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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie - What Happens When Christians Pray Together?

February 17, 2025 | S25:E41

Greg Laurie - What Happens When Christians Pray Together?
Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
#GregLaurie #Faith #Prayer #Provision #Forgiveness #Religion #Parable #WordofGod #Strength #Weakness #inActive #Community #HarvestwithPastorGregLaurie #Acts12

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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - What Happens When Christians Pray Together? | February 17, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Greg laurie: but let's be honest, a lot of times prayer is
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  • Our last resort.
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  • We'll try to work it out some other way.
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  • Oh, i'll figure it out.
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  • I'll resolve this, but we can't.
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  • Oh well, now all we can do is pray.
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  • That's the first thing you should have done.
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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: i heard a story about three men that were hiking
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  • Through a forest, and they came to a large raging river.
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  • So they decided to pray, always a good idea because they needed
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  • To get over the river.
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  • So the first man prayed, "lord, i pray that you will give me the
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  • Strength to cross the river."
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  • Boom, suddenly he has bulging biceps and strong legs, and he
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  • Dives in and and starts swimming across.
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  • It took him about six hours.
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  • He almost drowned twice, but he got to the other side.
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  • So the other two guys are watching this, and the second
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  • Guy says, "lord, i pray that you will give me the strength and
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  • The tools to cross the river."
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  • He, too, had bulging biceps and strong legs, but also a boat.
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  • So he got on that little rowboat and made his way across.
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  • It took him about three hours, and it capsized twice, but he
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  • Made it.
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  • So the third guy said, "lord, i pray that you'll give me the
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  • Strength and the tools and the intelligence to cross
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  • The river."
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  • And poof, suddenly he became a woman.
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  • She consulted the map, walked a few feet up the river bank, and
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  • Walked over the bridge.
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  • So it comes down to this.
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  • There's a right and there's a wrong way to pray.
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  • Maybe i'm talking to somebody right now that is in a very
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  • Difficult situation.
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  • You don't see any way out of your situation or you have a
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  • Great need that only god can provide or maybe you're facing
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  • An uncertain future, and it seems as though you can't fix it
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  • It's just a big mess, your life.
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  • Well, here's what you need to know.
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  • Things can change when you pray.
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  • One thing that will stand out on the story we're gonna read in a
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  • Few moments, is prayer can dramatically change situations,
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  • People, and even the very course of nature.
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  • It's been said, when you're swept off your feet, it's time
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  • To get on your knees.
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  • Listen, prayer can change things, but most of all, prayer
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  • Changes you.
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  • Because there are times in life where god will allow hardship or
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  • A time of great need, or perhaps even a tragedy so he can reveal
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  • Himself to you so you will learn to call upon him so he can put
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  • His glory on display.
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  • See, really when i pray, i'm acknowledging that i'm weak.
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  • I'm acknowledging i need help, and a lot of people don't like
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  • To do this, especially men.
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  • Why is it that men don't think they need help?
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  • Simple answer, because they're stupid.
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  • Remember my story i just told you in the beginning?
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  • Listen, who was the strongest man who ever lived?
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  • Don't say superman, he's not real.
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  • You might say, "well, samson."
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  • He was strong for sure, but he was not the strongest man who
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  • Ever lived.
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  • The strongest man who ever lived was jesus christ.
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  • He had unlimited strength.
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  • He was omnipotent, all powerful.
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  • But yet we read story after story in the gospels of
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  • Jesus praying.
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  • Jesus staying up into the late hours of night and praying.
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  • And if jesus, the strongest man who ever lived, needed to pray,
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  • How much more do we need to pray?
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  • So here before us in acts chapter 12 is the story of the
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  • Power of prayer.
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  • The early church was facing a very difficult set of problems.
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  • And so they realized the only way around it, or through it,
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  • Was with the help of god.
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  • So what is happening now in the church of the first century is a
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  • New wave of persecution has come against them.
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  • This is not the first wave, it's just another wave.
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  • That first wave of persecution came when stephen, that
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  • Courageous young man full of faith, was put to death for
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  • Following jesus christ and proclaiming the gospel to the
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  • Religious leaders.
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  • But then god infiltrated, god intervened, and god turned
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  • Around the chief prosecutor of the church who was known as saul
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  • Of tarsus.
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  • Now he was the apostle paul.
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  • So when saul was doing this dirty work and attacking the
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  • Church, they started to spread out.
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  • But now they're gonna spread out even more because god has spoken
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  • To simon peter and told him that he and the church were to take
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  • The gospel, not just to fellow jews, but to the gentiles and
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  • This encounter with the roman centurion cornelius, and it was
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  • A whole new movement in the church.
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  • If you're driving a stick shift car, you just went from first to
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  • Second gear.
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  • You're picking up momentum.
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  • The church is on the move.
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  • And it's a good remember--a good reminder, rather, that god wants
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  • The church to infiltrate, not to isolate.
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  • The commission of the church is not to wait for the world to
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  • Show up.
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  • The great commission to the church is to go into all the
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  • World and preach the god.
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  • Jesus did not say, the whole world should go to church.
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  • But he did say, the church should go to the whole world.
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  • So now the church is moving quickly, they're reaching even
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  • More people, both jew and gentile, and the devil is
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  • Not happy.
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  • Listen, satan hates god, and he hates those that follow god.
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  • But if there's one thing that satan really hates, it's
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  • Evangelism because when we evangelize, and if you don't
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  • Know what that word means, it means sharing your faith, when
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  • We tell others about jesus, we are invading enemy territory.
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  • And when we have the privilege of leading others to christ,
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  • That's taking captives from satan, and he's not gonna take
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  • That lying down as evidenced in the story before us because
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  • Satan works through a powerful king named herod, who begins a
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  • Horrible time of persecution against the church.
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  • Let's read about it, acts chapter 12.
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  • I'm going to read verses 1 to 5.
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  • "now, about that time, herod the king,
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  • Stretched out his hand to harass some of the church.
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  • He killed james, the brother of john, with a sword.
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  • And because he saw that it pleased the jews, he proceeded
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  • Further to seize peter also.
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  • Now this was during the days of unleavened bread.
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  • And so when he had arrested him and put him in prison, he
  • 00:07:03.833 --> 00:07:07.403
  • Delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending
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  • To bring him before the people after passover.
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  • Peter was, therefore, kept in prison," but underline this
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  • First, "but constant prayer was offered to god for him by
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  • The church."
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  • Okay, so james has been killed.
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  • Peter has been arrested.
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  • It's almost certain that peter will also be executed.
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  • So what did the church do?
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  • We read here in acts 12, "the church unleashed their
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  • Secret weapon."
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  • And it's our secret weapon as well, and i'm talking
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  • About prayer.
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  • I love verse 5 of acts 12, "constant prayer was offered to
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  • God for him by the church.
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  • Though all other doors were closed, one door remained open,
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  • The door of prayer, the door into the presence of god.
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  • The way through to peter was the one through god."
  • 00:08:03.493 --> 00:08:06.629
  • But let's be honest, a lot of times prayer is our last resort.
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  • We'll try to work it out some other way.
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  • Oh, i'll figure it out.
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  • I'll resolve this, but we can't.
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  • Oh well, now all we can do is pray.
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  • That's the first thing you should have done, the
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  • First thing.
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  • Paul says in philippians 4, "don't worry about anything,
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  • Pray about everything, and the peace of god that passes all
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  • Human understanding will guard your heart and mind in
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  • Christ jesus."
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  • What are you facing right now?
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  • Pray about it.
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  • I love what the bible tells us about mary when she was asking
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  • About the amazing birth of jesus that would happen through her.
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  • And the lord told her, "with god, nothing is impossible."
  • 00:08:45.902 --> 00:08:50.506
  • So let's see if we can identify some takeaway truths for all of
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  • Us to learn about prayer as modeled by the early church, the
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  • Church that turned the world upside down.
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  • If you're taking notes, here's point number one, the prayer
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  • That has power is the prayer that is offered to god.
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  • The prayer that has power is the prayer that is offered to god.
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  • Verse 5, "constant prayer was offered to god."
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  • You might say, wait, what isn't all prayer offered to god?
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  • Well, no, not necessarily.
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  • Jesus told the story about the pharisees who loved to stand on
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  • The street corners and give long eloquent prayers.
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  • Why, to impress people.
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  • By the way, when you go to a restaurant and your food comes,
  • 00:09:40.523 --> 00:09:43.526
  • It's a good thing to ask god to bless your food.
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  • But don't do long prayers.
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  • You don't need to pray for all the missionaries around the
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  • World and let the food go cold, just pray.
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  • I've seen people in restaurants make a big deal about it.
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  • No, no, just pray and give thanks to the lord.
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  • Short prayers before the meal.
  • 00:10:00.576 --> 00:10:03.479
  • But you see, prayer can sometimes be a performance.
  • 00:10:03.479 --> 00:10:08.117
  • It can be something we do to impress other people.
  • 00:10:08.117 --> 00:10:11.287
  • You know, isaiah in the 6th chapter of his book says, "i saw
  • 00:10:11.287 --> 00:10:14.991
  • The lord sitting on his throne.
  • 00:10:14.991 --> 00:10:17.193
  • He was high and lifted up, and his glory filled the temple.
  • 00:10:17.193 --> 00:10:20.796
  • And i said, "woe is me."
  • 00:10:20.796 --> 00:10:23.566
  • So when isaiah was in the presence of god, he says, "woe
  • 00:10:23.566 --> 00:10:26.969
  • Is me," but sometimes in prayer people are saying, look at me.
  • 00:10:26.969 --> 00:10:32.475
  • Look at how long my prayer is.
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  • Look at how eloquent my prayer is.
  • 00:10:35.511 --> 00:10:38.047
  • Or in worship, which is just prayers at the song, people will
  • 00:10:38.047 --> 00:10:42.385
  • Worship in such a way to draw attention to themselves.
  • 00:10:42.385 --> 00:10:45.221
  • No, you can be praying, you can be worshiping and have no
  • 00:10:45.221 --> 00:10:50.993
  • Thought of god whatsoever.
  • 00:10:50.993 --> 00:10:53.029
  • I mean, think about times you've been in church, and there's a
  • 00:10:53.029 --> 00:10:55.731
  • Worship set going on, and you're not praying.
  • 00:10:55.731 --> 00:10:58.901
  • You're thinking about what you're gonna have for lunch or
  • 00:10:58.901 --> 00:11:01.971
  • You're judging what someone in front of you is wearing
  • 00:11:01.971 --> 00:11:04.573
  • To church.
  • 00:11:04.573 --> 00:11:05.941
  • See, it's very easy to pray with no thought of god.
  • 00:11:05.941 --> 00:11:09.879
  • "no constant prayers were offered to god for him by
  • 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:15.017
  • The church."
  • 00:11:15.017 --> 00:11:16.385
  • Here's the real objective of prayer.
  • 00:11:16.385 --> 00:11:18.154
  • It's to get our will in alignment with god.
  • 00:11:18.154 --> 00:11:22.425
  • Jesus said in john 15, "if you abide in me, and my words abide
  • 00:11:22.425 --> 00:11:27.630
  • In you, you shall ask for yourself what you will, and it
  • 00:11:27.630 --> 00:11:31.100
  • Shall be done for you."
  • 00:11:31.100 --> 00:11:33.202
  • If you were to go back to the original greek and translate
  • 00:11:33.202 --> 00:11:36.439
  • That, it would go along these lines.
  • 00:11:36.439 --> 00:11:39.041
  • Jesus speaking, "if you maintain a living communion with me, and
  • 00:11:39.041 --> 00:11:43.846
  • My word is at home in you, you can ask at once for yourself
  • 00:11:43.846 --> 00:11:48.951
  • Whatever your heart desires, and it will be yours."
  • 00:11:48.951 --> 00:11:51.854
  • Oh, i like that promise, but don't miss the condition.
  • 00:11:51.854 --> 00:11:55.558
  • Yes, the promise is asked at once for yourself whatever your
  • 00:11:55.558 --> 00:11:58.928
  • Heart desires, but if you're maintaining a living communion
  • 00:11:58.928 --> 00:12:02.231
  • With jesus and his word is at home in you, you're gonna start
  • 00:12:02.231 --> 00:12:06.569
  • Praying for what god wants you to have.
  • 00:12:06.569 --> 00:12:09.105
  • So the objective of prayer is not to get god to do what i want
  • 00:12:09.105 --> 00:12:13.409
  • Him to do.
  • 00:12:13.409 --> 00:12:14.777
  • It's to get me to do what god wants to do.
  • 00:12:14.777 --> 00:12:19.582
  • Greg: have you ever found yourself in a set of
  • 00:12:23.586 --> 00:12:25.588
  • Circumstances and ask yourself the question, how did i
  • 00:12:25.588 --> 00:12:28.691
  • Get here?
  • 00:12:28.691 --> 00:12:30.025
  • Like maybe your neighborhood or where you're working or your
  • 00:12:30.025 --> 00:12:33.763
  • Campus or the class you're in or whatever it is, you go, i don't
  • 00:12:33.763 --> 00:12:37.399
  • Really like these circumstances.
  • 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:39.568
  • I've got to change them.
  • 00:12:39.568 --> 00:12:40.903
  • Yeah, maybe you do.
  • 00:12:40.903 --> 00:12:42.538
  • But did you ever think about this?
  • 00:12:42.538 --> 00:12:44.507
  • Maybe you're exactly where you're supposed to be because
  • 00:12:44.507 --> 00:12:47.643
  • God put you there?
  • 00:12:47.643 --> 00:12:48.978
  • So in the bible, there's a story of a beautiful young woman named
  • 00:12:48.978 --> 00:12:52.615
  • Hadassah, we know her best as queen esther, who won a beauty
  • 00:12:52.615 --> 00:12:56.252
  • Contest and found herself the queen of persia, and she was
  • 00:12:56.252 --> 00:13:01.590
  • A jew.
  • 00:13:01.590 --> 00:13:02.958
  • And one day, a wicked man named haman hatched a plot to kill all
  • 00:13:02.958 --> 00:13:07.296
  • The jewish people.
  • 00:13:07.296 --> 00:13:09.131
  • But esther was in a position to do something to help.
  • 00:13:09.131 --> 00:13:12.701
  • She was in the palace.
  • 00:13:12.701 --> 00:13:14.303
  • So her cousin, mordecai, appeals to her, says, "esther, you've
  • 00:13:14.303 --> 00:13:19.141
  • Got to do something.
  • 00:13:19.141 --> 00:13:20.709
  • Now if you don't do something, relief and deliverance will come
  • 00:13:20.709 --> 00:13:23.579
  • From somewhere else, but who knows that god has not placed
  • 00:13:23.579 --> 00:13:26.816
  • Where you are for such a time as this?
  • 00:13:26.816 --> 00:13:29.785
  • You've heard that expression before.
  • 00:13:29.785 --> 00:13:31.387
  • That's where it came from.
  • 00:13:31.387 --> 00:13:32.721
  • You're where you are for such a time as this, and that could be
  • 00:13:32.721 --> 00:13:36.926
  • True of you as well.
  • 00:13:36.926 --> 00:13:38.761
  • God put you where you are because he has a work he wants
  • 00:13:38.761 --> 00:13:42.231
  • You to do.
  • 00:13:42.231 --> 00:13:43.566
  • You know, jesus said go into all the world and preach the gospel.
  • 00:13:43.566 --> 00:13:46.936
  • Let me personalize it.
  • 00:13:46.936 --> 00:13:48.470
  • Go into all of your world and preach the gospel.
  • 00:13:48.470 --> 00:13:51.941
  • You have a sphere of influence.
  • 00:13:51.941 --> 00:13:54.977
  • You have people to reach that i could never reach and others
  • 00:13:54.977 --> 00:13:58.747
  • Would never reach, but you can reach.
  • 00:13:58.747 --> 00:14:01.383
  • Use that influence, use that position, use that opportunity
  • 00:14:01.383 --> 00:14:06.922
  • To engage people with the gospel of jesus christ and, see what
  • 00:14:06.922 --> 00:14:11.260
  • The lord will do with you and through you where you are
  • 00:14:11.260 --> 00:14:16.031
  • Right now.
  • 00:14:16.031 --> 00:14:17.733
  • Something to think about.
  • 00:14:17.733 --> 00:14:19.301
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:14:19.368 --> 00:14:22.471
  • Greg: number two, they prayed with passion and persistence.
  • 00:14:22.471 --> 00:14:27.376
  • They prayed with passion and persistence.
  • 00:14:27.376 --> 00:14:30.045
  • Again, look at verse 5.
  • 00:14:30.045 --> 00:14:31.447
  • "constant prayer was offered to god for him by the church,"
  • 00:14:31.447 --> 00:14:35.618
  • Constant prayer.
  • 00:14:35.618 --> 00:14:37.419
  • This phrase "constant prayer" could be translated "earnest
  • 00:14:37.419 --> 00:14:41.156
  • Prayer" or they were stretching out in prayer.
  • 00:14:41.156 --> 00:14:44.860
  • Have you ever had something just beyond your reach, you know,
  • 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.930
  • Maybe you're under your couch and you're trying to
  • 00:14:47.930 --> 00:14:50.266
  • Reach something.
  • 00:14:50.266 --> 00:14:51.600
  • It's a little too far.
  • 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:52.968
  • That's the way they were praying.
  • 00:14:52.968 --> 00:14:54.303
  • They were just reaching out to heaven, like, "lord, hear our
  • 00:14:54.303 --> 00:14:57.806
  • Prayer right now."
  • 00:14:57.806 --> 00:14:59.174
  • Another way this can be translated is "they prayed
  • 00:14:59.174 --> 00:15:01.844
  • With agony."
  • 00:15:01.844 --> 00:15:03.212
  • It's a word that speaks of intense desire.
  • 00:15:03.212 --> 00:15:06.248
  • By the way, it's the same word to describe the prayer of jesus
  • 00:15:06.248 --> 00:15:09.652
  • In the garden of gethsemane in luke 22, verse 44 when it says,
  • 00:15:09.652 --> 00:15:14.623
  • "he prayed more earnestly."
  • 00:15:14.623 --> 00:15:17.893
  • This was not some ho hum, oh lord, just say peter, amen.
  • 00:15:17.893 --> 00:15:23.265
  • This was, "oh god, lord, hear our prayer.
  • 00:15:23.265 --> 00:15:27.036
  • Lord, don't let peter be put to death."
  • 00:15:27.036 --> 00:15:29.672
  • Maybe they step this prayer up more after james died.
  • 00:15:29.672 --> 00:15:32.841
  • Did they pray for james when he was in prison?
  • 00:15:32.841 --> 00:15:35.110
  • I think they probably did, but probably not with the same
  • 00:15:35.110 --> 00:15:38.080
  • Intensity that they had now as they were praying for peter
  • 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:41.450
  • Because these were dire circumstances, and they
  • 00:15:41.450 --> 00:15:44.353
  • Were desperate.
  • 00:15:44.353 --> 00:15:45.688
  • They're crying out to god.
  • 00:15:45.688 --> 00:15:48.324
  • You know, i think sometimes much of our prayer has no power in it
  • 00:15:48.324 --> 00:15:52.828
  • Because there's no heart in it.
  • 00:15:52.828 --> 00:15:55.030
  • And if we're not gonna put any heart and pray in our prayer, do
  • 00:15:55.030 --> 00:15:57.900
  • We expect god to put heart in answering our prayer?
  • 00:15:57.900 --> 00:16:01.870
  • I love this, passionate prayer.
  • 00:16:01.870 --> 00:16:03.906
  • "constant prayer was offered to him by the church," and it was
  • 00:16:03.906 --> 00:16:07.476
  • Constant, not just one prayer.
  • 00:16:07.476 --> 00:16:11.213
  • You know, sometimes we give up too easily.
  • 00:16:11.213 --> 00:16:13.449
  • We pray for something that doesn't happen.
  • 00:16:13.449 --> 00:16:15.551
  • We say, well, it must not be god's will.
  • 00:16:15.551 --> 00:16:17.219
  • "lord, i pray that my son will walk with you.
  • 00:16:17.219 --> 00:16:20.222
  • Oh, he's not walking with you.
  • 00:16:20.222 --> 00:16:21.590
  • Well, i guess that's the will of god for him to not walk
  • 00:16:21.590 --> 00:16:24.626
  • With god."
  • 00:16:24.626 --> 00:16:26.295
  • Or i pray for something else, "lord, i need your provision,"
  • 00:16:26.295 --> 00:16:29.465
  • And you don't receive it.
  • 00:16:29.465 --> 00:16:30.833
  • "well, i guess god isn't gonna give it to me," or you're sick
  • 00:16:30.833 --> 00:16:32.868
  • And you pray for the lord to heal you, and you're not healed.
  • 00:16:32.868 --> 00:16:35.904
  • "oh, i guess god doesn't want to heal me."
  • 00:16:35.904 --> 00:16:37.806
  • Well, maybe that's true.
  • 00:16:37.806 --> 00:16:39.742
  • God doesn't heal everyone.
  • 00:16:39.742 --> 00:16:42.044
  • God does not always answer our prayers the way that we
  • 00:16:42.044 --> 00:16:44.413
  • Pray them.
  • 00:16:44.413 --> 00:16:45.748
  • But, listen, when you're praying for a son or a daughter to come
  • 00:16:45.748 --> 00:16:49.051
  • To the lord, you know you're praying according to the will of
  • 00:16:49.051 --> 00:16:52.354
  • God because scripture tells us, god is not willing that any
  • 00:16:52.354 --> 00:16:56.658
  • Should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
  • 00:16:56.658 --> 00:16:59.561
  • Now, i mentioned my mother in my last message and the life she
  • 00:16:59.561 --> 00:17:03.732
  • Lived, and i wanna tell you, my mom did commit herself to the
  • 00:17:03.732 --> 00:17:07.936
  • Lord toward the end of her life.
  • 00:17:07.936 --> 00:17:10.305
  • I prayed for her for over 30 years, 30 years.
  • 00:17:10.305 --> 00:17:15.277
  • That's a long time.
  • 00:17:15.277 --> 00:17:16.612
  • But the lord heard those prayers, and she finally came
  • 00:17:16.612 --> 00:17:19.815
  • Around toward the end of her life and committed her life to
  • 00:17:19.815 --> 00:17:24.386
  • Jesus christ.
  • 00:17:24.386 --> 00:17:25.754
  • So don't give up praying for your mom and dad or your son and
  • 00:17:25.754 --> 00:17:29.224
  • Daughter, or your husband or wife, or anyone you know that is
  • 00:17:29.224 --> 00:17:33.829
  • Not right with the lord.
  • 00:17:33.829 --> 00:17:35.197
  • Keep praying, keep asking.
  • 00:17:35.197 --> 00:17:36.532
  • Jesus said, "ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find,
  • 00:17:36.532 --> 00:17:40.069
  • Knock and the door will be opened."
  • 00:17:40.069 --> 00:17:43.105
  • So they're praying, "oh god, intervene.
  • 00:17:43.105 --> 00:17:46.708
  • Oh god, hear our prayer."
  • 00:17:46.708 --> 00:17:49.411
  • Point number three, they prayed together.
  • 00:17:49.411 --> 00:17:52.981
  • They prayed together.
  • 00:17:52.981 --> 00:17:54.316
  • Again verse 5, "constant prayer was offered to god for him by
  • 00:17:54.316 --> 00:18:00.289
  • The church."
  • 00:18:00.289 --> 00:18:01.657
  • You remember the title of this message is what happens when
  • 00:18:01.657 --> 00:18:04.493
  • Christians pray together?
  • 00:18:04.493 --> 00:18:06.495
  • What happens when christians pray together?
  • 00:18:06.495 --> 00:18:08.697
  • A lot.
  • 00:18:08.697 --> 00:18:10.032
  • There's power in united prayer.
  • 00:18:10.032 --> 00:18:13.335
  • Jesus said, "if any two of you shall agree on earth, touching
  • 00:18:13.335 --> 00:18:17.005
  • Anything that they shall ask, it will be done for them of my
  • 00:18:17.005 --> 00:18:20.342
  • Father, who is in heaven."
  • 00:18:20.342 --> 00:18:21.710
  • That's in matthew 18:19.
  • 00:18:21.710 --> 00:18:23.946
  • Now when he says, "agree on earth touching," it means two
  • 00:18:23.946 --> 00:18:27.349
  • Believers, not just an agreement, in general, but "two
  • 00:18:27.349 --> 00:18:32.521
  • Believers with the same god-given burden share of his
  • 00:18:32.521 --> 00:18:36.325
  • Well aligned with the spirit of god praying together."
  • 00:18:36.325 --> 00:18:40.829
  • So pray with other christians.
  • 00:18:40.829 --> 00:18:43.398
  • The bible says, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill
  • 00:18:43.398 --> 00:18:46.969
  • The law of christ.
  • 00:18:46.969 --> 00:18:48.470
  • So if you have a burden right now, you have a problem right
  • 00:18:48.470 --> 00:18:51.006
  • Now, call up a christian friend and say, "will you pray for me
  • 00:18:51.006 --> 00:18:55.043
  • And with me?"
  • 00:18:55.043 --> 00:18:56.411
  • Get a bunch of christians together and say, "could we all
  • 00:18:56.411 --> 00:18:58.981
  • Pray together about this thing?
  • 00:18:58.981 --> 00:19:01.150
  • And i would like to pray for whatever problems you're facing
  • 00:19:01.150 --> 00:19:03.986
  • As well."
  • 00:19:03.986 --> 00:19:05.320
  • There's power in united prayer.
  • 00:19:05.320 --> 00:19:07.055
  • So these believers are praying together.
  • 00:19:07.055 --> 00:19:09.491
  • Let's see how god answered their prayer.
  • 00:19:09.491 --> 00:19:11.293
  • Go back to acts chapter 12, verse 6, and i'm reading now
  • 00:19:11.293 --> 00:19:15.230
  • From the new living translation.
  • 00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:17.232
  • "the night before peter was going to be placed on trial, he
  • 00:19:17.232 --> 00:19:20.169
  • Was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers.
  • 00:19:20.169 --> 00:19:24.306
  • Others stood at the prison gate.
  • 00:19:24.306 --> 00:19:26.542
  • Suddenly there was a bright light in the cell, and the angel
  • 00:19:26.542 --> 00:19:30.078
  • Of the lord stood before peter.
  • 00:19:30.078 --> 00:19:33.148
  • The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, 'get up
  • 00:19:33.148 --> 00:19:37.686
  • Quickly,' and the chains fell off his wrists.
  • 00:19:37.686 --> 00:19:40.522
  • And then the angel said, 'get dressed and put on
  • 00:19:40.522 --> 00:19:43.325
  • Your sandals.'"
  • 00:19:43.325 --> 00:19:44.660
  • Sounds like a parent trying to get their kid ready for school.
  • 00:19:44.660 --> 00:19:47.629
  • Wake up, wake up, put on your clothes.
  • 00:19:47.629 --> 00:19:50.232
  • Let's go, right?
  • 00:19:50.232 --> 00:19:51.633
  • "'put on your sandals and now put on your coat and follow me,'
  • 00:19:51.633 --> 00:19:55.137
  • The angel ordered.
  • 00:19:55.137 --> 00:19:56.505
  • And peter left the cell following the angel.
  • 00:19:56.505 --> 00:19:59.541
  • And all this time he thought it was some kind of vision.
  • 00:19:59.541 --> 00:20:02.211
  • He didn't realize it was actually happening.
  • 00:20:02.211 --> 00:20:05.247
  • They passed the first and the second guard post and came to an
  • 00:20:05.247 --> 00:20:08.383
  • Iron gate leading to the city, and it opened to them
  • 00:20:08.383 --> 00:20:13.055
  • By itself."
  • 00:20:13.055 --> 00:20:14.423
  • It's interesting that comes from a root word in the greek that's
  • 00:20:14.423 --> 00:20:18.160
  • Translated automatic.
  • 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:20.195
  • So it's like the supermarket.
  • 00:20:20.195 --> 00:20:21.863
  • You come up and the door opens on its own.
  • 00:20:21.863 --> 00:20:24.967
  • So now the door is open all by itself and, "they passed
  • 00:20:24.967 --> 00:20:30.372
  • Through, they're walking down the street, and the angel
  • 00:20:30.372 --> 00:20:33.709
  • Suddenly leaves peter.
  • 00:20:33.709 --> 00:20:35.944
  • And peter came to his senses, and he said, 'it's really true.
  • 00:20:35.944 --> 00:20:39.448
  • The lord has sent his angel and he has saved me from herod and
  • 00:20:39.448 --> 00:20:42.684
  • From the jewish leaders and what they had planned to do.'"
  • 00:20:42.684 --> 00:20:45.654
  • I, i love this.
  • 00:20:45.654 --> 00:20:47.089
  • When did this happen?
  • 00:20:47.089 --> 00:20:48.624
  • Notice verse 6, "the night before peter was placed
  • 00:20:48.624 --> 00:20:53.161
  • On trial."
  • 00:20:53.161 --> 00:20:54.529
  • Now this is some fake trial in a kangaroo court.
  • 00:20:54.529 --> 00:20:57.599
  • He was gonna be convicted and executed immediately.
  • 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:02.638
  • So right before the trial, why didn't the lord answer this
  • 00:21:02.638 --> 00:21:05.474
  • Prayer a little bit earlier?
  • 00:21:05.474 --> 00:21:07.542
  • Well, sometimes the lord allows these things, so we will really
  • 00:21:07.542 --> 00:21:12.014
  • Realize that it's him that got us through it.
  • 00:21:12.014 --> 00:21:15.684
  • So let's pull the camera back and see the big picture.
  • 00:21:15.684 --> 00:21:19.454
  • Look at how things changed because of passionate,
  • 00:21:19.454 --> 00:21:23.225
  • Powerful prayer.
  • 00:21:23.225 --> 00:21:24.893
  • In the beginning, we see a seemingly all powerful king
  • 00:21:24.893 --> 00:21:29.498
  • Herod wreaking havoc on the church.
  • 00:21:29.498 --> 00:21:33.902
  • Herod had the power of government, the power of the
  • 00:21:33.902 --> 00:21:37.072
  • Sword, and the threat of prison, but the christians, they had the
  • 00:21:37.072 --> 00:21:41.877
  • Power of prayer.
  • 00:21:41.877 --> 00:21:43.712
  • The story ends in acts 12 with the great king herod giving a
  • 00:21:43.712 --> 00:21:50.619
  • Speech that was met by adulation from the people.
  • 00:21:50.619 --> 00:21:54.489
  • They began to chant the words, "it's a voice of a god and not
  • 00:21:54.489 --> 00:21:59.328
  • Of a man."
  • 00:21:59.328 --> 00:22:00.696
  • You know, it's interesting, the ancient historian josephus
  • 00:22:00.696 --> 00:22:03.699
  • Commenting on the same event, says that herod was dressed from
  • 00:22:03.699 --> 00:22:08.036
  • Head to toe in silver.
  • 00:22:08.036 --> 00:22:10.339
  • So it was probably some kind of a reflective silver cloth he was
  • 00:22:10.339 --> 00:22:14.776
  • Wearing or thread that caused the sun to reflect off of him.
  • 00:22:14.776 --> 00:22:19.281
  • It was shining like the sun.
  • 00:22:19.281 --> 00:22:20.749
  • So here is herod head to toe in silver, shining in front of the
  • 00:22:20.749 --> 00:22:24.853
  • People, gives a great speech.
  • 00:22:24.853 --> 00:22:26.388
  • Oh, you're a god.
  • 00:22:26.388 --> 00:22:27.723
  • He's, like, thank you very much, thank you very much.
  • 00:22:27.723 --> 00:22:29.257
  • And god judged him, and the bible tells him he died and
  • 00:22:29.257 --> 00:22:34.329
  • Worms ate him.
  • 00:22:34.329 --> 00:22:36.598
  • So i don't know if that was immediate and he was stricken by
  • 00:22:36.598 --> 00:22:40.135
  • Worms or of a few days later they realized after he had died
  • 00:22:40.135 --> 00:22:45.474
  • That he was infested by worms.
  • 00:22:45.474 --> 00:22:47.209
  • I don't know, it's pretty gross.
  • 00:22:47.209 --> 00:22:49.378
  • But, wow, look at this story and how it turned around.
  • 00:22:49.378 --> 00:22:52.347
  • At the beginning of the chapter, herod is on the rampage
  • 00:22:52.347 --> 00:22:56.318
  • Arresting and persecuting church leaders.
  • 00:22:56.318 --> 00:22:59.054
  • At the end, he has struck down and he dies.
  • 00:22:59.054 --> 00:23:02.257
  • The chapter opens with james dead, peter in prison, and
  • 00:23:02.257 --> 00:23:06.428
  • Herod triumphing.
  • 00:23:06.428 --> 00:23:08.163
  • It closes with herod dead, peter free, and the word of
  • 00:23:08.163 --> 00:23:12.501
  • God triumphing.
  • 00:23:12.501 --> 00:23:14.102
  • By the way, little footnote, those guards that were in charge
  • 00:23:14.102 --> 00:23:17.739
  • Of keeping peter in prison, were all executed by king herod,
  • 00:23:17.739 --> 00:23:22.911
  • How sad.
  • 00:23:22.911 --> 00:23:24.246
  • I'm sure they heard the gospel from peter.
  • 00:23:24.246 --> 00:23:26.715
  • I hope they believed in jesus christ because, you know what?
  • 00:23:26.715 --> 00:23:30.285
  • Death is gonna come to every man and every woman.
  • 00:23:30.285 --> 00:23:34.589
  • I was talking to an older gentleman the other day.
  • 00:23:34.589 --> 00:23:36.858
  • I was with a friend.
  • 00:23:36.858 --> 00:23:38.226
  • We're having a cup of coffee, and we're at this little table,
  • 00:23:38.226 --> 00:23:40.262
  • And this old dude is looking for a place to sit.
  • 00:23:40.262 --> 00:23:43.632
  • And he says, "can i sit here at your table?"
  • 00:23:43.632 --> 00:23:46.301
  • We said, "sure, sit down."
  • 00:23:46.301 --> 00:23:47.836
  • Well, he had an amazing life.
  • 00:23:47.836 --> 00:23:49.905
  • He had actually been a little boy during world war ii, and he
  • 00:23:49.905 --> 00:23:54.009
  • Had seen the nazis invade.
  • 00:23:54.009 --> 00:23:56.244
  • He was from the netherlands.
  • 00:23:56.244 --> 00:23:58.580
  • And he told us a bunch of stories about his life and what
  • 00:23:58.580 --> 00:24:03.084
  • He did for a living and so forth.
  • 00:24:03.084 --> 00:24:04.619
  • Then he asked me, "well, what do you do for a living?"
  • 00:24:04.619 --> 00:24:06.288
  • I said, well, i'm a pastor."
  • 00:24:06.288 --> 00:24:07.923
  • He was a little surprised.
  • 00:24:07.923 --> 00:24:09.591
  • And so he started asking questions, why god
  • 00:24:09.591 --> 00:24:11.960
  • Allows suffering?
  • 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:13.295
  • Why does this happen?
  • 00:24:13.295 --> 00:24:14.663
  • Why does that happen?
  • 00:24:14.663 --> 00:24:16.064
  • And so i got to the subject of jesus, and this man happened to
  • 00:24:16.064 --> 00:24:20.068
  • Be an engineer.
  • 00:24:20.068 --> 00:24:21.636
  • And i said, you know, i know it's hard to believe some of the
  • 00:24:21.636 --> 00:24:25.140
  • Miracles you read about in the bible because he said, "it's
  • 00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:27.943
  • Hard for me to believe these miracles."
  • 00:24:27.943 --> 00:24:29.744
  • I said, "you're an engineer.
  • 00:24:29.744 --> 00:24:31.680
  • You know what it takes to build something.
  • 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:34.816
  • And when you look at this world, you realize that god has
  • 00:24:34.816 --> 00:24:37.886
  • Created it.
  • 00:24:37.886 --> 00:24:39.221
  • God has built it, but sin has entered the human race."
  • 00:24:39.221 --> 00:24:43.325
  • But then i told him, "and that's why jesus came."
  • 00:24:43.325 --> 00:24:45.794
  • I said, "sir, do you know why jesus came to this earth?
  • 00:24:45.794 --> 00:24:49.064
  • He looked at me for a moment, he says, "no, i don't."
  • 00:24:49.064 --> 00:24:51.500
  • I said, "he came to die for our sin because we've broken
  • 00:24:51.500 --> 00:24:55.003
  • God's commandments.
  • 00:24:55.003 --> 00:24:56.338
  • We've fallen short of his glory, but jesus died for us and rose
  • 00:24:56.338 --> 00:24:59.875
  • Again from the dead.
  • 00:24:59.875 --> 00:25:01.309
  • And this is what we all need to know.
  • 00:25:01.309 --> 00:25:03.011
  • We don't have to be afraid to die if christ is living in
  • 00:25:03.011 --> 00:25:07.516
  • Our heart.
  • 00:25:07.516 --> 00:25:09.317
  • And is he living in your life right now?"
  • 00:25:09.317 --> 00:25:11.853
  • Remember how peter was on the outside of this little prayer
  • 00:25:11.853 --> 00:25:14.122
  • Meeting knocking?
  • 00:25:14.122 --> 00:25:16.258
  • Picking up on that analogy, jesus says, "behold, i stand at
  • 00:25:16.258 --> 00:25:19.528
  • The door and i knock.
  • 00:25:19.528 --> 00:25:21.029
  • And if you'll hear my voice and open the door, i will come in
  • 00:25:21.029 --> 00:25:24.633
  • Right now."
  • 00:25:24.633 --> 00:25:26.034
  • Greg: hi, my name is greg laurie.
  • 00:25:29.804 --> 00:25:31.473
  • I started searching for god at a very young age.
  • 00:25:31.473 --> 00:25:35.443
  • And my search led me into a lot of wrong directions, including
  • 00:25:35.443 --> 00:25:39.314
  • Drug use, and i almost destroyed my life completely, but someone
  • 00:25:39.314 --> 00:25:43.818
  • Told me about jesus christ, and it changed my life forever.
  • 00:25:43.818 --> 00:25:48.657
  • And i want you to know that whatever course your life is on
  • 00:25:48.657 --> 00:25:51.493
  • Right now, it can change if you realize there's a god in heaven
  • 00:25:51.493 --> 00:25:55.230
  • Who loves you, and he has a plan for your life.
  • 00:25:55.230 --> 00:25:59.134
  • I prayed this prayer to ask jesus into my life at the age of
  • 00:25:59.134 --> 00:26:02.871
  • 17, and here i am at the age of 70.
  • 00:26:02.871 --> 00:26:06.074
  • And i can tell you i made the best choice i ever could make.
  • 00:26:06.074 --> 00:26:09.578
  • You can make that same choice yourself.
  • 00:26:09.578 --> 00:26:11.813
  • You could just say, "jesus, help me, forgive me of my sin.
  • 00:26:11.813 --> 00:26:15.684
  • I want to go to heaven when i die.
  • 00:26:15.684 --> 00:26:17.619
  • I want a relationship with you."
  • 00:26:17.619 --> 00:26:20.288
  • If you would pray a prayer like that, god will hear you and
  • 00:26:20.288 --> 00:26:23.358
  • Answer you.
  • 00:26:23.358 --> 00:26:27.829
  • Greg: so these are the remains of someone's home, and we have a
  • 00:26:32.033 --> 00:26:36.304
  • Team of people here that are volunteers.
  • 00:26:36.304 --> 00:26:39.841
  • Many of these people are from harvest working with
  • 00:26:39.841 --> 00:26:42.911
  • Samaritan's purse.
  • 00:26:42.911 --> 00:26:44.613
  • So we come here and we do these things for these people in the
  • 00:26:44.613 --> 00:26:48.249
  • Name of jesus christ to let them know that there are people that
  • 00:26:48.249 --> 00:26:52.253
  • Care about them.
  • 00:26:52.253 --> 00:26:53.588
  • And we share the gospel with people and help people see their
  • 00:26:53.588 --> 00:26:57.592
  • Need for jesus.
  • 00:26:57.592 --> 00:26:59.561
  • You know, when you're down, when you're hurting, when tragedy is
  • 00:26:59.561 --> 00:27:03.131
  • Hit, a lot of times you're more open to hearing the gospel than
  • 00:27:03.131 --> 00:27:06.968
  • Maybe under normal circumstances when things are going well.
  • 00:27:06.968 --> 00:27:11.039
  • And i found that sometimes in the worst of circumstances you
  • 00:27:11.039 --> 00:27:15.076
  • Can see amazing things happen because people open their hearts
  • 00:27:15.076 --> 00:27:20.215
  • To god and see their real need.
  • 00:27:20.215 --> 00:27:23.018
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:23.084 --> 00:27:29.010