America, This Is Your Wake-Up Call!

Everybody Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Greg Laurie podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and faith culture and current events.

From a biblical perspective defined a more about our ministry.

Distal raw website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast. In case you just joined us. You're watching Harvest at Home and I'm Greg Laurie and I've a special message for you with the title America. This is your wake up call. When we pray together. Father ask you to speak to us now through your word because America our nation that we love needs a spiritual awakening and Lord, your church, which includes those of us will put our faith in you. We need a spiritual revival sewer pray that you'll speak to us as we open your word and we ask is now in Jesus name, amen.

Hope you have a Bible and if you do turn to Matthew chapter 5 so heard a story about a woman I was walking down the beach and she sees something embedded in the sense he bends down to see what it isn't it look like a lamp, so she reached out, picked it up, brushes that sendoff and sure enough it's a lamp and a genie appears and he says all master I will grant you one wish. She responded one wish what upward of three wishes. He said all we had to cut back you look over thy team. It's affected everything you can have one wish, she thought about it for a moment and she pulls out a map of the Middle East. She says genie there's always been conflict in the Middle East and I would like them to have some kind of a peace agreement that they could live by. So genie that's my one wish. I want peace in the Middle East, he said, are you crazy there's no way that's ever going to happen. You gotta come up with something else.

So she says well you know what she I've I've always wanted to find one good man, one that is considerate and kind and fun and loves to cook and help with the house cleaning, one that will smother me with affection and attention and he will just sit around on the couch watching sports all day long yeah that's what I want genie I want one good man.

The genie says let me see that map again. You know sometimes things seem impossible right.

But the Bible says with God all things are possible.

This is 4 July weekend were celebrating our birth as a nation, but in some ways doesn't seem like America is unraveling before our very eyes.

I need this is a nation that was built on the word of God. We call it Judeo Christian values and we really did build this nation on those principles was a time in our nation, when we had the 10 Commandments on the wall of every classroom.

We just talked about the 10 Commandments recently. Think about that. There were everywhere, and even today. If you go to Washington DC the 10 Commandments are there in the US supreme court building. Imagine if we would follow those 10 Commandments, it's so important could change our nation. But no, we got those 10 Commandments off the classroom walls and we disregarded them and were now seeing the effects of the Bible says when you sow the wind. You will reap the whirlwind. But think of the foundation of this unique nation that we have the privilege of living in our first president, George Washington made this statement and I quote to this distinguished character of Petri. It it should be our highest glory as even more distinguished character of Christian" James Madison, the fourth US president made this statement, quote accursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Jesus Christ like that but some will sale no. America was not built on a biblical foundation or Judeo-Christian principles. What were you talking about you think you could protest like people are protesting in America right now and other countries like China or Cuba, they would be quickly stop.

If not, imprisoned and executed another very liberty that we have, to express our feelings and declare our rights was given to us because we built this on the foundation of a belief in God. So here's what it comes down to this foundation has eroded.

It was John Adams. Our second president, who made the statement that I quote United States Constitution was made for a moral and religious people.

It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." This is why the idea of nation building is not work as we tried to do it in other parts of the world see our nation was born out of the soil of revival.

We have another George in our history, not George Washington. But George Whitfield.

He was an evangelist from England and he came over to the colonies and preach the gospel and thousands and thousands of people believe that it was in the wake of this revival that our nation was formed, so were a nation built out of revival that I think of are going to continue as a nation great nation then needs to return to revival or a spiritual awakening order simplified. We need to return to God.

As I said already and that video I showed right before I started this message. I said we have a choice as a nation to choices really judgment or revival listened judgment is coming to every nation of the world including America were praying that judgment will be postponed by God.

A little bit longer and that we might see at least one more spiritual awakening Peter Marshall of the former chaplain to the U.S. Senate once made this statement and I quote the choice before us is playing Christ or chaos conviction or compromise discipline or disintegration. So, do we have any hope in America. Is there anything we can do as followers of Jesus to help our nation turned in the right direction. I think the answer is a resounding yes and it's found in the words of Jesus, right here in Matthew chapter 5 starting in verse 13 he says you are the salt of the earth.

But if the salt loses its flavor shall be season. It's good for nothing but to be thrown down and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city that is on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do you light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house so let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your father which is in heaven. Salt and light. Why did Jesus use these two word pictures because the world is a very dark place in the world is an evil place and so Jesus uses two very intentional illustrations to explain to us what we need to do as his followers at the start the biblical worldview of this culture is it is dark and it is getting darker. It's it's our nature is people we always going the wrong direction.

We always default toward sinful things never toured godly things general Omar Bradley once made this incredible statement.

We have grasped the mystery of the atom, but we have forgotten the sermon on the Mount. The world is achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants" that is so very true. So as we look in America we see there were going the wrong direction. We say that since there's nothing we can do. I think there are things that we can do. Here's what we should not we should not try to escape the culture altogether or engage in isolation. That's virtually impossible, but to make the point. God is not called us to isolate. He's called us to infiltrate. He's called us to permeate and to saturate our culture with the truth of the gospel. He's not called us to evade he's called us to invade to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ mounted a tricky balance because the Bible says don't love the world, neither the things that are in the world and were also told in Romans chapter 12 shall be conformed to this world but yet at the same time.

Jesus says in John 17. I'm not going to take them out of the world. I want to keep them safe from the evil one and then he says of the father.

I'm sending them into the world lesson.

The only way to change the world is to go into the world with the gospel. So do we know what this culture to change us, but yes we do want to change the culture. So let's not try to withdraw. Let's try to be a good influence.

So this is a battle that were against sin and were either winning or losing in this battle with either advancing or retreating because as believers we must realize that we are behind enemy lines that I was watching a World War II film recently and there's a scene where the commanding officer says of the paratroopers of easy company that were behind enemy lines, Panzer division is about to cut you off and you guys are going to be surrounded in the lieutenant in charge of easy company says were paratroopers Lieut. were supposed to be surrounded a true see we been dropped behind enemy lines you were surrounded by people that don't share our views.

We are in hostile territory and not everybody's going to respond in the affirmative to the message that we give some will respond in a positive way and some will not.

Second Corinthians 214 says wherever we go.

God uses us to tell others about him and to spread the good news like a sweet perfume our lives.

Paul writes like a fragrance presented by Christ to God, and this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved by those who are perishing sort of fragrance to summon well a stench to others. You know, some people wear too much cologne and just a little tip for you people that love cologne or perfume. Less is more to just a little, and I've seen people a couple pool of it in the palm of their throw it on and then everyone become of the contact with smells like that cologne so you don't want to be that person.

But it can be a fragrance.

When you're a follower of Jesus, something that's wonderful.

A believer enters a room, a believer enters the conversation a believer in the culture they can change the temperature of a room they can change so many things. Sometimes it's their presence.

And then of course what they say makes a huge difference as well. But what is a fragrance to some is a stench to others. Take garlic as an example, garlic is great on food garlic smells good when it's cooking but it doesn't smell so great when it's on someone's breath afterwards. Doesn't so living godly will read some people and other people will be offended by it.

Look my job is to live and share the gospel and I must live it because nothing is a worse witness than a hypocritical Christian and I encourage believers to share their faith. If you're a Christian, I encourage you to engage people in evangelistic conversations you know people are scared right now.

There's a lot of uncertainty in the air a lot of uncertainty in their lives. As you know, since the coronavirus yet us and though we have a real rough of it again. Opioid use is up alcohol sales are up.

Suicide rates are up our calls to suicide help lines are up so people are looking for truth that this is the moment for us to step into that conversation. Talk about the hope we have found in Christ.

But let me say something that might surprise you for some people out there. I would say please don't talk about Jesus. You see Greg you just contradicted yourself. No, here's what I'm saying if you're seeking to live a godly life. Not a perfect life will fall short will mess up, but you're seeking to live a godly life. By all means.

Look for opportunities to talk about Jesus, but if you are living a hypocritical life. If you are contradicting what the Bible says by the way that you live, please do us all a favor and don't talk about Jesus. In fact, you might just focus on repenting of your sin in getting right with God before you talk to others but I think our culture today is looking for authenticity AW toes or a preacher from days gone by, made this statement in a quote the world is waiting to hear an authentic voice of voice from God is not an echo from what others are doing and saying. But an authentic voice."

And I think that is so very true. So we want to be salt.

Salt effectively earns us the right to be like. Let me explain.

You see salt back in its day with something of great value, and in fact, Roman soldiers would sometimes be paid in salt, hence the term. Oh, he's not worth his salt. Salt was valuable. Salt was something that stopped that the spread of rotting in me they would cut the meat up in strips and and they would embed Sultanate so to be preserved. This was before refrigeration and in the same way. That's what we should be doing this followers of Jesus Christ.

You know us Christians that stop the spread of evil in our culture today. It's Christians that stand up for the rights of the unborn, it's Christians that speak out against racism and try to bring about reconciliation.

It's Christians that are out there doing good works helping people who are in need of the believers we believe or not that's what it means to be salt out in our culture today and another thing that Saul does is it stimulates first you remember back when we used to go to movies well you would get some popcorn and you know all of those things you get at the concession stand were so expensive. It's like you get a little popcorn, a medium-size 91. The size of a garbage can rightly fill it up and you don't need to get free refills. Okay, thanks. It you are covered your driving a popcorn but they over salted and you're thirsty and you come and see she is because I get a glass of water. I'm sorry were not allowed to give these comps out, but here's a little symbol he can get some water over there from the hose or you can provide water for $40. That's more than you would ever drink in a single lifetime. That's is kind of the way it works. But salt stimulates thirst right and if you're really living for Jesus as you want to and being the salt of the earth. You will stimulate in others a desire to know God.

Think of it as going out with some of the E.

Maybe someone invited you to dinner and you're already so I'll go along or just sit with you as you read all about couple coffee and so they order their partner and their fries and in the Malton you're just sitting there drinking your coffee and ice you see him mention I left one of those fries sure to call you. Once you eat that fright what is stolen food so much better than food that you order yourself in a sentence or my wife is cooking. She cuts things up a little portions of. Here's the carrots here's a tomatoes and I'll go over and take a look at. Don't take those those of the portions you mess up the poor sense but there's something very exciting about stolen food. Anyway, going back to the front so you eat the frying for some unknown reason.

That's the greatest French fry you've ever had in your life and then you order your own and they're not usually as good as the fire you took from someone else. Here's my point.

When someone's enjoying a meal.

It makes you hungry and in the same way when someone's walking with God and loves the Lord. It makes you want to know Jesus as well. This is what won me over to Christ, you know, I'm sort of the exception to the rule of how evangelism works because we generally say go out into the gospel with people in the believe maybe invite them to church or something like that. Nobody invited me to anything nobody talked to me about anything, but I was on my high school campus and I saw these Christians. I transferred over there from another campus and we didn't have a bunch of Christians. My other campus in these followers of Jesus are everywhere. My friends were McGregor Jesus freaks are everywhere here. Be careful and I said hell yeah Blessing it's ever going to happen is Greg Laurie would become a Jesus freak famous last words right. But here's what interested me about these people as they had this joy. They had this happiness they had something I did not have something I was trying To the use of drugs and there was an emptiness in my life. It was their walk with God that attracted me to them. So I ended up at one of their meetings and I wasn't even invited but I was sitting far enough away where I could share with their same, but not so close that people would think I was one of them.

That was the first time I heard the gospel and when I heard what it meant to be a Christian. That was the day I gave my life to the Lord. But my point is simply this, the thing that reached me was Christians being salty by salty I mean it was Christians living this Christians ought to live in it was a very attractive thing to me. But you know what's sad is when Christians are not salty. Look at Matthew 513 Jesus says you have the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned. It's good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. While heavy duty words from Christ. Good for nothing. Basically, Jesus is saying that salt isn't salty. What good is it, I was with a friend sometime ago we went to a coffee place in and I got my normal cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso and he said he would like to have a decaf lowfat latte and I just looked at him and said why, I mean wouldn't wanted to just order an empty cup. 10. You're drinking something to me decaf lowfat all the fun is gone right and what we have today are decaf disciples what we have today are Christians that aren't salty like they ought to be like when a Coke goes flat who wants to drink it. We have on carbonated Christians and Jesus is saying, what good is it if you're not being the salt and I have called you to be so we must be salt in our culture and then we must also be like what he says in Matthew 514 you're the light of the world.

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, it gives light to all who are in the house.

Now let's contrasted to salt and light salt is hidden light is obvious. Go back to the movie theater for a moment. Have you ever been in theater and someone pulls out the phone and they checked her messages are looking at social media. I mean you can be really far from but it lights up so light really makes a difference in a dark place, so salt is hidden, the more subtle light is obvious salt works secretly light works openly salt works from with in light from without salt more the indirect influence of the gospel while light is it's more direct communication. So what I'm saying is if I'm salty if I'm living as they ought to live as a follower of Jesus. It effectively earns the right for me to let my light shine before others on one thing, the light does is it exposes the darkness of her lost something in the dark. Maybe it was in your car at night you lost a burrito in the world went you you look the next morning, then you found it.

There was a little light help to locate it.

It actually had become a life form and call up in the one of your child seats apocalypse. So for very competent freedom but no, it's because said when you left for Toronto so that you found that amusing but like kill to find something in the same way when the light shines in our life we see things we had not seen before. John 319 Jesus says this is the condemnation light is come to the world, and men loved darkness rather than light white because their deeds were evil. Everyone who was evil hates the light and does not come to life, lest their deeds be exposed, so have you ever wonder why it is that you'll see the someone wanted to come with me to church.

I wanted you wanted to come over to our house and watch Harvest at Home what's harvested home.

Well, it's a church service are not. I don't I don't do. Let me read to our verse on the by put that thing away and I just want to review oversight and when you want to hear your wife because you just shined a spotlight into a dark place and the reason people don't want to come to the light. The reason people don't want to have this conversation about Jesus as they don't want to change their lifestyle, so the light does expose the darkness, but at the same time, the light also shows the way out of the darkness.

You know when I travel, and I'm in a hotel room.

I will leave a light on, usually in the bathroom to send me to go there in the middle of the night because it's unfamiliar territory that you're navigating and you don't want to trip and fall, so the light helps you find your way through the darkness. If you're in a dark hallway. The exit signs are always lit up even the movie theaters there lit up so you can find your way out. And so the Lord will shed light so we can find a way out of the darkness and find our way to him. And so I ask you right now are you being salt and light in the world that God is called you into the title of my message is America. This is your wake-up call and I think all the things that are happening in our culture right now are a wake up call. I would include the coronavirus, I would include what is happened in our economy. I would include the social of people that were seeing right now. All of these things are a wake up call and God is saying turned to me. Look to me America. This is your wake-up call. I was in Alaska some years ago with a friend of mine and so I decided to play a little prank on him. I noticed a little food trays in front of different rooms. You know from room service of food that had been eaten already. I took two or three of these trays and put them in front of my friends during the knock on the door and he cannot solve the trays that was my prank so he does he takes an entire picture off the wall and puts it in front of my door. It was so big I couldn't even get out of my door. I said okay game, so I was leaving that night he was staying one more night. So I called down to the front desk and I said hi and I did say I was in his room.

This is Mr. his name is Richie thoracic Mr. pur�e in room 204 and I need to wake up calls tomorrow morning. I need one at 4 o'clock and they need one at 5 o'clock and so I got my plane the next day forgot all about it. He calls me later on exist. You know what happened.

I said no.

He said, first of all, my phone rang at four in the morning. I knew it was you doing a prank so I didn't answer the phone. Suddenly there's a pounding on my door and some guy action comes in my room and is shaking the quick keep me up because he's afraid I'll miss my wake-up call is that some things just go perfectly.

Don't think lesson are we getting shaken right now by God, the Lord is saying this is your wake-up call. Pay attention to what I'm saying you will. How many more calamities do we need what we will just turn to the Lord and I might be talking to somebody who is having their personal wake-up call. Maybe you've had a close brush with death recently.

Maybe you just met with your doctor and he gave you some bad news. Maybe your spouse came to you and said they're done with the marriage. Maybe one of your kids is rebelling other drugs that are having problems. Maybe there's some other conflict in your life you been terminated from your employment.

Whatever it isn't something that just got your attention when the rug is pulled out from under you and you laying on your back lookup look up and call on God.

America needs to do that and listen you need to do that we all need to do that. The Bible says: the Lord while he may be found in the Lord is here right now ready to come into your life. I believe the Lord could turn our nation around.

There is a precedent for this in the Bible. It's a story of the spiritual awakening that took place in the city of Nineveh, Nineveh, was the capital of Assyria, which was the superpower of its day. It was so big it took three days to circle Metropolitan Nineveh how to run a million people living there powerful gigantic city powerful military flourishing economy.

But God was about to John somebody sent a man to warn them in the man's name was Jonah's course. Jonah didn't want to go and you know why Jonah didn't want to go because he was a racist. He hated the Ninevites see as a patriotic Israelite. He didn't want to go preach the gospel to the Ninevites because they were the enemies of Israel. So he reasonable if I don't preach to them. They will be spared by God and God will judge them and I will be one less enemy. We have, to deal with, but God wanted him to overcome his prejudice and overcome his racist thinking and go to these people and he actually got in the boat going the opposite direction.

You know the story, the Lord sent a great storm and he was thrown overboard and was swallowed by a great fish and in the God of that sea creature he came to his senses and got right with God and was regurgitated on the shores of Nineveh and it wasn't a very hopeful message Jonah reluctantly he did he want to do it wanted the streets of Nineveh and simply said 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown, but much to the shock of Jonah.

The city repented.

Even the king repented and so the Lord spared them from the judgment that was coming upon them. So one of the up to do. He had to do what God called him to do so. Listen to this thought if God could bring a mighty revival in Nineveh with no better representative than Jonah.

No more gospel than he preached.

Surely he could do the same for America. Is there any hope for our nation. I think there is. I think there's three practical steps we can take as followers of Jesus number one. We need to infiltrate, not isolate. We need to be both salt and light, because God has indeed dropped this behind enemy lines where not to evade, as I said earlier, but in Dade living the Christian life and looking for opportunities to share our faith.

Number two.

We need to pray, we need to pray for our nation court of this first you many times but it's still relevant.

Second Chronicles 714, the Lord gives his prescription for revival contextually was given to the nation Israel, but in principle applies to any nation that I know people are watching me from other nations around the world right now and I've talked a lot about America but what I'm saying now applies to Australia and it applies to New Zealand. And it applies to China and it applies to Germany and that applies to whatever nation you're living in the we've heard from people from all of those nations were God says if my people, which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then the Lord promises I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. Yes, we would like to see our land healed would like to see America returned to her Christian roots are Judeo roots.

We would like to see America turn to the Lord that can happen, but we need to pray. But isn't it interesting that were told there in Scripture that we assist people need to pray and seek his face and turn from our wicked ways. Are there any wicked ways. You need to be turning from right now, even as a follower of Jesus Christ.

So number one we need to go out into our culture and we need to be salt and light. Number two.

We need to pray and third and lastly we need to preach the gospel.

America needs to hear the gospel, America needs to see the gospel interesting going back to what Jesus said there in Matthew five when he says you are the light of the world that you better be translated you any you alone are the light of the world. There's actually an emphasis on the fact that we are his representative. We are the one that others are looking to let me ask you a question. What if every Christian lived as you live. What if you were the sole representative of Jesus Christ on this earth with there be enough gospel in your life for people to believe enough saltiness to simulate in them a Thurston of light for them to find their way out of the darkness and put their faith in Jesus Christ. I hope so because this is the message we need to give to others and this is the message I want to close with because I keep saying gospel gospel gospel in your thinking what is that even mean it means good news right so we live in a day of fake news everywhere you turn its fake tears and I think news. I mean, it's news with the spin news with an agenda. It's rare to just hear some pure good news. While I have some very good news in a bad world and here it is. God loves you. God loves you so much. He sent his son to die on a cross for you. He said why did he have to do that because you're a sinner I'm a sinner.

As I said earlier everything goes down not up were sinful by nature. The Bible says all of sin and fallen short of the glory of God. There is not one righteous, no not one. We could compare it to a game of archery because one of the definitions of sin is to miss the mark. So, God is set a mark for all of humanity and the mark is perfection. So you fire your 10 arrows and let's say that all 10 of your arrows come close to the bull's-eye, but one goes off okay so you missed the mark. Now let's say that I fire my 10 arrows in all of my arrows don't even hear the market all well maybe you hit it more than I hid it. But the point is we all miss. The Bible says if you offend in one point of the law, you're guilty of all of it.

We've all sinned. That's the bad news.

The good news is gotta send a solution. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for our sin. The Bible says and then he rose again from the dead in a fall term from that sin I can be forgiven.

That's the good news I have for you right now you can be forgiven of all of your sins and you know what God forgives sin.

He also forgets I don't mean that the Lord has a lapse in memory what I'm saying is the Lord chooses to not hold your sin against you any longer. The Bible says God speaking their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Corrie 10 boom one said God takes our sin throws it into the sea of forgetfulness and post a sign that says no fishing allowed. Your sin can be behind you. Your sin can be a part of your past, not a party or present. I'm not implying you won't sit but I'm seeing the guilt and penalty of that sin can be removed and then you can know you go to heaven when you die you have that hope right now. What if you were to die today or tonight. What would you spend eternity was you might say, will no one can know the same job. I actually you can. I know when I die I will go to heaven. How I know that because God is made a promise, Jesus said for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life. If I believe in Jesus and I do I can know that I have everlasting life.

Not hope to have it. I know I have it and you can have it as well. It's a gift. And if you want to give to reach out and accept the gift God is offering you the gift of eternal life right now if you will believe in him.

Would you like to receive it. Listen, this may be your wake up call right here, right now the moment where you can pass from darkness to light the moment we you can change your eternal address from hell to heaven help you believe in that. Oh yes I do.

Jesus spoke more about hell than all the other preachers in the Bible put together the lesson God in heaven wants is for any man or woman made in his image to spend eternity separated from him and help. How was it made for people. It was made for the devil and his angels, God wants you to go to heaven but he's not going to force you executive to get up to heaven right now young man know it's a gift, you have to accept the gift and then you can receive the wonderful blessing that comes with so in a moment I'm in a pray and I'm going to extend an invitation for any of you right now where ever you are to put your faith in Jesus. Some of you are sitting in a house.

Some of you are sitting in a park or on the beach. Some of you are driving in a car. Some of you are in some other place summer watching on the phone others on the tablet others on a TV screen. Others are watching it on a computer. Others are listening on the radio wherever you are. I want you to know this. Jesus Christ is right there with you ready to come into your life and forgive you of all of your sent. All you have to do is open that door and asked him to come in and be your savior in your Lord Jesus says behold I stand at the door not the future. My voice and open the door, I will commit in a moment I'm in a pray and I'm in ask you if you want Jesus to come into your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die, I'm in ask you to pray this prayer after me you can even print out loud if you want a simple prayer. So again, as I pray, if you want Jesus in your life now pray this prayer with me for these words.

If you would for Jesus. I know that I am a sinner but I know that you aren't the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. Now, Jesus I choose to follow you from this moment forward you my Savior and my Lord be my garden friend in Jesus name I pray, amen. Everybody Greg Laurie here.

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