Your Life Has a Purpose - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God check out virtue our website for Christian women go to harvest.org/virtue all Roy knows you know I can't wait to get off this wrong phone number you soon soon promises pleasure delivers pain.

Pastor Greg Laurie or cease in the temptation really are fun to be honest about God for a season that you will be of something called bait and switch the consumer with your Lord and store why something you advertise or had no plan whatever goes with the way our adversary is temptation, but sin never delivers you free pleasure. Pastor Greg Laurie takes his case in point, the life of one of the Bible's great Old Testament. Walk up your Bibles and you want to talk about the purpose of your life.

The title is your life has a purpose. There's no clearer example of that. The men were going to take a little time to look got together his name is Moses is like so easily been over before it even started, but God preserved him and only did God preserve Moses, but he called and used them to literally save the lives of millions of people, as you will discover together Moses is a flawed individual to say the least.

Yet he 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 the 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. 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 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 this Hebrew couple Amerman and Jaco bed 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. The 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 on Moses in acts 17 says that Moses was exceedingly fair, which is a word that means fair to 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 of special plan that is unique to you, regardless of the circumstances of your birth. So God shows Moses well for 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 was about to unfold the life of Moses, so his parents. Amerman and Jaco bed say well we just can have to put it in the hands of God and they put them in a little basket covered with pitch, which means it was waterproof diverted Noah's Ark. This was Moses heart just a little smaller. There were no animal may put them in their give a little push. It was in the current there in the Nile River is cruising along the team right in front of where the Pharaoh would be aware, the Pharaoh's daughter. The princes of Egypt was then all of a sudden as if on cue, the baby crying and so she goes over looks at this little basket in season is absolutely horrible little baby boy and immediately her hard, his mood, but you think you will will will can I do her maternal instincts kicked in, and how can I help this child and seemingly out of nowhere, here comes Miriam, the sister of Moses noticed you just saw this little baby in the basket and so I'm thinking maybe you would like someone to nurse that baby right out in the processing.take on some idea you have anyone on my brothers lady over a year would be willing to do the job right. Mom I mean right random lady yes II could do that. So the princesses would you take this little baby in and take care of them and nurse them. Right now I think I could work it into my schedule. I love other story unfolds and because it shows the natural and the supernatural working together. I think sometimes we go too far. One where the other. Everything is spiritual spiritual spiritual never the practical everything is practical, practical, practical, never the spiritual. Maybe you're out of work and you're saying why I need a job to seminars, you will if you got your resume out there know, I'm just staying at home praying watching Netflix just praying the Lord will provide for you might be doing some unplanned fasting in your future. Okay, so take the tactical step and pray for the Lord to lead the motto soldiers in the Revolutionary war was quote trust in God but keep your powder dry" is a place for trust and there's a place for the practical so baby Moses cries in a mother cares baby's tears were God's first weapon in his war against Egypt and so she has these precious three months to be with her baby boy and that she had to let him go. How hard. That must've been for Jacob to turn them over to the court of the Pharaoh you know and maybe you feel that way right now. Maybe you had to let your children go. Others of you are saying. I wish my children would go 50 years old living at home still come on. But maybe you just sent son or a daughter off to college your maybe they're serving in the military or you just give your daughter away to be married. Dad's and you're looking at this cream I mean this husband take good care of my girl boy try to let our kids go. That's exactly what joke about how to do it. She had to trust the Lord. Stephen gives us more commentary in acts 720 says.

At that time Moses was born a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at a home for three months when unless they had to abandon him in Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him as her own son Moses was taught in the wisdom of the Egyptians became mighty in speech and action. Now Josephus, the Jewish historian, wrote that there was no heir to the Pharaoh. Therefore Moses is being groomed to be the next Pharaoh of Egypt, not or not that's true but that's interesting if it is because I means that Moses could have said you know what was going to hang in here and one day when I ascend ultimate power. I'm been a release the Jews so I need to just kinda be cool and and keep a low profile and can we go along with the game plan not make any way.

Well, he could've done that but he didn't because he knew that this was a godless environment always been schooled in like a Oxford of ancient times and was learning all the things what good learning you eat the finest food be dressed in designer clothing from head to toe. He knew his fellow Jews were suffering and he just couldn't stand to sit there and do nothing about it after Greg Laurie have the second half of this message in just a moment, 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. Take it with you and the minister to every weekend. Join us for Harvest at Home@harvest.org Pastor Greg is presenting his opening message new series on the life of Moses called water fire stone in our thanks to our harvest partners for their consistent generosity that's helping to bring you today study let's go back to Hebrews 11 verse 24. It was white faith that Moses, when he grew up.

Refuse to be treated as a son of Pharaoh's daughter.

He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him an amazing series of verses that interesting point is brought up that is simply the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Sin can be fun.

Let's be honest about that.

Let me take a quick poll. How many of you ever send razor in.

Okay, how many view of sin today already seriously tell me what you did here.

Okay, now how many of you have ever committed a sin and enjoyed it while you did it all lie. Okay, not donor when you don't razor it right but we have. Otherwise, why would we do it, so the Bible does not ignore that fact. The Bible acknowledges the fleeting pleasures of sin, but there are also the lasting repercussions of sin. That's what the Bible tells us that there are pleasures their short-lived and then there are repercussions which can last a lifetime.

That's what we want to avoid you roller coasters can be fun unless they come off the tracks. I went to Disneyland I would leave by Lesko and his daughter Clover and I took two of my grandchildren, Allie and Christopher and you know I just realize that all roller coaster type rides nauseatingly now on the server space Mountain. I was on the inaugural all right I remember I want to give me a big giant button. I wrote face Mountain. I member to get this thing is so this is even scary at all but that was a big 1975, so I was in my 20s now.

I wrote it today in my 40s, plus a few more years and you know what it made me sick to my stomach going up and down and write a letter that I'm thinking I can't wait to get off this right you know how they take your picture now you can buy your picture but I'm too cheap to buy one of those pictures so I take my phone out take a picture of the screen.

I said rod inserted to you, but everybody on the roller coasters like throwing their hands in the year the little kids are doing it, but I just have the most nauseated look, that's exactly how I felt and then we went on thunder Mountain that nauseated me to everything nauseatingly now except the corndog got the numbness that was a highlight of the day, no question about that.

So sin can be.

What used to be fun not make you sick and on and talking about things you used to do that were funded first, then became not as fun. Then they actually became a little bit miserable.

Then they became completely depressing and now you can't believe you wasted your life doing those things. That's what the Bible to save the pleasures of sin for a season, but Moses I'm done with Egypt. I don't care. I'm tired of walking like an Egyptian content of the music. I'm tired of the food.

I'm tired of the false gods.

I'm tired of this disconnection from reality.

I've got to do something so basically it came down to this simple recognition on the life of Moses, the worst God had to offer was better than what the world had to offer. So what is the best the world that offer all the luxuries of Egypt. What is the best the world has offered to us. Same thing basically just updated all of the short-lived pleasures. All of the whatever experiences you can have. That's the best.

What is the worst God has offered well persecution. Maybe rejection mockery. Yet we don't like that.

Nobody likes to be attacked but that's the worst and the worst. If you will end up with the word and quote the worst God offers is better.

The best the world offers now, let's turn it around and talk about the best that God offers all along the half. Let's start with eternal life in heaven.

Let's start with a perfected body that God will give Joyce. Let's talk about the removal of all sorrow and sadness in depression. Let's talk about meaning and purpose in this life, let's talk about a peace that passes human understanding, let's talk about the joy that God can give. That's the best God has offered us the worst the world has to offer really bad how judgment facing the repercussions of your best decisions seen those sin sometimes repeated not only the lives of your children, but even in your grandchildren all my photo.

He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. So we need to understand you can be happy without sin.

The greatest happiness is, why does the offer can be without chasing after these empty pleasures because the Bible says happy are those that hear the word of God and keep it in here you are with an open heart. Hearing the word of God that brings the real happiness you sought in life from a relationship with God. Do we have to give up anything to follow Jesus. Yes, we do we do, but really what you give up give up emptiness.

You give up gilds you give up a meaningless life in its place. God gives you peace purpose and happiness in an eternal home so it's a pretty amazing trade-in program. I have to say that you you get things up, but whatever you've given up to follow Jesus will be more than made up to you in this life and the life to come. That's what Jesus said and I would just say in closing, there might be somebody here that's been chasing after these empty things and it's cause you to be a very empty person. I want you to know that Jesus Christ then tear willing to forgive you of any sin you've ever committed. Let's look back to that statement of John 10 and wrap this up. That sums it up. Jesus said the fee for the devil comes only to steal, kill and destroy.

But I speaking of himself have come that you might have life in them more abundantly. Well, there's a choice. Death or life be destroyed or be restored. It's really up to you. Are you tired of getting ripped off by the devil are you tired of living in this misery and emptiness.

Will Jesus is ready to forgive you and he can do that for you now. I talked about my own life as a kid. 17.

When I became a Christian I I asked Christ to come in my life and I'll be honest with you I was thinking to myself this isn't going to work for me. It just isn't the reason I thought that was because I was cynical I was cynical because of the things I'd seen. I was cynical because I honestly didn't know many adults they had any respect for. I was cynical because I just seen so many sad things in my very young life, and I thought this is a it's a promise that won't deliver but I was wrong because it wasn't in it. It was a him it was Jesus, and Jesus keeps his promises to keep his promises.

People of let you down. Circumstances of let you down. Christ will never let you down there to lift you up, but you must call out to him that if there's anybody here that would say I need Jesus in my life. I'm tired of chasing after the empty pleasures of this world. I want what God wants. I want to find that purpose he has for me. I want to find that meaning he has for my life. I would give you an opportunity to do that right now. Let's all do our answer prayer father speak to any person here or any person who's watching wherever they may be. Show them their need for Jesus, help them to come to you today believe to be forgiven in Jesus name I pray in Mr. Greg Laurie important prayer with those who like to make a change today in the relationship with the Lord, and if you'd like to do that. Pastor Greg will help you in just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes now if you missed any portion of today study a message called your life has a purpose. You can hear the whole program again online@harvest.org or downloaded MP3 or even order a CD again go to harvest.org or Pastor Greg it's confession time. Are you ready yes when you first saw the movie, I still believe did your eyes get a little bit moist today. Yes they did. Did you utter the words.

I'm not crying you're crying tell you did it to tearjerker because it is a true story. It's a love story. I still believe it's a story of Jeremy Camp and his bride Melissa who were newly married in Melissa had cancer and so they fought together, hoping that God would spare her and give her many years. He had but of course, tragically, that did not happen. So you say while that's something a really depressing story will believe it or not it's a hopeful story. It's a powerful story.

It's a gospel story. And so now this is a film and it's been directed by the Irwin brothers and I think by the way they make the best Christian films out there today. Their films are beautifully done, expertly directed to get the best actors out there these films are great storytelling and their well-crafted it's turnkey GF.

Of course he's featured on the Riverdale TV series Britt Robertson is a well-known actress Shania Twain was she's a country superstar, Gary Sinise Garza remember him as Lieut. Dan and Forrest Gump been on the CSI TV show for years, but this is an amazing cast a powerful story and it is going to move you deeply. Yes, it will bring tears to your eyes, but it will also bring joy to your heart. You're gonna love it will do. I understand why Melissa no I know you chose willingly to walk in the fire with right beside her handling of the but then that's exactly what I'm doing for your mom and you boys. That's what love is. I want to get you a copy of. I still believe, and it is yours for your gift of any size know some can send a lot.

Some can only send a little but whatever you said. I can promise you it will be used to continue to bring this radio broadcast the new beginning the people around the world. He could really use a good dose of hope right now. So get your copy of the brand-new just-released. I still believe DVD is right and we have one available for you right now and if you feel led to help us on a regular basis so we can help more people find hope in this time of uncertainty asked about becoming a harvest partner. One of the close friends of the ministry who support us on a regular basis and with your first gift as a harvest partner would be glad to send you the new movie, I still believe on DVD. Just try to set a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org and then Pastor Greg another seminar audience who felt God speaking to them today through your message and they want to make a change in their relationship with the Lord.

Can you help them with that. Yeah, you know, Dave. The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved so I would lead you in a prayer we you will be doing just that. Calling on the name of the Lord solicit if you want your sins forgiven.

If you want to know that when you die you will go to heaven if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life and take away your guilt and your shame. Then just stop what you're doing and pray this prayer with me right now pray this after me if you would, Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner.

I have broken your commandments. I have fallen short of your standards but 2000 years ago you died on the cross for me, then you rose again from the dead. So Jesus come in the my life and be my Savior and my Lord and my God, my friend.

I choose to follow you from this moment forward.

Thank you for calling me and accepting me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen and amen. Listen if you have just prayed that prayer along with Pastor Greg and you've meant those words. Sincerely, God is heard you and forgiven you of your sin and we want to send you some materials to help you as you begin your new life as a follower of Christ is a collection of resources called the new believers growth packet will send it without charge. If you made a first time commitment to the Lord today.

Just ask for it when you write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go to harvest.org and click the words know God. Each one of us as believers is a walking, talking billboards for Jesus Christ. What does your billboard say next time as Pastor Greg continues his study of the life of Moses will learn how to live a life it's a good advertisement. The Lord can do person's life.

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