The Power of One, Part 1

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 to find out more about our ministry.

Just go to our website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast. It was 1994 I just signed a book deal with the major Christian publisher, and I was invited to be a part of the tour sort of a metaphorical bus tour with one stop I was some other well-known Christian authors. So as I boarded the bus I was the new kid on the block, I was taking it all in and I saw this small woman boarding the bus. She would very familiar to me and I have someone who is that lady over there and they said well that's Rosa Parks like what Rosa Parks is civil rights legend and sure enough it was Rosa Parks on a bus and I was on a bus with her known case you don't know Mrs. Parks made history when she refused to sit at the back of a bus in the back in those days in the South. It was segregated and there would be separate drinking fountains and restrooms are people that were described as color and Mrs. Parks had the courage to stand up for her rights and she walked right into the pages of history affect. He was later awarded the Congressional Gold medal. By the way, that's the highest honor given to a civilian.

So here I am with Rosa Parks civil rights legend on the bus so I sat down behind her and I just began to ask her a lot of questions. She told me her amazing story. Here's what I did not know about Rosa Parks. I did not know about her strong Christian faith. She was part of this tour because she had written the book with the title, quiet strength, and in her book, she writes quote every day before supper and before we went to services on Sunday. My grandmother would read the Bible to meet my grandfather would pray and then we would have devotions before going to pick cotton in the field." And then she says prayer and the Bible became a part of my everyday thoughts and beliefs and I learned to put my trust in God and seek him as my strength so Rosa Parks loved and followed Jesus Christ and then keep further courage to make a stand and I think her that Stan that she took the title of my message is the power of one, think about the influence of one woman, 5 foot three that refuse to be pushed to the back of a bus. Think of others that have made history because they stood up for what is right what is true. It's been said, quote I am only one, but I am one.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something.

What I can do. I ought to do what I ought to do with the grace of God I will do one godly man one godly woman in the darkest situation can make a big difference. Jesus said you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its flavor. What good is it you don't think about it, just a pinch of salt to make all the difference in the world can season something I don't know if you've ever tried to, but since it's summer upward little salt on your watermelon. It sort of takes it to the next level. Now, if you overdo it was salt that can be a bad thing, but just the right amount to make all the difference in the world and listen, you may be the only Christian in your sphere of influence right now you may be the only follower of Jesus Christ that others will see and a lot of times were not happy with where we are not happy with the neighborhood we live in were not happy with the job that we have were not happy with the people that are around this but did it ever occur to you that God placed you where you are for such a time as this is not a familiar phrase to you. It should because it's in the Bible and its statement that was made to Queen Esther, who won a beauty contest and became the queen of Persia, but she was a Jew and she did not reveal that to the king Arctic Xerxes that she was married to, and a plot was hatched by a wicked man named Haman to execute all the Jews but Esther was oblivious to it. As she lived in the comforts of the palace but her uncle Mordechai brought it to her attention and he said Esther who knows that God is not put you where you are for such a time as this. And God is done the same for you as well.

I want to look now at the power of one one-man, who through his godliness, and personal integrity effectively. 2 1/2 million people from turning to full tilt idolatry, and of course that meant I'm talking about is Moses remember in our last message we pointed out that Moses would subscribe simply as Moses, the man of God. What greater complement can be paid to a man or woman than to be described as a man or a woman of God awarded to Prince's life may and I'm the look at two passages in this message and I like you to turn to them with me if you would, look at Hebrews chapter 11 in Deuteronomy chapter 34 again.

Hebrews chapter 11 in Deuteronomy chapter 34 in Hebrews 11 we get up flyover of the life of Moses not remember. Hebrews 11 is what we call the hero's Hall of Fame. Great men and women of God who made a huge difference because of the stand that they took and Moses is included in this grade hall of faith and here's what the Bible says about them in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 24 to 26. It was by faith of Moses when he grew up refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the pleasures of sin, or a time. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ that you own the treasures of Egypt really was looking ahead to his great reward. So if you're taking notes here is point number one Moses made important decisions at the beginning of his life again. He made important decisions at the beginning of his life. Verse 24 says it was by faith that Moses, when he grew up refused remember how we ended up in the pros palace of the Fairwood given the decree that all the Jewish baby boy should be put to death. But Moses mother saved his life and they put them in the little basket and put it on the Nile River and it was just floating along and insert a stop in front of the house of Pharaoh and as if on cue, baby Moses let out a little cry and the daughter of the Pharaoh saw this beautiful child in the Bible says he was beautiful to look at. Her heart was touched.

She took the child into the home and raise him as her own son so he was effectively the Prince of Egypt. So Moses had played his cards right, he potentially could have been the next Pharaoh of Egypt, but here is this very important commentary from Hebrews chapter 11 it says that by faith he refused.

He refused, and then phrase it issues there for him growing up means he had become great. So Moses was at a fork in the road once again it it will come to forks in the road so I go this way or I go that way and then I will lead to another fork in the road and then to even another in these pivotal moments in our life can make all the difference as to how we end up. But here's what Moses figured look, I know Egypt offers a lot. He's in the finest university race in the palace eating the best food around living in the very lap of luxury that was not what he wanted because he wanted to be with God's people, the Jews, so it says he simply refused. He refused any gave something up. In fact, he gave a lot up to be honest, he made a great sacrifice.

Let me ask you a question.

Have you given up something to follow Jesus Christ.

Let me say this to you, whatever you have given up to follow Christ will be more than made up to you in this life and in the life to come look if the whole deal of being a Christian was your life will be miserable until you die. Then you go to heaven, it would still be an amazing deal. What is not, but it's more than that. Oh yes, there is a promise of heaven, but God promises to make up to in this life that which you have given up.

Jesus made this statement. Actually, in response to a statement by Peter Peterson, Lord.

We left everything the following and then Jesus says in response to listen, I tell you this truly no one was left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive 100 times as much in this present age homes and brothers and sisters and mothers children's and field along with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. I love that God will make it up to you. So Moses made a principled stand in his life. Know this, the evening of your life is determined by the morning of your life. The end of your life is determined by the beginning how important it is to make the right decisions. So if you're young understand that you are making decisions now that will affect you for the rest of your life. Remember being told as a kid or brush your teeth.

Be careful always brush her teeth that what they know. Yeah, after a lot of trips to the dentist. In later years, I realize issue the paid attention.

Here's another one wear sunscreen don't go out there and get burned you'll destroy your skin. What are they know then you wake up one day and you're dealing with dermatologist. You understand that was all true. But let's take that into the spiritual world you're making decisions now that will affect you later in life and him from talking to someone who's older. Right now you're facing the consequences of your earlier choices are to.

Here's a good example Shadrach me shack in the Bendigo remember them. Three young Hebrew teenagers who took a principled stand when they were taken as slaves in the Babylon, but they were elevated to be in the king's court to be trained and schooled in the ways of the Babylonians and so there was this amazing food that was offered to them, but they along with their buddy Daniel refused to eat of the food from the Kings table. Now we don't know why that is but it seemed to be a principled stand made on the basis of their commitment to God and the Lord honored them for that and then later in life when the king erected a golden image and told everyone to worship Shadrach me shack in the Bendigo refused about but they got the courage to do that later. From the pinched principled stand they made earlier.

You see, so choices really matter. So the Bible says Moses was 120 years old when he died. Then we read in Deuteronomy 34 the people of Israel mourned for Moses you know sometimes when a Christian dies other well-meaning believers might say don't cry for them there in heaven.

Let me take a different stance when you lose a loved one who is died in faith, even if it's your grandparents. Go ahead and cry because the depth of your sorrow is an indication of the depth of your love the people left when Moses died. Fast forward to the New Testament, young Stephen was martyred for his faith in Christ, and we read the godly people wept over him there something that is very healing about morning process. So if you've lost a loved one cry as much is you need to cry but the key is cry out to God.

When our son Christopher died in an automobile accident. I cried literally for months for hours on end, but it was sort of a cleansing process as I was learning to let go but they wept over Moses because he was such a special person chosen by God, the friend of God I love what Deuteronomy 3410 says there had never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord new face-to-face.

Now listen to this. You have a closer relationship with God than Moses had Jesus said of John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets is as I tell you that is great is up prophet is John was he was least in the kingdom of God is greater than John is able way wow does it work John the Baptist. How can I be greater than him greater in as far as you have an access to God that John, the last of the Old Testament prophet said you have a closer relationship with God even greater than Moses had because Moses did not have Christ living in his heart. Izzy and so when you believe in Jesus. Christ himself comes in lives inside of you and changes you from the in side out the pew don't know what it means to believe in him of tell you how in just a moment, let me conclude by simply saying the power of one. One man made all the difference is I said earlier one minute. It was godly living and personal integrity. In effect, kept 2 1/2 million people from fulltilt idolatry. Now let me ask you, in closing, and I'm speaking to Christians now what kind of difference is your life making what kind of legacy are you leaving where you and your life are you in the morning of your life are you in the afternoon of your life or are you in the evening of your life. Of course we may not know because Homer Young was a line in the morning of my life and I know I'm I'm getting toward the end of my race in life and how many more years to live or how many more years of ministry all have but I know I'm not in the beginning of it but there might be someone who was young was listening to me and say well I'm in the beginning.

I'm so young but you never know when the Lord will call you home. I mentioned my son. He was only 33 years old when he was called home unexpectedly.

They have and so you don't know where you are in the race of life and that's why you want to be ready to meet God.

But I'm praying that you will live a life that is worth emulating Corrie 10 boom a very godly woman who survived horrible things during the Holocaust getting through a concentration camp, living to tell the story made the statement and I quote a life is not message by its duration. It's measured by its donation.

You know, we think success is a long life. No friend success is a long life. Maybe if it's live for the glory of God. But even if it's a short life. If it's live for God's glory that still a success not to duration but the donation talked about death, let me say something else. There is a generation that will not see death a generation of people that will not be laid in a grave as previous generations were a generation.

According to Scripture, the week will be caught up in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and what is sometimes called the rapture when the Lord will call his home to heaven. And I believe in my study of Bible prophecy that that event could happen at any moment when we would meet the Lord in the air he would come for us.

The Bible tells us Christ is coming again for his people and folks as we look at all the crazy stuff happening in our culture right now all around the world. We are seeing signs of the times and all the signs are saying one thing, Jesus is coming. Get ready if Jesus were to come back in five hours. Would you be ready would you be certain you would be ready to meet him you say well how do you get ready what you even talking about. Here's the bottom line. All of us are separated from God by arson the Bible says all of sin and fallen short of the glory of God. Every one of us have broken the commandments of God, but the good news is is 2000 years ago God sent his son Jesus to our planet called earth to be born in a manger, then to live a perfect life and then to die a perfect death on the cross for our sins. The Bible simply says Christ died for our sin. You see by dying on the cross, Jesus satisfied the righteous demands of a holy and perfect God that we have all offended and that is why Jesus and only Jesus is the way to the father. No other prophet or guru, died on the cross for your sin and rose again from the dead.

So the bottom line is we need to realize Jesus died on the cross for us and we need to turn from our sin and ask him to come into our life. And then we will find the meaning and purpose of life we been seeking. And not only that will of hope for the afterlife. Do you have that hope you know was certainly if you were to die the day you would go to heaven. Do you know with confidence that if Christ were to come back tonight. You would be ready to meet him. If not, you can ask Jesus to come into your life right here right now I want to give you an opportunity to pray and ask for his forgiveness. You can join thousands of other people who have prayed over the last few months to accept Christ into your life. It's a simple prayer, a personal simple a child to pray and it's a prayer we're just saying God I know I'm a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I want Jesus to come in the my life and forgive me and I want to start following him.

I want to know that I go to heaven one day I want to find the meaning and purpose in life that can happen for you now you just need to pray like you could pray this prayer after me it's a simple prayer. You might even pray it out loud if you like.

This is a prayer we are asking Christ into your life.

Let let's all pray pray this with me if you would, Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died in the cross for my sin rose again from the dead, Jesus I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord is my God and my friend in Jesus name I pray, amen. Everybody Greg Laurie here. Thanks for listening to our podcast and the learn more about harvest ministries. Please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org and by the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God. Go to know God.org that's key NOW GLD.org