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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie - There's A New Kid In Town

May 12, 2026 | 27:29

Greg Laurie - There's A New Kid In Town
Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
#Prayer #SeekGod #Evangelism #Ministry #Missions #Gospel #LightoftheWorld #Culture #Idols #Idolatry #FalseGods #GregLaurie

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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - There's A New Kid In Town | May 12, 2026
  • ...
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  • Greg laurie: you know, some christians today are more
  • 00:00:04.336 --> 00:00:05.771
  • Interested in protesting than praying, quicker to boycott than
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  • To understand god can literally change things through prayer.
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  • When is the last time you prayed about the problems
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  • Plaguing our culture and society today?
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  • Greg: welcome to "harvest with greg laurie."
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  • This tv show is all about helping you get to know god
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  • Better because god loves you and god has a plan for you
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  • And god wants to transform your life.
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  • And he's told us everything you need to know about
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  • Him and life in general in this book,
  • 00:00:39.338 --> 00:00:42.307
  • The bible, the user's manual of life.
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  • So we're gonna be talking about what the bible says
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  • And what god wants to do in your life.
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  • Again, welcome, and god bless you.
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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: elijah the prophet.
  • 00:01:15.908 --> 00:01:18.077
  • Now, what do you think of when that name pops into your head?
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  • Elijah.
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  • Well, he was a miracle-working prophet, wasn't he?
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  • He raised the child from the dead.
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  • He stormed boldly into the court of the wicked
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  • King ahab and his wife jezebel and said, "it
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  • Will not rain but according to my word."
  • 00:01:36.395 --> 00:01:39.098
  • And of course, we can't forget elijah praying and fire coming
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  • Down from heaven up on mount carmel.
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  • Great guy to have around at a barbecue, by the way.
  • 00:01:46.438 --> 00:01:49.842
  • And not only that but elijah didn't
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  • Even die like a normal person.
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  • He was caught up into heaven in a chariot of fire, and if that's
  • 00:01:53.745 --> 00:01:57.916
  • Not enough, he shows up in the new testament in the
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  • Transfiguration with jesus and moses.
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  • So that's what we think of when we think of elijah.
  • 00:02:05.023 --> 00:02:07.693
  • But we should also think about his humanity, his deep
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  • Depression and discouragement when things did not work out.
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  • He experienced intense fear and loneliness, at times
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  • He doubted the faithfulness of god.
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  • He allowed his anger to distort his thinking, and he experienced
  • 00:02:23.275 --> 00:02:27.613
  • Such dark depression on one particular day he wanted to die.
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  • Who was this guy, elijah?
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  • Simple answer, he was a man just like you.
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  • James 5:17 says, "elijah was a man just like us," or
  • 00:02:38.590 --> 00:02:42.628
  • As another translation puts it, "elijah was as
  • 00:02:42.628 --> 00:02:45.631
  • Human as we are," and it's so true.
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  • Elijah came at a very dark time in the history of israel, but
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  • God used this one man to change history and cause
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  • Israel to turn back to god, and it shows how one man
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  • Or one woman can make all the difference.
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  • It was dark then, and it's dark now, isn't it?
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  • In our culture today we have so many
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  • Problems in our world, in our nation.
  • 00:03:10.489 --> 00:03:14.193
  • Racial and political divides are raging, violent crime is off the
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  • Charts and on the streets, the family is under attack.
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  • Many not only want to redefine the family, they wanna even
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  • Redefine what a man and a woman are.
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  • It reminds us of the passage that says, "in the last days
  • 00:03:29.174 --> 00:03:32.077
  • Things will go from bad to worse."
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  • Listen, if you have a constant diet of news,
  • 00:03:34.246 --> 00:03:38.684
  • You're gonna be an agitated, upset, unhappy,
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  • And probably pretty depressed person.
  • 00:03:43.222 --> 00:03:46.258
  • In fact, you can become so distraught you
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  • Might say, "there's just no hope.
  • 00:03:48.493 --> 00:03:50.462
  • There's just no hope," but there's always hope.
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  • And the reason there's always hope is because god is here.
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  • And just as god turned israel around, god could
  • 00:03:57.436 --> 00:04:00.572
  • Turn america around, so we need to pray for a
  • 00:04:00.572 --> 00:04:03.709
  • Spiritual revival, a spiritual awakening.
  • 00:04:03.709 --> 00:04:07.012
  • But listen to this, revival is what god does for us, but
  • 00:04:07.012 --> 00:04:10.782
  • Evangelism is what we do for god.
  • 00:04:10.782 --> 00:04:14.186
  • I can't make a revival happen, you can't either.
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  • We can pray for one.
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  • We can prepare the ground.
  • 00:04:18.290 --> 00:04:20.058
  • Maybe i should say we can pre-prayer the ground,
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  • Pre-prayer, if you will, our hearts.
  • 00:04:23.996 --> 00:04:27.366
  • But having said that, evangelism is something that i and you can
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  • Do and here at harvest we take the great commission seriously.
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  • Jesus has called us to be both salt and light in the culture.
  • 00:04:35.474 --> 00:04:39.478
  • He said, "you are the salt of the earth," but if salt
  • 00:04:39.478 --> 00:04:42.314
  • Has lost its saltiness, what good is it?
  • 00:04:42.314 --> 00:04:45.917
  • It's like a decaf oat milk lavender latte.
  • 00:04:45.917 --> 00:04:53.458
  • If you're gonna order a decaf oat milk lavender latte,
  • 00:04:53.458 --> 00:04:58.030
  • Why don't you just add the word worthless
  • 00:04:58.030 --> 00:04:59.898
  • As well, and then i'm with you.
  • 00:04:59.898 --> 00:05:02.167
  • Or it's like a coke that's lost its
  • 00:05:02.167 --> 00:05:04.469
  • Carbonation, that's gone flat.
  • 00:05:04.469 --> 00:05:06.738
  • An unsalty christian who doesn't make a difference, so salt had
  • 00:05:06.738 --> 00:05:10.609
  • Two purposes back in the first century, number one,
  • 00:05:10.609 --> 00:05:13.679
  • It stopped the rotting of the meat.
  • 00:05:13.679 --> 00:05:16.248
  • They would rub it into the meat to preserve it, so it preserved.
  • 00:05:16.248 --> 00:05:20.519
  • And the other thing salt does is stimulate thirst, so in the
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  • Culture today i'm here to stop the spread of corruption which
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  • Means i speak up for what is true, i speak out against what
  • 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:31.229
  • Is wrong, and i'm also hopefully, by the way that i'm
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  • Living, stimulating in others a thirst for god.
  • 00:05:34.232 --> 00:05:38.537
  • Hopefully, there's something in my life, in your life, in our
  • 00:05:38.537 --> 00:05:42.074
  • Lives, that a non-believer would see and say, "i want what they
  • 00:05:42.074 --> 00:05:46.244
  • Have," and secondly, we're to be light.
  • 00:05:46.244 --> 00:05:49.381
  • Jesus said, "let your light so shine before men that they may
  • 00:05:49.381 --> 00:05:52.451
  • See your good works and give glory to your father in heaven.
  • 00:05:52.451 --> 00:05:57.089
  • So i'm there to do good works, obviously,
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  • But to also proclaim the gospel.
  • 00:05:59.191 --> 00:06:02.327
  • But this is not happening in many cases.
  • 00:06:02.327 --> 00:06:04.730
  • And in israel's history, they were going from bad to worse and
  • 00:06:04.730 --> 00:06:09.067
  • Things were getting dark, and it parallels our time today.
  • 00:06:09.067 --> 00:06:13.538
  • They had turned to other gods.
  • 00:06:13.538 --> 00:06:15.707
  • It's not that they disavowed the true god, the lord god,
  • 00:06:15.707 --> 00:06:19.745
  • But they wanted some other gods as well.
  • 00:06:19.745 --> 00:06:21.980
  • They sort of wanted to have their cake and eat it too.
  • 00:06:21.980 --> 00:06:25.050
  • By the way, what does that even mean?
  • 00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:26.885
  • You can't have your cake and eat it too.
  • 00:06:26.885 --> 00:06:29.121
  • I've had cake, and i've eaten it.
  • 00:06:29.121 --> 00:06:32.924
  • But you know, sort of the idea of, you know, you can't do both.
  • 00:06:32.924 --> 00:06:35.427
  • You can't live in two worlds and that's what they were doing.
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  • They had abandoned god.
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  • And if you abandon god, a moral
  • 00:06:40.165 --> 00:06:42.534
  • Breakdown will inevitably happen.
  • 00:06:42.534 --> 00:06:45.270
  • G.k. chesterton said, quote, "when a man stops
  • 00:06:45.270 --> 00:06:48.673
  • Believing in god, he doesn't then believe in nothing.
  • 00:06:48.673 --> 00:06:52.677
  • He believes in everything and anything," end quote.
  • 00:06:52.677 --> 00:06:56.882
  • And that's what we have today in america.
  • 00:06:56.882 --> 00:06:58.917
  • I would call it an abc culture.
  • 00:06:58.917 --> 00:07:02.087
  • Abc, anything but christ.
  • 00:07:02.087 --> 00:07:05.590
  • "oh, i'll look at that philosophy.
  • 00:07:05.590 --> 00:07:07.292
  • I'll entertain this idea.
  • 00:07:07.292 --> 00:07:09.795
  • I'll look into this other thing, but jesus christ,
  • 00:07:09.795 --> 00:07:12.030
  • Don't talk to me about him.
  • 00:07:12.030 --> 00:07:13.765
  • Don't open the bible near me."
  • 00:07:13.765 --> 00:07:15.333
  • It's a complete intolerance, and we have this moral breakdown.
  • 00:07:15.333 --> 00:07:19.371
  • You cannot have morality without spirituality.
  • 00:07:19.371 --> 00:07:22.874
  • And when i use the word spirituality,
  • 00:07:22.874 --> 00:07:25.444
  • I mean without faith in god himself.
  • 00:07:25.444 --> 00:07:28.780
  • So they failed to do this, and their troubles began.
  • 00:07:28.780 --> 00:07:32.017
  • But let's not be too quick to judge them
  • 00:07:32.017 --> 00:07:34.519
  • Because of their idolatry, for we too have our
  • 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:37.823
  • Idols, and i'll talk about that later.
  • 00:07:37.823 --> 00:07:41.026
  • But an idol is anyone or anything that
  • 00:07:41.026 --> 00:07:43.795
  • Takes the place of god in your life.
  • 00:07:43.795 --> 00:07:46.798
  • Whatever fires you up, whatever you're the most
  • 00:07:46.798 --> 00:07:49.301
  • Passionate about, that potentially is your
  • 00:07:49.301 --> 00:07:51.803
  • Idol or your god with a small g.
  • 00:07:51.803 --> 00:07:55.574
  • So a little historical background before we dive in.
  • 00:07:55.574 --> 00:07:59.311
  • In the history of israel, they had been ruled by three kings,
  • 00:07:59.311 --> 00:08:03.215
  • King saul, king david, and king solomon.
  • 00:08:03.215 --> 00:08:06.585
  • Now, every one of these kings had their flaws.
  • 00:08:06.585 --> 00:08:08.854
  • David was the greatest of the three.
  • 00:08:08.854 --> 00:08:12.224
  • Saul had his moments where he ruled quite well,
  • 00:08:12.224 --> 00:08:14.392
  • Then he did some horrible things.
  • 00:08:14.392 --> 00:08:15.894
  • He was rejected, replaced by david.
  • 00:08:15.894 --> 00:08:18.396
  • Solomon had a great beginning.
  • 00:08:18.396 --> 00:08:20.532
  • He was so known for his wisdom, people came from around the
  • 00:08:20.532 --> 00:08:23.101
  • World to listen to him including the queen of sheba, but then he
  • 00:08:23.101 --> 00:08:27.205
  • Lapsed and fell into sin, but these three kings
  • 00:08:27.205 --> 00:08:30.375
  • Ruled over israel, but then after the death of
  • 00:08:30.375 --> 00:08:33.845
  • Solomon, there was a division in the nation.
  • 00:08:33.845 --> 00:08:36.915
  • They had their own civil war, if you will, and two kingdoms came
  • 00:08:36.915 --> 00:08:40.585
  • As a result, the northern kingdom and the southern
  • 00:08:40.585 --> 00:08:43.021
  • Kingdom, and idolatry permeated everything.
  • 00:08:43.021 --> 00:08:46.625
  • So now there's a new king in town, and his name is ahab.
  • 00:08:46.625 --> 00:08:51.563
  • He married an extremely wicked woman named jezebel who,
  • 00:08:51.563 --> 00:08:55.634
  • Effectively, was the power behind the throne.
  • 00:08:55.634 --> 00:08:58.637
  • Jezebel was a full-tilt idol worshiper and she
  • 00:08:58.637 --> 00:09:02.073
  • Introduced baal worship to israel.
  • 00:09:02.073 --> 00:09:05.610
  • Now, baal was a god that represented the elements.
  • 00:09:05.610 --> 00:09:11.082
  • He was the god of the sun, of the stars, of the wind, of the
  • 00:09:11.082 --> 00:09:15.387
  • Rain, the god of all of those things.
  • 00:09:15.387 --> 00:09:18.690
  • And his very name meant master or lord.
  • 00:09:18.690 --> 00:09:22.160
  • That's why it's interesting when there was a contest between
  • 00:09:22.160 --> 00:09:24.896
  • Elijah the prophet and the prophets of baal.
  • 00:09:24.896 --> 00:09:28.233
  • He said, "hey, let's call out to god and the god
  • 00:09:28.233 --> 00:09:31.403
  • That answers by fire, that's the true god."
  • 00:09:31.403 --> 00:09:34.639
  • That should have been a piece of cake for baal.
  • 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:36.741
  • He's the fire god.
  • 00:09:36.741 --> 00:09:38.510
  • Now, he--they couldn't pull it off because baal is not real.
  • 00:09:38.510 --> 00:09:41.947
  • He was a non-existent god.
  • 00:09:41.947 --> 00:09:43.815
  • But baal was the god they were now worshiping and actually,
  • 00:09:43.815 --> 00:09:47.919
  • As part of baal worship, it required the
  • 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:51.022
  • Sacrifice of your firstborn male child.
  • 00:09:51.022 --> 00:09:55.060
  • So this is how wicked things had become.
  • 00:09:55.060 --> 00:09:57.796
  • And then, jezebel also introduced the worship of
  • 00:09:57.796 --> 00:10:01.099
  • Ashtoreth, who was the goddess of sex and violence.
  • 00:10:01.099 --> 00:10:05.403
  • So the people are living immoral lives with impunity, thinking
  • 00:10:05.403 --> 00:10:09.674
  • They'll never face the repercussions for it.
  • 00:10:09.674 --> 00:10:12.344
  • It was so bad that god said in 1 kings 16:33, "ahab did more to
  • 00:10:12.344 --> 00:10:17.983
  • Provoke the lord god of israel to anger than all
  • 00:10:17.983 --> 00:10:20.986
  • The kings of israel that were before him."
  • 00:10:20.986 --> 00:10:24.522
  • We say, "well, this is horrible," but wait a second, do
  • 00:10:24.522 --> 00:10:26.391
  • We not still bow at the altars of sex and violence?
  • 00:10:26.391 --> 00:10:30.862
  • Have you watched tv lately?
  • 00:10:30.862 --> 00:10:32.330
  • Have you seen a movie recently?
  • 00:10:32.330 --> 00:10:34.099
  • Have you listened to a lot of the popular music?
  • 00:10:34.099 --> 00:10:36.735
  • And offering our children to a god, what do you call the murder
  • 00:10:36.735 --> 00:10:41.973
  • Of innocent children in the name of reproductive rights?
  • 00:10:41.973 --> 00:10:45.343
  • It's effectively the same thing.
  • 00:10:45.343 --> 00:10:47.779
  • People think they can break the laws of god and
  • 00:10:47.779 --> 00:10:50.515
  • Not face the consequences, but god gives us
  • 00:10:50.515 --> 00:10:53.218
  • This warning, "don't be deceived.
  • 00:10:53.218 --> 00:10:54.886
  • God is not mocked.
  • 00:10:54.886 --> 00:10:56.221
  • Whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap."
  • 00:10:56.221 --> 00:11:00.525
  • The boy king belshazzar who ruled
  • 00:11:00.525 --> 00:11:03.228
  • Babylon found this out the hard way.
  • 00:11:03.228 --> 00:11:05.897
  • One day, he decided to go out of his
  • 00:11:05.897 --> 00:11:07.565
  • Way to mock and ridicule god.
  • 00:11:07.565 --> 00:11:09.834
  • He called for the special instruments and vessels used by
  • 00:11:09.834 --> 00:11:13.038
  • The jews in their worship of the lord to be taken and filled with
  • 00:11:13.038 --> 00:11:16.574
  • Wine and they toasted and prayed to their false gods,
  • 00:11:16.574 --> 00:11:20.945
  • Effectively thumbing their nose at the lord.
  • 00:11:20.945 --> 00:11:24.115
  • And the lord responded, because belshazzar looked
  • 00:11:24.115 --> 00:11:27.052
  • Over on the wall and he saw a hand, just a
  • 00:11:27.052 --> 00:11:29.187
  • Hand, writing something on the wall.
  • 00:11:29.187 --> 00:11:32.757
  • What did this heavenly graffiti say?
  • 00:11:32.757 --> 00:11:35.360
  • It said, "your number's up, buddy.
  • 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.296
  • Party's over.
  • 00:11:38.296 --> 00:11:39.831
  • You've been weighed in god's balances
  • 00:11:39.831 --> 00:11:41.533
  • And you've been found lacking."
  • 00:11:41.533 --> 00:11:43.334
  • So we think, "oh, well, i've done this sin
  • 00:11:43.334 --> 00:11:45.203
  • For years, i've gotten away with it.
  • 00:11:45.203 --> 00:11:47.706
  • Nothing really bad has happened.
  • 00:11:47.706 --> 00:11:49.107
  • I think i can always get away with it."
  • 00:11:49.107 --> 00:11:51.443
  • And this is what's happening now to israel.
  • 00:11:51.443 --> 00:11:54.145
  • Funny thing, ahab later describes
  • 00:11:54.145 --> 00:11:57.515
  • Elijah as the one who troubles israel.
  • 00:11:57.515 --> 00:12:01.252
  • "this is your fault, elijah, we have
  • 00:12:01.252 --> 00:12:03.188
  • This drought, we have these problems.
  • 00:12:03.188 --> 00:12:05.023
  • You brought it on us," and elijah's response was,
  • 00:12:05.023 --> 00:12:08.493
  • "i'm not the one who troubles israel.
  • 00:12:08.493 --> 00:12:10.328
  • You're the one who troubles israel."
  • 00:12:10.328 --> 00:12:13.331
  • In the same way, we often blame god
  • 00:12:13.331 --> 00:12:15.333
  • For what we bring upon ourselves.
  • 00:12:15.333 --> 00:12:18.536
  • So, god brought elijah into the scene to be a blazing light.
  • 00:12:18.536 --> 00:12:23.074
  • God always has his right man or his
  • 00:12:23.074 --> 00:12:25.276
  • Right woman at the right time.
  • 00:12:25.276 --> 00:12:27.612
  • When the people were rebelling against god,
  • 00:12:27.612 --> 00:12:29.814
  • The lord said, "send enoch and noah."
  • 00:12:29.814 --> 00:12:33.418
  • When the people were in slavery, god sent moses.
  • 00:12:33.418 --> 00:12:36.755
  • When the very survival of israel was
  • 00:12:36.755 --> 00:12:38.423
  • At stake, the lord sent esther.
  • 00:12:38.423 --> 00:12:40.892
  • And what do these people all have in common?
  • 00:12:40.892 --> 00:12:43.128
  • Answer, they were imperfect people serving a perfect god.
  • 00:12:43.128 --> 00:12:47.766
  • Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
  • 00:12:47.766 --> 00:12:50.769
  • Again, elijah was a man just like you.
  • 00:12:50.769 --> 00:12:55.373
  • He was a ordinary human being, but he took his stand.
  • 00:12:55.373 --> 00:13:00.512
  • Greg: have you ever heard the phrase, "the fear of the lord"?
  • 00:13:04.716 --> 00:13:07.018
  • You know, the bible tells us the fear
  • 00:13:07.018 --> 00:13:08.553
  • Of god is the beginning of wisdom.
  • 00:13:08.553 --> 00:13:10.989
  • But what does that mean?
  • 00:13:10.989 --> 00:13:12.323
  • Does that mean that we walk around cowering in
  • 00:13:12.323 --> 00:13:13.958
  • Fear that the lord's gonna hit us or hurt us?
  • 00:13:13.958 --> 00:13:16.327
  • No, take the word fear and replace it with another word
  • 00:13:16.327 --> 00:13:19.764
  • Like respect or honor or reverence.
  • 00:13:19.764 --> 00:13:22.834
  • We are to reverence the lord, respect
  • 00:13:22.834 --> 00:13:25.103
  • The lord, honor the lord.
  • 00:13:25.103 --> 00:13:26.604
  • One good definition i heard of the phrase "fear of the lord"
  • 00:13:26.604 --> 00:13:29.207
  • Is a wholesome dread of displeasing him.
  • 00:13:29.207 --> 00:13:32.210
  • So it's not i'm afraid of repercussions,
  • 00:13:32.210 --> 00:13:35.046
  • But i honor, respect, and reverence the lord.
  • 00:13:35.046 --> 00:13:38.149
  • So, listen, walk in the fear of the lord and the reverence of
  • 00:13:38.149 --> 00:13:41.219
  • The lord today and remember, he loves you.
  • 00:13:41.219 --> 00:13:44.189
  • Greg: so here's the story now.
  • 00:13:45.757 --> 00:13:47.091
  • Turn in your bibles to 1 kings 17,
  • 00:13:47.091 --> 00:13:49.761
  • And i'm just gonna read one verse.
  • 00:13:49.761 --> 00:13:51.196
  • This is a power-packed verse.
  • 00:13:51.196 --> 00:13:53.698
  • "elijah the tishbite, of the inhabitants of
  • 00:13:53.698 --> 00:13:57.001
  • Gilead, said to ahab, 'as the lord god of israel lives,
  • 00:13:57.001 --> 00:14:02.006
  • Before whom i stand, there will not be dew nor
  • 00:14:02.006 --> 00:14:05.743
  • Rain these years, except at my word.'"
  • 00:14:05.743 --> 00:14:09.314
  • I'll stop right there.
  • 00:14:09.314 --> 00:14:10.648
  • Elijah flung down the gauntlet of his challenge
  • 00:14:10.648 --> 00:14:13.384
  • At the very nerve center of israel.
  • 00:14:13.384 --> 00:14:16.521
  • There was a new kid in town.
  • 00:14:16.521 --> 00:14:19.324
  • You wonder what they were thinking.
  • 00:14:19.324 --> 00:14:21.092
  • I mean, here are the king and the queen, sitting on their
  • 00:14:21.092 --> 00:14:23.595
  • Regal thrones, dressed in their royal robes, and
  • 00:14:23.595 --> 00:14:27.298
  • In comes this outback guy, you know?
  • 00:14:27.298 --> 00:14:30.802
  • All hairy and crazy-looking.
  • 00:14:30.802 --> 00:14:33.304
  • He makes his pronouncements and walks out and someone probably
  • 00:14:33.304 --> 00:14:35.840
  • Said, "how did he get through security?"
  • 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:39.043
  • But that was the way elijah rolled.
  • 00:14:39.043 --> 00:14:41.746
  • In fact, his very name really describes
  • 00:14:41.746 --> 00:14:44.716
  • His mission and purpose.
  • 00:14:44.716 --> 00:14:46.451
  • The name elijah means my god is jehovah or the lord is my god.
  • 00:14:46.451 --> 00:14:52.924
  • His very name was a rebuke to ahab and jezebel.
  • 00:14:52.924 --> 00:14:56.895
  • He is effectively saying, "listen, your god
  • 00:14:56.895 --> 00:14:59.364
  • May be baal, but my god is the lord.
  • 00:14:59.364 --> 00:15:03.568
  • As the lord lives before whom i stand, your god is not alive.
  • 00:15:03.568 --> 00:15:08.439
  • My god is."
  • 00:15:08.439 --> 00:15:10.475
  • Now, where he came from is of note.
  • 00:15:10.475 --> 00:15:13.211
  • The bible says he was a tishbite from gilead.
  • 00:15:13.211 --> 00:15:15.780
  • That means nothing to us. what's a tishbite?
  • 00:15:15.780 --> 00:15:17.849
  • Where's gilead?
  • 00:15:17.849 --> 00:15:19.417
  • But actually, gilead was east of the jordan river.
  • 00:15:19.417 --> 00:15:23.688
  • The people that lived there were kind of roughhewn,
  • 00:15:23.688 --> 00:15:26.090
  • Tanned from the sun, tough people.
  • 00:15:26.090 --> 00:15:28.359
  • Sort of like the australian outback.
  • 00:15:28.359 --> 00:15:31.162
  • So elijah walked into the court
  • 00:15:31.162 --> 00:15:33.364
  • And he said, "that's not a knife.
  • 00:15:33.364 --> 00:15:35.366
  • This is a knife."
  • 00:15:35.366 --> 00:15:37.702
  • That was my "crocodile dundee"--how many of you
  • 00:15:37.702 --> 00:15:40.071
  • Remember "crocodile dundee"?
  • 00:15:40.071 --> 00:15:42.674
  • Whatever, okay, but kind of get the picture of just sort of a
  • 00:15:42.674 --> 00:15:46.411
  • Little bit of a wild man, walking into this place of
  • 00:15:46.411 --> 00:15:50.281
  • Culture, and he just lays down this message.
  • 00:15:50.281 --> 00:15:53.952
  • Where did he get this boldness, 'cause as we explore his life,
  • 00:15:53.952 --> 00:15:58.356
  • You know, he was not some kind of a superhero.
  • 00:15:58.356 --> 00:16:01.826
  • He didn't wear a cape.
  • 00:16:01.826 --> 00:16:03.528
  • He was just like you.
  • 00:16:03.528 --> 00:16:05.229
  • He had his emotional ups and his emotional downs.
  • 00:16:05.229 --> 00:16:08.433
  • So where did he get the chutzpah,
  • 00:16:08.433 --> 00:16:10.835
  • If you will, or the courage to do this?
  • 00:16:10.835 --> 00:16:13.838
  • I'm gonna give you four principles of elijah's life.
  • 00:16:13.838 --> 00:16:16.708
  • Number one, elijah stood continually
  • 00:16:16.708 --> 00:16:20.044
  • In the presence of god.
  • 00:16:20.044 --> 00:16:22.480
  • Elijah stood continually in the presence of god.
  • 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.950
  • What does he say, verse 1?
  • 00:16:25.950 --> 00:16:27.452
  • "as the lord god of israel lives, before whom i stand."
  • 00:16:27.452 --> 00:16:33.391
  • What does that mean?
  • 00:16:33.391 --> 00:16:34.726
  • It means that he understood wherever
  • 00:16:34.726 --> 00:16:36.494
  • He went, the lord was with him.
  • 00:16:36.494 --> 00:16:39.697
  • Whatever place he was in, god was there.
  • 00:16:39.697 --> 00:16:42.300
  • He was not alone.
  • 00:16:42.300 --> 00:16:43.801
  • You know, psalm 91 says, "he that dwells in the
  • 00:16:43.801 --> 00:16:46.104
  • Secret place of the most high shall abide
  • 00:16:46.104 --> 00:16:49.107
  • Under the shadow of the almighty."
  • 00:16:49.107 --> 00:16:52.610
  • You have to walk pretty closely to
  • 00:16:52.610 --> 00:16:54.045
  • Someone to stand in their shadow.
  • 00:16:54.045 --> 00:16:56.180
  • You ever tried to do that?
  • 00:16:56.180 --> 00:16:57.849
  • And that meant that he was always seeking to be close to
  • 00:16:57.849 --> 00:17:00.651
  • The lord, walking closely with the lord.
  • 00:17:00.651 --> 00:17:03.755
  • And listen, when you stand in the presence
  • 00:17:03.755 --> 00:17:05.623
  • Of god, you will not bow before any man.
  • 00:17:05.623 --> 00:17:09.027
  • That's where he got the courage.
  • 00:17:09.027 --> 00:17:10.995
  • Proverbs 28:1 says, "the righteous
  • 00:17:10.995 --> 00:17:13.631
  • Are as bold as a lion."
  • 00:17:13.631 --> 00:17:15.800
  • And we need to remember that wherever we go or to whomever we
  • 00:17:15.800 --> 00:17:19.170
  • Speak, wherever it is, god is with us.
  • 00:17:19.170 --> 00:17:23.174
  • It's true, elijah was just one person,
  • 00:17:23.174 --> 00:17:25.443
  • But he was one person with god.
  • 00:17:25.443 --> 00:17:28.479
  • Do you ever feel that way?
  • 00:17:28.479 --> 00:17:30.181
  • Like you're the only person who believes?
  • 00:17:30.181 --> 00:17:32.817
  • Maybe you're the only believer in your family, the only
  • 00:17:32.817 --> 00:17:36.254
  • Believer in your neighborhood, the only christian in your
  • 00:17:36.254 --> 00:17:39.891
  • Classroom, the only follower of jesus among your group of
  • 00:17:39.891 --> 00:17:44.896
  • Friends, and you feel just out there all alone.
  • 00:17:44.896 --> 00:17:47.698
  • Well, maybe you are, but one person can make
  • 00:17:47.698 --> 00:17:50.601
  • The difference, and elijah was that one person.
  • 00:17:50.601 --> 00:17:53.871
  • And god is looking for people like this today.
  • 00:17:53.871 --> 00:17:56.841
  • He's looking for ordinary people to use to
  • 00:17:56.841 --> 00:17:59.911
  • Make a difference, to shine their light.
  • 00:17:59.911 --> 00:18:01.679
  • Ezekiel 22:30 says, "i sought for a man among them who would
  • 00:18:01.679 --> 00:18:06.384
  • Make a wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf
  • 00:18:06.384 --> 00:18:09.487
  • Of the land so i should not destroy it."
  • 00:18:09.487 --> 00:18:11.689
  • But the lord says, "but i couldn't find anyone."
  • 00:18:11.689 --> 00:18:15.193
  • Chuck swindoll in his commentary on the life of elijah made this
  • 00:18:15.193 --> 00:18:19.230
  • Statement, and i quote, "those who find comfort
  • 00:18:19.230 --> 00:18:22.100
  • In the court of ahab can never bring themselves
  • 00:18:22.100 --> 00:18:25.169
  • To stand in the gap with elijah," end quote.
  • 00:18:25.169 --> 00:18:27.905
  • Very true.
  • 00:18:27.905 --> 00:18:29.240
  • Elijah stood continually in god's presence.
  • 00:18:29.240 --> 00:18:32.176
  • He was always aware that the lord was with him.
  • 00:18:32.176 --> 00:18:35.046
  • Number two, elijah was a man of prayer.
  • 00:18:35.046 --> 00:18:38.583
  • Elijah was a man of prayer.
  • 00:18:38.583 --> 00:18:40.084
  • James 5:17 says, "elijah was a man just like us.
  • 00:18:40.084 --> 00:18:43.554
  • He prayed earnestly that it would not rain,
  • 00:18:43.554 --> 00:18:45.823
  • And it did not rain on the land for 3½ years."
  • 00:18:45.823 --> 00:18:48.559
  • Again, he prayed and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced
  • 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:52.530
  • Its crop, so it was elijah's prayer in private
  • 00:18:52.530 --> 00:18:56.501
  • That was the source of his power in public.
  • 00:18:56.501 --> 00:18:59.470
  • And i wonder if you are a person of prayer.
  • 00:18:59.470 --> 00:19:02.607
  • This verse that says he prayed earnestly
  • 00:19:02.607 --> 00:19:05.209
  • Means that he prayed with passion.
  • 00:19:05.209 --> 00:19:08.112
  • The hebrew word means he prayed with prayer.
  • 00:19:08.112 --> 00:19:12.416
  • It's not even the words he prayed.
  • 00:19:12.416 --> 00:19:15.253
  • It was the way he prayed.
  • 00:19:15.253 --> 00:19:17.355
  • It was the intensity of his prayer.
  • 00:19:17.355 --> 00:19:21.159
  • It was the idea that i'm--i am really not
  • 00:19:21.159 --> 00:19:23.661
  • Gonna take no for an answer here.
  • 00:19:23.661 --> 00:19:25.796
  • I'm gonna press in to the throne of god.
  • 00:19:25.796 --> 00:19:29.200
  • There was an indication of his intensity in his physical
  • 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:32.803
  • Posture, and i think one of the reasons there's no power in our
  • 00:19:32.803 --> 00:19:37.208
  • Prayers is because there's no heart in them.
  • 00:19:37.208 --> 00:19:41.245
  • You know, some christians today are more interested in
  • 00:19:41.245 --> 00:19:43.748
  • Protesting than praying, quicker to boycott than to understand
  • 00:19:43.748 --> 00:19:48.586
  • God can literally change things through prayer.
  • 00:19:48.586 --> 00:19:51.956
  • When is the last time you prayed about the problems
  • 00:19:51.956 --> 00:19:54.525
  • Plaguing our culture and society today?
  • 00:19:54.525 --> 00:19:57.862
  • If you see it on the news, now don't
  • 00:19:57.862 --> 00:19:59.197
  • Throw up your hands in despair.
  • 00:19:59.197 --> 00:20:00.531
  • Let's pray about this right now.
  • 00:20:00.531 --> 00:20:01.999
  • Let's pray for god to intervene in this situation.
  • 00:20:01.999 --> 00:20:05.736
  • Elijah was a man of prayer.
  • 00:20:05.736 --> 00:20:08.272
  • The third principle in his life causing him to make a difference
  • 00:20:08.272 --> 00:20:11.842
  • Was he knew the power of scripture and he acted on it.
  • 00:20:11.842 --> 00:20:16.380
  • Again, number three, he knew the power
  • 00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:18.516
  • Of scripture and he acted on it.
  • 00:20:18.516 --> 00:20:22.453
  • Now, why did he make this pronouncement to king ahab?
  • 00:20:22.453 --> 00:20:25.489
  • Well, deuteronomy 11:16 says this, "be careful or you'll be
  • 00:20:25.489 --> 00:20:29.560
  • Enticed to turn away and worship other gods," this is a warning
  • 00:20:29.560 --> 00:20:32.430
  • To israel, "and bow down to them.
  • 00:20:32.430 --> 00:20:34.732
  • Then the lord's anger will burn against you and he will shut the
  • 00:20:34.732 --> 00:20:37.635
  • Heaven so it will not rain and the ground will yield no
  • 00:20:37.635 --> 00:20:41.305
  • Produce, and you will soon perish from
  • 00:20:41.305 --> 00:20:43.674
  • The good land the lord is giving you."
  • 00:20:43.674 --> 00:20:46.244
  • Okay, so that's a warning.
  • 00:20:46.244 --> 00:20:47.678
  • God's saying, "listen, you turn
  • 00:20:47.678 --> 00:20:49.480
  • To other gods, it'll stop raining.
  • 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:51.349
  • You won't have food."
  • 00:20:51.349 --> 00:20:52.817
  • And the people had bowed to baal and ashtoreth
  • 00:20:52.817 --> 00:20:55.720
  • And now the drought is coming.
  • 00:20:55.720 --> 00:20:57.688
  • So he delivered that message. that's point number four.
  • 00:20:57.688 --> 00:21:00.391
  • Elijah faithfully delivered the message god gave him to deliver.
  • 00:21:00.391 --> 00:21:05.029
  • He gave that message and that's not an easy message to give, to
  • 00:21:05.029 --> 00:21:08.799
  • Walk in and say, "you're gonna have a drought.
  • 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:11.102
  • People are gonna die.
  • 00:21:11.102 --> 00:21:12.670
  • You've been a great audience.
  • 00:21:12.670 --> 00:21:14.705
  • Goodnight and god bless."
  • 00:21:14.705 --> 00:21:16.040
  • Mic drop, you know?
  • 00:21:16.040 --> 00:21:17.608
  • Who wants to say that?
  • 00:21:17.608 --> 00:21:19.543
  • And in the same way, we as christians love to tell people
  • 00:21:19.543 --> 00:21:22.079
  • That god loves them, and he does.
  • 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:24.615
  • We love to tell people that christ can fill
  • 00:21:24.615 --> 00:21:26.684
  • That void in their life, and he can.
  • 00:21:26.684 --> 00:21:29.186
  • We love to tell them that they can be forgiven of
  • 00:21:29.186 --> 00:21:31.455
  • All of their sins, and that can happen.
  • 00:21:31.455 --> 00:21:34.425
  • We love to tell them that when they die they can go to heaven.
  • 00:21:34.425 --> 00:21:37.094
  • It's all true.
  • 00:21:37.094 --> 00:21:38.963
  • But it's a little harder to say, "by the way, the only way to
  • 00:21:38.963 --> 00:21:41.932
  • Have a relationship with god is through jesus christ because he
  • 00:21:41.932 --> 00:21:46.370
  • Himself said, 'i am the way, the truth, and the life,
  • 00:21:46.370 --> 00:21:49.307
  • And no man comes to the father but by me.'"
  • 00:21:49.307 --> 00:21:52.276
  • See, here's the thing that we need to remember.
  • 00:21:52.276 --> 00:21:54.745
  • We can't offer god's forgiveness without speaking of repentance.
  • 00:21:54.745 --> 00:21:59.350
  • We can't offer the hope of heaven
  • 00:21:59.350 --> 00:22:01.419
  • Without warning about hell.
  • 00:22:01.419 --> 00:22:04.455
  • We can't edit this book.
  • 00:22:04.455 --> 00:22:07.425
  • You've probably heard of jefferson's
  • 00:22:07.425 --> 00:22:08.826
  • Bible, thomas jefferson,
  • 00:22:08.826 --> 00:22:11.362
  • Who was our president, had his own version of the bible.
  • 00:22:11.362 --> 00:22:14.665
  • He basically took a pair of scissors
  • 00:22:14.665 --> 00:22:16.600
  • And cut out all the parts he didn't like.
  • 00:22:16.600 --> 00:22:20.237
  • I think it was primarily the miracles.
  • 00:22:20.237 --> 00:22:22.840
  • And so, it was called jefferson's bible.
  • 00:22:22.840 --> 00:22:24.608
  • Some people wanna do the same thing.
  • 00:22:24.608 --> 00:22:25.976
  • "well, i love this, i love that, i don't really agree with these
  • 00:22:25.976 --> 00:22:28.679
  • Other things, so i'll just edit them out.
  • 00:22:28.679 --> 00:22:30.648
  • No, it's not the way it works.
  • 00:22:30.648 --> 00:22:32.383
  • He faithfully gave this message.
  • 00:22:32.383 --> 00:22:34.985
  • And we need to faithfully give it, but we
  • 00:22:34.985 --> 00:22:37.955
  • Must do it with love and compassion.
  • 00:22:37.955 --> 00:22:41.292
  • You know, i think sometimes we make the mistake of thinking
  • 00:22:41.292 --> 00:22:44.662
  • Non-believers are the enemy, "they're the enemy.
  • 00:22:44.662 --> 00:22:49.367
  • Ah, they voted for that, they're the enemy.
  • 00:22:49.367 --> 00:22:51.569
  • They said that, they're horrible."
  • 00:22:51.569 --> 00:22:53.270
  • Okay, maybe they've done the wrong
  • 00:22:53.270 --> 00:22:55.473
  • Thing, but they're not the enemy.
  • 00:22:55.473 --> 00:22:58.943
  • The enemy is not the non-believer.
  • 00:22:58.943 --> 00:23:01.145
  • The enemy is the devil who's holding
  • 00:23:01.145 --> 00:23:03.714
  • The non-believer in his control.
  • 00:23:03.714 --> 00:23:07.251
  • Paul talked about those who are being
  • 00:23:07.251 --> 00:23:08.753
  • Held captive by satan to do his will.
  • 00:23:08.753 --> 00:23:12.356
  • Newsflash, you used to be one of those people too, and so did i.
  • 00:23:12.356 --> 00:23:17.928
  • But we forget about that. "but they're the enemy."
  • 00:23:17.928 --> 00:23:20.698
  • No, they need to come out from the power of the enemy.
  • 00:23:20.698 --> 00:23:24.802
  • So we need to constantly be looking for ways to build
  • 00:23:24.802 --> 00:23:27.905
  • Bridges to non-believers, and as d.l.
  • 00:23:27.905 --> 00:23:30.074
  • Moody once said, the great evangelist, "when you preach on
  • 00:23:30.074 --> 00:23:33.077
  • Hell, you should always do so with tears in your eyes."
  • 00:23:33.077 --> 00:23:38.015
  • So when you present the gospel to others,
  • 00:23:38.015 --> 00:23:39.917
  • Do it with love and compassion.
  • 00:23:39.917 --> 00:23:41.685
  • Colossians 4:6 says, "be pleasant and hold their
  • 00:23:41.685 --> 00:23:45.423
  • Interest when you speak the message.
  • 00:23:45.423 --> 00:23:47.625
  • Choose your words carefully and be ready to give
  • 00:23:47.625 --> 00:23:49.994
  • Answers to anyone who asks questions."
  • 00:23:49.994 --> 00:23:54.198
  • Greg: maybe god has spoken to your heart
  • 00:23:58.102 --> 00:24:01.272
  • And you have seen your need for jesus christ.
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  • Jesus christ is the son of god who
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  • Came from heaven to this earth.
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  • He was born in a manger.
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  • He died on a cross.
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  • He rose again from the dead. why?
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  • Because he loves you, and he wants a relationship with you.
  • 00:24:15.853 --> 00:24:19.290
  • Listen, i'm not talking about religion.
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  • I don't wanna be a religious person.
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  • I don't think you wanna be one either.
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  • I'm talking about relationship with god.
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  • Jesus, who died and rose again, stands at the door of your life
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  • And he knocks and he says if you'll hear his voice
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  • And open the door, he will come in.
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  • Question, have you asked jesus christ
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  • To come and live inside of you?
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  • You might say, "well, i think so, i'm not sure."
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  • Hey, if someone moved into your house in the middle of the
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  • Night, do you think you would be aware of it?
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  • I'm sure you would.
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  • And in the same way, if christ has come
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  • To live inside of you, you will know.
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  • And if you don't know, maybe he has not come in yet.
  • 00:24:55.526 --> 00:24:59.330
  • He's just a prayer away.
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  • All you need to do is say, "jesus,
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  • I want this relationship with you.
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  • I want you to forgive me of my sin.
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  • I want to go to heaven when i die."
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  • Would you like to do that?
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  • Would you like christ to come into your life?
  • 00:25:10.941 --> 00:25:13.544
  • If so, why don't you just pray this simple prayer with me?
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  • You can pray it out loud or you can pray
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  • It in the quietness of your heart.
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  • But this is a prayer where you're asking
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  • Jesus christ to be your savior and lord.
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  • Pray this with me now, "lord jesus, i know that i'm a sinner
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  • But i know that you're the savior, who died on the cross
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  • For my sin and rose again from the dead.
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  • Now come into my life.
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  • I choose to follow you from this moment forward.
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  • Thank you for hearing this prayer
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  • And answering this prayer.
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  • In jesus's name, amen."
  • 00:25:47.978 --> 00:25:50.781
  • Did you just pray that prayer with me?
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  • If so, i want you to know on the authority of scripture that
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  • Christ himself has come to live inside of you.
  • 00:25:55.986 --> 00:25:59.290
  • And i would love to send to you at no charge
  • 00:25:59.290 --> 00:26:02.226
  • Something called the new believer's bible.
  • 00:26:02.226 --> 00:26:04.929
  • It's a very friendly translation of the new testament
  • 00:26:04.929 --> 00:26:07.898
  • You'll find very understandable,
  • 00:26:07.898 --> 00:26:10.034
  • And it's filled with hundreds of notes that i wrote
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  • That will encourage you in this commitment you've just made
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  • To follow jesus.
  • 00:26:15.973 --> 00:26:17.541
  • Let me send that to you at no charge.
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  • And let me be the first to say to you,
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  • Congratulations, and welcome to the family of god.
  • 00:26:21.946 --> 00:26:26.016
  • Greg: hey, greg laurie here. maybe you've seen this...
  • 00:26:30.154 --> 00:26:32.323
  • This is called the "new believer's bible," and a number
  • 00:26:32.323 --> 00:26:35.659
  • Of years ago, i wanted to do an edition of scripture with
  • 00:26:35.659 --> 00:26:40.864
  • Commentary that would make the bible more accessible to someone
  • 00:26:40.864 --> 00:26:45.402
  • Who's never read it before, like a new believer.
  • 00:26:45.402 --> 00:26:48.439
  • But today we live, of course, in a digital world,
  • 00:26:48.439 --> 00:26:52.242
  • So we've taken the curriculum from the "new believer's bible"
  • 00:26:52.242 --> 00:26:55.546
  • And we've created this online community of people just like
  • 00:26:55.546 --> 00:26:59.350
  • You who are studying the word of god together.
  • 00:26:59.350 --> 00:27:02.453
  • By the way, this is free of charge, you can learn at
  • 00:27:02.453 --> 00:27:05.222
  • Your own pace, but most importantly, you'll experience
  • 00:27:05.222 --> 00:27:08.926
  • The power of god's word to transform your life.
  • 00:27:08.926 --> 00:27:12.563
  • The bible says, of itself, it's alive and powerful and sharper
  • 00:27:12.563 --> 00:27:17.401
  • Than any two-edged sword, so i hope you'll take your phone
  • 00:27:17.401 --> 00:27:21.305
  • Right now and join us online at harvest discipleship.
  • 00:27:21.305 --> 00:27:25.609
  • Let's learn and grow together.
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