his prayer to the father, he said, "i'm not asking you to
- 00:06:19.177 --> 00:06:22.447
- Take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil
- 00:06:22.447 --> 00:06:25.650
- One and i am sending them into the world."
- 00:06:25.650 --> 00:06:29.588
- Wow, jesus is saying, "i'm sending you into the world."
- 00:06:29.588 --> 00:06:34.659
- So we're effectively living behind enemy lines.
- 00:06:34.659 --> 00:06:38.930
- As an old hymn says, "this world is not my home.
- 00:06:38.930 --> 00:06:42.367
- I'm just a-passing through."
- 00:06:42.367 --> 00:06:44.002
- It's important to remember that.
- 00:06:44.002 --> 00:06:45.637
- So here's point number three, as christians, we need to invade,
- 00:06:45.704 --> 00:06:49.441
- Not evade, the culture.
- 00:06:49.441 --> 00:06:51.109
- Invade, not evade.
- 00:06:51.109 --> 00:06:52.444
- So we try to engage people and they don't seem to be listening
- 00:06:52.444 --> 00:06:56.281
- To us and you may wonder why.
- 00:06:56.281 --> 00:06:58.784
- You might say, "hey, you know, i try to talk to people about
- 00:06:58.784 --> 00:07:00.952
- Jesus and they just terminate the conversation."
- 00:07:00.952 --> 00:07:03.422
- Okay, what did you say to them?
- 00:07:03.422 --> 00:07:05.257
- "well, i saw this non-believer and i said, 'hey,
- 00:07:05.257 --> 00:07:07.993
- Uncircumcised philistine.'"
- 00:07:07.993 --> 00:07:09.728
- Okay, there's part of the problem.
- 00:07:09.728 --> 00:07:12.831
- That's a good way to burn a bridge.
- 00:07:14.766 --> 00:07:16.935
- "'have you been washed in the blood, sanctified,
- 00:07:17.002 --> 00:07:20.505
- Justified, redeemed?
- 00:07:20.505 --> 00:07:22.407
- And have you become a part of the body of christ?'
- 00:07:22.407 --> 00:07:24.676
- And they turned around and walked away."
- 00:07:24.676 --> 00:07:26.678
- They don't even know what you're talking about.
- 00:07:26.745 --> 00:07:29.448
- You just told them to be washed in blood and get in some body.
- 00:07:29.514 --> 00:07:32.984
- What?
- 00:07:32.984 --> 00:07:34.619
- We cannot assume that our listeners today understand what
- 00:07:34.686 --> 00:07:38.123
- We're talking about.
- 00:07:38.123 --> 00:07:39.591
- America, in particular, has never been more biblically
- 00:07:39.591 --> 00:07:43.328
- Illiterate than it is right now.
- 00:07:43.328 --> 00:07:46.231
- I've been preaching 50 years and people were more literate
- 00:07:46.298 --> 00:07:50.902
- Biblically when i started than when they are--than they
- 00:07:50.902 --> 00:07:54.873
- Are today.
- 00:07:54.873 --> 00:07:56.241
- And so i don't think we can assume that our listener
- 00:07:56.241 --> 00:07:58.710
- Understands even our terminology.
- 00:07:58.710 --> 00:08:01.213
- We need to break things down, explain them, and try to find
- 00:08:01.213 --> 00:08:05.417
- Common ground with them and build a bridge to them.
- 00:08:05.417 --> 00:08:10.288
- Paul wrote in 1 corinthians 9:22: "i try to find common
- 00:08:10.355 --> 00:08:13.758
- Ground with everyone so i can bring them to christ.
- 00:08:13.758 --> 00:08:17.429
- I do all of this to spread the good news."
- 00:08:17.429 --> 00:08:19.731
- Here at harvest, our objective is to reach as many people as
- 00:08:19.731 --> 00:08:24.302
- We can.
- 00:08:24.302 --> 00:08:25.670
- That's point number four, we need to bring them the message
- 00:08:25.670 --> 00:08:28.106
- Of the gospel.
- 00:08:28.106 --> 00:08:29.441
- Now, when you bring the gospel message, know this:
- 00:08:29.441 --> 00:08:32.611
- It's powerful.
- 00:08:32.611 --> 00:08:34.846
- That's why paul said, "i'm not ashamed of the gospel.
- 00:08:34.913 --> 00:08:37.482
- It is the power of god unto salvation to everyone
- 00:08:37.482 --> 00:08:40.585
- Who believes."
- 00:08:40.585 --> 00:08:41.953
- And the word that he used for power is a word that means
- 00:08:41.953 --> 00:08:44.089
- Explosive, okay?
- 00:08:44.089 --> 00:08:45.790
- Not everyone's gonna respond favorably to this message.
- 00:08:45.857 --> 00:08:50.462
- In 2 corinthians 2 paul says, wherever we go, the lord uses us
- 00:08:50.529 --> 00:08:55.033
- To tell others about him and it's like good news.
- 00:08:55.033 --> 00:08:59.037
- Like a sweet perfume, our lives are like a fragrance, but the
- 00:08:59.037 --> 00:09:03.441
- Fragrance is perceived differently from those who are
- 00:09:03.441 --> 00:09:07.612
- Being saved to those who are perishing.
- 00:09:07.612 --> 00:09:09.681
- So to some, it's a fragrance.
- 00:09:09.681 --> 00:09:11.283
- To another--to others, not so much.
- 00:09:11.283 --> 00:09:13.585
- You know, some people wear too much cologne or perfume.
- 00:09:13.652 --> 00:09:17.088
- Am i right?
- 00:09:17.088 --> 00:09:18.557
- How do you know who they are?
- 00:09:18.557 --> 00:09:20.258
- They're usually sitting by themselves because they come to
- 00:09:20.258 --> 00:09:24.129
- Church, all the seats around them are empty.
- 00:09:24.129 --> 00:09:26.565
- If they give you a hug, you smell like whatever scent they
- 00:09:26.565 --> 00:09:29.668
- Were wearing 2 hours later, you smell like chanel number 5 and,
- 00:09:29.668 --> 00:09:34.072
- Sadly, it was a guy.
- 00:09:34.072 --> 00:09:35.907
- Okay, so--but it's like garlic.
- 00:09:35.907 --> 00:09:39.377
- You know, garlic is great when you're cooking, but it's not so
- 00:09:39.377 --> 00:09:42.414
- Great on your breath afterwards, is it?
- 00:09:42.414 --> 00:09:45.083
- So when we live as christians, for some, it's
- 00:09:45.150 --> 00:09:47.752
- A sweet fragrance.
- 00:09:47.752 --> 00:09:49.120
- They love it.
- 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:50.455
- For others, they actually find what we say and do offensive.
- 00:09:50.455 --> 00:09:55.060
- And so that's what paul is saying, bringing me to point
- 00:09:55.126 --> 00:09:57.562
- Number five: before i can effectively tell them, i must
- 00:09:57.562 --> 00:10:00.565
- First live it.
- 00:10:00.565 --> 00:10:02.033
- There's nothing worse than a hypocritical christian.
- 00:10:02.033 --> 00:10:06.338
- The world is looking for authenticity.
- 00:10:06.404 --> 00:10:09.741
- They're looking for you to be real.
- 00:10:09.808 --> 00:10:11.643
- We must be before we can effectively speak.
- 00:10:11.643 --> 00:10:14.713
- We need to practice what we preach and we are to be salt.
- 00:10:14.713 --> 00:10:18.783
- Let's go back to that statement of jesus again, verse 13:
- 00:10:18.783 --> 00:10:21.853
- “you're the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses
- 00:10:21.853 --> 00:10:24.723
- Its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
- 00:10:24.723 --> 00:10:27.559
- It's no longer good for anything except to be thrown out
- 00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:31.229
- And trampled under foot."
- 00:10:31.229 --> 00:10:33.098
- Greg: you know, sometimes the world is so bad, as christians
- 00:10:35.734 --> 00:10:38.370
- We feel like we wanna isolate and live in a christian city and
- 00:10:38.370 --> 00:10:42.073
- Go to christian restaurants and drive christian cars and have
- 00:10:42.073 --> 00:10:45.176
- Christian dogs and christian cats.
- 00:10:45.176 --> 00:10:47.178
- Maybe not christian cats.
- 00:10:47.178 --> 00:10:48.546
- But the idea is not to isolate, it's to infiltrate.
- 00:10:48.546 --> 00:10:52.283
- Jesus said, "you are the salt of the earth.
- 00:10:52.283 --> 00:10:56.021
- But if the salt has lost its saltiness, what good is it?"
- 00:10:56.021 --> 00:11:00.191
- Then he goes on to say: "it's good for nothing."
- 00:11:00.191 --> 00:11:02.260
- So back in the first century, salt was really valuable.
- 00:11:02.260 --> 00:11:05.497
- They would even pay roman soldiers in salt.
- 00:11:05.497 --> 00:11:08.533
- Hence the term, "he's not worth his salt."
- 00:11:08.533 --> 00:11:10.935
- So the purpose of salt back in that culture was to restrain.
- 00:11:11.002 --> 00:11:16.107
- You would rub it into meat to stop it from rotting, so it
- 00:11:16.174 --> 00:11:19.744
- Would last longer.
- 00:11:19.744 --> 00:11:21.079
- So the christian is a restraining influence in
- 00:11:21.079 --> 00:11:24.249
- The culture.
- 00:11:24.249 --> 00:11:25.617
- We speak out against what is wrong.
- 00:11:25.617 --> 00:11:27.052
- We speak up for what is right.
- 00:11:27.052 --> 00:11:29.054
- And i'll tell you what, when the church is called home to heaven
- 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:32.057
- In the rapture, all hell is gonna break loose on
- 00:11:32.057 --> 00:11:34.926
- Planet earth.
- 00:11:34.926 --> 00:11:36.294
- The bible says, "he who is now restraining will do so until he
- 00:11:36.294 --> 00:11:39.497
- Is taken out of the way.
- 00:11:39.497 --> 00:11:40.832
- Then that wicked one whom the lord will destroy with the
- 00:11:40.832 --> 00:11:43.935
- Brightness of his coming will be revealed."
- 00:11:43.935 --> 00:11:46.337
- So he who is now restraining is the holy spirit working with
- 00:11:46.337 --> 00:11:50.875
- The church.
- 00:11:50.875 --> 00:11:52.210
- When we're taken out of the way, when we're caught up to meet the
- 00:11:52.210 --> 00:11:54.479
- Lord in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, then the
- 00:11:54.479 --> 00:11:57.649
- Antichrist will emerge on the scene and the tribulation period
- 00:11:57.649 --> 00:12:01.519
- Will begin.
- 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:02.987
- So right now, we're a restraining force in the world.
- 00:12:03.054 --> 00:12:05.857
- We're the salt of the earth.
- 00:12:05.857 --> 00:12:07.325
- But another thing that salt does is it stimulates thirst, right?
- 00:12:07.325 --> 00:12:12.130
- If you go to a movie theater and you get some popcorn and why do
- 00:12:12.197 --> 00:12:16.134
- They serve such giant servings?
- 00:12:16.134 --> 00:12:18.103
- It's like the size of a wheel-out trash can.
- 00:12:18.103 --> 00:12:20.872
- Here it's this size and then you get a little thirsty because
- 00:12:20.872 --> 00:12:24.109
- Maybe they over-salt it.
- 00:12:24.109 --> 00:12:25.477
- Can i get a little cup of water?
- 00:12:25.477 --> 00:12:27.112
- "i'm sorry, we're not allowed to put water in cups."
- 00:12:27.112 --> 00:12:29.914
- Oh, give me a break.
- 00:12:29.914 --> 00:12:31.282
- Okay, so, but you can buy water--in this giant container.
- 00:12:31.282 --> 00:12:33.818
- Anyway, salt stimulates thirst.
- 00:12:33.818 --> 00:12:36.254
- And i think when a christian is being salty, if you will, they
- 00:12:36.254 --> 00:12:40.258
- Will stimulate others to be thirsty for god.
- 00:12:40.258 --> 00:12:43.061
- If we're not being the salt, then really we're good for
- 00:12:43.061 --> 00:12:46.397
- Nothing, according to jesus.
- 00:12:46.397 --> 00:12:48.566
- It's sort of like decaf coffee.
- 00:12:48.633 --> 00:12:50.902
- You know, people go to a coffee place, they order, "i'll have
- 00:12:50.902 --> 00:12:54.239
- A decaf lavender latte made out of oat milk with extra syrup."
- 00:12:54.239 --> 00:13:00.111
- Why don't you just go to 31 flavors?
- 00:13:00.111 --> 00:13:02.347
- I mean, that's not even really coffee, is it?
- 00:13:02.347 --> 00:13:04.482
- But we have decaf disciples, uncarbonated christians.
- 00:13:04.549 --> 00:13:09.587
- And we wanna keep that saltiness, restrain evil and
- 00:13:09.587 --> 00:13:14.926
- Also cause others to be thirsty for jesus.
- 00:13:14.926 --> 00:13:18.396
- Be the salt of the earth.
- 00:13:18.396 --> 00:13:20.498
- Greg: when you're a salty christian in the best use of
- 00:13:23.802 --> 00:13:27.172
- That word you will stimulate in others of thirst for god.
- 00:13:27.172 --> 00:13:31.376
- One of the greatest compliments people can pay to a
- 00:13:31.376 --> 00:13:34.579
- Christian is when they ask, "why are you the way that you are?"
- 00:13:34.579 --> 00:13:38.983
- But here's a problem.
- 00:13:38.983 --> 00:13:40.318
- It's when we're not salty enough.
- 00:13:40.318 --> 00:13:43.421
- Jesus says in matthew 5:13, "if the salt loses its saltiness,
- 00:13:43.488 --> 00:13:47.859
- What good is it?
- 00:13:48.593 --> 00:13:49.961
- It's not good for anything."
- 00:13:49.961 --> 00:13:51.563
- "not good for anything."
- 00:13:51.629 --> 00:13:52.997
- Those are pretty heavy-duty words.
- 00:13:52.997 --> 00:13:55.366
- Years ago, we were traveling to europe, we were speaking at some
- 00:13:55.433 --> 00:13:58.703
- Pastors conferences and i bought something called a backpack
- 00:13:58.703 --> 00:14:02.941
- Stroller because jonathan was a little guy and i had to put him
- 00:14:02.941 --> 00:14:08.413
- In a stroller and then i had a backpack to carry him around and
- 00:14:08.413 --> 00:14:10.882
- I didn't want to take all of that hardware overseas.
- 00:14:10.882 --> 00:14:14.185
- So i said, "well, this is a great idea.
- 00:14:14.185 --> 00:14:15.820
- It's one device that does both: a backpack stroller."
- 00:14:15.820 --> 00:14:18.890
- And i didn't test it out till i got there.
- 00:14:18.957 --> 00:14:21.359
- And i opened this thing up and it was the worst designed object
- 00:14:21.426 --> 00:14:24.662
- Of all time because you had to hold it up the whole time.
- 00:14:24.662 --> 00:14:28.333
- There were no back wheels.
- 00:14:28.333 --> 00:14:29.767
- So you're in the little stroller, but there's no back
- 00:14:29.767 --> 00:14:32.804
- Wheels so you can't lay it down.
- 00:14:32.804 --> 00:14:34.372
- So you just have to hold it.
- 00:14:34.372 --> 00:14:35.707
- And i thought, "this is impractical."
- 00:14:35.707 --> 00:14:37.375
- And then when i put it on in the backpack form, the wheels dug
- 00:14:37.442 --> 00:14:40.645
- Into my back.
- 00:14:40.645 --> 00:14:42.247
- So i discarded it.
- 00:14:42.313 --> 00:14:43.915
- It was worthless.
- 00:14:43.982 --> 00:14:45.350
- And we still, to this day, use that expression.
- 00:14:45.350 --> 00:14:47.819
- We'll look at something that doesn't seem to be working and
- 00:14:47.819 --> 00:14:50.121
- We'll say, "it's a backpack stroller," right?
- 00:14:50.121 --> 00:14:53.091
- A backpack stroller, an unsalty christian.
- 00:14:55.493 --> 00:15:00.331
- Notice that jesus says first we are to be salt, then we are to
- 00:15:00.398 --> 00:15:03.868
- Be light.
- 00:15:03.868 --> 00:15:05.737
- First you're salt, then you're light.
- 00:15:05.803 --> 00:15:08.106
- Why is it given in this order?
- 00:15:08.172 --> 00:15:10.742
- Well, first the salt, i have a preserving effect.
- 00:15:10.742 --> 00:15:13.544
- I create in others a thirst for god.
- 00:15:14.312 --> 00:15:16.881
- And then having acted as salt, i can function as light and,
- 00:15:16.948 --> 00:15:21.052
- Effectively, i earn the right to be heard, see?
- 00:15:21.052 --> 00:15:25.189
- "well, you know what, i admire your life," a non-believer says.
- 00:15:25.256 --> 00:15:29.327
- "look at your family.
- 00:15:29.394 --> 00:15:30.728
- How do you raise kids like that in this world today," they ask
- 00:15:30.728 --> 00:15:36.668
- As their baby is looking at an ipad in their stroller, or
- 00:15:36.668 --> 00:15:40.705
- They're letting their kids behave in a crazy way with
- 00:15:40.705 --> 00:15:43.675
- Complete disrespect and total irresponsibility, or they ask
- 00:15:43.675 --> 00:15:48.313
- You, "how can you have a smile on your face when you're going
- 00:15:48.313 --> 00:15:51.616
- Through the hardship you're going through?"
- 00:15:51.616 --> 00:15:53.985
- You know, so you've been salt.
- 00:15:53.985 --> 00:15:55.386
- Now, you've earned the right to be light and so you live it,
- 00:15:55.386 --> 00:15:59.924
- Then you speak it.
- 00:15:59.924 --> 00:16:01.259
- Point number eight: light exposes the darkness.
- 00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:04.829
- It exposes the darkness.
- 00:16:04.829 --> 00:16:06.898
- It's funny how in the dark you can't find something, flip on
- 00:16:06.965 --> 00:16:09.567
- The light and you find it.
- 00:16:09.567 --> 00:16:11.202
- You're driving in your car at night and you're eating a
- 00:16:11.269 --> 00:16:13.972
- Burrito and you drop it and lose it.
- 00:16:13.972 --> 00:16:16.441
- The next morning you turn the lights on, you find that burrito
- 00:16:16.507 --> 00:16:19.377
- And the one you lost 2 weeks ago as well, which, by the way, has
- 00:16:19.377 --> 00:16:23.047
- Become its own life form and has climbed up into your child's car
- 00:16:23.047 --> 00:16:26.250
- Seat and strapped itself in, so.
- 00:16:26.250 --> 00:16:28.853
- But this is the thing, light shows you things you would not
- 00:16:28.920 --> 00:16:31.990
- Otherwise see.
- 00:16:31.990 --> 00:16:33.324
- And in the same way when a christian is living as they
- 00:16:33.324 --> 00:16:35.793
- Should, their mere presence in a room changes the temperature, it
- 00:16:35.793 --> 00:16:40.698
- Changes the dynamic.
- 00:16:40.698 --> 00:16:42.133
- Here comes the salty light bulb.
- 00:16:42.133 --> 00:16:45.536
- Hey, how's it going?
- 00:16:45.603 --> 00:16:46.971
- I mean, they're in the middle of telling a dirty joke and they're
- 00:16:46.971 --> 00:16:49.674
- Having a good time and all of a sudden you walk in and the
- 00:16:49.674 --> 00:16:52.176
- Conversation stops.
- 00:16:52.176 --> 00:16:54.212
- I kinda like that.
- 00:16:54.278 --> 00:16:55.947
- Here comes the representative of jesus christ.
- 00:16:56.014 --> 00:16:59.684
- What's even worse is when you know the punch line to the joke.
- 00:16:59.751 --> 00:17:03.654
- Be that salt, be that light, be that person that makes a
- 00:17:03.721 --> 00:17:08.393
- Difference, but don't expect a standing ovation.
- 00:17:08.393 --> 00:17:11.996
- Jesus said, "this is the condemnation.
- 00:17:12.897 --> 00:17:15.199
- Light has come into the world, but men love darkness rather
- 00:17:15.199 --> 00:17:19.070
- Than light, because their deeds are evil.
- 00:17:19.070 --> 00:17:21.506
- And everyone who is evil practices evil and they hate the
- 00:17:21.506 --> 00:17:25.576
- Light and they don't come to the light, lest their deeds
- 00:17:25.576 --> 00:17:28.813
- Should be exposed."
- 00:17:28.813 --> 00:17:30.815
- And that can happen without you even saying a word.
- 00:17:30.882 --> 00:17:33.985
- Listen, few things are harder to put up with than a good example.
- 00:17:33.985 --> 00:17:39.457
- Few things are harder to put up with than a good example.
- 00:17:39.524 --> 00:17:42.427
- When you're a good example, it drives people crazy.
- 00:17:42.427 --> 00:17:45.596
- They wanna see you mess up, they wanna see you fall short so they
- 00:17:45.663 --> 00:17:49.400
- Can say "hypocrite," right?
- 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:51.803
- You keep your light shining and how does that light shine?
- 00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:56.107
- It shines through good works.
- 00:17:56.107 --> 00:17:58.309
- Listen, people don't care about how much you know, until they
- 00:17:58.376 --> 00:18:02.647
- Know how much you care.
- 00:18:02.647 --> 00:18:05.016
- You may win the theological debate and blow your listener
- 00:18:05.083 --> 00:18:10.154
- Out of the water.
- 00:18:10.154 --> 00:18:11.489
- Yeah, you know what?
- 00:18:11.489 --> 00:18:12.824
- You're smart, you had the answers but you're mean and i
- 00:18:12.824 --> 00:18:16.194
- Don't wanna talk to you anymore.
- 00:18:16.194 --> 00:18:18.229
- But then you can be a loving person and help someone.
- 00:18:18.296 --> 00:18:20.598
- "let me help you change your tire.
- 00:18:20.598 --> 00:18:22.600
- Let me help you do this thing you need done.
- 00:18:22.667 --> 00:18:25.470
- Let me assist you," and they go, "wow, i really like this
- 00:18:25.470 --> 00:18:27.672
- Person," and their heart will open up to you.
- 00:18:27.672 --> 00:18:30.942
- So we need to show people and i think that christians do this
- 00:18:31.008 --> 00:18:35.480
- So well.
- 00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:36.981
- Yeah, we want to preach the gospel, but we'll show our good
- 00:18:37.048 --> 00:18:39.984
- Works in practical ways as well.
- 00:18:39.984 --> 00:18:42.253
- Through our church, harvest riverside, harvest orange
- 00:18:42.253 --> 00:18:46.023
- County, and harvest maui, we've done so much in this last
- 00:18:46.023 --> 00:18:50.394
- Year alone.
- 00:18:50.394 --> 00:18:52.163
- As last easter was approaching, we gave away 1,500 easter
- 00:18:52.163 --> 00:18:57.235
- Baskets for little children that had really nothing.
- 00:18:57.235 --> 00:19:00.104
- We hosted a back-to-school event in partnership with in-n-out
- 00:19:00.171 --> 00:19:03.975
- Burger and the department of education.
- 00:19:04.041 --> 00:19:06.110
- It helped 6,000 people.
- 00:19:06.110 --> 00:19:08.112
- We gave out 4,000 backpacks filled with things that children
- 00:19:08.112 --> 00:19:12.283
- Need and we provided free dental care.
- 00:19:12.283 --> 00:19:15.153
- We didn't do it ourselves.
- 00:19:15.153 --> 00:19:16.521
- We had actual dentists do it.
- 00:19:16.521 --> 00:19:17.855
- I want you to know that.
- 00:19:17.855 --> 00:19:19.223
- Be frightening, "here, let me do--drill."
- 00:19:19.223 --> 00:19:21.159
- No, not that.
- 00:19:21.159 --> 00:19:22.793
- And we--they were given haircuts by professionals.
- 00:19:22.793 --> 00:19:25.997
- Again, people who volunteered their time, and they were given
- 00:19:25.997 --> 00:19:29.634
- Medical screenings and they were given free burgers and fries
- 00:19:29.634 --> 00:19:34.405
- From in-n-out burger.
- 00:19:34.405 --> 00:19:36.207
- And then over on maui after the devastating wildfires that
- 00:19:36.207 --> 00:19:40.778
- Destroyed so many homes and lives were lost as well, we were
- 00:19:40.778 --> 00:19:44.615
- There offering food pallets filled with water, diapers,
- 00:19:44.615 --> 00:19:49.187
- Other necessities.
- 00:19:49.187 --> 00:19:50.521
- We gave away hundreds of bibles to people and prayed with
- 00:19:50.521 --> 00:19:55.059
- Hundreds of people and hosted events for families that were
- 00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:59.297
- Demoralized and devastated by the effects of that fire.
- 00:19:59.297 --> 00:20:03.968
- We had an evangelism team go over and share the gospel and
- 00:20:03.968 --> 00:20:07.638
- 100 people made a profession of faith.
- 00:20:07.638 --> 00:20:09.574
- We're all about showing it through good works and it earns
- 00:20:09.574 --> 00:20:13.578
- Us--it earns us the right to proclaim the gospel.
- 00:20:13.578 --> 00:20:21.219
- Point number 10: let your light shine like you were the only one
- 00:20:21.219 --> 00:20:25.389
- In the world.
- 00:20:25.389 --> 00:20:26.724
- Let your light shine like you were the only one in the world.
- 00:20:26.724 --> 00:20:29.627
- Look at verse 13: "you are the light of the world.
- 00:20:29.627 --> 00:20:32.396
- You are the salt of the earth."
- 00:20:32.396 --> 00:20:33.998
- You might underline in your bible, "you."
- 00:20:33.998 --> 00:20:35.833
- He uses it twice.
- 00:20:35.833 --> 00:20:37.201
- "you are the light of the world.
- 00:20:37.201 --> 00:20:39.503
- You are the salt of the earth."
- 00:20:39.503 --> 00:20:41.839
- In the original language, it would imply you and you alone
- 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:46.277
- Are the salt of the earth.
- 00:20:46.277 --> 00:20:47.945
- You and you alone are the light of the world.
- 00:20:47.945 --> 00:20:50.681
- Question: what kind of world would we live in today if every
- 00:20:52.016 --> 00:20:56.153
- Christian behaved just as you do?
- 00:20:56.153 --> 00:20:59.090
- How many would be attracted or turned off to the gospel?
- 00:20:59.156 --> 00:21:03.761
- What kind of general opinion do you think people would have of
- 00:21:03.761 --> 00:21:07.131
- Christianity if you were its sole representative?
- 00:21:07.131 --> 00:21:12.136
- Now you're thinking, "that's kind of a lot of
- 00:21:12.203 --> 00:21:13.738
- Pressure, greg."
- 00:21:13.738 --> 00:21:15.072
- Hey, news flash, you are its sole representative in your
- 00:21:15.072 --> 00:21:19.043
- Sphere of influence, in some cases.
- 00:21:19.043 --> 00:21:21.345
- You may be the only christian some people know and they
- 00:21:21.412 --> 00:21:24.782
- Haven't even told you this yet, but they're watching you.
- 00:21:24.782 --> 00:21:27.618
- And not only are they watching you, they're hoping you slip up.
- 00:21:27.685 --> 00:21:32.056
- But when you don't slip up or if you do slip up, you apologize
- 00:21:32.123 --> 00:21:35.793
- For it and own it, they say, "there's something different
- 00:21:35.793 --> 00:21:39.096
- About that person.
- 00:21:39.096 --> 00:21:40.431
- I have to keep my eye on them."
- 00:21:40.431 --> 00:21:41.799
- You're being salt, you're stimulating the thirst.
- 00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:44.101
- You're doing your job.
- 00:21:44.101 --> 00:21:45.836
- Listen, there are five gospels.
- 00:21:45.836 --> 00:21:49.106
- "greg, you're mistaken.
- 00:21:49.173 --> 00:21:50.508
- There's only four."
- 00:21:50.508 --> 00:21:51.876
- No, there's five, actually: matthew, mark, luke, john,
- 00:21:51.876 --> 00:21:55.680
- And you.
- 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:57.014
- You're the fifth gospel.
- 00:21:57.014 --> 00:21:58.683
- You're the only bible some people are ever going to read.
- 00:21:58.749 --> 00:22:01.986
- They're literally evaluating christ based on you.
- 00:22:03.254 --> 00:22:08.626
- "oh, i can't handle that."
- 00:22:08.693 --> 00:22:10.027
- Well, handle it, and do the best that you can, because you and
- 00:22:10.027 --> 00:22:13.764
- You alone are the salt of the earth.
- 00:22:13.764 --> 00:22:15.499
- You and you alone are the light of the world.
- 00:22:15.499 --> 00:22:18.069
- Christians are walking epistles written by god and read by men.
- 00:22:18.069 --> 00:22:24.041
- So let's put this all together and wrap it up.
- 00:22:24.108 --> 00:22:26.177
- Salt is valuable, it preserves, it stimulates thirst.
- 00:22:26.177 --> 00:22:30.147
- Light exposes and shows us the way we do this through good
- 00:22:30.147 --> 00:22:35.219
- Works and gospel proclamation.
- 00:22:35.219 --> 00:22:37.722
- This is who we are in this culture.
- 00:22:37.722 --> 00:22:40.224
- Now i'm asking you, are you doing it?
- 00:22:40.224 --> 00:22:42.293
- Listen, you and you alone make a difference.
- 00:22:42.360 --> 00:22:46.330
- You have a part to play.
- 00:22:46.330 --> 00:22:47.732
- I heard it once said, quote, "i am only one but i am one.
- 00:22:47.732 --> 00:22:51.635
- I cannot do everything, but i can do something and what i can
- 00:22:51.635 --> 00:22:55.639
- Do i ought to do and what i ought to do, by the
- 00:22:55.639 --> 00:22:58.042
- Grace of god, i will do."
- 00:22:58.042 --> 00:23:01.445
- So, be the salt and be the light.
- 00:23:01.445 --> 00:23:04.248
- Now, let me close.
- 00:23:04.248 --> 00:23:06.250
- Some of you listening to what i'm saying are not believers and
- 00:23:06.317 --> 00:23:10.020
- You are actually living in darkness.
- 00:23:10.020 --> 00:23:12.289
- We all are before we're christians.
- 00:23:12.289 --> 00:23:14.225
- We don't know it because, well, it's all we've ever known.
- 00:23:14.225 --> 00:23:18.062
- The story is told from history of a castle-like prison in paris
- 00:23:18.129 --> 00:23:22.767
- Known as the bastille that was about to be destroyed in 1789.
- 00:23:22.767 --> 00:23:28.038
- There was a prisoner who had been confined there for years in
- 00:23:28.105 --> 00:23:31.809
- This dark dingy place.
- 00:23:31.809 --> 00:23:34.311
- And so, he was released and he came out of his dark prison cell
- 00:23:34.378 --> 00:23:39.283
- And the light was so blinding, he turned back and said, "i want
- 00:23:39.350 --> 00:23:43.521
- To be kept in the prison.
- 00:23:43.521 --> 00:23:45.256
- I wanna die in this prison.
- 00:23:45.322 --> 00:23:47.124
- I can't handle the light."
- 00:23:47.124 --> 00:23:49.693
- And that's just the problem is you can become too comfortable
- 00:23:49.760 --> 00:23:52.897
- In the dark.
- 00:23:52.897 --> 00:23:54.331
- And some people are.
- 00:23:54.331 --> 00:23:55.666
- You ever notice how bars are so often dark?
- 00:23:55.666 --> 00:23:58.302
- I spent a lot of time in bars.
- 00:23:59.370 --> 00:24:01.272
- Really?
- 00:24:01.272 --> 00:24:02.640
- Yeah, when i was a kid, living with my alcoholic mother who
- 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:05.910
- Seemed to live in bars and i would sit around and wait for
- 00:24:05.910 --> 00:24:09.180
- Her to stop drinking so we could go home.
- 00:24:09.180 --> 00:24:11.882
- But people living in darkness, they need the light turned on
- 00:24:11.949 --> 00:24:16.554
- And here's the problem.
- 00:24:16.620 --> 00:24:18.355
- It's not that god will not forgive you, but it's that you
- 00:24:18.422 --> 00:24:21.725
- Could come to a point in your life where you would no longer
- 00:24:21.725 --> 00:24:24.628
- Want his forgiveness.
- 00:24:24.628 --> 00:24:27.231
- The bible says, "harden not your heart if you can hear
- 00:24:27.298 --> 00:24:31.068
- His voice."
- 00:24:31.068 --> 00:24:32.403
- Every time you hear the gospel and don't respond to it in the
- 00:24:32.403 --> 00:24:35.539
- Affirmative, your heart gets a little bit harder.
- 00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:38.943
- The bible says, "he who is often reproved, hardens his heart and
- 00:24:39.009 --> 00:24:42.580
- He will be cut off.
- 00:24:42.580 --> 00:24:43.914
- And that without remedy."
- 00:24:43.914 --> 00:24:45.282
- Let me paraphrase that.
- 00:24:45.282 --> 00:24:46.617
- You hear the truth, you say no to the truth.
- 00:24:46.617 --> 00:24:48.752
- Your heart gets a little tougher.
- 00:24:48.752 --> 00:24:50.421
- So some people say, "well, i'll come to christ on my deathbed."
- 00:24:50.421 --> 00:24:55.092
- Okay, are you sure you're gonna have a death bed?
- 00:24:55.159 --> 00:24:59.864
- For some, death comes suddenly, without warning.
- 00:24:59.930 --> 00:25:03.133
- They don't know that day is their last day.
- 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:06.136
- For others, yes, they get older or they get sick and they know
- 00:25:06.136 --> 00:25:10.107
- That death is coming and they're told by people to get their
- 00:25:10.107 --> 00:25:14.345
- Affairs in order, so they're ready to die.
- 00:25:14.345 --> 00:25:18.983
- But you think those people are all open to the gospel?
- 00:25:18.983 --> 00:25:22.720
- I would hope so, but i know some people, they've lived so long in
- 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:25.890
- Sin, they're like that prisoner in that prison in paris who's so
- 00:25:25.890 --> 00:25:30.995
- Used to the dark, they wanna stay in the dark.
- 00:25:30.995 --> 00:25:33.831
- So it's not that you get to a point where god would not
- 00:25:33.831 --> 00:25:36.367
- Forgive you, as much as you get to a point where you would not
- 00:25:36.367 --> 00:25:39.570
- Want to be forgiven, you see?
- 00:25:39.570 --> 00:25:42.206
- Because you've hardened your heart.
- 00:25:42.206 --> 00:25:44.975
- The bible says, "seek the lord while he may be found, call upon
- 00:25:44.975 --> 00:25:48.445
- Him while he is near.
- 00:25:48.445 --> 00:25:49.980
- Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man,
- 00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:53.350
- His thoughts.
- 00:25:53.350 --> 00:25:54.685
- Let him return to our god who will abundantly pardon."
- 00:25:54.685 --> 00:25:59.089
- Greg: have you ever wondered how to find personal happiness?
- 00:26:02.326 --> 00:26:05.663
- Hi, i'm pastor greg laurie.
- 00:26:05.729 --> 00:26:07.398
- Let me tell you a secret about finding happiness.
- 00:26:07.398 --> 00:26:10.634
- The least happy people are the people that live to be happy.
- 00:26:10.701 --> 00:26:14.405
- But here's the secret.
- 00:26:15.005 --> 00:26:16.941
- The bible says, "happy are the people whose god is the lord."
- 00:26:16.941 --> 00:26:21.812
- You will never find happiness from seeking it.
- 00:26:21.812 --> 00:26:24.748
- But if you come into a relationship with god through
- 00:26:24.815 --> 00:26:27.418
- Jesus, you'll find the happiness you've been looking for in life.
- 00:26:27.418 --> 00:26:33.023
- He's just a prayer away.
- 00:26:33.023 --> 00:26:35.259
- There's a number on the screen.
- 00:26:35.259 --> 00:26:37.027
- You can call that number and i wanna send you a free bible and
- 00:26:37.027 --> 00:26:41.365
- Tell you how to be a happy person and come into a
- 00:26:41.365 --> 00:26:44.568
- Relationship with god so you have purpose in this life and
- 00:26:44.568 --> 00:26:49.006
- The life to come.
- 00:26:49.006 --> 00:26:50.374
- You have the hope of heaven.
- 00:26:50.374 --> 00:26:52.643
- ♪♪♪
- 00:26:53.210 --> 00:26:58.248
- Greg: greg laurie here.
- 00:26:59.416 --> 00:27:00.784
- You know, at harvest ministries we're committing to reaching
- 00:27:00.784 --> 00:27:03.187
- Unexpected people in unexpected places with an
- 00:27:03.187 --> 00:27:06.590
- Unexpected message.
- 00:27:06.590 --> 00:27:08.225
- And thanks to your financial support, we've been able to
- 00:27:08.225 --> 00:27:12.963
- Touch people all over the world with the hope of jesus christ.
- 00:27:12.963 --> 00:27:16.967
- So i'm asking you today to continue to support this
- 00:27:16.967 --> 00:27:20.170
- Ministry so we can do everything possible to fulfill the
- 00:27:20.170 --> 00:27:24.475
- Great commission.
- 00:27:24.475 --> 00:27:25.943
- Let's do this together, and let me say in advance,
- 00:27:25.943 --> 00:27:28.979
- Thank you and god bless you.
- 00:27:28.979 --> 00:27:29.999