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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie - Never Give Up!

March 8, 2026 | 27:29

Greg Laurie - Never Give Up!
Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
#WordofGod #Temptation #Lies #Obedience #Devil #Evil #Marriage #Reputation #Angels #Redemption #GregLaurie

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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - Never Give Up! | March 8, 2026
  • ...
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  • Greg laurie: now let me say something that might
  • 00:00:05.161 --> 00:00:06.563
  • Surprise you.
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  • It can be fun to sin.
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  • How many of you have ever sinned?
  • 00:00:10.967 --> 00:00:12.569
  • Raise your hand.
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  • I wanna make sure i'm--wow, you're a wicked bunch of people.
  • 00:00:14.104 --> 00:00:17.307
  • My hand was up too, okay.
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  • How many of you have ever had some fun sinning?
  • 00:00:18.708 --> 00:00:21.044
  • Raise your hand up.
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  • Don't lie.
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  • All of you have, to a certain degree.
  • 00:00:23.746 --> 00:00:26.349
  • Let me define fun.
  • 00:00:26.349 --> 00:00:28.451
  • The bible says there's pleasure in sin for a season.
  • 00:00:28.451 --> 00:00:32.122
  • Oh, this is, you know, forbidden, i shouldn't do this,
  • 00:00:32.122 --> 00:00:34.691
  • Kind of this excitement, but it's very short-lived, and then
  • 00:00:34.691 --> 00:00:38.995
  • The repercussions come.
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  • ♪♪♪
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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: a number of years ago we had to remodel our kitchen
  • 00:01:06.022 --> 00:01:08.725
  • Because we flooded it.
  • 00:01:08.725 --> 00:01:10.760
  • We came home from a trip overseas and we both had jet
  • 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:13.463
  • Lag, and cathe left the sink on, and we came home to about 2
  • 00:01:13.463 --> 00:01:16.900
  • Feet of water, and that's a production when that happens,
  • 00:01:16.900 --> 00:01:20.870
  • 'cause you're bringing those giant fans, and you have all the
  • 00:01:20.870 --> 00:01:23.806
  • Issues with mold and so forth, and then you're living in it as
  • 00:01:23.806 --> 00:01:27.510
  • Well, but it's harder, but sometimes it just needs to be
  • 00:01:27.510 --> 00:01:31.347
  • Done, and i think it's a time of remodeling in our nation, and
  • 00:01:31.347 --> 00:01:35.685
  • That brings us to the book of nehemiah, which is a story of
  • 00:01:35.685 --> 00:01:39.355
  • The children of israel returning to jerusalem to rebuild the
  • 00:01:39.355 --> 00:01:42.959
  • Walls of jerusalem.
  • 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:44.827
  • The reason they were returning to jerusalem is because they had
  • 00:01:44.827 --> 00:01:48.631
  • Been exiled to babylon for 70 years because of their
  • 00:01:48.631 --> 00:01:54.270
  • Constant idolatry.
  • 00:01:54.270 --> 00:01:56.105
  • The lord warned them through the prophets.
  • 00:01:56.105 --> 00:01:58.474
  • Finally they were taken captive, but they are ultimately freed,
  • 00:01:58.474 --> 00:02:03.947
  • And king artaxerxes had as his cupbearer a man named nehemiah
  • 00:02:03.947 --> 00:02:08.785
  • Who was jewish, and nehemiah had the coolest job, the cushiest
  • 00:02:08.785 --> 00:02:12.989
  • Job of all time.
  • 00:02:12.989 --> 00:02:14.724
  • His job was to eat the food of the king before the king ate it,
  • 00:02:14.724 --> 00:02:18.595
  • And so that means he ate the finest food anywhere.
  • 00:02:18.595 --> 00:02:21.497
  • He lived in the lap of luxury.
  • 00:02:21.497 --> 00:02:24.000
  • This is not a position you would want to give up, but when he
  • 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:27.837
  • Heard of the plight of his fellow jews, when a report was
  • 00:02:27.837 --> 00:02:31.741
  • Given to him, he realized, i'm in a position to do something,
  • 00:02:31.741 --> 00:02:36.045
  • And i'm going to act on this, and so he boldly went to the
  • 00:02:36.045 --> 00:02:39.082
  • King with a very detailed plan that he had come up with about
  • 00:02:39.082 --> 00:02:42.819
  • Rebuilding the walls, and was bold enough to even ask the king
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  • To underwrite the whole thing, and because the king had so much
  • 00:02:46.022 --> 00:02:49.425
  • Affection for nehemiah, he agrees, and so nehemiah returns
  • 00:02:49.425 --> 00:02:53.796
  • To jerusalem, and he faces great opposition, as we always will
  • 00:02:53.796 --> 00:02:59.569
  • When we're doing the work of god.
  • 00:02:59.569 --> 00:03:01.704
  • When you decide to obey god and do what the lord is leading you
  • 00:03:01.704 --> 00:03:05.275
  • To do, you will face opposition, and in chapters 1 to 5 we see
  • 00:03:05.275 --> 00:03:11.748
  • Opposition toward the people building the wall, but in
  • 00:03:11.748 --> 00:03:14.584
  • Chapter 6 they direct it now toward its leader, nehemiah.
  • 00:03:14.584 --> 00:03:19.222
  • It's getting personal.
  • 00:03:19.222 --> 00:03:21.324
  • In war, enemy troops will often shoot at the commanding
  • 00:03:21.324 --> 00:03:24.761
  • Officers, in football, the major goal is to sack the quarterback,
  • 00:03:24.761 --> 00:03:29.832
  • And in the church, those targets will--those attacks will come
  • 00:03:29.832 --> 00:03:34.437
  • Toward the pastor and the leaders.
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  • That's why you need to pray for leadership.
  • 00:03:36.506 --> 00:03:39.008
  • It's easy to critique them.
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  • It's easy to point out maybe the flaws or the weaknesses that
  • 00:03:40.843 --> 00:03:45.581
  • They have, and all leaders have flaws and weaknesses, but
  • 00:03:45.581 --> 00:03:48.818
  • Remember to pray for them.
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  • I ask you to pray for me.
  • 00:03:50.186 --> 00:03:51.954
  • I need your prayers desperately, as do all pastors and all
  • 00:03:51.954 --> 00:03:56.059
  • Leaders, no matter where they are in church today.
  • 00:03:56.059 --> 00:04:00.096
  • So these attacks start coming personally toward nehemiah.
  • 00:04:00.096 --> 00:04:04.367
  • So we pick the story up now in nehemiah 6, verse 1,
  • 00:04:04.367 --> 00:04:08.604
  • "sanballat," he's one of the bad guys, "tobiah," another bad guy,
  • 00:04:08.604 --> 00:04:13.843
  • "geshem the arab, and the rest of our enemies found out i had
  • 00:04:13.843 --> 00:04:16.646
  • Finished rebuilding the wall," writes nehemiah, "and no gaps
  • 00:04:16.646 --> 00:04:21.250
  • Remained-though he had not yet set the doors up in the gates.
  • 00:04:21.250 --> 00:04:24.554
  • So sanballat and geshem sent a message asking me to meet them
  • 00:04:24.554 --> 00:04:29.125
  • At one of the villages in the plain of ono.
  • 00:04:29.125 --> 00:04:32.762
  • But i realized they were plotting to harm me."
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  • We'll stop there.
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  • Here's point number one if you're taking notes.
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  • If you give the devil an inch, he'll take a mile.
  • 00:04:40.303 --> 00:04:44.340
  • If you give the devil an inch, he'll take a mile.
  • 00:04:44.340 --> 00:04:47.243
  • Predictable threats come from the two primary opponents to
  • 00:04:47.243 --> 00:04:51.547
  • Nehemiah, sanballat and tobiah.
  • 00:04:51.547 --> 00:04:55.518
  • You go back to the original hebrew, their names translate
  • 00:04:55.518 --> 00:04:58.921
  • Out to "beavis and butthead," or "dumb and dumber."
  • 00:04:58.921 --> 00:05:06.129
  • So these guys are leveling their attacks against nehemiah,
  • 00:05:06.129 --> 00:05:10.633
  • And--but he is not going to be deterred from his task.
  • 00:05:10.633 --> 00:05:13.603
  • He's almost completed it, he just needs to hang the doors,
  • 00:05:13.603 --> 00:05:18.141
  • And in the same way we need to be careful to keep the doors of
  • 00:05:18.141 --> 00:05:21.511
  • Our lives shut to evil, the door of our mind to evil thoughts,
  • 00:05:21.511 --> 00:05:27.717
  • The door of our heart, the door of our life in general, 'cause
  • 00:05:27.717 --> 00:05:32.355
  • Again, as i said, if you give the devil an inch, he'll take
  • 00:05:32.355 --> 00:05:35.625
  • A mile.
  • 00:05:35.625 --> 00:05:36.959
  • We need to guard those thoughts and influences that don't come
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  • From god.
  • 00:05:40.463 --> 00:05:41.831
  • 2 corinthians 10:5 says that we should bring every thought
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  • Captive and make it obedient to christ.
  • 00:05:45.868 --> 00:05:49.472
  • So when a thought comes knocking at the door of my mind, i can
  • 00:05:49.472 --> 00:05:53.075
  • Let it in, or i can say, "you're not coming in at all", and some
  • 00:05:53.075 --> 00:05:58.014
  • Thoughts should just be left out.
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  • As i've said many times, it's not a sin to be tempted, even
  • 00:05:59.982 --> 00:06:04.053
  • Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, but it's a sin when
  • 00:06:04.053 --> 00:06:07.156
  • You allow that temptation to come into your mind and take it
  • 00:06:07.156 --> 00:06:10.726
  • Into your thought processes and run forward with it, and so you
  • 00:06:10.726 --> 00:06:14.530
  • Have to guard yourself, get those doors up there, and they
  • 00:06:14.530 --> 00:06:19.435
  • Say, "we just wanna meet with him in the valley of ono."
  • 00:06:19.435 --> 00:06:23.639
  • Isn't that interesting?
  • 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:24.974
  • Just meet us in this valley of ono, and, you know, we will get
  • 00:06:24.974 --> 00:06:29.479
  • Similar invitations like this.
  • 00:06:29.479 --> 00:06:31.814
  • Say, just come to this one party, or go to this one thing,
  • 00:06:31.814 --> 00:06:35.251
  • Or download this one app, or let's do this other thing, and
  • 00:06:35.251 --> 00:06:39.555
  • These are invitations to evil.
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  • We need to say no to ono or we're gonna end up saying oh
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  • No, right?
  • 00:06:47.663 --> 00:06:49.799
  • But, you know, the devil's not stupid.
  • 00:06:49.799 --> 00:06:51.367
  • He doesn't come and show you what he's up to.
  • 00:06:51.367 --> 00:06:54.070
  • He doesn't say, "hi, i'm the devil.
  • 00:06:54.070 --> 00:06:55.505
  • You may have heard of me.
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  • I hate you.
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  • I like to destroy people.
  • 00:06:58.441 --> 00:07:00.309
  • My mission statement is i come to steal, kill, and destroy,
  • 00:07:00.309 --> 00:07:03.646
  • Kind of proud of that.
  • 00:07:03.646 --> 00:07:06.148
  • Okay, so here's what i'm thinking.
  • 00:07:06.148 --> 00:07:08.251
  • Why don't you, happily married man with a loving family, go
  • 00:07:08.251 --> 00:07:12.588
  • Commit adultery, destroy your marriage, destroy your
  • 00:07:12.588 --> 00:07:16.526
  • Reputation, and spend the rest of your life alienated from your
  • 00:07:16.526 --> 00:07:21.197
  • Children and destroy your testimony and everything else?
  • 00:07:21.197 --> 00:07:25.234
  • What do you say?"
  • 00:07:25.234 --> 00:07:26.569
  • Who's gonna go for that?
  • 00:07:26.569 --> 00:07:27.937
  • The devil's more clever.
  • 00:07:27.937 --> 00:07:29.272
  • He'll come up, why don't you just come down to the plain of
  • 00:07:29.272 --> 00:07:31.207
  • Ono, so to speak?
  • 00:07:31.207 --> 00:07:32.808
  • Why don't you just compromise here?
  • 00:07:32.808 --> 00:07:34.777
  • Why don't you just flirt with this other girl there?
  • 00:07:34.777 --> 00:07:37.480
  • Why don't you just, you know, get into this situation, and so
  • 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:40.616
  • It's always a temptation to compromise.
  • 00:07:40.616 --> 00:07:44.487
  • If you invite the devil in for tea, it won't be long until he
  • 00:07:44.487 --> 00:07:48.691
  • Has you for dinner.
  • 00:07:48.691 --> 00:07:50.293
  • You'll say, "oh, it's okay.
  • 00:07:50.293 --> 00:07:51.661
  • No, you see, this is gonna work out."
  • 00:07:51.661 --> 00:07:53.663
  • No, he's wanting to destroy your life.
  • 00:07:53.663 --> 00:07:56.699
  • Come down to the plain of ono, but nehemiah knew they wanted to
  • 00:07:56.699 --> 00:08:01.571
  • Harm him, so he says, "i'm not going to come," and i love his
  • 00:08:01.571 --> 00:08:06.842
  • Resolve that he has, bringing me to point number two.
  • 00:08:06.842 --> 00:08:10.046
  • The devil is persistent, so we must be resistant.
  • 00:08:10.046 --> 00:08:14.817
  • The devil is persistent, so we must be resistant.
  • 00:08:14.817 --> 00:08:19.355
  • The bible says, "resist the devil and he will flee
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  • From you."
  • 00:08:22.725 --> 00:08:24.093
  • It doesn't say have extended conversations with satan.
  • 00:08:24.093 --> 00:08:27.663
  • See, this is the problem.
  • 00:08:27.663 --> 00:08:29.031
  • I've heard some preachers on television, and they're like,
  • 00:08:29.031 --> 00:08:32.034
  • Having these extended lengthy conversations with satan.
  • 00:08:32.034 --> 00:08:35.438
  • They're like, "satan, i say to you right now," and, "satan, i
  • 00:08:35.438 --> 00:08:38.507
  • Want to tell you one more thing," and, "four more points,"
  • 00:08:38.507 --> 00:08:40.643
  • And, "in conclusion, devil."
  • 00:08:40.643 --> 00:08:42.011
  • What are you doing?
  • 00:08:42.011 --> 00:08:43.346
  • Why are you talking to the devil?
  • 00:08:43.346 --> 00:08:45.615
  • The bible tells the story of the powerful archangel michael who
  • 00:08:45.615 --> 00:08:50.686
  • Did not bring a railing accusation against satan,
  • 00:08:50.686 --> 00:08:53.823
  • But simply said, "the lord rebuke you."
  • 00:08:53.823 --> 00:08:56.726
  • Keep this conversation short.
  • 00:08:56.726 --> 00:08:59.462
  • I want nothing to do with you.
  • 00:08:59.462 --> 00:09:01.297
  • I don't want to talk to you.
  • 00:09:01.297 --> 00:09:02.732
  • I don't want to listen to you.
  • 00:09:02.732 --> 00:09:04.300
  • I don't want to come down to the plane of ono and see what
  • 00:09:04.300 --> 00:09:07.003
  • You're offering.
  • 00:09:07.003 --> 00:09:08.371
  • I'm drawing the line right now.
  • 00:09:08.371 --> 00:09:09.705
  • I'm going to resist you, bringing me to the third point.
  • 00:09:09.705 --> 00:09:13.609
  • Take care of your character and god will take care of
  • 00:09:13.609 --> 00:09:16.812
  • Your reputation.
  • 00:09:16.812 --> 00:09:18.881
  • Take care of your character and god will take care of
  • 00:09:18.881 --> 00:09:22.018
  • Your reputation.
  • 00:09:22.018 --> 00:09:23.386
  • So now sanballat changes his strategy with nehemiah, and
  • 00:09:23.386 --> 00:09:29.258
  • Challenges his personal motives.
  • 00:09:29.258 --> 00:09:31.427
  • Go to nehemiah 6, verse 5, "the fifth time," notice this
  • 00:09:31.427 --> 00:09:35.498
  • Persistence, "the fifth time sanballat's servant came with an
  • 00:09:35.498 --> 00:09:39.635
  • Open letter in his hand, and this is what it said: 'there's a
  • 00:09:39.635 --> 00:09:43.105
  • Rumor among the surrounding nations, and geshem tells me it
  • 00:09:43.105 --> 00:09:47.243
  • Is true, that you and the jews are planning to rebel and that's
  • 00:09:47.243 --> 00:09:51.447
  • Why you're building the wall.
  • 00:09:51.447 --> 00:09:53.482
  • According to his reports, you plan to be their king.
  • 00:09:53.482 --> 00:09:55.951
  • He also reports and you have appointed prophets in jerusalem
  • 00:09:55.951 --> 00:09:59.455
  • To proclaim about you, "look!
  • 00:09:59.455 --> 00:10:01.123
  • There's a new king in judah!"
  • 00:10:01.123 --> 00:10:02.792
  • You can be sure that this report will get back to the king, so i
  • 00:10:02.792 --> 00:10:07.329
  • Suggest you come and talk it over with me.'"
  • 00:10:07.329 --> 00:10:10.766
  • Back to that again.
  • 00:10:10.766 --> 00:10:12.168
  • Come on, let's just get together.
  • 00:10:12.168 --> 00:10:13.703
  • Let's have a conversation.
  • 00:10:13.703 --> 00:10:15.071
  • I don't want conversations with you.
  • 00:10:15.071 --> 00:10:17.406
  • So this is an outright lie.
  • 00:10:17.406 --> 00:10:19.608
  • The fact of the matter is nehemiah was very close to
  • 00:10:19.608 --> 00:10:23.713
  • The king.
  • 00:10:23.713 --> 00:10:25.047
  • Remember, he was the king's cupbearer.
  • 00:10:25.047 --> 00:10:26.782
  • He would be an adviser to the king, a friend of the king,
  • 00:10:26.782 --> 00:10:30.686
  • A confidant of the king.
  • 00:10:30.686 --> 00:10:32.488
  • In fact, when he told king artaxerxes he was going to leave
  • 00:10:32.488 --> 00:10:35.491
  • For jerusalem, artaxerxes said, "well, how long are you going to
  • 00:10:35.491 --> 00:10:38.894
  • Be gone?"
  • 00:10:38.894 --> 00:10:40.229
  • In other words, hey buddy, i'm going to miss you.
  • 00:10:40.229 --> 00:10:42.131
  • I like hanging out with you.
  • 00:10:42.131 --> 00:10:44.100
  • I'm sorry to see you go, but i think so much of you, i'm gonna
  • 00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:47.536
  • Underwrite your whole mission and back you all the way.
  • 00:10:47.536 --> 00:10:52.074
  • So this is the furthest thing from the truth.
  • 00:10:52.074 --> 00:10:54.577
  • This was an outright lie.
  • 00:10:54.577 --> 00:10:56.712
  • Today it would be something posted on social media, right?
  • 00:10:56.712 --> 00:11:00.883
  • Oh, here's a new rumor.
  • 00:11:00.883 --> 00:11:02.685
  • I heard this about gossip.
  • 00:11:02.685 --> 00:11:04.420
  • Quote, "gossip is news you have to hurry and tell somebody
  • 00:11:04.420 --> 00:11:08.924
  • Before you find out it isn't true," end quote.
  • 00:11:08.924 --> 00:11:12.228
  • You know, we love to spread gossip.
  • 00:11:12.228 --> 00:11:14.096
  • We don't know if it's true, but we spread it, and it can spread
  • 00:11:14.096 --> 00:11:17.099
  • So quickly today, but the interesting thing is nehemiah
  • 00:11:17.099 --> 00:11:22.938
  • Was being accused of wanting to take the place of the king, when
  • 00:11:22.938 --> 00:11:25.875
  • In reality that's what they themselves wanted to do.
  • 00:11:25.875 --> 00:11:31.013
  • Sometimes people will accuse you of the very thing that they are
  • 00:11:31.013 --> 00:11:35.751
  • Personally guilty of.
  • 00:11:35.751 --> 00:11:37.853
  • It's called projecting.
  • 00:11:37.853 --> 00:11:39.755
  • I think you're this, when in reality i'm not telling you
  • 00:11:39.755 --> 00:11:43.092
  • About you, i'm telling you more about me.
  • 00:11:43.092 --> 00:11:46.695
  • Jesus summed it up this way.
  • 00:11:46.695 --> 00:11:48.397
  • "'why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but you
  • 00:11:48.397 --> 00:11:51.600
  • Don't consider the plank in your own eye.
  • 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:53.435
  • How can you say to your brother, "let me get the speck out of
  • 00:11:53.435 --> 00:11:56.038
  • Your eye," and look, a plank is in your own eye?'"
  • 00:11:56.038 --> 00:11:59.441
  • Or another paraphrase puts it this way, jesus speaking, how
  • 00:11:59.441 --> 00:12:02.978
  • Can you get the sawdust out of your brother's eye when you have
  • 00:12:02.978 --> 00:12:06.182
  • A telephone pole in yours?
  • 00:12:06.182 --> 00:12:09.151
  • People will nitpick on small little things and be so critical
  • 00:12:09.151 --> 00:12:13.756
  • Of other people, when in reality that may be the problem they
  • 00:12:13.756 --> 00:12:17.359
  • Themselves are dealing with, and that's exactly what they were
  • 00:12:17.359 --> 00:12:20.229
  • Doing with nehemiah.
  • 00:12:20.229 --> 00:12:21.730
  • They were accusing him of that.
  • 00:12:21.730 --> 00:12:24.166
  • Commentator kent hughes summed it up this way, and i quote, "we
  • 00:12:24.166 --> 00:12:28.137
  • Find it so easy to turn a microscope on another person's
  • 00:12:28.137 --> 00:12:31.974
  • Sin, but we look at ours through the wrong end of a telescope.
  • 00:12:31.974 --> 00:12:37.179
  • We easily spot a speck of phoniness in another, because we
  • 00:12:37.179 --> 00:12:41.383
  • Have a logjam of it in our own lives.
  • 00:12:41.383 --> 00:12:44.753
  • Anger toward the speck in someone else's life may come
  • 00:12:44.753 --> 00:12:47.990
  • From the suppressed guilt over the same massive sin in our own
  • 00:12:47.990 --> 00:12:52.828
  • Lives," end quote.
  • 00:12:52.828 --> 00:12:54.330
  • That's a very insightful statement.
  • 00:12:54.330 --> 00:12:56.932
  • Bringing me to point number four, when you come under
  • 00:12:56.932 --> 00:13:00.202
  • Attack, you need to pray.
  • 00:13:00.202 --> 00:13:02.171
  • When you come under attack, you need to pray.
  • 00:13:02.171 --> 00:13:04.106
  • I love nehemiah's response.
  • 00:13:04.106 --> 00:13:06.075
  • Verse 6, i sent him this reply.
  • 00:13:06.075 --> 00:13:09.044
  • Nothing like what you're saying is happening.
  • 00:13:09.044 --> 00:13:10.880
  • You're just making it up in your head.
  • 00:13:10.880 --> 00:13:13.015
  • I love that.
  • 00:13:13.015 --> 00:13:14.383
  • This is fake news.
  • 00:13:14.383 --> 00:13:16.218
  • This is not true, and i'm not going to dignify it for a
  • 00:13:16.218 --> 00:13:19.555
  • Moment, and i'm not going to stop what i'm doing for a
  • 00:13:19.555 --> 00:13:22.057
  • Moment, and i'm not going to come down to the plane of ono
  • 00:13:22.057 --> 00:13:25.828
  • And hang out with all y'all, so just stop asking, but these guys
  • 00:13:25.828 --> 00:13:29.798
  • Wouldn't give up.
  • 00:13:29.798 --> 00:13:31.166
  • They were like, you know, calling him and texting him and
  • 00:13:31.166 --> 00:13:35.204
  • Sliding into his dms and faxing him and sending carrier pigeons,
  • 00:13:35.204 --> 00:13:39.642
  • And i mean, any way they could say this to him, they were doing
  • 00:13:39.642 --> 00:13:43.679
  • It, and he was resisting them all the way.
  • 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:47.816
  • Point number five, we need to finish the work that god has
  • 00:13:47.816 --> 00:13:50.552
  • Called us to do.
  • 00:13:50.552 --> 00:13:52.288
  • He says in verse 3, "i sent them this message: 'i'm doing a
  • 00:13:52.288 --> 00:13:56.492
  • Great work.
  • 00:13:56.492 --> 00:13:57.826
  • I cannot come down.
  • 00:13:57.826 --> 00:13:59.495
  • Why should the work cease while i leave it to go down to you?'"
  • 00:13:59.495 --> 00:14:04.633
  • Any step away from what god has called you to do is a step down.
  • 00:14:04.633 --> 00:14:09.538
  • God called the prophet jonah to go to nineveh and preach to it.
  • 00:14:09.538 --> 00:14:14.410
  • Jonah did not want to go.
  • 00:14:14.410 --> 00:14:16.278
  • God said go.
  • 00:14:16.278 --> 00:14:17.846
  • Jonah said no.
  • 00:14:17.846 --> 00:14:19.581
  • God said oh?
  • 00:14:19.581 --> 00:14:21.116
  • See, god will always have the last word, but it's interesting
  • 00:14:21.116 --> 00:14:24.453
  • When you read the book of jonah, you read this.
  • 00:14:24.453 --> 00:14:26.855
  • Jonah went down to a ship, and then he went down to the lower
  • 00:14:26.855 --> 00:14:31.860
  • Part of the ship, and then he went down to jabba, down,
  • 00:14:31.860 --> 00:14:35.064
  • Down, down.
  • 00:14:35.064 --> 00:14:37.032
  • Any step away from god is a step down.
  • 00:14:37.032 --> 00:14:39.368
  • I'm not coming down.
  • 00:14:39.368 --> 00:14:40.970
  • I'm not gonna stop what i'm doing.
  • 00:14:40.970 --> 00:14:43.372
  • I'm gonna keep this task before me, and i'm gonna finish it.
  • 00:14:43.372 --> 00:14:48.043
  • Winston churchill, one of the most important figures in modern
  • 00:14:48.043 --> 00:14:52.881
  • History, basically fought alone during world war ii until the
  • 00:14:52.881 --> 00:14:57.753
  • United states entered the war, but he made this statement, and
  • 00:14:57.753 --> 00:15:01.890
  • I quote, "never give in.
  • 00:15:01.890 --> 00:15:04.326
  • Never give in.
  • 00:15:04.326 --> 00:15:06.061
  • Never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large
  • 00:15:06.061 --> 00:15:11.133
  • Or petty--never give in."
  • 00:15:11.133 --> 00:15:14.069
  • It was that determination that kept england alive for that
  • 00:15:14.069 --> 00:15:18.474
  • Difficult time they faced.
  • 00:15:18.474 --> 00:15:20.376
  • So now the walls of jerusalem are completed despite the
  • 00:15:20.376 --> 00:15:24.747
  • Harassment, despite the attacks.
  • 00:15:24.747 --> 00:15:27.049
  • They've completed the job.
  • 00:15:27.049 --> 00:15:29.151
  • Now we sort of shift gears, and we look at a spiritual awakening
  • 00:15:29.151 --> 00:15:33.422
  • That happens in israel.
  • 00:15:33.422 --> 00:15:35.057
  • See, they did their part, now god's going to do his part.
  • 00:15:35.057 --> 00:15:38.861
  • There's some things only we can do, and there's some things only
  • 00:15:38.861 --> 00:15:42.064
  • God can do.
  • 00:15:42.064 --> 00:15:43.999
  • God says, "seek first the kingdom of god and his
  • 00:15:43.999 --> 00:15:46.902
  • Righteousness," and then here's a promise, "and all these things
  • 00:15:46.902 --> 00:15:49.605
  • Shall be added unto you."
  • 00:15:49.605 --> 00:15:51.540
  • Your part: seek god's kingdom.
  • 00:15:51.540 --> 00:15:53.375
  • God's part: he'll take care of you.
  • 00:15:53.375 --> 00:15:56.045
  • Here's your part.
  • 00:15:56.045 --> 00:15:57.413
  • 2 chronicles 7:14, "if my people which are called by my name will
  • 00:15:57.413 --> 00:16:01.150
  • Humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from
  • 00:16:01.150 --> 00:16:05.087
  • Their wicked ways," that's your part, my part, our part, then
  • 00:16:05.087 --> 00:16:08.457
  • God promises, "then i will hear from heaven, forgive their sin
  • 00:16:08.457 --> 00:16:12.127
  • And heal their land."
  • 00:16:12.127 --> 00:16:13.495
  • So we look at america today.
  • 00:16:13.495 --> 00:16:15.097
  • We say we need a spiritual awakening.
  • 00:16:15.097 --> 00:16:17.366
  • We need a revival.
  • 00:16:17.366 --> 00:16:18.734
  • "okay," god says, "all right, do your part.
  • 00:16:18.734 --> 00:16:20.502
  • Humble yourself, pray, seek my face, and then i'm gonna answer
  • 00:16:20.502 --> 00:16:25.007
  • Your prayer, and i'm gonna heal your land and forgive you of
  • 00:16:25.007 --> 00:16:28.010
  • Your sins."
  • 00:16:28.010 --> 00:16:29.344
  • So israel has done their part.
  • 00:16:29.344 --> 00:16:30.712
  • They've rebuilt the walls of jerusalem in a record 52
  • 00:16:30.712 --> 00:16:34.049
  • Days, amazing.
  • 00:16:34.049 --> 00:16:35.984
  • Now look at what happens.
  • 00:16:35.984 --> 00:16:37.319
  • Go over to nehemiah 8, verse 1, "the people assembled with a
  • 00:16:37.319 --> 00:16:40.689
  • Unified purpose at the square inside the water gate.
  • 00:16:40.689 --> 00:16:44.326
  • They asked ezra the scribe to bring out the book of the law of
  • 00:16:44.326 --> 00:16:47.096
  • Moses, which the lord had given for israel to obey.
  • 00:16:47.096 --> 00:16:50.699
  • And on october 8 ezra the priest brought the book of the law
  • 00:16:50.699 --> 00:16:54.570
  • Before the assembly, which included the men and the women
  • 00:16:54.570 --> 00:16:57.339
  • And the children old enough to understand.
  • 00:16:57.339 --> 00:16:59.675
  • He faced the square inside the water gate from early morning to
  • 00:16:59.675 --> 00:17:04.313
  • Noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand.
  • 00:17:04.313 --> 00:17:08.584
  • All the people listened closely to the book of the law.
  • 00:17:08.584 --> 00:17:12.855
  • And when they saw him open the book, they rose to their feet."
  • 00:17:12.855 --> 00:17:16.825
  • I love this.
  • 00:17:16.825 --> 00:17:18.393
  • So now they're having a bible study, and a revival breaks out,
  • 00:17:18.393 --> 00:17:22.464
  • And these are some signs of revival.
  • 00:17:22.464 --> 00:17:25.701
  • When i say revival, i mean these are signs that you're
  • 00:17:25.701 --> 00:17:29.037
  • Spiritually alive, signs that you're flourishing spiritually,
  • 00:17:29.037 --> 00:17:34.243
  • Signs that you are the kind of christian you ought to be.
  • 00:17:34.243 --> 00:17:36.612
  • Number one, you're having revival when you're hungry for
  • 00:17:36.612 --> 00:17:41.016
  • God's word.
  • 00:17:41.016 --> 00:17:42.618
  • Look at verse 1, "they asked ezra the priest to bring out the
  • 00:17:42.618 --> 00:17:47.156
  • Book of the law of moses."
  • 00:17:47.156 --> 00:17:48.690
  • They ask, "hey man, would you give us a bible study?"
  • 00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:52.794
  • You know, hungry people are healthy people.
  • 00:17:52.794 --> 00:17:56.865
  • When you go to see a doctor, the first thing he's gonna say to
  • 00:17:56.865 --> 00:18:00.235
  • You is--well, first thing is gonna be, "do you have your
  • 00:18:00.235 --> 00:18:02.337
  • Insurance card with you," but after that he'll say, or she'll
  • 00:18:02.337 --> 00:18:06.575
  • Say, "tell me, how's your appetite?"
  • 00:18:06.575 --> 00:18:10.579
  • And if you say, "it's not good," that's not a good sign, because
  • 00:18:10.579 --> 00:18:12.881
  • If you're healthy, you're hungry, and these people are
  • 00:18:12.881 --> 00:18:15.450
  • Hungry for the word of god.
  • 00:18:15.450 --> 00:18:17.052
  • That's how to know if you're strong spiritually.
  • 00:18:17.052 --> 00:18:19.421
  • This is how to know if you're revived spiritually, you're
  • 00:18:19.421 --> 00:18:22.257
  • Hungry for the bible.
  • 00:18:22.257 --> 00:18:23.592
  • You look forward to bible study.
  • 00:18:23.592 --> 00:18:25.961
  • You wanna hear more.
  • 00:18:25.961 --> 00:18:27.329
  • When it's done, you go, oh, i want to hear some more.
  • 00:18:27.329 --> 00:18:30.766
  • That's a good sign.
  • 00:18:30.766 --> 00:18:33.068
  • So ezra enters the story again.
  • 00:18:33.068 --> 00:18:35.804
  • Now, ezra was a part of the beginning of the story of the
  • 00:18:35.804 --> 00:18:39.241
  • Rebuilding of jerusalem.
  • 00:18:39.241 --> 00:18:41.343
  • He led the first wave of the jews back where they rebuilt the
  • 00:18:41.343 --> 00:18:44.580
  • Temple, but his task had been completed.
  • 00:18:44.580 --> 00:18:47.683
  • God raised up nehemiah to come back and rebuild the walls, and
  • 00:18:47.683 --> 00:18:50.852
  • So ezra had been, i don't want to say on the back burner, but
  • 00:18:50.852 --> 00:18:54.122
  • He hadn't been in the narrative at this point, and god brings
  • 00:18:54.122 --> 00:18:57.259
  • Him back again.
  • 00:18:57.259 --> 00:18:59.361
  • They say, "we wanna see ezra again.
  • 00:18:59.361 --> 00:19:01.196
  • He," you know, "he's the one we need now," reminding us that we
  • 00:19:01.196 --> 00:19:05.033
  • All have a place to play in the work of god, and ezra's an older
  • 00:19:05.033 --> 00:19:09.204
  • Guy now.
  • 00:19:09.204 --> 00:19:10.539
  • He might have thought, well, no one wants to hear from me
  • 00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:12.174
  • Anymore, you know.
  • 00:19:12.174 --> 00:19:13.542
  • They're saying, "ezra, bring back ezra."
  • 00:19:13.542 --> 00:19:15.877
  • So he's back here now bringing the word of god to them.
  • 00:19:15.877 --> 00:19:19.715
  • Number two, you're having revival when people
  • 00:19:19.715 --> 00:19:22.651
  • Spontaneously and passionately worship god.
  • 00:19:22.651 --> 00:19:25.854
  • Look at verse 6, "ezra praised the lord, the great god, and all
  • 00:19:25.854 --> 00:19:28.890
  • The people said, 'amen!
  • 00:19:28.890 --> 00:19:30.692
  • Amen!' and they lifted
  • 00:19:30.692 --> 00:19:32.060
  • Their hands, and they bowed down and worshiped
  • 00:19:32.060 --> 00:19:35.230
  • With their faces to the ground."
  • 00:19:35.230 --> 00:19:37.499
  • I like that, amen.
  • 00:19:37.499 --> 00:19:39.167
  • It's a good thing to say amen.
  • 00:19:39.167 --> 00:19:40.535
  • Say amen right now, go.
  • 00:19:40.535 --> 00:19:42.337
  • There you go.
  • 00:19:42.337 --> 00:19:43.872
  • You can say, don't get--you know, don't say it too loud.
  • 00:19:43.872 --> 00:19:47.342
  • Sometimes one person will scream, amen!
  • 00:19:47.342 --> 00:19:49.578
  • You know, people run away from him, but amen just means so be
  • 00:19:49.578 --> 00:19:54.816
  • It, i agree.
  • 00:19:54.816 --> 00:19:57.185
  • It's an affirmation that people are saying amen.
  • 00:19:57.185 --> 00:20:00.222
  • This is a beautiful scene.
  • 00:20:00.222 --> 00:20:02.057
  • These people just can't get enough of god's word.
  • 00:20:02.057 --> 00:20:05.093
  • Look at verse 3: "he faced the square inside the water gate
  • 00:20:05.093 --> 00:20:08.430
  • From early morning to noon and read aloud to everyone," and the
  • 00:20:08.430 --> 00:20:13.935
  • People were standing.
  • 00:20:13.935 --> 00:20:15.537
  • That means they stood for six hours listening to the message.
  • 00:20:15.537 --> 00:20:20.509
  • So don't complain if i go five minutes over sometime.
  • 00:20:20.509 --> 00:20:24.513
  • "he's going long today, don't you think?"
  • 00:20:24.513 --> 00:20:28.083
  • Think how long he went, but the people loved it and they wanted
  • 00:20:28.083 --> 00:20:31.286
  • To hear what it had to say.
  • 00:20:31.286 --> 00:20:33.355
  • You know, people sometimes say, "god never speaks to me."
  • 00:20:33.355 --> 00:20:36.925
  • Hey, read the bible, and he will.
  • 00:20:36.925 --> 00:20:40.362
  • Six times in this chapter the word understanding is used.
  • 00:20:40.362 --> 00:20:44.933
  • Verse 3, he, "read aloud to everyone who could understand,"
  • 00:20:44.933 --> 00:20:48.937
  • And, "all the people listened closely."
  • 00:20:48.937 --> 00:20:50.639
  • They understood.
  • 00:20:50.639 --> 00:20:51.973
  • They listened.
  • 00:20:51.973 --> 00:20:53.308
  • They paid attention.
  • 00:20:53.308 --> 00:20:54.676
  • Here's another point, you know you're being revived when you
  • 00:20:54.676 --> 00:20:56.978
  • Obey the word of god.
  • 00:20:56.978 --> 00:21:00.482
  • It's not enough to just be a hearer of the word.
  • 00:21:00.482 --> 00:21:03.618
  • You need to be a doer of the word.
  • 00:21:03.618 --> 00:21:06.221
  • Jesus, whoever--jesus said at the conclusion of the sermon on
  • 00:21:06.221 --> 00:21:10.092
  • The mount, "'whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them is
  • 00:21:10.092 --> 00:21:15.330
  • Like a wise man who built his house on a rock, and the storms
  • 00:21:15.330 --> 00:21:18.900
  • Came and the floods came and beat upon that house, and it
  • 00:21:18.900 --> 00:21:21.169
  • Stood strong.
  • 00:21:21.169 --> 00:21:22.838
  • Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, he's
  • 00:21:22.838 --> 00:21:26.141
  • Like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand, and the
  • 00:21:26.141 --> 00:21:30.011
  • Storms came and the floods came and beat on that house, and
  • 00:21:30.011 --> 00:21:33.115
  • It fell.'"
  • 00:21:33.115 --> 00:21:34.483
  • See, it's all about listening, but it's also about doing,
  • 00:21:34.483 --> 00:21:38.954
  • Applying it, obeying, and this is what we see the people
  • 00:21:38.954 --> 00:21:42.991
  • Are doing.
  • 00:21:42.991 --> 00:21:44.326
  • They're applying what they're hearing.
  • 00:21:44.326 --> 00:21:46.361
  • They obey the word of god.
  • 00:21:46.361 --> 00:21:47.696
  • Nehemiah 8:8, they read from the book of the law, and he
  • 00:21:47.696 --> 00:21:50.999
  • Explained that the people understood it.
  • 00:21:50.999 --> 00:21:53.235
  • Then nehemiah and ezra, the high priest and scribe, and the
  • 00:21:53.235 --> 00:21:57.372
  • Levites over there, said this is a sacred day before the lord,
  • 00:21:57.372 --> 00:22:01.476
  • And the people began weeping.
  • 00:22:01.476 --> 00:22:05.213
  • You know, sometimes we need to weep over our sin.
  • 00:22:05.213 --> 00:22:10.485
  • People will say, "oh, i go to church to be lifted up, not to
  • 00:22:10.485 --> 00:22:13.588
  • Be beaten down."
  • 00:22:13.588 --> 00:22:15.490
  • Really, i go to church to hear truth, and sometimes i need to
  • 00:22:15.490 --> 00:22:19.895
  • Be told the truth and it isn't so comfortable.
  • 00:22:19.895 --> 00:22:23.098
  • See, my job as a pastor is to comfort the afflicted, but it's
  • 00:22:23.098 --> 00:22:26.902
  • Also to afflict the comfortable.
  • 00:22:26.902 --> 00:22:30.572
  • It's like going to a doctor.
  • 00:22:30.572 --> 00:22:31.940
  • It'd be like saying, "i want a doctor that will only give me
  • 00:22:31.940 --> 00:22:34.609
  • Good news.
  • 00:22:34.609 --> 00:22:36.111
  • He'll never tell me anything negative."
  • 00:22:36.111 --> 00:22:39.047
  • Well, if that doctor won't tell you the truth, he's not
  • 00:22:39.047 --> 00:22:42.417
  • Following his hippocratic oath, which is to do no harm.
  • 00:22:42.417 --> 00:22:46.021
  • He has to tell you, and it's hard, 'cause i have friends who
  • 00:22:46.021 --> 00:22:48.323
  • Are doctors, and i've talked with them about how difficult it
  • 00:22:48.323 --> 00:22:52.394
  • Must be to give someone bad news, to say, "i'm sorry to tell
  • 00:22:52.394 --> 00:22:56.932
  • You you have cancer," or, "i'm sorry to tell you you have this
  • 00:22:56.932 --> 00:23:00.836
  • Condition," but how wonderful it must be to come with good news,
  • 00:23:00.836 --> 00:23:04.072
  • "but there's this treatment," or, "this is the thing you need
  • 00:23:04.072 --> 00:23:07.676
  • To do next," and this is what a doctor has to do.
  • 00:23:07.676 --> 00:23:10.879
  • They're there to help you be restored to health, and the same
  • 00:23:10.879 --> 00:23:14.916
  • Is true of a preacher, but really the same is true of
  • 00:23:14.916 --> 00:23:17.018
  • A christian.
  • 00:23:17.018 --> 00:23:18.420
  • We wanna help people hear the truth, and some people need to
  • 00:23:18.420 --> 00:23:21.556
  • Be sad before they can be happy, and by sad i mean they need to
  • 00:23:21.556 --> 00:23:25.694
  • See their sinful condition, be sorry for it, and mourn over it
  • 00:23:25.694 --> 00:23:29.865
  • Or cry over it.
  • 00:23:29.865 --> 00:23:31.199
  • Jesus said, "'blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
  • 00:23:31.199 --> 00:23:34.269
  • Comforted,'" or another way you could translate it is, "'blessed
  • 00:23:34.269 --> 00:23:38.373
  • Are the sad, for they will be happy.'"
  • 00:23:38.373 --> 00:23:40.942
  • So sometimes you have to be sad before you can be happy, and
  • 00:23:40.942 --> 00:23:44.246
  • Hear the truth and deal with the problem, and then ask god to
  • 00:23:44.246 --> 00:23:48.316
  • Forgive you of your sin.
  • 00:23:48.316 --> 00:23:51.753
  • So they are crying over their sin, but after they cry over
  • 00:23:51.753 --> 00:23:55.824
  • Their sin, then they begin to rejoice because god has forgiven
  • 00:23:55.824 --> 00:24:00.629
  • Them, and that's a great thing that comes.
  • 00:24:00.629 --> 00:24:04.165
  • Verse 9, he says, "don't weep on a day like this.
  • 00:24:04.165 --> 00:24:06.601
  • It's a sacred day before the lord," and they went away to eat
  • 00:24:06.601 --> 00:24:09.905
  • And drink, and they were have a festive meal, and share gifts of
  • 00:24:09.905 --> 00:24:13.375
  • Food, and celebrate with great joy.
  • 00:24:13.375 --> 00:24:15.944
  • So now the prophet says, "okay, enough crying.
  • 00:24:15.944 --> 00:24:17.913
  • You've cried already.
  • 00:24:17.913 --> 00:24:19.514
  • God forgave you, stop.
  • 00:24:19.514 --> 00:24:22.817
  • Now let's rejoice.
  • 00:24:22.817 --> 00:24:24.619
  • Let's have a meal together," and it's funny because over in
  • 00:24:24.619 --> 00:24:27.722
  • Nehemiah 8:10, it says go celebrate with festive, rich
  • 00:24:27.722 --> 00:24:34.062
  • Foods and sweet drinks.
  • 00:24:34.062 --> 00:24:36.765
  • I don't even know what that means.
  • 00:24:36.765 --> 00:24:38.833
  • Maybe the modern equivalent would be no tofu.
  • 00:24:38.833 --> 00:24:43.405
  • Nothing healthy, let's eat pizza and hamburgers and enchiladas,
  • 00:24:43.405 --> 00:24:50.111
  • And let's drink original coke, no diet coke.
  • 00:24:50.111 --> 00:24:56.918
  • I don't even really like coke personally, but i'm just
  • 00:24:56.918 --> 00:24:59.454
  • Pointing out, let's celebrate.
  • 00:24:59.454 --> 00:25:01.289
  • Let's have a good time.
  • 00:25:01.289 --> 00:25:03.358
  • The result of having your sin forgiven is joy.
  • 00:25:03.358 --> 00:25:07.295
  • The bible says, "blessed," or happy, "is the man whose sin
  • 00:25:07.295 --> 00:25:11.132
  • Is forgiven."
  • 00:25:11.132 --> 00:25:12.467
  • So the people now are rejoicing over the fact that god has
  • 00:25:12.467 --> 00:25:16.438
  • Forgiven them of their sin.
  • 00:25:16.438 --> 00:25:18.873
  • See, doing what god wants you to do is the way to be happy.
  • 00:25:18.873 --> 00:25:23.111
  • I think sometimes we think, oh man, doing the sinful things,
  • 00:25:23.111 --> 00:25:26.014
  • That's where the happiness is.
  • 00:25:26.014 --> 00:25:28.583
  • Now let me say something that might surprise you.
  • 00:25:28.583 --> 00:25:31.319
  • It can be fun to sin.
  • 00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:34.356
  • How many of you have ever sinned?
  • 00:25:34.356 --> 00:25:36.124
  • Raise your hand.
  • 00:25:36.124 --> 00:25:37.492
  • I wanna make sure i'm--wow, you're a wicked bunch of people.
  • 00:25:37.492 --> 00:25:40.829
  • My hand was up too, okay.
  • 00:25:40.829 --> 00:25:42.230
  • How many of you have ever had some fun sinning?
  • 00:25:42.230 --> 00:25:44.599
  • Raise your hand up.
  • 00:25:44.599 --> 00:25:45.967
  • Don't lie.
  • 00:25:45.967 --> 00:25:47.302
  • All of you have, to a certain degree.
  • 00:25:47.302 --> 00:25:49.871
  • Let me define fun.
  • 00:25:49.871 --> 00:25:52.007
  • The bible says there's pleasure in sin for a season.
  • 00:25:52.007 --> 00:25:55.677
  • Oh, this is, you know, forbidden, i shouldn't do this,
  • 00:25:55.677 --> 00:25:58.246
  • Kind of this excitement, but it's very short-lived, and then
  • 00:25:58.246 --> 00:26:02.550
  • The repercussions come, and then the consequences come, sometimes
  • 00:26:02.550 --> 00:26:07.922
  • Consequences that can last for a lifetime because of your
  • 00:26:07.922 --> 00:26:11.926
  • So-called fun.
  • 00:26:11.926 --> 00:26:13.294
  • So we think, oh no, the fun and the happiness in life is in sin,
  • 00:26:13.294 --> 00:26:17.666
  • When in reality it's the opposite.
  • 00:26:17.666 --> 00:26:20.268
  • The fun, if you will, the happiness in life is in
  • 00:26:20.268 --> 00:26:23.938
  • Obedience to god.
  • 00:26:23.938 --> 00:26:25.907
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:26:25.907 --> 00:26:30.445
  • Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie.
  • 00:26:30.445 --> 00:26:31.780
  • I've got some good news for you.
  • 00:26:31.780 --> 00:26:33.214
  • God loves you, and god has a plan for your life.
  • 00:26:33.214 --> 00:26:36.951
  • Here's the problem, we're separated from god by our sin
  • 00:26:36.951 --> 00:26:40.588
  • Because we've all broken his commandments, but the good news
  • 00:26:40.588 --> 00:26:44.225
  • Is, is 2,000 years ago god sent his son jesus christ to die on
  • 00:26:44.225 --> 00:26:49.464
  • The cross for your sin and then to rise again from the dead.
  • 00:26:49.464 --> 00:26:53.535
  • The same jesus who died and rose is alive and ready to come into
  • 00:26:53.535 --> 00:26:57.672
  • Your life right now.
  • 00:26:57.672 --> 00:26:59.407
  • Would you like your sin forgiven?
  • 00:26:59.407 --> 00:27:01.476
  • Would you like to know that when you die you will go to heaven?
  • 00:27:01.476 --> 00:27:04.446
  • If so, pray this simple prayer with me right now.
  • 00:27:04.446 --> 00:27:07.749
  • Just say, lord jesus, i know i'm a sinner, but i believe you're
  • 00:27:07.749 --> 00:27:11.619
  • The savior who died on the cross for my sin.
  • 00:27:11.619 --> 00:27:14.756
  • I turn from my sin now, and i choose to follow you from this
  • 00:27:14.756 --> 00:27:19.094
  • Moment forward.
  • 00:27:19.094 --> 00:27:20.695
  • Did you just pray that prayer with me?
  • 00:27:20.695 --> 00:27:22.630
  • If you did, god in heaven has heard you.
  • 00:27:22.630 --> 00:27:25.900
  • Congratulations, and welcome to the family of god.
  • 00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:29.010