Your Life Has a Purpose - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org K NOW know God.org he would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear it is over. I'm sorry.

Let me say this, God can only hurt and pain user judge other people.

The men and women.

He wants us to be specific. God doesn't waste our pain coming up today. Pastor Greg Laurie points out, God will care for you and you God's just a special purpose of this unique to you and happy deep dark times of Christ doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Don't worry, be happy, right side, sometimes an earthquake so shakes our live there doesn't seem to be a bright, but don't mountains rise from today on a new beginning for Greg Laurie helps to see how God can help us rise above our pain has to use hope something for some seems to be on relatively short supply these days what people find themselves filled with anxiety, fear, depression, some even entertaining suicidal thoughts for a person would think that their life does not matter. I want to say this to you. You are wrong. Your life does matter that matters more than you know. You know, as a young boy I had a crazy life I've told you about this before. Let's just say my mother was living. Love you Loca okay. It was the crazy life she was a very beautiful lady and she was never at a shorted shop for men in her life and she loved to drink and she loved to party and and I went along for Charlene. That was her name is Charlene's wild ride.

You've heard of Mr. toad's wild ride. I was in Charlene's wild ride and it was like the no kids to live but I lifted a parade of men coming in and out of my home in my life was a lot of fighting, screaming, getting a very real abusive home yet through all of this strangely instead of having the deep depression I had hoped that one day things were going to get better. I don't really know why I had it in a way because there was nothing that would give me an indication things were going to get better in many ways things actually got worse and they got worse because I when I became older as a young teenager. I started making a bunch of bad decisions that made my life going even in a worse direction and so I look back at school and no one was encourage amusing. Greg don't hang in there, you're going to go out there and accomplish something in the world.

The fact in the schools I went to buy was there long enough they wanted to expel me and for good reason. I would make trouble in class I would just drop the class as well and the only reason I wasn't expelled from school as my mother would go to the principal and say you expel them all. So you integrate there. I was living my life but I thought somehow my life was going to get better and now I look back on it I know why because the Bible says God has placed eternity in our heart that simply means that were created by God even before we know the were separated from you by sin. There's a sense that there's something more in life and I was right. My life was going to get better and I got dramatically better when I became a Christian.

I heard the gospel. I believe that Christ changed my life immediately and then not long after I became a believer. I met Kathy and we got married and we had two sons and were building our family and were living our life and were starting this church and there were challenges.

There were many setbacks but we pressed on were so thankful for all that the Lord was doing and then the most devastating thing of my life happen and that is when our oldest son Christopher died in an automobile accident. You know what it happened have to tell you I literally thought in many ways my life was ending. I know that shockingly here because I'm a pastor. I should have a sermon in my back pocket for the moment but but it I think Kathy my wife could see the look on my face. I was so devastated. I was so destroyed by this, I thought what what what happens now how do you even survive such a thing in our house immediately filled with people saying all kinds of things, some slightly helpful some rather random and some even hurtful, all with the best intentions.

I'm sure and and I just sort of collapsed on the floor and Kathy came up to me and she took my face in her hands and she said Greg it's going to be okay. And there's only one person I could've said that to me that I would've listened to that day and that was Because she had lost her son as well. She said Greg is going to be okay and I would like to say to anybody struggling with deep depression because something this happened in your life and you don't know what I wanted to say to you right now.

It's going to be okay somehow, you're going to get through this and this pain your rent is not gonna last forever in a bag, you will grow stronger from it.

Your civil Greg Senior over your sons. I know I'll never be over. It I'm not over it but I'm getting through it and the reason I'm getting through it is because Jesus is giving me what I need each and every day, and he will do the same thing for you no matter what you're facing right now you can be sure if you suffered in life. If you been neglected.

You been mistreated you been abused or you been abandoned. I'm sorry that this happened to let me say this, God can take all of the curtain pain experienced in life and use it to touch other people make us into the men and women. He wants us to be. Romans 828 says we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, another called according to his purpose.

Then he goes on to say, for whom God did for know. We also did predestined to be conformed into the image of his own dear son.

This is often misunderstood because I think we think that means gonna dig every bad thing inserted into a good thing wrong. There are things that happened that are wrong things there bad things will always be bad things they should have never happened but they did what God promises guilt because all things to work together for good despite the bad God can bring good still, because the Bible promises to bring beauty out of ashes, the oil of joy instead of the spirit of morning show once godsend.

Jamie goes on to say there. Verse 29 only for new means he knew you before you knew him. He predestined you to be conformed to the image of his own dear son, this is our hope. Now the devil who is very real does not want this to happen. The devil want you to abandon hope Dante wrote that over the gates of hell are these words quote abandon hope all you who enter here. Satan would say that this some people today feel safe. Abandon hope all of you who enter here devil want you to abandon hope. Jesus wants you to abandon hopelessness because you can have hope is his follower because Jesus said the devil or the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. But I am come that you might have life in them more abundantly. So we have the choice in line. We can listen to the devil or we can listen to Jesus. Don't listen to the devil because he is a liar. He is the father of lies and he would whisper in your ear, and he would say your life is not worth living in your family and friends would be better off without you. Those are lies. Your life is a gift from God. It is worth living in your love more than you realize. First of all your loved by God. He loves you with an everlasting love. He loves you so intensely. He sent his own son to suffer and die for your sins for our sins because of his love and your love by your family love more than you may know, you would be missing more than you would ever realize in your love by this family. Your love by the church, God's family need to remember that God wants to change the paradigm of your life if you let him. We have a choice. He says I set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life and live it. Your choice to make the right choice and you'll be glad that you did.

There's no clearer example of that than the men were going to take a little time to look at together.

His name is Moses is like.

Could've so easily been over before it even started, but God preserved him and not only did God preserve Moses, but he called and used him to literally save the lives of millions of people, as you will discover together Moses is a flawed individual to say the least getting was one of the greatest men of God in all of human history we know him as a great hero of history, but it was the man behind the legend. We know Moses is the lawgiver, but we must remember also that before that he was a law breaker. He was born in poverty. Yet he was raised in a palace but ultimately the wilderness became his home. He was reluctant to lead, but he was determined to follow at times Moses was impulsive, impatient and even explosive, but at other times he was humble and broken obedient to what the Lord would say he was idolized that he was criticized when an interesting guy. He was pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. Many listeners write or call us to share their stories, pain and loss but also of hope in our program about every day been very helpful for me been good I been going to Martin were murdered older start although the three-tiered look extremely devastating to me and I will but by Greg Laurie Berkley helped me tremendously get my focus on the Lord help other people quote Bob look that I'm just grateful for this minute. I will continue to find out online@store.harvest.org when we hear it's not only a blessing. It also confirms that the program is touching lives here in this community. Leave a message for pastor Greg: 1-866-871-1144 again that's 866-871-1144 pastor Greg is just getting started in a new study series based on the colorful life of Moses.

It's time to dive into God's word. So let's read the text right now. Hebrews 1123 is where we will start. Let's look at it together by faith Moses when he was born was hidden by his parents for three months because he saw he was a beautiful child. They were not afraid of the king's command by faith Moses when he became of age refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin is esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for a look to the reward so is our story begins the Jewish people are facing hard times. You remember that the way the ended up in Egypt in the first place was because of Joseph. Joseph, the son of Jacob was favored by his father. So much so they gave him his own supercool coat, sometimes referred to as the coat of many colors, but what it really was a sort of a longsleeved garment that one would wear if he was in the worker out in the fields are in the hot sun so while the brothers were in overalls working in the fields. Joe Sosa was strutting around in his tuxedo if you will insert a boasting about it than writing them out when they did things wrong to is that so let's just say the brothers overreacted a little bit.

They decided to kill him and then they compromise and instead sold in the traveling slave traders and Joseph now is taken off into exile in the home of amending Potter for what a wife that was sexually obsessed with young Joseph. She was the original cougar she try to get Joseph to have sex with 30 reviews over and over again. Then she falsely accuse them of rape and he ends up in jail during jail. The providence of God. He meets the Butler and the Baker of the King. He interprets dreams that they have and ultimately is brought to the court of the Pharaoh himself and interpreted troubling dream that the Pharaoh had with the Lord revealed to Pharaoh that a famine was coming and Joseph told him what steps to take to be ready for the feminine. The fair was so impressed he said you are number two in the kingdom. And so now is in the position of great power. Ultimately, he forgave his brothers.

They came to live with him there in Egypt now fast-forward in the story.

Many years later that Pharaoh did favor Joseph is gone. Joseph is gone.

The brothers are gone within their place either descendents. The Jewish people that have grown in number. This Pharaoh did not know Joseph or his people and he turned against these people, the Jews, and so there crying out to God to deliver them because now they're effectively slaves to the Egyptian Lord send us a deliverer and the Lord heard their prayer. Enter Moses, the man of God. But first he would be Moses the baby protected by God wife because the Pharaoh decided he wanted to cut down the Hebrew population.

He came up with his own version of what the Nazis called the final solution. He said kill all of the Jewish baby boys. But really the devil was behind this because remember back in the garden of Eden. After sin entered the human race. God put Satan on notice and said there is coming, one who is going to crush your head, but you will bruise his heel came on Messiah was coming and Satan was smart enough to know that Messiah would be a Jew.

So here is the Pharaoh. Killing these Jewish baby boys trying to stop Messiah from coming.

Fast-forward to the book of Esther hears the plotted payment to kill all of the Jewish people.

That is averted. Fast-forward to the New Testament hears King Herod hearing that the king is, as the wise men come to worship him and he is all of those Jewish baby boys killed above the him.

The devil was trying to stop Jesus from coming so kill all these Jewish baby boys was the decree, but this Hebrew couple Amerman and Jock embed the mom and dad of Joseph, one of the little boy to live. Of course, in the Bible tells us, in particular, he was a beautiful child now.

I think every parent thinks her child is beautiful. Maybe they'll I don't know if they all are not going to pass judgment okay but you know what I'm saying right to mean maybe not so much but apparently this child was. It was exceptional in the way that he looked. I word that she is there for beautiful implies also that he was cheerful so he was a beautiful cheerful little baby later and asked Stephen is before the Sanhedrin and he gives a little commentary and Moses in acts 70 says that Moses was exceedingly fair, which is a word that mean-spirited God indicating a special purpose for his life.

Here's my point.

The child wasn't just beautiful.

The child had a purpose guarded single this child out and do you know the God is a purpose for you, yes you a special purpose. A special plan that is unique to you, regardless of the circumstances of your birth.

Jeremiah knew he was called by God. Even before he was born. By the way. That's why were so strong in our stand for unborn children because the moment of conception. That's a living soul made in the image of God that such a tragedy in our culture were so many of these lives are taken and you wonder with the millions that have died by abortion that who among those young men and women could have been someone to change our world. Some of the find a cure for cancer. Someone to make a significant impact on our culture. It's so sad. Jeremiah said before he was born in Jeremiah 15 God speaking.

I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations is able.

Greg, that's nice, but you know I was born out of wedlock.

Welcome to the club need to buy the way, I didn't find that out to much later in life. My mom into giving me another story that wasn't true and so I found an old crate so I wasn't planned, then stick to know. But you know and even if my mother did not plan me my life was planned by God. I know that and so is your sometimes you'll see a child born out of wedlock going illegitimate child.

There's no illegitimate children illegitimate parents. Yes, illegitimate children know every child's legitimate. Every child is loved by God.

Someone 39 says you saw me before I was born every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid up over a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts toward me, Lord. There innumerable. So God shows Moses well this Satan hates what God chooses. And that's why he wanted to eradicate the Jewish people and that's why he wanted to destroy Moses but God preserve this little one. Have you ever stopped and wondered why God baby has preserved you up to this point. Baby what a close brush with death.

Maybe what a childhood illness you weren't supposed to survive. There were some mitigating circumstances against you but yet here you are right now hearing this message. God had a plan for you. God has a plan for you and this is about to unfold the life of Moses or Greg Laurie great encouragement about the plan God has for each of our lives, especially at a time like this. It's reassuring to know that God wants to users in spite of all we've been through. Now there's more to come in this message here on a new beginning. But if you like an instant replay of this foundational study and pastor Greg new series called water Firestone just go online to harvest.org.

The title of today's kickoff study is your life has a purpose.

If you like a permanent copy on CD. Just call 1-800-821-3300 1-800-821-3300 are you receiving pastor Greg's daily devotions that these inspirational thoughts in your email box every day.

Sign-up free of charge@devo.harvest.org pastor Greg to follow up on today study somebody's going through a very tough challenge right now may be the result of the pandemic. Or maybe a marriage issue or financial problems.

What kind of help and encouragement can they find by way of the new DVD. I still believe that were making available right now will you know I think Dave that what we need to do is we need to turn to God during crisis. You know, one of my favorite Bible stories is when there was a storm in the sea of Galilee and those season sailors began to despair of life they thought they were going to drown. And suddenly they see of phantom -like figure approaching them on the water.

Some even thought it was actually a ghost and suddenly they realize it wasn't that goes.

It was Jesus. And the reason they didn't recognize him is because while they were looking for him and a lot of times were not looking for Jesus in our times of difficulty but we need to.

So here was Jesus walking on the water and they invited him on their boat. You know it's interesting he might've walked right by. Had they not invited him in and we have a choice we face hardship. We can try to face about our own we can invite Christ into our crisis, we can invite the Lord into the challenges were facing. Well I have a movie I want to send you you maybe have heard of it. It was a hit film is called. I still believe amazing performances by top rate Hollywood actors expertly directed by the year when brothers telling the powerful story of hope during difficult circumstances affect the most difficult imaginable. It's a story of how God can come to you and your times of difficulty as he came for Jeremy Melissa As they were facing cancer together know that whatever this is where it takes us and wish you every step, every moment so and now I figure from engineering we have a lot to talk about relationships and prayed about as much time assuming that's why my so order your copy of I still believe from us and listen to this. Will send it to you for your gift of any size. If you order from us to enable us to continue to bring the gospel to people and teach the word of God to people and will literally send it to you for your gift of any size whatever you send will take those resources and use them to touch more lives with the truth of God's word so order your own copy of I still believe the movie on DVD ready to send one to you. Yeah, that's right.

It's the kind of movie you won't forget it really can change your life and you know your investment in this ministry can change a life as well. People are hurting their trapped in uncertainty, wondering what the future holds. Well, when you invest in a new beginning.

You're helping people meet the one who holds the future. So when you send a donation today. Please ask for. I still believe on DVD you can write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org everybody Greg Laurie here in finding you to join me every weekend for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a church service. It's a worship service. It's a Bible study and its wherever you wanted to be in your home in your car sitting on a beach walking down the street watching it on your phone wherever you are taken with you and the minister to every weekend. Join us for Harvest at Home@harvest.org next time more encouragement from pastor Greg's kickoff message in our study of the life of Moses more from the study called your life has a purpose here on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign-up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org