God Enough, Part 2 - II

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 KNOW know God.org he would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear it. Everyone is going want to include those goggles. Some of his best work if God only works really old Fratello to overachieve you unqualified Pastor Greg Maurice's everyone God for his purpose to show his superior. You might say why not a good speaker. It doesn't matter what good news about God. You don't need to be know what you need to be just about anybody using former shoe shoe which is video moody user suicidal teenager looking for answers as he did with Robbie Zacharias Museum very real. The Bible is full of people seem to lack abilities offered today on a new beginning. Laurie points out, the time is right for God to use you back from saying yes Lord Moses that were looking at the excuses he offered to God as to why he could not be used by the Lord told us her back truck and then come back to where we last left off. He was now 80 years old watching a flock of sheep for his father-in-law and he married a woman named Sapporo and suddenly there's a bush.

I will not stop burning in the voice of God comes to him through the bush and the Lord says I've seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt. I've heard their cry because of their taskmasters and I know their sorrows and the Lord says I'm calling you to go and deliver those people. Moses the same. Not me. I don't think I'm the right guy so he offers excuses. Here's excuse number one if you're taking notes. He said I am not deserving to be used by God, I am not deserving to be used by God. Exodus 311 Mumbai says Moses to appear before Pharaoh. How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Now he does have a point. I mean if you were God, would you pick Moses in some ways he was a has been a failure and embarrassment. Even worse, a murder do is running from the law. He was a fugitive and now is an 80-year-old dude is been out in the sun's day is done and there's no more his retirement 80s beyond retirement age. The Lord says yeah I think you're just about the right guy.

I could use at this moment excuse number two.

I don't have all the answers. I don't have all the answers will get Exodus 312 Moses protested if I go to the people of Israel and tell them the God of your ancestors that sent me to you.

They will believe me, the last which God are you talking about what is his name what should I tell them God replied I am who I am, just tell them I am has sent me to you a love that and then Moses says excuse number three. I'm not a good speaker.

I Exodus 410 down next chapter. Moses pleaded with the Lord. Oh Lord, I'm I'm just not a good speaker and never have been and I'm not now. Even after you have spoken to me. I'm clumsy with word, and so Moses says I can't do this Florida. I'm just not the guy. Then he says excuse for number four. I'm not qualified. He said Lord send anyone else in the fact that he says Lord.

He says actually.

In verse 13, oh Lord send someone else you mean, oh Lord Debbie's Lord, you will be you don't say no Lord you say yes Lord otherwise is he really Lord the very title Lord implies master control in charge no Lord not me send someone else of basically Moses says I have a brother his name is Erin. This guy is the silver tongued orator. This guy knows how to communicate. He's a wordsmith.

He knows how to verbalize truth get him to do the talking. Although, along I'll participate but but I'm not your guy in the Lord acquiesces. The Lord agrees, and I would just say that careful what you wish for you might get hired about a couple of 65 years old. Both of them were ended been married for 35 years. It was a big day. So there there celebrating what a milestone. We've been married 35 years and it isn't a fantastic unit something a genie appear to story the genie said because this is such a significant day, to give to each of you one wish. All right what you want he says to the wife. She says without I'll tell you what I like is I love my husband so much, I love to be in an island in the South seas somewhere, surrounded by beautiful turquoise water white sand that's my wish genie to be in a beautiful tropical island with my husband.

There they are together thousands one wish he looks over at his wife 65 years old is this genie I would like a wife 30 years younger than me both. He was 95 years old so careful what you wish for you might get it. And here's why this was a bad idea because Aaron made a mess of things. One day the Lord was calling Moses to run a very important errand to go to Mount Sinai and receive the 10 Commandments written by the finger of God on tablets of stone. He said Aaron only been in charge behave yourself. Do the right thing. See you soon as he is coming down from Mount Sinai Moses. Here's all a lot of noise down the camp with the Israelites were first they thought it was a war as I got closer it was a party and Erin was in charge. What is Moses seat he sees a golden calf and the people are dancing around it naked worshiping it Moses that fit her like what's going on. Aaron says I know this looks bad.

I can explain everything.

What would happen was there and said to the people bring all of your goals.

Your ear rings your your jewelry, your you know you're blaming melted and the shape of a calf and then he put it up there in the pedestal and said that calf delivered you from Egypt, O Israel man that's the guy that Moses wanted, not together. Moses got so go with God's plan. It's better than your plan well. Moving forward in the story bringing it to a close. Moses goes in, tells us father-in-law he's leaving now and what is going to do when he gets his wife Sapporo and his children will there's a little problem.

Moses has neglected his responsibilities in the home and that would happen. Was he did not circumcise his son so Sapporo did it and she was very upset with Moses and the Bible says if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy to the Bible to say that but there's some truth to that saying she was angry with him, but he took it on the chin. He did not argue with her because actually she was right.

So here's a take away truth husbands listen to your wives though had wives applied for that. That's a good statement husband you should've applauded to let me take it a step further. If you don't give your wife the respect and the honor she deserves.

It can actually hinder your prayer life is what first Peter says 47 the same way, husbands give honor to your wife treat your wife with understanding as you live together, she may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner God's gift of new life, treat her as you should so your prayers will not be gender see a need to have it together in your home. And here's the deal.

Sapporo was effectively saying the Moses you're not doing your job here. You know you're the great Moses about to leave the Israelites out of bondage you're not taking care of your house and your kids and you're not doing the things you're supposed to be doing and this is the case in far too many Christian home.

The wife is not only doing her job. She's doing the husband's job. The husband isn't being the spiritual leader that God has called them to be. You know it's a wife that will say maybe we should pray after your halfway through the meal and husbands eating like a Viking food and both have should we pray, yeah, it's a good idea fit so why this is a real Bible story to the kids and pray with them before they go to bed.

It's a wife that often says, we need to be getting ready for church at the once taken the initiative. I'm telling you would make all the difference in the world.

If husbands would be men of God.

We say this to you who are single when you're looking for a guy get a godly time gentleman who is strong in this thing a man who will lead you don't get some guy who's compromised. Find someone that's more spiritual than you are and let that be your husband and that's true guys. Also, when you're looking for a wife. Look for a godly girl I'm telling you, if husbands would do with their called to do and take the initiative to lead in their homes. It would change our country pretty much every social ill in America today can be traced directly back to the breakdown of the family, and specifically the absence of fathers fathers who have abandoned the responsibilities, fathers who walk away and they don't do what God has called them to do. Look at the stats higher suicide rates, higher incarceration rates, higher drug use rates. Alcohol use rate. The list goes on.

Girls getting pregnant outside of wedlock coming from fatherless homes men it's time to really man and be a man of God. So Moses got a little lecture from Sephora and he had to get things right after Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message in just a moment. Many write or call us to share their stories, pain and loss but also of hope in our program very helpful for me been good I been born March were murdered oldest daughter.

Although the breach he had looked extremely but good Lord Berkeley helped me tremendously focused on the Lord help other people look for this ministry. I will continue to work well 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 speech 668711144 will you're joining us for Pastor Greg series water Firestone based on the life of Moses glad you're along for today's message called God enough hard to know he is one less thing to do before he goes in the court of Pharaoh will look at that next time just to let the Israelites know what he's about to do so, we gather some of their leaders together in Exodus 4, verse 29 then Moses and Aaron return to Egypt called all the elders of Israel together and told them everything the Lord told Moses and Moses perform the miraculous signs as they watched the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and it seemed their misery. They bow down and worship all of that little verse there when they heard the Lord was concerned about them and it seemed their misery. They bow down and worship it really makes a difference to know that God cares about you doesn't because sometimes you might feel nobody cares about me, no one thinks about me. God never cares about me. You couldn't be more wrong. He said I'm aware of their suffering. I'm aware they're paying condos what you're going through right now he's very aware he's very concerned one day the Lord is going to right every wrong one day the Lord is gonna wipe every tear and he's going to use what you have gone through. He's going to use your pain and suffering to help others who are going through suffering and pain. You know it's an amazing thing that God wants to use this. I don't know why you would ask me what is God will use us. I don't have a clue, but he does. I think maybe a very simple answer would simply be that's what is God want to use me because God loves me and God wants me to participate in the work that he's doing. She said to Israel, I did not choose you because you were greater than number than others because you're actually smaller in number. I chose you because I love you and God wants to bless you and work through you in touch other people through your life as one person put it, my quote God uses pathetic people for his glorious purpose to show his superior power." I like that he uses pathetic people.

That's us for his glorious purpose to show his superior power is a well God could never use me. Let's go over those excuses one more time.

Number one, I'm not deserving to be used by God. True, no one is. But God does. Some of his best work through week people all I don't have all the answers will. No one does. Of course, the Bible does if you're talking to a nonbeliever in the ask you a hard question. There's nothing wrong with saying you know what I don't know the answer that I think sometimes Christians just make stuff up.

Don't do that.

I don't have the answer but I'll find it for you. You might say well I'm not a good speaker. It doesn't matter. You have good news about a good God, you don't need to be eloquent.

You need to be obedient as I've said before, God does not call the qualified disqualifies the call just take that little step of faith.

You might say, will the people won't believe me.

But God will go before you.

Let me just close with this thought. What a preacher says close of the thought that could be a 30 minute thought might be a two minute thought will see there are excuses as to why people will not accept Jesus Christ to it and I think the number one excuse has to be.

There's too many hypocrites in the church right the reason I'm not a Christian nonbeliever might say, is because there's too many hypocrites in the church I was a good faith, you are wrong.

There's no hypocrites in the church we have a separate grid free church would be true. So what about the hypocrites in the church. I would just say hey there's always room for one more come on it seriously though, I am not excusing hypocrisy but maybe we need to understand what hypocrisy actually is. I think it's thrown at Christians, maybe too often because people don't know what it means if you say I'm a Christian and you contradict that there's something you say or do that doesn't necessarily mean you're a hypocrite and may actually just mean you're human, all flawed human and you can own it, someone might call you out think they are true Christian why did you just talk your wife the way you say you know what you're totally right. I'm sorry about that.

I said that were set up that way then that's it hypocrisy. That's just a person is growing in their faith. Hypocrisy is different. The word hypocrite comes from the root word translated after a top performer, a person who puts on a performance you're playing apart it's not you, but you're playing the part of something.

In this case you're playing the part of a Christian so you come to church of your Christian smile. You've got your Bible, you hold it just the right way, you have your lingo down you have it all together but the moment you leave church or another person and you live like that other person without God without faith without obedience for the rest of the week and then you show up at church put on your little Christian mask again right in your that person Halloween is coming you put on costumes and masks you pretend to be something you aren't and that that's what hypocrite is. It's an actor.

We don't want to be that. But if you fall short, you're just a person who's growing in their faith.

But look. Trust me when I tell you, I've seen the best and I've seen the worst I've met the most godly people and I've met people who I thought were godly who weren't godly at all.

I've heard some things I wish I'd never heard I've seen it all. I've heard it all, let me tell you, because I'm a pastor and we hear all the stuff right.

It comes on our doorstep. People asked us to sorted our like I chose wall you know what you would believe the things that come our way. But here's what I would say to you, my over 45 years of walking with the Lord.

I've seen hypocrisy on the part of some Christians, but Jesus Christ has never failed in any of the promises that he made to me. He's been faithful and I didn't sign up 45 years ago to follow Christians. I signed up 45 years ago to follow Jesus.

That's all we only did you follow him tell you what.

When you stand before God and the final day of judgment.

The old too many hypocrites in the church excuse will not hold water Lord as they would you do with my son, Jesus Christ. Well, there were too many hypocrites in the church Lord might say you really know without I called you I sent my son to die for you to pay the price for your salvation in your goal with a hypocrite. Excuse is not even a good one.

There are no good ones no good reasons and so stop hiding behind and come to Jesus because you see he has the answer to your questions. Here is a solution to your problems and you can take your sin and remove it from you and give you a new purpose and meaning in life that you've never had before. Best of all, he guarantees that in the afterlife.

You will be in heaven is anything more important to not listen to Peter Christian met you accept Christ you have a really hard difficult life and then you go to heaven that ago that the good that's not the promise yes you will go to heaven but you guide you in this life did give you peace in the midst of your hardships in this life still provide for you, don't touch you a time to heal you take care of you will protect you either so much more for you but you must come to him and say Lord I know I'm a sinner and I know I need Jesus. So as we close in prayer. I'm in or extend an invitation for anybody here that wants to ask Jesus to come into their life and be forgiven of all of their sin. If you need to do that respondent.

This invitation right now as we pray atop our heads for prayer. If you would please father speak to the hearts of those who need Jesus.

Today, wherever they are. Speak to them because your word is truth, and they need Jesus. And we pray that they will come to their senses come to you now in Jesus name I great glory important prayer if you'd like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes, and if you like a copy of today study from Pastor Greg called God enough part to just call us and will help you with the arrangements dial 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg when you live in Southern California for a long period of time you'll experience earthquakes. True, you will they happen. That's right I remember what a strange sensation.

It was to feel like you can trust the ground you're walking on. You know, when we climb way up on the ladder. We want to get on the ground where it's safe when were in a bumpy airplane. We can't wait to get on the ground where it's safe. But in an earthquake. It feels like the ground itself isn't safe. But we all feel like the world we live in isn't safe. But we need to be reminded of our solid rock only.

Yes, we need a good foundation to build our lives upon Jesus concluded the sermon on the Mount by saying the wisemen built his house upon the rock.

And when the winds came in the storms came. It stood strong and the foolish man built his house on the sand and when the winds came in the terms came it collapsed and so it comes under what is your house built on you know I I see people do these elaborate sand castles down the beach as their big contest needs been days and days building them and you realize just a few ways of the ocean will erode them and bring them down and then as a life without Christ, but if you're built on him a relationship with him, trusting in him, even of things around you are shaking, you will remain firm and strong, and that lesson was played out in real time in the life of a young man named Jeremy Camp.

He was a budding songwriter singer whose career was beginning to take off and he married his childhood sweetheart, who was named Melissa and everything was looking great for them when tragedy struck and Melissa found out that she had cancer and so they fought the cancer were hoping to overcome it. They did for a time, and they were married and it was wonderful but sadly Melissa went on to be with the Lord. It's not said she's with the Lord, but it said that their lives were interrupted like that. But this story was made into a book and now it's been made into an inspiring film Jeremy Alyssa state what you literally just asked me out turns addicts stage III cancer taken is only one question is can you live without her.

This is a Christian love story.

Let me explain what I mean.

It is a love story of two people finding each other and falling in love, but it's a Christian love story because it's a story of two people finding each other and growing in love and find me up with love really is and who God really is because he sustained them through it.

Jeremy is now remarried to a wonderful girl name Adrian and they have these great kids. I've had many meals with them and spent time with them. What a beautiful family but you know Jeremy and Adrian wanted to tell the story of what happened with Jeremy and Melissa, and how God took the story and used it and has used it to touch thousands of people around the world and now we can touch you in this beautiful film that is been released now on DVD in the title of the film is I still believe starring TJ up up Britt Robertson, Shania Twain and Gary Sinise and directed by John and Andy Irwin known as the Irwin brothers we want to send you a copy of this brand-new DVD. I still believe for your gift of any size and whatever you can send the support our ministry will be greatly appreciated and used that touch more lives with the message of the gospel the message of hope. So get your copy immediately.

Of. I still believe yeah that's right it's one of those DVDs you watch again and again a sweet love story a message of hope and strong evangelistic content so will be glad to send you I still believed to thank you for your donation to help us reach even further in teaching from God's word and sharing Christ with those who need to hear it or is our mission statement puts it, knowing him and making him known writers today at 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 and then the pressure just before we go. Would you mind praying with the person listening who wants to make a change today in the relationship with the Lord. I'd be happy to Dave you know is you been listening to this today. Maybe you've heard another voice. By that I mean, you heard me say a few things, but you heard God's voice speak to you deep in the recesses of your heart and it suddenly dawned in you. This is what I need or to stated more accurately.

This is who I need I need Jesus. And I want Jesus, but maybe you don't know how to make that connection. Let me help you pray this after me right now if you want Jesus Christ to comedy your life Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sin and I need your forgiveness right now.

Would you come in the my heart, my life as Savior, as God is 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.

I know there was a relatively short prayer. Maybe you felt something as you prayed it. Maybe you felt nothing, that doesn't really matter because God's word says these things we write to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. It doesn't say so. You may think you have it or you may hope you have it of gods in a good mood. No that you can know it and I want you to know if you pray that prayer and minute Jesus Christ, the son of God has come into your life. So congratulations, you're now a Christian now continue to follow the Lord to help you as you follow the Lord would like to censor materials your way called our new believers gross packet it will answer many of the questions you might have and get you started in your new relationship with the Lord. So get in touch and ask for it will send it free of charge. Write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or you can call us at 1-800-821-3300 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click the words of God. When next I pastor Greg looks at the way we sometimes ignore this clear call of God in our lives is a study from a serious water Firestone study of the life of Moses. Next time beginning possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email, devotions@harvest.org