The World Changer at the End of the World, Part 2 - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by some special friends of this ministry. Pastor Greg wanted to see a special word of thanks to the harvest partners who make this ministry possible next time your online check out Pastor Greg's personal blog@blog.greglaurie.com today master Greg will report showed great leaders in the Bible are often chosen from unlikely men and women God calls what we might describe why people to do his work was in calling of God in the bullying of God. Remember this was built by amateurs with the Titanic was built by profession. So God is not called by qualifies job you doesn't gather all the resumes of those with Harvard MBA, you disapprove the SAT score Fortune 500 listings contact an executive search today on a new beginning. Greg Laurie points out, the Lord look for those with heart. Then he empowers and equips see today how we can make ourselves available for service to God for some good practical life. No. Everywhere you look there are what we might call signs of the time things that the Bible said would be happening that remind us that the return of Christ is near. You might say the writing is on the wall some interesting story from the book of Daniel of King Belshazzar.

He was a wicked man. He went out of his way to mock God the mock of the Israelites, and of course the Israelites were under Babylonian captivity. At that time and Belshazzar was the leader of Babylon. So one day he said hey let's get all those those cops and things, those Jews use in their worship services and why, let's drink out of them. Let's praise our false god to think he went out of his way to thumb his nose at God to mock God and that's exactly what they did so. Other having the drunken fees all of a sudden he looked up and saw a hand writing on the wall.

The thing is, there was no arm connected to the head, just a hand writing on the wall that he was drunk he had never seen anything like this and then hand wrote these words, many, many TECO you far set so it freaked him out. The Bible says I looking Dave that this is Nice mode, one against another me to give me for knocking and that so he called for Daniel the prophet coming here.

Daniel tell me what it means that you read sentences. Again, I don't a means tell me what is it me give you a bath for my kingdom but you have much of the kingdom and just a short while. Here's what it means you been waiting God's balances and you been found lacking.

Usually when you get on the scale you want to weigh less right but we would get on God skills you want to weigh more and have some substance and basically the problem with saying you're a lightweight.

You have no substance in your life and judgment is upon you, and sure enough, right outside of the gate of Babylon where the Medo Persian to quickly overtook both Salazar and that was the end of his reign, but the writing was on the wall for him and the writing is on the wall for us and actually one of the signs of the end times is people will say were not on the end times that you know that because over in second Peter three it says I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires and those that pay whatever the promise that Jesus is coming again for before the time of our ancestors.

Everything is remain the same since the world was first created. They deliberately forgot that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water and to use the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. So this of course is a reference to the flood of Noah.

And that brings us to our topic, which is the world changer at the end of the world. Noah was the last days believer is a but how is that possible when he was living in his last day he was living in the days before the flood working have another flood we are going to have the fire of the judgment of God so he, in effect, was waiting for the flood were waiting for the fire.

He was in his last days were in our last days, and here's why I say that because Jesus said, as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be when I return again Jesus said Matthew 24 the arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's, before the great flood. Everyone was carrying on as usual.

Having a good time right up to the time that Noah boarded the ark, they knew nothing until the flood swept everything away and the Son of Man's arrival will be just like that two men will be working in the field. One will be taken one left behind two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken one left behind.

So stay awake, be alert.

You have no idea what day your master and so I want you to turn to Genesis chapter 6 now God gives him a very unique commitment in Genesis 6, verse 14 God says to know the building are Genesis 614 says God speaking to build a large boat from gopher wood and waterproof it with tar inside and out, then construct decks installed throughout its interior makes about 450 feet long, 70 feet wide 45 feet high, leaving 18 inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat put the door on the side and built three decks inside the boat, lower middle and upper now this would require a supreme act of faith because there was no body of water nearby. In fact, to the point it'd never rained on the face of the earth. The earth at this point in the book of Genesis was sort of like a big giant greenhouse was sort of this water canopy over the earth reading this greenhouse effect, but God set up floods coming in so he told Noah to do something that had never been done before. To build the SAARC and one of the greatest practical acts of faith in all of history was when Noah cut down the first gopher wood tree to build the SAARC or as the kids song about it says build it out of gopher barky barking and that's exactly what he did, he built this amazing art. By the way, we don't read that Noah was a carpenter and certainly not a shipbuilder reminding us that God often calls what we might describe as unqualified people to do his work wasn't. God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the cold is a well I'm not gifted in this area are not talented or I don't have the skill set. Maybe that's true and maybe God will call you to do the one thing you don't feel you could ever do because you will depend upon yourself, but you depend upon the Lord, the calling of God will be the enabling of God, and remember this the ark was built by amateurs, but the Titanic was built by professionals okay so this worked out pretty well.

This SAARC didn't see an Noah models for us.

How last days believer should live so here's old Noah floating around in his giant box. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights altogether. He's floating in the ocean for about a year and the sea can be a very lonely place is in a giant wooden box filled with animals, I mean, seriously, that must've stunk so bad, but the boy just now coming to a close and so he's waiting in the Bible tells us that God's spirit blew across the land. The clouds began to dissipate the sun appears and eventually the grass on the plants and the trees begin to come back to life. Or as the song says the sun came out and dried up the land. The Landy member, you know the song I'm talking about. The Lord told Noah to build human arcing are key.

The Lord told Noah to build an ark ERT build it out of gopher barky barky children of the Lord and the animals. The animals they came in by Tuesdays, Tuesday, Jim heard this great theology. People will learn the story of Noah. By learning this, and then the sun came out and dried up the Landy Landy. Everything was fine and dandy daddy. And that's true. It was that's all you can remember from the sermon you know that I love this because were told in Genesis 8 God remembered Noah many wondered sometimes Lord is put us on this big old wooden box and were bought around here like a cork. Are you still with us. The Lord did say come into the ark, which implied God was in the ark with one other thing I would add before the flood came on the earth.

The ark was removed and in the same way before the judgment comes upon this world, the church will be rapture because the Bible says God is not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God remembered Noah listen to this.

Noah remembered God. Genesis 820 says.

Noah built an altar to the Lord, you know, we have a tendency to often forget God I'm in the center but you would if I was in a wooden boat with a bunch of stinking animals for a year and I finally get land person I do is I just go kiss the ground and run around and jump. I won't get some exercise first thing Noah does. I love business a lot about you.

The first thing he does according to Genesis 820 as he built an altar to the Lord, Lord, thank you.

I give thanks to you, you know, no one knew how to put first things first, we can do the same thing say how well, when you go to a restaurant read at home for that matter in the food put in front of you, giving thanks to the Lord. Yeah, I know the food sought but just a word of prayer Lord, we thank you for this nearby the way. Recall that same grace right but when you do that prayer. It doesn't have to be a superlong broom just let you know some people feel that's the time to pray for all the missionaries and in the foods getting cold and you know and we quit making the kids close arising prior.

You don't have to make it so miserable the foods that limit the objective of grace is thank you Jesus for this food that you provided. All right, let's see. But but I love that act.

I think it's a great thing to do publicly. None of the show here ostentatious way, but your meal comes, you bow your head prayer was in a restaurant a while back and very large family set them beautiful family and the food came in eldest brother had to give thanks. Fantastic. You know I loved it. I got a great testimony so Jimmy thinks of the Lord. That's a way of doing it, remembering the Lord with the faithful giving of your finances is another. Proverbs 3, 9 to 10 says honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of your crops that your barns may be filled to overflowing, and your vats will overflow the ideas look everything you have is given to you by God that you bring a ties to the Lord to what to type 10% pretty basic but easy to figure out you bring that to the Lord. That's remembering the Lord that's honoring the Lord that technology know you have comes from the Lord. I saw a bumper sticker that says ties.

If you love Jesus. Anyone can honk that's true also when you getting ready for bed you know to take your Bible and read it. I instead of updating your social media work. Whatever else you're doing.

You know, read the word of God number four when that alarm goes off when you think about skipping church in that particular Sunday get everybody together, load them in the car, put first things first. And remember God. You know the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12. Remember the creator in the days of your youth.

We have a tendency to forget God in our younger days.

Sometimes kids say, well, I'm young and I get a so my wild oats. You will limit Terry Sutton you're gonna reap what you sow. Okay so these decisions are making a come back to haunt you later in life and I think going to be pretty. I can think of a better time to commit your life to Christ and when you're very young. I became a Christian when I was 17 years old. That's three years ago. Amazingly, but I just really age quickly. No fights been many years now. For me, but I've never look back and I wish I would've done it in my 30s or 40s and had some fun first know I'm so glad I think of all the miserable experiences I missed in the bad decisions. I avoid by the way most people make their commitment to Christ before the age of 18. That is why we always are reaching out to younger people in our Crusades because we know that the critical page as her study of Noah continue will see, this wasn't the time for their happily ever after ending Noah plot twist is coming. That's next to someone encouraging what we hear from listeners who been impacted by the ministry of beginning including this man who was listening to Pastor Greg while driving-year-old man who drank terribly yesterday had a horrible amount yesterday and despised people yesterday, but today I woke up with a genuinely great regard for people. I like people. I don't have any desire to drink. I don't have an elf anymore and I hope for the first time in as long as I can recall. I'm just calling to say thank you and if you had any idea person I was yesterday to who you like today. I wish common line over able to take an hour worth of knowing how much difference there is. What a life out of more than anything, I just wanted to thank you. I can't thank you enough.

God bless you Craig and everybody on staff. You have no idea what impact you made in this man's life changes lives. If you've had your life changed because of the Ministry of harvest. Pastor Greg no disgruntlement email at greg@harvest.org again. That's great at harvest orange today. Pastor Greg is helping us consider the example of no who built an ark and preserve the lives of his family, not to mention the animals to buy to. Let's continue now this is where the story said that I should say. So let's follow the example of Noah. Let's pray that's not what the story is and this is why I love the Bible because the Bible is an honest book so someone does. While the Bible tells us he did well. If someone messes up the Bible tells us they mess up. Yes, what know I messed up. Did you know that a lot of people don't know the rest of the story of Noah. They just going up to this point. I mean if this was a movie. We basically have the closing scene.

The camera goes in for a close-up know is tear stained faces looking heavenward, Izzy, give thanks to the Lord and his family all have in their hands, lifted even the animals have their little paws lifted. You know everybody in the like that 10 and then the camera pulls back and we see a beautiful rainbow, you know, a seal of God's promise and in the credits roll right that's a story that's part of the story, but the Bible has a little more in Genesis 9 we have Noah messing up big time. Here's a guy who walk with God first 600 years and I might add this. Nothing was ever said critically about Noah. Not one single thing. In fact, quite the opposite. We just read Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah was a righteous man walk with God by faith Noah did this Noah was a preacher of righteousness amazing. But even godly people can mess up you can mess up. I can mess up any of us can so what happened let's read about in Genesis 9 verse 20 after the flood Noah begin to cultivate the ground and he planted a vineyard and one day he drank some wine he had made and he became drunk and laying naked inside the tent and the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked went outside and told his brothers in Shem and Japheth took a rope held it over their shoulders and back into the tent to cover their father as they did this they look the other way so they would not see him naked when Noah woke up from his stupor. He learned what Hannah's youngest son had done any curse came in, the son of him.

May Canaan be cursed. Or maybe the lowest of servants to his relatives. Then Noah said May the Lord, the God of Shem.

Be blessed and may Canaan be his servant, and may God expand their territory of Japheth. May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem and may Canaan be a servant.

Noah lived another 350 years after the flood.

He lived 950 years and then he died. The first thing though, as Paul teaches us as anyone can fall into sin, the moment you say that I'm good so well spiritually I don't think I would ever fall you just made yourself super vulnerable is able why because the Bible says pride goes before a fall is sitting so we have to be very careful. Yes, Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Few people have his credentials.

But here's the thing. When you have known the Lord for a while. It's very easy to become more vulnerable than a young Christian limb explained when I take my grandkids to play in a playground. They want me to come they want me to catch them. They want me to put them up on things. They want me to do things for them and affect their dependent upon me to this Papa helping here pop-up because they know the little kids and they know they need help before they cross the street. They reach up for my hand that I'm there to help them and they depend upon me that's a child.

The child knows they need help, but when I'm an adult I don't reach for someone's hand to take me across the street right. Here's the thing is I grow in my faith and I've known the Lord for years. Also – I'm doing well II can pretty much lower my guard and I might be more vulnerable than the young believer because a young believer knows they can potentially fall so they ask for prayer. They depend on God there more careful, but the older believer thinking they reach some plateau of some kind began to lower their defenses and suddenly they find themselves vulnerable and we see this of course played out in Scripture. Simon Peter is a classic example.

Jesus said want to be as good of a training so Peter thought that be a good opportunity to boast about his love Ya wont tell you what Lord the wall deny you. I will never deny you so wasn't enough to just say he would never let Jesus down but he said even if these other losers let you down.

I'll never do it is paraphrase Jesus as a buddy since you brought it up you going to deny me three times before the rooster crows twice, although I know Yahweh that happens, that's exactly what he did. So what was Peter's real first step down pry thinking it would never happen to him by the way there's other men of God and women of God who fell later in life to Moses. Moses the guy. The guy did the 10 Commandments to the guy that got used to lead the Israelites in the wilderness gets right to the brink of the promised land. And he just got ticked off at the usual at one time the were Thursday and wanted water and he comes out with the staff because you rebels must sleep that's water like we've always done for you. Any strawberries or water contest. Moses coming school behind the woodshed you talking about, must we list on the miracles here you or me tell you what Moses because of this, you're not going to enter the promised land. You'll see it with your eyes but you won't go it. He blew it through the end of his life. David did the same. David, the king of Israel, but I love David because he is well just so really so human so much like us. I mean the little shepherd boy you sing praises to God, the giant killer in the Valley of the law. The warrior of the poet, the man after God's own heart. That was said of no other men, yet he also was an adulterer and he ultimately was a murderer and he did many things wrong and then his son Solomon, who he passed the kingdom onto what one point was the wisest man whenever live went into horrible time of backsliding.

So here's the point I'm trying to make these people messed up at the end but you can run a good race. But if you run first place in all the way to the end and collapse for the finish line, you lose. I don't care of your head all the not just about starting well, it's about finishing pastor great glory today from our study of the life of Noah is part of his series cold world changers here on a new beginning, and to get a copy of today's full presentation what will take us three days on the air to complete contactors and mention the title the world changer at the end of the world part two. You can call 1-800-821-3300.

We are here to take your call 24 seven. Again, that's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org pastor Greg, I'm sure you seen all the 2020 memes about the mess were in right now is someone wrote as anyone tried unplugging it and then plugging it back in.

You know the world is just out of control on so many levels and things need to change now and you have your new book called world changers that explains how our culture can find its way back to God and his plan. It's a plan that will work even in the mesh of 2020 right yeah totally chill you know 2020 is been the craziest year. I think that pretty much any of us can remember it because nothing is gone is expected. There was a buoyant optimism of the beginning of this year 2020 sounded so futuristic, so many opportunities and all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere comes the coronavirus and on the heels of that social upheaval riots in the streets in some ways it looks like our country is starting to unravel and and I think that people are so uncertain and they're searching and they're trying to figure out what's going on. There's never been a more important time for Christians to let their light so shine before men, that people might see your good works and give glory to our father who is in heaven. It's time to be a world changer, so I've written a brand-new book called world changers and it's based on Hebrews 11, which is sometimes called the hall of faith instead of the Hall of Fame because it's the stories of great men and women of God who did extraordinary things. And again I want to emphasize they were ordinary people, but they were willing to step out of their comfort zone and take a step of faith and the theme of Hebrews 11 is what these people did with their faith. How their faith motivated them, you know. Another interesting thing is some of these people were pretty flawed characters.

Sampson made it into the hall of faith that we all know about his shortcomings and downfall. But it's interesting to note that none of their mistakes or sins are recorded in Hebrews 11 only their victories, and I think that just a perfect picture of grace is God forgives us and he sees us in Christ, and he says your sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

So if you've messed up in life. If you failed and you feel that there's no more chances for you.

You need to read this book because it's going to encourage you. It's going to show you how people that feel like Sampson, like David and others got up again and serve the Lord and really impact their culture there world you know Jesus said, go into all the world and preach the gospel while the world's a very big places net so let's personalize that for a moment go into all of your world and preach the gospel, you know some people say they want to cross the sea and be a missionary.

How about crossing the street and talking to your neighbor about your sphere of influence.

You can change your world. You just need to take steps of faith in this book is sort of like a blueprint on how to do it based on biblical characters that made an impact on the culture. There were living in, and then reminding us of how we can do the same in our culture today. Yeah, that's right. And there's never been a time when our culture was more ready for solid answers and in real hope so would like to send you pastor Greg new book world changers to thank you for your investment is an investment in change lives.

We're working to change the world each day here on new beginning and your investment helps us reach even further, so we hope you get in touch today. You can write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 and there's someone here to take your call 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Again, 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org next time pastor Greg brings us the conclusion is insights from the life of Noah. Part of this series cold world changers Church and in for a new beginning with pastor Greg for possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor great free daily email devotions and harvest.org