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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - A Twisted Family Tree | December 20, 2024
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- Greg laurie: every one of us can touch our world.
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- We have a world we live in.
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- We have a sphere of influence.
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- We have a family.
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- We have friends. we have neighbors.
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- We have people that we work with or go
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- To school with, people we engage.
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- We can impact our world.
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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: quick poll, how many of you have
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- Finished your christmas shopping?
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- Raise your hand, you're all done, you're done, you're done.
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- How many of you have not started your christmas shopping?
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- Why is it always men?
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- Oh, there's a lady there. okay, surprising.
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- Yeah, okay, well, it's getting close.
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- How many of you are gonna travel for christmas?
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- You're gonna go somewhere?
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- May god have mercy on you.
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- No, not really, but it's challenging,
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- Traveling right now.
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- How many of you will be home for christmas?
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- Raise your hand up. that's the majority of you.
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- Well, if you're gonna be home, you might be having family over.
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- How many of you are getting
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- Together with family for christmas?
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- Okay, do you have weird families too?
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- Guess what?
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- Everybody comes from a weird family and
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- Probably is a part of a weird family.
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- You say, "well, i come from a dysfunctional family."
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- Yeah, well, we all do, okay?
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- I came from one and i'm the head of one
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- Now, so welcome to the club.
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- That's the way it is.
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- And you might be surprised to know that jesus
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- Christ had a pretty messed up family tree.
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- There were some rogues in the gallery, if you will.
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- Some prostitutes, a liar or two, a cheat,
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- An adulterer, and even a murderer.
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- Yeah, you heard me right.
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- The family tree of jesus was decorated with notable sinners.
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- And so he knows about relatives that might embarrass you, right?
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- You're not the only one there.
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- And so here we look at this amazing genealogy here in
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- Matthew chapter 1 that traces the roots of jesus christ and
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- I'll tell you why this is important in a moment so go to
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- Matthew 1 and i'm starting in verse 1, "the book of the
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- Genealogy of jesus christ, the son of david," underline that,
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- The son of david, "the son of abraham: abraham begot isaac,
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- Isaac begot jacob, jacob begot judah and his brothers.
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- Judah begot perez and zerah by tamar," another important name,
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- Tamar, "perez begot hezron, and hezron begot ram.
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- Ram begot amminadab, amminadab begot elvis, elvis--" i just
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- Wanted to see if you're listening.
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- Okay, there's no elvis. i inserted that.
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- "nahshon begot salmon.
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- Salmon begot boaz by rahab," i'd underline that.
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- "boaz begot obed by ruth," another important name, "obed
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- Begot jesse, and jesse begot david the king.
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- David the king begot solomon, who had been the wife of uriah."
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- Interesting, she's identified as the wife of uriah.
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- We'll come back to that.
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- That would be bathsheba.
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- "and solomon begot rehoboam, rehoboam
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- Begot abijah, abijah begot asa."
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- Now drop down to verse 15, "eliud begot eleazar, eleazar
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- Begot matthan, matthan begot jacob.
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- And jacob begot joseph the husband of mary, of whom was
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- Born jesus who is called the christ."
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- This is important.
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- There are some pretty surprising names
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- In the family tree of the messiah.
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- Jewish genealogies did not generally include women.
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- For instance, in luke's genealogy of jesus there
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- Are no females, but matthew includes five.
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- Who are they?
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- Tamar, rahab, ruth, bathsheba, and of course, mary.
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- Some of these women were known for their
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- Immorality, specifically tamar and rahab.
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- And yet, they made it into the most exclusive genealogy in all
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- Of human history, reminding us of this simple fact,
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- Jesus's story is not about helping
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- Perfect people, but saving lost people.
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- He too had a pretty messed-up family tree.
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- And then this genealogy which is a key part of the christmas
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- Story, we have god in his mercy doing for sinners what they
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- Can't do for themselves, reminding us that jesus came to
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- Heal broken lives and restore shattered hopes.
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- That's why he came.
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- To save his people from their sins.
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- He didn't come for perfect people,
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- He came for flawed people.
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- He came for sinful people, he came
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- For people just like you and just like me.
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- Remember the message, "you will call his name emmanuel for he
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- Will save his people from their sins."
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- So let's look at the first character
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- And, really, the most notable, david.
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- Matthew 1:1, he's the son of david.
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- Now, david is best known by two other names,
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- David and goliath, and david and bathsheba.
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- Now, goliath was his greatest victory, there in the
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- Battlefield, bathsheba his worst defeat in the bedroom.
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- And then he, after committing adultery with her, tried to
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- Cover it up and eventually had her husband, uriah, who's
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- Mentioned in this genealogy, sent to death.
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- So, david suffered for his sin.
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- He had to face the consequences of his
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- Behavior seen reflected in his own children.
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- But yet, he becomes the most important
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- Part of the genealogy of jesus christ.
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- Where did mary and bethlehem go when
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- There was a taxation required?
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- They went where? where was jesus born?
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- Three of you knew. c'mon, people.
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- Yes, bethlehem.
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- Why bethlehem?
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- Because both mary and joseph were connected through their
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- Genealogy to david so they went to the boyhood home of their
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- Descendant and that's where the lord was born.
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- And christ began his public ministry,
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- He was identified as a son of david.
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- Luke 1:32 says, "he'll be great.
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- He'll be called the son of the highest; and the lord god will
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- Give him the throne of his father david."
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- When blind bartimaeus heard that jesus was coming,
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- He cried out, "jesus, son of david, have mercy on me."
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- So why bring this up?
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- Because this man, david, who blew it, who made
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- A mess of his life had it all redeemed and he
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- Was entered into this amazing genealogy.
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- And god can redeem you, and god can redeem your name, and as
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- I've said before, god can bring a message out of
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- Your mess if you turn it over to him.
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- So we have david who is redeemed in
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- This story, and bathsheba as well.
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- It's worth noting she's not even identified by name, but simply
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- As the wife of uriah, reminding us of the horrible story.
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- Yes, david was wicked in preying upon her, but she also bore
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- Responsibility in this act of adultery, but yet she was
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- Brought into this amazing genealogy.
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- So i bring this up because i'm talking to
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- Somebody who's made a mess of their life.
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- And you say, "it's over for me.
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- There's no future for me.
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- There's no hope for me.
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- I've done this thing and nothing good can ever
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- Come out of it," but yet god says in scripture
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- He can bring beauty out of ashes, right?
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- He can bring good despite the bad.
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- So you have to turn that over to the lord.
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- And then that brings us to mary, the mother
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- Of jesus, mentioned in verse 16.
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- In contrast to some of these other women in the story who
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- Are known for their promiscuity, mary was known for her virtue,
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- And surely she was a very godly young woman.
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- And this is not an insignificant thing
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- Because mary lived in nazareth.
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- Now, we don't understand what nazareth was known for.
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- Certain cities have certain features they're known for.
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- We call paris the city of lights, we call israel--
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- Or jerusalem the city of gold.
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- We call new york the city that never sleeps.
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- We call las vegas--what do we call it?
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- Audience: sin city.
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- Greg: wow, you seem to know a lot about that city.
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- If there was a description of nazareth,
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- It would have been sin city.
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- Nazareth was this little place that was a stopover from one
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- Place when you're on the way to another.
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- So more than one young woman found herself
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- Pregnant outside of wedlock because
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- Roman soldiers would come through nazareth.
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- That is why when jesus called nathanael and christ was
- 00:09:26.909 --> 00:09:29.946
- Identified as jesus of nazareth, nathanael said, "can any good
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- Thing come out of nazareth," right?
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- So now you understand the meaning of that statement.
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- It's a city known for its sinfulness, but
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- It was a place that you didn't go to.
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- It's a place you went through.
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- It was sort of the barstow of the bible.
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- Does anyone go to barstow?
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- I think we stop, we get some gas,
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- Get something to eat, right?
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- So you pass through.
- 00:09:55.938 --> 00:09:57.640
- So i bring this up because in this place, a nowhere town, a
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- Nowhere place in the middle of nowhere, god handpicked the
- 00:10:02.945 --> 00:10:08.184
- Woman that would be the most privileged woman who ever lived.
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- She was not a princess, she was not a woman of
- 00:10:12.488 --> 00:10:15.224
- Great wealth, but the lord said, "this is going
- 00:10:15.224 --> 00:10:18.294
- To be the woman who will bear the messiah."
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- She's the only person who ever lived or i should say,
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- The only woman who ever lived that both bore
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- Christ in her womb and later in her heart.
- 00:10:27.670 --> 00:10:32.708
- An unknown girl living in an unknown place that brought about
- 00:10:32.708 --> 00:10:38.381
- The most known event in human history.
- 00:10:38.381 --> 00:10:41.517
- Here's what happened when gabriel came to her.
- 00:10:41.517 --> 00:10:44.353
- Look at luke chapter 1, verse 26, "in the sixth month the
- 00:10:44.353 --> 00:10:49.058
- Angel gabriel was sent by god to a city of galilee named
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- Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed," or engaged, "to a
- 00:10:52.561 --> 00:10:57.133
- Man whose name was joseph, in the house of david.
- 00:10:57.133 --> 00:10:59.468
- The virgin's name was mary.
- 00:10:59.468 --> 00:11:01.203
- And having come in, the angel said to her,
- 00:11:01.203 --> 00:11:03.305
- 'rejoice, highly favored one, the lord is with
- 00:11:03.305 --> 00:11:05.741
- You; blessed are you among women!'
- 00:11:05.741 --> 00:11:08.144
- And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying,
- 00:11:08.144 --> 00:11:10.713
- And considered what manner of greeting this was."
- 00:11:10.713 --> 00:11:14.483
- She's thinking, "i've done nothing to merit this."
- 00:11:14.483 --> 00:11:17.853
- "hey, mary, how's it going?
- 00:11:17.853 --> 00:11:20.156
- God has chosen you."
- 00:11:20.156 --> 00:11:21.691
- Do you think mary sat around in the synagogue and when they read
- 00:11:21.691 --> 00:11:24.960
- That passage that a virgin will conceive and bring forth the
- 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:27.863
- Son, that she thought, "that's me, for sure.
- 00:11:27.863 --> 00:11:31.434
- I've always known i'm the girl god's gonna pick."
- 00:11:31.434 --> 00:11:33.903
- I seriously doubt that.
- 00:11:33.903 --> 00:11:35.805
- Maybe she did, but i don't think so.
- 00:11:35.805 --> 00:11:38.207
- If mary had lived her life out, she would have found a nice
- 00:11:38.207 --> 00:11:41.010
- Jewish boy, they would have gotten married, they would have
- 00:11:41.010 --> 00:11:44.213
- Raised a family, and we would have never known her name.
- 00:11:44.213 --> 00:11:47.283
- But god went to this obscure place, effectively in the middle
- 00:11:47.283 --> 00:11:51.120
- Of nowhere, and handpicked this young woman to have this great
- 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:55.458
- Privilege to bring forth the messiah.
- 00:11:55.458 --> 00:11:58.327
- Sometimes it said that mary was born of immaculate conception.
- 00:11:58.327 --> 00:12:02.565
- In other words, she did not sin.
- 00:12:02.565 --> 00:12:05.101
- That's not what the bible teaches.
- 00:12:05.101 --> 00:12:07.236
- Mary was a godly girl, she was a virtuous woman,
- 00:12:07.236 --> 00:12:10.906
- But she was a sinner like the rest of us.
- 00:12:10.906 --> 00:12:13.476
- In fact, after it was announced to her that she would be the
- 00:12:13.476 --> 00:12:16.045
- Mother of the messiah, she said in what's sometimes called the
- 00:12:16.045 --> 00:12:20.316
- Magnificat, or mary's psalm, in luke 1:46, "my soul exalts the
- 00:12:20.316 --> 00:12:26.655
- Lord, and rejoices in god my savior."
- 00:12:26.655 --> 00:12:31.494
- You see, mary needed a savior like everybody else.
- 00:12:31.494 --> 00:12:35.598
- But i want to talk about one last character in
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- The christmas story and i think he's the
- 00:12:38.667 --> 00:12:41.103
- Unsung hero, and that would be joseph.
- 00:12:41.103 --> 00:12:44.774
- We talk about mary, we forget all about joseph.
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- All the songs out there about mary,
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- I don't know many about joseph.
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- "mary, did you know?"
- 00:12:52.748 --> 00:12:54.083
- There's no "joseph, did you know?"
- 00:12:54.083 --> 00:12:57.086
- But think about this.
- 00:12:57.086 --> 00:12:59.522
- Just as surely as god chose mary to be the mother of the messiah,
- 00:12:59.522 --> 00:13:03.793
- God the father handpicked this man named joseph to be
- 00:13:03.793 --> 00:13:08.364
- The father figure on earth for jesus.
- 00:13:08.364 --> 00:13:13.369
- He must have been a special guy.
- 00:13:13.369 --> 00:13:15.538
- I think god said, "i want a man's man to raise my son.
- 00:13:15.538 --> 00:13:19.708
- I want a man that knows how to put his back to a task."
- 00:13:19.708 --> 00:13:24.213
- What was joseph? he was a carpenter.
- 00:13:24.213 --> 00:13:26.882
- He was a craftsman.
- 00:13:26.882 --> 00:13:28.284
- He chopped down trees.
- 00:13:28.284 --> 00:13:30.052
- He framed houses.
- 00:13:30.052 --> 00:13:31.554
- He built furniture.
- 00:13:31.554 --> 00:13:32.922
- He was a man that worked hard and he was the man that would be
- 00:13:32.922 --> 00:13:36.559
- That father figure, if you will, for jesus as he grew up.
- 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:40.830
- Now, we don't know what happened to joseph
- 00:13:40.830 --> 00:13:42.665
- Because he disappears from the story.
- 00:13:42.665 --> 00:13:45.100
- Mary was there throughout the ministry of christ and was even
- 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:48.804
- Present at the crucifixion, and even at the day of pentecost.
- 00:13:48.804 --> 00:13:53.209
- But joseph, most likely, died.
- 00:13:53.209 --> 00:13:55.945
- But he was a heroic man because, think about
- 00:13:55.945 --> 00:13:59.215
- What it would have been like to be him.
- 00:13:59.215 --> 00:14:01.183
- So mary comes in and says, "honey, i know we're
- 00:14:01.183 --> 00:14:03.786
- Gonna get married soon and i've got some news for you.
- 00:14:03.786 --> 00:14:07.790
- I'm pregnant."
- 00:14:07.790 --> 00:14:09.124
- "oh," you know, and what's he gonna think?
- 00:14:09.124 --> 00:14:10.726
- You're pregnant because you're involved with someone and the
- 00:14:10.726 --> 00:14:13.963
- Engagement's off and the marriage is off and--"
- 00:14:13.963 --> 00:14:16.599
- She goes, "wait, honey.
- 00:14:16.599 --> 00:14:18.300
- It's from the holy spirit.
- 00:14:18.300 --> 00:14:19.835
- I'm the fulfillment of the prophecy."
- 00:14:19.835 --> 00:14:21.670
- "yeah, right."
- 00:14:21.670 --> 00:14:24.306
- That's what he thought.
- 00:14:24.306 --> 00:14:25.741
- But because he was a good man, he didn't wanna humiliate her.
- 00:14:25.741 --> 00:14:29.311
- He was gonna just do this quietly and just move on.
- 00:14:29.311 --> 00:14:34.383
- But what happens?
- 00:14:34.383 --> 00:14:35.718
- An angel of the lord comes to him in matthew 1:20.
- 00:14:35.718 --> 00:14:38.754
- "while he's thinking about these things," we read, "an angel of
- 00:14:38.754 --> 00:14:41.423
- The lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, 'joseph, son of
- 00:14:41.423 --> 00:14:43.859
- David, don't be afraid to take mary as your wife, for that
- 00:14:43.859 --> 00:14:47.329
- Which is conceived in her is of the holy spirit.
- 00:14:47.329 --> 00:14:50.866
- And she'll bring forth a son, and you will call his name
- 00:14:50.866 --> 00:14:53.602
- Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'"
- 00:14:53.602 --> 00:14:57.873
- Joseph could have said, "i believe it all,
- 00:14:57.873 --> 00:15:00.609
- But no thank you, because the guys down at the
- 00:15:00.609 --> 00:15:03.579
- Worksite are never gonna believe this.
- 00:15:03.579 --> 00:15:06.815
- And i don't wanna deal with that humiliation."
- 00:15:06.815 --> 00:15:08.951
- Understand this.
- 00:15:08.951 --> 00:15:10.286
- Joseph went through life being thought of--being
- 00:15:10.286 --> 00:15:13.355
- Married to a promiscuous woman, which was
- 00:15:13.355 --> 00:15:15.591
- The very opposite of the character of mary.
- 00:15:15.591 --> 00:15:19.128
- And even mary herself went through life
- 00:15:19.128 --> 00:15:21.864
- Being thought of as an immoral woman.
- 00:15:21.864 --> 00:15:24.967
- On one occasion, the pharisees said to jesus, "well, at least
- 00:15:24.967 --> 00:15:28.671
- We weren't born of fornication," which is another way of saying,
- 00:15:28.671 --> 00:15:33.509
- "hey, at least we weren't born out of wedlock like you."
- 00:15:33.509 --> 00:15:37.346
- If we would have read, "and jesus killed
- 00:15:37.346 --> 00:15:39.315
- Them all," it would have made sense.
- 00:15:39.315 --> 00:15:41.583
- But you see, this is the reputation
- 00:15:41.583 --> 00:15:43.519
- They had to live with.
- 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:44.853
- Joseph could have said, "no thank
- 00:15:44.853 --> 00:15:46.188
- You, i don't wanna do this."
- 00:15:46.188 --> 00:15:47.589
- But to his credit, he stood by mary.
- 00:15:47.589 --> 00:15:51.827
- So, really, the genealogy of jesus christ
- 00:15:51.827 --> 00:15:55.364
- Is a picture of grace, showing god extending
- 00:15:55.364 --> 00:15:58.634
- Grace to people and using unknown people.
- 00:15:58.634 --> 00:16:02.738
- God chooses nobodies to become somebody, to use--
- 00:16:02.738 --> 00:16:09.011
- To tell the world, to tell everybody, about jesus.
- 00:16:09.011 --> 00:16:13.248
- I bring this up because, look, there'll
- 00:16:13.248 --> 00:16:14.817
- Never be another joseph or mary.
- 00:16:14.817 --> 00:16:16.752
- Those positions are taken.
- 00:16:16.752 --> 00:16:18.887
- And securely tied to your nativity sets, right?
- 00:16:18.887 --> 00:16:22.257
- That's a one-off deal.
- 00:16:22.257 --> 00:16:24.126
- But there'll never be another you.
- 00:16:24.126 --> 00:16:28.063
- God has a special plan for your life.
- 00:16:28.063 --> 00:16:30.933
- God is preparing you and whatever you have gone through
- 00:16:30.933 --> 00:16:35.170
- In life has been preparation for what is still ahead.
- 00:16:35.170 --> 00:16:38.640
- God is preparing you for your life in this planet and in the
- 00:16:38.640 --> 00:16:42.378
- Life to come, so we either did it or he allowed it.
- 00:16:42.378 --> 00:16:47.016
- And he can use you in a powerful way as well.
- 00:16:47.016 --> 00:16:51.487
- You see, it really comes down to the christmas story not being
- 00:16:51.487 --> 00:16:54.790
- About god helping perfect people, but saving lost people,
- 00:16:54.790 --> 00:16:58.961
- Doing for sinners what they can't do for themselves.
- 00:16:58.961 --> 00:17:02.564
- Every one of us can touch our world.
- 00:17:02.564 --> 00:17:05.501
- We have a world we live in.
- 00:17:05.501 --> 00:17:07.736
- We have a sphere of influence.
- 00:17:07.736 --> 00:17:09.972
- We have a family.
- 00:17:09.972 --> 00:17:11.707
- We have friends. we have neighbors.
- 00:17:11.707 --> 00:17:14.176
- We have people that we work with or
- 00:17:14.176 --> 00:17:15.811
- Go to school with, people we engage.
- 00:17:15.811 --> 00:17:18.080
- We can impact our world.
- 00:17:18.080 --> 00:17:20.983
- Greg: you know, when you say to a new believer, "start reading
- 00:17:23.952 --> 00:17:27.189
- The bible," but they don't know where to start, do they?
- 00:17:27.189 --> 00:17:30.526
- So, we have a special edition of the bible
- 00:17:30.526 --> 00:17:34.163
- Called the new believer's bible.
- 00:17:34.163 --> 00:17:36.331
- I wrote thousands of notes for it, and i sort of see it as what
- 00:17:36.331 --> 00:17:41.036
- I would do if i was sitting down with a person over a cup of
- 00:17:41.036 --> 00:17:44.006
- Coffee and explaining the basics of the christian life to them.
- 00:17:44.006 --> 00:17:49.044
- There's over 10 million copies of this bible in print, but
- 00:17:49.044 --> 00:17:52.781
- Here's the exciting news.
- 00:17:52.781 --> 00:17:54.716
- We have personally given out 700,000 of these at no charge to
- 00:17:54.716 --> 00:17:59.822
- People to help them in their spiritual journey.
- 00:17:59.822 --> 00:18:03.859
- So, we need your help to keep doing this, so let's invest in
- 00:18:03.859 --> 00:18:08.464
- The spiritual future of people that are going to come to christ
- 00:18:08.464 --> 00:18:12.234
- Who will get a copy of the new believer's bible for themself.
- 00:18:12.234 --> 00:18:16.171
- Thank you for your financial support.
- 00:18:16.171 --> 00:18:18.207
- Together, we can change lives.
- 00:18:18.207 --> 00:18:20.576
- Greg: so let's wrap this message up,
- 00:18:22.911 --> 00:18:24.413
- "a twisted family tree."
- 00:18:24.413 --> 00:18:26.381
- What did we learn in this message?
- 00:18:26.381 --> 00:18:28.250
- If you're taking notes, here's number one.
- 00:18:28.250 --> 00:18:30.419
- We learned that god's grace may be richly displayed.
- 00:18:30.419 --> 00:18:35.424
- When you look at the stories of these four women and men on the
- 00:18:35.424 --> 00:18:38.427
- List, you focus on the grace of god, not on their sin.
- 00:18:38.427 --> 00:18:43.599
- God could have brought up their shortcomings,
- 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:45.334
- He could have brought up their sin.
- 00:18:45.334 --> 00:18:47.536
- But he didn't.
- 00:18:47.536 --> 00:18:48.871
- He just included them in this genealogy,
- 00:18:48.871 --> 00:18:52.474
- Showing god's kindness and grace extended.
- 00:18:52.474 --> 00:18:55.911
- Now, think about this.
- 00:18:55.911 --> 00:18:57.679
- Now christ has been born in the manger at bethlehem,
- 00:18:57.679 --> 00:19:01.517
- Who will the message be delivered to?
- 00:19:01.517 --> 00:19:03.719
- Who will the angels tell first?
- 00:19:03.719 --> 00:19:05.954
- How about caesar in his palace in rome?
- 00:19:05.954 --> 00:19:09.158
- How about herod, sitting on his throne in jerusalem?
- 00:19:09.158 --> 00:19:13.896
- How about the religious leaders?
- 00:19:13.896 --> 00:19:15.764
- No, the angels go and tell shepherds
- 00:19:15.764 --> 00:19:19.434
- Keeping watch over their flocks by night.
- 00:19:19.434 --> 00:19:22.304
- Now because this story's so familiar,
- 00:19:22.304 --> 00:19:23.972
- We don't get what that means.
- 00:19:23.972 --> 00:19:26.074
- We don't understand how a shepherd
- 00:19:26.074 --> 00:19:27.876
- Was viewed at this time.
- 00:19:27.876 --> 00:19:29.344
- Shepherds were looked down upon.
- 00:19:29.344 --> 00:19:31.880
- Shepherds were not favored.
- 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.816
- Shepherds--a testimony of a shepherd was not even allowed in
- 00:19:34.816 --> 00:19:37.920
- A court of law, so it would be like telemarketers were calling
- 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:42.591
- Random people at night, "oh, that's who god went to first?"
- 00:19:42.591 --> 00:19:47.396
- See, the point is god went to these outcasts and
- 00:19:47.396 --> 00:19:49.831
- Gave them the message before anybody else.
- 00:19:49.831 --> 00:19:52.267
- Who else does this message go to?
- 00:19:52.267 --> 00:19:54.536
- These wise men, as we call them, from the east who are into the
- 00:19:54.536 --> 00:19:59.808
- Study of astronomy and astrology, so
- 00:19:59.808 --> 00:20:03.011
- We can describe them as pagan men who
- 00:20:03.011 --> 00:20:06.748
- Are looking to the stars for direction.
- 00:20:06.748 --> 00:20:08.951
- God meets them on their own level, sends a star to bring
- 00:20:08.951 --> 00:20:11.787
- Them to the child jesus that is now in a house, going out of his
- 00:20:11.787 --> 00:20:16.692
- Way to reach these people and announce this news.
- 00:20:16.692 --> 00:20:21.063
- Jesus always went to the down and outer.
- 00:20:21.063 --> 00:20:24.633
- Jesus always seemed to go to the unexpected person.
- 00:20:24.633 --> 00:20:28.737
- Now, he's putting his home team together.
- 00:20:28.737 --> 00:20:31.306
- "okay, here's the guys that are gonna change the world.
- 00:20:31.306 --> 00:20:35.143
- I'm gonna start with fishermen.
- 00:20:35.143 --> 00:20:38.447
- Yeah, let's get peter, james, and john on the team.
- 00:20:38.447 --> 00:20:40.816
- Okay, let's add a tax collector."
- 00:20:40.816 --> 00:20:42.851
- "wait, no, lord, not him.
- 00:20:42.851 --> 00:20:44.853
- He works for rome.
- 00:20:44.853 --> 00:20:46.688
- He's a turncoat. he's a traitor."
- 00:20:46.688 --> 00:20:48.523
- "no, i want a tax collector. hey, who's that guy?
- 00:20:48.523 --> 00:20:50.892
- Simon the zealot dedicated to the violent overthrow
- 00:20:50.892 --> 00:20:53.428
- Of rome, let's bring him on the team too.
- 00:20:53.428 --> 00:20:55.964
- By the way, simon, you gotta get along with matthew now."
- 00:20:55.964 --> 00:20:59.201
- What a curious group of people jesus
- 00:20:59.201 --> 00:21:01.503
- Put together that followed him.
- 00:21:01.503 --> 00:21:04.640
- But that's what the genealogy of christ tells
- 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:06.975
- Us, god's grace is richly displayed.
- 00:21:06.975 --> 00:21:09.511
- Number two, we have the genealogy of christ so the focus
- 00:21:09.511 --> 00:21:13.148
- Would be on jesus and not on his family.
- 00:21:13.148 --> 00:21:18.186
- What is the number one excuse that people use
- 00:21:18.186 --> 00:21:22.257
- As to why they don't want to come to church?
- 00:21:22.257 --> 00:21:25.527
- "there are too many hypocrites in the church."
- 00:21:25.527 --> 00:21:29.031
- So, what are we gonna say?
- 00:21:29.031 --> 00:21:31.133
- "well, come to our church because there's no hypocrites."
- 00:21:31.133 --> 00:21:34.336
- See, the problem is, if you find a hypocrite-free
- 00:21:34.336 --> 00:21:38.140
- Church, don't join it because you'll ruin it.
- 00:21:38.140 --> 00:21:42.344
- So what i would say if you're a hypocrite, hey, c'mon, join us,
- 00:21:42.344 --> 00:21:45.614
- There's always room for one more.
- 00:21:45.614 --> 00:21:47.082
- No, i'm--look, i'm not excusing hypocrisy
- 00:21:47.082 --> 00:21:49.685
- 'cause here's the problem.
- 00:21:49.685 --> 00:21:51.520
- Sometimes, we do a really bad job of representing christ.
- 00:21:51.520 --> 00:21:56.291
- Number three, we have this genealogy that we might have
- 00:21:56.291 --> 00:21:59.061
- Hope for our future and the future of our family.
- 00:21:59.061 --> 00:22:03.699
- Hope for our future and the future of our family.
- 00:22:03.699 --> 00:22:07.202
- I doubt most of us have murderers and prostitutes in our
- 00:22:07.202 --> 00:22:10.372
- Family tree, but listen, jesus can intervene in your story.
- 00:22:10.372 --> 00:22:16.044
- Let me offer a word of caution.
- 00:22:16.044 --> 00:22:18.714
- There's an expression you've probably heard, "an ounce of
- 00:22:18.714 --> 00:22:21.717
- Prevention is worth--or better than a ton of cure."
- 00:22:21.717 --> 00:22:26.455
- Let me ask you this question.
- 00:22:26.455 --> 00:22:28.256
- What state is your family in right now?
- 00:22:28.256 --> 00:22:31.460
- And let me direct my words to men for a moment.
- 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:35.030
- What state is your family in and what role are
- 00:22:35.030 --> 00:22:38.066
- You playing in leading your family to christ?
- 00:22:38.066 --> 00:22:42.871
- You could take almost every social ill in america today and
- 00:22:42.871 --> 00:22:47.142
- Break it down, or connect it rather, trace
- 00:22:47.142 --> 00:22:51.113
- It to the breakdown of the family, and
- 00:22:51.113 --> 00:22:53.315
- Specifically, the absence of fathers.
- 00:22:53.315 --> 00:22:58.120
- You know, men are under attack today.
- 00:22:58.120 --> 00:22:59.988
- A man tries to be a man, they're
- 00:22:59.988 --> 00:23:01.323
- Accused of having toxic masculinity.
- 00:23:01.323 --> 00:23:04.860
- We need more men to stand up and be strong and be bold.
- 00:23:04.860 --> 00:23:12.067
- But be tenderhearted.
- 00:23:15.604 --> 00:23:18.039
- See, being a man doesn't mean you have no emotion.
- 00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:21.343
- Being a man doesn't mean that you're passive.
- 00:23:21.343 --> 00:23:24.446
- Being a man doesn't mean that you're just
- 00:23:24.446 --> 00:23:26.248
- Pounding on the table all day long.
- 00:23:26.248 --> 00:23:28.417
- You wanna know what a man looks like, look at jesus christ.
- 00:23:28.417 --> 00:23:32.654
- He was a man's man.
- 00:23:32.654 --> 00:23:34.823
- Man up, be a leader, be a godly man.
- 00:23:34.823 --> 00:23:36.958
- You say, "well, i failed."
- 00:23:36.958 --> 00:23:38.293
- Okay, learn from your mistakes, make it right.
- 00:23:38.293 --> 00:23:42.230
- Do you have a family member you need to apologize to?
- 00:23:42.230 --> 00:23:44.699
- Do it today. "i'm sorry.
- 00:23:44.699 --> 00:23:47.702
- I didn't do the best job i could have done.
- 00:23:47.702 --> 00:23:49.871
- Forgive me. can we start over again?"
- 00:23:49.871 --> 00:23:52.874
- Try to be a godly leader and love your wife as christ loves
- 00:23:52.874 --> 00:23:57.312
- The church, so women are thinking, "amen, greg.
- 00:23:57.312 --> 00:23:59.614
- We love this sermon."
- 00:23:59.614 --> 00:24:02.451
- Ladies, you have a role too.
- 00:24:02.451 --> 00:24:04.653
- Be a woman of god.
- 00:24:04.653 --> 00:24:06.888
- You know, sometimes women can't accept the fact that they're
- 00:24:06.888 --> 00:24:10.625
- Getting older and not realizing that you have so much to offer
- 00:24:10.625 --> 00:24:18.567
- As an older, mature, godly woman.
- 00:24:18.567 --> 00:24:22.571
- You have so much to say to younger women.
- 00:24:22.571 --> 00:24:25.140
- They need your wisdom, they need to learn from your experience.
- 00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:28.777
- They need to see a model of what it means to follow jesus christ.
- 00:24:28.777 --> 00:24:32.681
- You can have such an impact.
- 00:24:32.681 --> 00:24:34.850
- Don't be a cougar.
- 00:24:34.850 --> 00:24:41.056
- Someone is saying, "greg, you've offended
- 00:24:41.056 --> 00:24:42.557
- Everyone in the room today."
- 00:24:42.557 --> 00:24:45.360
- What's left? you young people.
- 00:24:45.360 --> 00:24:49.364
- Can't leave you out.
- 00:24:49.364 --> 00:24:51.933
- You have so many choices, so many options,
- 00:24:51.933 --> 00:24:55.203
- So many temptations, so many challenges.
- 00:24:55.203 --> 00:24:58.273
- It's hard. i'll say this.
- 00:24:58.273 --> 00:25:00.308
- You know, i know we often say,
- 00:25:00.308 --> 00:25:01.910
- "back in my day it was much worse."
- 00:25:01.910 --> 00:25:03.478
- Now i think you guys have the biggest challenges of any young
- 00:25:03.478 --> 00:25:06.581
- Generation i've ever seen, i really do.
- 00:25:06.581 --> 00:25:10.418
- But you have the greatest opportunities.
- 00:25:10.418 --> 00:25:14.789
- And you have the greatest god.
- 00:25:14.789 --> 00:25:17.526
- You have the lord who will be with you and give you the
- 00:25:17.526 --> 00:25:20.061
- Strength to make the right decisions, to find that right
- 00:25:20.061 --> 00:25:23.999
- Man or woman, or to live a single life, right before god,
- 00:25:23.999 --> 00:25:29.671
- Not crossing those lines sexually.
- 00:25:29.671 --> 00:25:32.140
- Being the person god wants you to be.
- 00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:34.543
- No matter what kind of a mess you've made, as i've said
- 00:25:34.543 --> 00:25:37.379
- Before, god can turn it into a message.
- 00:25:37.379 --> 00:25:40.382
- He can turn your test into a testimony.
- 00:25:40.382 --> 00:25:43.218
- He can redeem your story, he can redeem your
- 00:25:43.218 --> 00:25:45.954
- Family, and he can redeem your name.
- 00:25:45.954 --> 00:25:49.257
- That's the message.
- 00:25:49.257 --> 00:25:53.461
- Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie. i've got some good news for you.
- 00:25:57.599 --> 00:26:00.101
- God loves you and god has a plan for your life.
- 00:26:00.101 --> 00:26:04.105
- Here's the problem, we're separated from god by our sin
- 00:26:04.105 --> 00:26:07.509
- Because we've all broken his commandments.
- 00:26:07.509 --> 00:26:10.512
- But the good news is, is 2,000 years ago, god sent his son,
- 00:26:10.512 --> 00:26:14.783
- Jesus christ, to die on the cross for your sin,
- 00:26:14.783 --> 00:26:18.219
- And then to rise again from the dead.
- 00:26:18.219 --> 00:26:20.655
- The same jesus who died and rose is alive and
- 00:26:20.655 --> 00:26:23.692
- Ready to come into your life right now.
- 00:26:23.692 --> 00:26:26.428
- Would you like your sin forgiven?
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- Would you like to know that when you die, you will go to heaven?
- 00:26:28.463 --> 00:26:31.499
- If so, pray this simple prayer with me right now.
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- Just say, "lord jesus, i know i'm a sinner, but i believe
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- You're the savior who died on the cross for my sin.
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- I turn from my sin now and i choose to
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- Follow you from this moment forward."
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- Did you just pray that prayer with me?
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- If you did, god in heaven
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- Has heard you, and i wanna
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- Send you a new testament to start reading.
- 00:26:52.988 --> 00:26:56.324
- Female announcer: jesus says that "where two or three are
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- Gathered in my name, there i am in the midst of them."
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- We are all different.
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- We have different interests, different personalities,
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- Different upbringings, and different ways we do life.
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- But here, we have a deep connection
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- And you are welcome here.
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- This is harvest.
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