Things to Do Before the End of the World - II

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Things are scary in our nation right now can't help but notice that there's a parallel between the late 60s and here were living in right now. 21 Pastor Greg Laurie shoes. There've been several great awakenings most recent in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It can happen again. It's a spiritual awakening we call it Jesus revolution was a move of God.

We need to be praying for this to help fix the door. Confluence of different phenomenon produces short results well in the climate of revival well.

Different factors combine to see a great wave of spiritual change will across the land today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie helps you see how we may be another great revival right now is message is the finale Pastor Greg series on time. Let's read some scriptures together.

Turn in your Bible to Luke chapter 12 here know Jesus is telling us how we ought to be living and what we ought to be doing as we anticipate the imminent return of Christ, a Luke 12 verse 36 Jesus says, be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you're waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast and then you will be ready to open the door and let him in. The moment he arrives and knocks the servants are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded and I tell you the truth, says Jesus. He himself will see them and put on an apron and serve them and said and eat. He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn, but whatever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready, but understand this, Jesus adds this warning now if the homeowner knew exactly what a burglar was coming, he would not permit itself to be broken into. So you must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected.

So let me ask you this question. Are you ready to go meet the Lord.

Let's say Jesus was going to come back today. Would you be ready.

We should not only be ready, but we should be anxiously awaiting his return again. Don't just be ready be anxiously awaiting his return.

Look at verse 36 in Luke being like people who wait for their master who when he returned from the wedding and knocks they will open to him immediately. Jesus says behold I come quickly in the answer of the true Christian will always be along with the apostle John. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Anything that would stop you from saying that should be removed from your life. We should not only be anxiously waiting.

We should also be working working. Look at verse 43 Blessed is that servant, whom the master will find so doing when he comes doing busy or about our father's business. The Bible says faith without works is dead, watching for the Lord's return will help us prepare our own lives, but working will ensure we bring others with us and notice that it says Blessed is the person who does this. The word Blessed is interchangeable with the word happy. So what is really saying is if you live this way.

If you live in constant anticipation of the imminent return of Christ.

You will be a happy person.

Listen to this.

It's not a miserable repressive confining way to live. As we look for Christ's return. It's happy it's joyful and it's purposeful. It is the way to live.

Remember we discovered together.

There is a special blessing promised to the person who reads, hears and keeps the words written in the book of Revelation.

In particular, but I think for sure it applies to all of the Scripture. But there's a special blessing promised of the person who reads, hears and keeps the words of Revelation, which to a large degree deals with end times events so it's a good thing.

It's a happy thing and say encouraging thing to look at these things together noncontrast to the believer who was watching and working. We have the unprepared servant. Look at Luke chapter 12 verse 45 we read these words. But if that servant says in his heart. My master is delaying this coming it begins to beat the male and female servants in the evening drink and be drunk. The master of the servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him.

Wicked servant. Now to me this is probably a description of a person who thinks they are a believer, but they are not a believer because of the way that they are living. It can also be perhaps disobedient believer, but this is a person that is not right with God. Isn't it interesting that it basically is saying this person is getting drunk and they don't think the Lord's going to return. I think it's a very dangerous thing when you come to have a theology that tells you Christ is not coming. You know, no matter how you come to prophetic events and their different views on this topic, but if your theology. So-called says to you, Christ is not coming at any moment. Something's wrong with your theology, because that my friend is that theology for the teaching of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is coming back again. There are so many verses that deal with it. But this wicked servant, Jesus speaks of. Says all you know my master is not coming he is delaying his coming, and then he begins to do wicked things, which includes drinking. Why do people drink.

Well, there's a lot of reasons for it. Some do it to escape. Some do it to fit in, or be social. Some do it to help them so-called deal with problems that they're facing. But in reality it won't help you deal with your problems.

It will actually create new problems. You I read an interesting article about how drinking heavily can actually change your DNA. This article said quote this is a study that was done.

Alcohol can actually prompt dangerous and long-lasting genetic changes according to cutting edge research from Rutgers University and these changes actually worsen a drinkers relationship with boos where they will crave it even more and it disrupts the natural effectiveness of two specific genes one that governs the body's biological clock and the other that regulates stress so it just turns everything upside down and this contributes to the vicious cycle of alcoholism. Drinking contributes to 3 million deaths a year.

I'm not speaking from a vacuum here.

I was raised in the home of an alcoholic. My mother was a raging drinker. Every night she would get so drunk she would pass out and then I watch the effect on her life.

I she was a beautiful woman and otherwise how would I be so handsome right but she was a beautiful woman that I saw the effect of the drinking and the smoking in the party lifestyle and what it did to her physically and tragically when she was 70. She looked like she was 90 or even older and it shorten her life and it ruined her life and in thankfully she turned to the Lord in the final months of her life, but all I wish he had done that sooner.

Listen friend Doug don't come out of the power of alcohol. I don't want to be under the power of anything or anyone but Jesus Christ, the Bible says don't be drunk with wine, wherein is excess but be filled with the Holy Spirit. You don't want to be under the influence of the spirits could instead be filled and empowered by the holy spirit is your great glory will have the second half of this message just a moment, time and timeline say the movie glory was his hope great glory and answered questions like why am I here what is the meaning of life and what happens after I die. Christ has he answered with great glory and affect online event coming to a screen where you detailed@harvest.org so tell a Friend Coming Your Way, Labor Day weekend so rushed home will today.

Pastor Greg is helping us be ready for the last day by way of his message. Things to do before the end of the world. Let's continue. Jesus is coming we should normally be ready, but we should be praying for revival before Christ returns. Praying for revival how America needs a spiritual awakening.

Things are scary in our nation right now.

You can't help but notice that there's a parallel between the late 60s.

Maybe specifically 1968 and the year were living in right now. 2020 is interesting. Back in those days where the space program is shooting rockets in this space and we just did that together didn't wait. We had riots in the streets and we have that as well.

We have social unrest, then we have it now. We had incredible racial tension. Then we have that now is well. It was a difficult time. Some thought that the country was going to completely unravel. But guess what happened. God sent a spiritual awakening we call it the Jesus movement or the Jesus revolution it was on the cover of Time magazine and only months before they had an ominous cover that was black with four burst out red letters that said is God dead and then a few months later, a cover with a psychedelic image of Christ because I was a style of the date Jesus revolution.

It was a move of God, and some experts say. Not only was it the last great American revival, but they think it may have been the greatest revival in all of human history. Well, whatever it was, I can tell you this much. That's when I came to Christ at the age of 17 and if you want to see a spiritual awakening.

You need to be praying for any need to be praying with great passion God says in the last days I will pour my spirit out on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

We need to be praying for this to happen. I've quoted second Chronicles 714. So many times, but it certainly applies, God makes a promise to Israel, I believe, in principle, it applies to any nation goddesses of my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways goddesses out here from heaven will forgive their sin and heal their land would like to see a healing in our land would wait while it starts with God's people getting right with him and praying for this to happen if my people, the Lord says will pray and seek my face.

Let's be praying for this to happen. Praying with passion like that woman was praying for her child to be delivered from the power of Satan and she said to Jesus, have mercy on me. Oh Lord, my daughter is possessed by a demon and the disciples said no way you're making to its noise or your bothering Jesus, but she would not stop. She kept pressing on and praying and finally Jesus stopped and said your request is granted every year that expression. The squeaky wheel gets the oil in a be a squeaky wheel call on the Lord and by the way when you're praying for spiritual awakening your praying for something that God wants to send the seeker to answered prayer is getting your request into an alignment with God's will and what I'm praying for God to send a revival or an awakening. I'm praying for what he wants to do so. This is a very important thing for us all to be praying for right now you know Elijah is just an ordinary guy we think of him as a great prophet, and he was used by God mightily. He also was a great prophet that had bouts with depression got really down in the dumps. I one point he didn't want to even live another day. But this man you want to pray in James chapter 5 says the fervent prayer of a righteous man has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are yet when he prayed fervently that no rain would fall, none fell for 3 1/2 years, and he prayed again, and this guys sent down ring pray with passion. Pray with fervency don't just offer up a ho-hum generic prayer like Lord, to the world whatever know, like, pray for your nation pray for your state. Pray for the city you live in pray for your government officials pray for your family. Pray for your friends pray in your area and your spear of influence.

Pray that God will send this great spiritual awakening. By the way, the devil is wanted to do this.

Satan does not want to spiritual awakening. She is mission and a strategy is to divide and conquer. He would love is to be divided over race or over politics or divide us over some other issue and we go to our little predictable, And we argue over minutia and we missed the big picture. People are dying without Jesus and the church is debating other issues. It's time for us to wake up and remember this lesson. The gospel is more important than anything it's more important than our programs. It's more important than our preferences. It's more important than our politics. It's more important than anything else and it's our message to the culture also that I don't want to know anything else among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. You know it's interesting you cannot find the United States of America and Bible prophecy, you know, I think you can make a very good case for finding Russia in Bible prophecy. I think you can make a pretty good case for finding China in Bible prophecy, you can certainly make an airtight case for finding I ran in Bible prophecy in Israel as well. But how is it that the reigning superpower on the planet today. United States of America does not seem to be mentioned were missing from the script where's Waldo. Well, no one knows the answer, and let's consider an option. What if it was because the rapture happened and it took America out of its lead role print sensors over 300 million people in America, so we'll just rounded at 300 million notes a larger number and I read recently that 65% of Americans identify as Christian self.

I don't know about you but I do not believe that okay because that that would be over 150 million people in this nation were followers of Christ to live free super conservative. Let's say 10% of America is actually Christian, 10% of our citizens actually are believers in the followers of Jesus Christ. Okay, so now that's 30 million people now imagine it with me up for a moment.

If 30 million people suddenly left planet Earth people that worked in industry people that worked in government people that worked in the military people that worked in every area imaginable suddenly were gone.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye people to work in the White House people to work in economics and education. Don't you think that would affect our nation, we would change overnight. Effectively, we would collapse overnight and then antichrist will be revealed after the rapture of the church so I don't know why were not mentioned, but I know this much I know Christ is coming and I know I need to pay attention. Here's what Romans 13 says understand the present time, the hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because your salvation is almost here in the night is nearly over the day is almost arrived. Yes, understand the times wake up wake up spiritually and see your need for God. Listen, if you know don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ you going to wake up and get right with God. And if you are a believer in your living compromise life in your drinking your parting your sleeping with your boyfriend you're doing drugs you're lying you're stealing. You're doing things you know you should not be doing. You need to repent and you need to get right with God heard a story about a guy who decided the pain the church he was hired, he realized to be thinned out the paint I it would go further and so the preacher did notes of the Spener and out the paint with some turpentine and he's a he's finishing it up is on the very top and he's on the last little part of the cross and suddenly a bolt of lightning should be begun to slip and he grabbed hold. It was barely hanging and he heard a voice. It said repainted for no more jets about Chuck. But here's the point. The Bible does say, repent, and sin no more. That's what Jesus said to the woman was caught in the act of adultery, repent, and sin no more do you need to repent is I don't even know what it is dependent out a way repent the word repent need to change your direction. It's a military term, it means an about-face of you going this way just turn around like that you been going away from God. Now you need to walk or run toward God and get right with him. When we come back to that statement I made earlier from Scripture, God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. The Lord is been waiting for you to believe. What if this were your last day on earth. What if this was the day before Christ came, or what if this were the day before you left this life and died and you were unprepared. How tragic that would be you see Jesus died on the cross for you so you can be forgiven of your sin so you would not have to face the repercussions and ramifications of your sin at the judgment seat of God. Jesus took the judgment of the father effectively upon himself.

Christ came to pay a debt he did not know because we owed a debt we could not pay he absorbed the wrath of God in your place in a mine.

Then Jesus rose again from the dead, and he stands at the door of your life, and he knocks these as if you hear his voice and open the door to come in. Jesus is coming.

Are you ready yeah your life is coming my life our life at some point we don't know when are you ready are you ready to meet God. If you want whether to get ready right now is about how you pray and ask God to forgive you of your sin in US Jesus Christ to come in your life to be your Savior and Lord. Only you can pray this prayer. Your parents can pray for you kids, your husband or wife can pray for you either.

This is a prayer you have to pray and I would like to lead you in this simple prayer and if you want Jesus to come into your life if you want to be forgiven of your sin if you want to know with confidence that you will go to heaven when you die and pray this prayer with me right now. So again, as I pray pray this after me you can even print out loud, but you don't have to but pray this prayer after me.

Pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died in the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I'm sorry for my sin that I turn from it that I choose to follow you from this moment in Jesus name I pray, Esther, Greg Ward important closing prayer those making a change in the relationship with the Lord today and if you just prayed along with Pastor Greg and ask Jesus to be your Savior would like to help you get started by sending something called the new believers growth packet it will answer many of the questions you might have and get you started off right in your walk with God. Just ask for the new believers growth packet as you write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click know God.

Now if you missed any part of today's presentation.

You can get caught up by going online to harvest.org or just call up our harvest app on your mobile device or for CD copy dial 1-800-821-3300. The title today study things to do before the end of the world. Pastor Greg were making available for the first time today.

Your brand-new book called world changers. Yes. For starters, let me ask you what you mean by world changers will Dave I guess it comes out of this. Are we changing the world is a world changing us. You know the Bible says don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. There is another translation puts it toll of this world squeeze you into its mold so they had to be in a world changer is asking the question, are you making an impact in your world and your sphere of influence because after all, Christ said go into all the world and preach the gospel but let's personalize that and say go into all of your world and preach the gospel dear friends know that you're a follower of Jesus, dear neighbors know.

Does your family know so the idea is, instead of the world molding me in the its image. I want to impact the culture with the gospel. You know Jesus said that we are to be both salt and light in the culture. He says you are the salt of the earth. You're the light of the world, and salt in the first century was used as a preservative to stop the writing process. So a Christian living as they should, as a world changer is a follower of Christ will stop the spread of corruption. The holdback evil, and then he also said you're the light of the world. And so the idea is that we let our light shine before other people in the sea, there's something unique about us and it attracts them to Jesus Christ. So this is all based on Hebrews chapter 11, which is sort of like the heroes hall of faith. You know, Dave. Years ago I went to the rock 'n' roll Hall of Fame in Cincinnati. It's kind of cool place in deviled country guitars and various artifacts from rock 'n' roll history and this is sort of like God hall of faith of the Greek heroes of faith that we can look to and learn from. So in this book world changers.

I talked about many of the people featured in Hebrews chapter 11 and how we can be a world changer. Wherever we are. Yes, chock full of practical insight to take us to the next level in our walk with God and our service to God and would like to send it your way to say thank you for your investment so that we can continue to change the world through Pastor Greg's teaching from God's word effect.

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It said good evening from Finland. We even have a harvest church here in southern Finland. I discovered Pastor Greg through his online devotionals and I still read them daily what you know you can help us continue to reach out and be world changers as we help you become a world changer by sending Pastor Greg's new book so thanks for sending your investment today to a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call any time 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 online to harvest down for the next time Pastor Greg launches an important series. One of his best is called world changers is a look at the biblical heroes of our faith sure to tune in next time for a new beginning regulatory and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email devotions and harvest.org