The Danger of the Compromised Life: How to Stand Strong

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. If you would like to know how you can become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org that's harvest.org we know Satan's temptations are real in our responses really Pastor Greg Laurie shows us the right way to react.

Here's the deal. Listen very carefully, you get nothing. Zero to give me giving you nothing.

There's no problem. I took off follow the Lord and you'll never regret it. That's the way to live in it. Please remember the words of the renowned evangelist Billy Sunday. He said hello is the highest reward devil can offer you for being a servant of today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie helps us stick to our God and refuse to compromise were learning to follow the example of a great leader Moses Pastor Greg continues his series world changers arrow prior to knowing Jesus. I we knew it or not.

If we like it or not we were under the power and control of the devil. This is what the Bible teaches. The Scripture tells us that Satan. This god of this world is called the Bible blind the eyes of us and we were held captive by him taken captive by him and the irony is we thought we were in control of our own lives. It makes me laugh when people say what I want to become a Christian because I don't want to come under the control of God I am the captain of my own ship. I am in control of my own life know you aren't your under the control of the devil and he is a liar and he ripped us off.

He promised us pleasure, but he brought us misery.

He promises fun. But he brought us guilt.

He promises life what he brought us that in the most clever strategy of all he had his thinking.

He did not even exist. But one day in each of our lives for those of us will put our faith in Christ. It was like a light went on like a lightning bolt from heaven.

It hit us. Jesus Christ is the answer Jesus Christ as the one I've been searching for so we believe in him and that changed our life no. This is the greatest event that will happen in any human life, the day that your born-again and I ask you today, are you born again and are you sure your born-again and if you're not I'll tell you how to be at the end of the message but listen after we made the commitment to Christ, you need to know what's going on. The devil well, to put it bluntly is really ticked off.

He lost one of his own and is going to do everything he can to undermine you to trip you up to pull you back if possible.

It's been said conversion is made. Our hearts are battlefield and it's true. If you're not experiencing this spiritual battle. Quite honestly, something is wrong with you and so I want you to know you're going to face Douglas opposition. I wanted to talk about one of the devil's most effective strategies in this message and that strategy is compromise well as I said earlier, were in this world changers series and were looking at the life of Moses know you remember it took a while for the Lord to whip Moses in the shape they're in the backside of the desert.

God said Moses you're my man and I want to use you to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. Moses had a bunch of excuses God responded and the Lord told Moses. It's not going to be easy.

But what I want to do is take them three days journey into the wilderness so Moses was ready. So let's see what happens now, when Moses says this first confrontation with the great Pharaoh of Egypt. Now let's flip over to Exodus chapter 5 starting in verse one. Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh thus says the Lord God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness that Pharaoh said who is the Lord why should I obey his voice to let Israel go. I don't know the Lord nor will I let Israel go. They said the God of the Hebrews is met with us. Please let us go three days journey into the desert and sacrifice of the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. So no big moment has come.

Moses walks into the court of the Pharaoh and says let my people go. The girl, but there's no way I'm to do this and he opposed Moses to know a series of judgments are going to come upon Egypt, here comes Blake number one the Nile River's turn to blood that's on in Exodus 714 to 18 God directs Moses to cover with the staff he calls Pharaoh to come and walk to the put to step in the water and it turns the blood no not only did the Egyptians worshiped the knob, but that was also the source of food supply. It was a source of drinking water, are they with you that water for bathing for cooking for cleaning, laundry, plus I got fish out of that Nile River and now it's all turned to blood but still his heart gets hard affect out Exodus 723 says he returned was balanced, but the whole thing out of his mind's eye got big deal now plague number two comes an invasion of frocks. The Pharaoh goes to Moses as is make these problems go away and then Moses prays and the frogs all died. Exodus 815 Pharaoh's father was relieved and he hardened his heart.

When outcomes plague number three, a bunch of gnats. That's all folks okay and I responded to the now turning the blood not responding to the frogs everywhere. There's a bunch of thoughts that that's a horrible, aren't they. And in this particular plague included all kinds of insects, winged insects, primarily, you know, we have spiders and tics in an Beatles. It was the first case of Beatlemania. Ladies and gentlemen of the basal center income. The Beatles and got that joke you really owe the most to be then get it.

So maybe that's good. There was Ed Sullivan introducing the Beatles on his television show mom of the Beatles. They were from England right there British band before lab from livable ever forget this, but I didn't cause the Pharaoh to respond his heart just gets harder. But now this is interesting.

He knows what Moses is doing so he's going to change a strategy that really brings us to the heart of this message brings a series of compromises to Moses, so he'll not do what is right. Look at Exodus 825 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron all right said go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God, but do it here in the land. Moses replied will that wouldn't be right the Egyptians to test the sacrifices we offer to the Lord our God, look at. We offer sacrifices here with the Egyptians can see is they will stone us. We must take a three day trip another wilderness offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he commanded us their replied all right go ahead. I'll let you go to the wilderness offer sacrifices to the Lord your God, but don't go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me so that Pharaoh said oh okay okay already go the but don't go too far and don't forget to pray for me.

Intercede for me what's going on is trying to get them the compromise first valises go sacrifice here in the land but would God tell them to do. He said go three days in the wilderness. What does God wanted them to put as much distance between them in Egypt as possible so they wouldn't be tempted to go back the same way will be become a Christian, God tells us to make a break with our past and our sinful activities and begin to follow Jesus Christ. Because you see, if you make a deal with the devil. You're going to ultimately lose it on the devil's all right all right if you have to be a Christian be one, but the practical don't get fanatical you know when I first became a believer.

I hung around with a bunch of lowlife guys and I was one of and we did drugs together and die in Christ to come in my life and I remember what I said to one of my friends. Right after I became a Christian I said Greg get the same name as I do with it to Jesus and his name is a Greg don't worry last thing you ever get to see is Lori becoming a fanatic, so you never get to see me walking around carrying a Bible talking about Jesus. I'm still going to be cool but I'll believe in God to famous last words. I'm thankful they were famous last words because for a little bit of time I try to fit in with these guys and I realized I have to walk away from this life completely and you known it was hard because these were my friends as lowlife as they were. They were my friends and now I have to go and hang out with a bunch of people that seemed a little odd to be quite frankly because it's Jesus isn't Jesus that in the Bible this in the Bible that something I don't know that's a little too intense for me to realize that I needed to walk away from that old life and start a new one with Christian brothers and sisters around me. That's the way they do it. The compromise never worked at a story about a hunter who went out to shoot a bear. We found a big one behind them in the sites. Just getting ready to pull the trigger when the bear turned around and said excuse me this is a two-story hunter shot records of the talking bear versus using what you doing under since my mother shoot you and kill you bears away is better to talk than the shoot and let me ask you what is it you want the hunter said well I'm: one, four, bears okay maybe we can talk. Here's what I want a full stomach, so the hunter set his gun up against the tree in the bear and the hunter disappeared into the forest for a while. A little bit later. The bear emerged alone. Apparently the negotiations have been successful. The hunter got his first coat and the bear got it. That's all compromise work. Oh, don't go too far.

Don't be too fanatical. The devil says we compromise with him or Greg will have tense exchange between Moses and the Pharaoh. Just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here inviting you to join me every weekend for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a church service. It's a worship service. It's a Bible study and its wherever you wanted to be in your home in your car sitting on a beach walking down the street watching it on your phone wherever you are taking with you and be ministered to every weekend. Join us for Harvest at Home@harvest.org we're learning some lessons today on standing her ground and not compromising.

Pastor Greg is leading our study of the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh. Moses demanding his people be let go look at this. This is really interesting. The Pharaoh says in verse 28.

I'll let you go. But pray for me while it doesn't look like he's getting closer to God.

Well maybe and maybe not. And we know of course it was maybe not. It was a ploy. This happens to believers.

They get into relationships with non-believers. Sometimes it's romantic and sometimes it even becomes sexual and they totally compromise their witness and they know it's a bad thing and they know they need to break up with this person. So the Christian says to the non-Christian. We need to terminate this relationship in the nonbelievers as a way don't give up on me. Pray for me. I'm close to coming to Christ that you know what they're looking to come to Christ by you compromising they're going to come to Christ by you standing up for what is true and that's how you do it. Read about a dating service called just coffee and die.

Supposedly you can go meet somebody it's better than dinner or lunch. Casino dinner to go on long right, and maybe you meet this person for the person as it did not want to be here with them for an hour so just coffee. It's much simpler but you know maybe you're trying to find someone that right person. That guy, the girl that you get to spend the rest of your life with well instead of just coffee either better idea about just church just church your cell works. I ask you out a girl I said let's go out are you a believer. Why do you ask because I'm a Christian and I will only get involved with a Christian hello even the way they say it's kind of sleazy. Never heard it said that your creepy way is in the Bible say something about old holy kissers. Here's a way to call them out of the really Chris it's a wad I like that with great discovery, godly great at my church, your church is coming, but we have some coffee come coming your church and go to the service in either the service on each of her copy. One of those people will not show up.

Trust me, but if they do, they got in church that's good though hear the word of God and if the really a believer than you know. You go from there. I met my wife in church. I was speaking.

I was around probably 18 years old, maybe 19 along here. I look like one of the Duck Dynasty guys beer down here not exaggerating. I was very nervous.

My leg was shaking all the time and that she was sitting there with her two sisters and I start now. I was not like scoping girls. When I preach normally. But Kathy just sort of stood out there was like a light coming on her wasn't quite like up, I noticed her and afterwards I started talking and when thing led to another and 43 years later, here we are okay. So what great place to be separate. This is a problem. You can involve romantically and especially if you marry a nonbeliever. It pulls you down here is a modern translation of a familiar verse be not unequally yoked together with nonbelievers. Second Corinthians 614 it says don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong that's not partnership.

That's more is like best friends with dark to Christ and the devil go strolling together do trust and mistrust hold hands so well translated that is so right to what that verse is saying it doesn't work because you're not getting end up pulling them up in more cases, there getting end up pulling you down and so the Pharaoh is using up oil. Pray for me man I'm close to close down.

I know we we gotta get outta here all right.

Look at Exodus 10 were almost done so Moses and Aaron were brought again the Pharaoh and he said all right go serve the Lord your God, by the way, were the ones who are going Moses that will go with our young, old, our sons and our daughters are foxing occurred will hold a feast of the Lord any civil order better be with you if I let you and your little ones go for behold evil, the head of you the Pharaoh's in Ocala to go but I want you to leave your kids here while did you know the devil want your kids and he can't help them, because we can raise them in the way of the Lord. That's our job. That's not the church's job in Sunday school do what we can do reinforce what you're doing at home is not the job of the Christian school.

It's the job it's the mission it's the calling, it's the privilege of the parent of the mother of the father in you grandparents of a role to play in this as well to raise those children in the way of the Lord. I love the way Moses parted he said TT's Tuesday your child when you get up in the morning when you go to sleep at night when he walked together. That something you do all the time teaching your children what is right or listen to this.

You gotta live it to because if you tell them one thing and you do another and you contradict what you think that's a way to drive kids away from Christ.

But if you want to draw them to Christ.

Show them what it is marvelous for them and teach them the word of God. So the process okay okay go and you know Moses dinner Saturday. Let's get out of here we go. Now I want to get Jernigan to get our kids. That's why it's really important. What's your harvest we want to continue to reach the next generation because I think as we get older and I include myself among you, I am getting older to of course you know we don't always like change right we get sent our way soon as you know you're getting old when at the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle and pop but you're not eating cereal problem. You know you getting older when it takes longer to rest than it did to get tired. You know you are. You're getting older when you're more patient, but it's really that you just don't care anymore. You know you're getting older when it takes two tries to get up from the cow furniture is very popular. It is very low to the ground right and I look at that guy would sit in that you know you're getting older when you're resistant to change in the church because everything doesn't revolve around you and we want to keep reaching the next generation. Then the next generation. That's why we and our crusades. It's always changing and the sound is changing them. The look is changing, but the content never changes because we want to reach each generation. Okay, so now the final compromise.

Exodus 1024 Pharaoh calls Moses and says, all right, all right. Take care whiny little kids. If you have to leave your flocks and herds seems like a pretty decent compromise.

Okay, okay, take your kids leave your animals. You know Moses good as it is a good deal was get out of our head. And he's telling us we can go.

We just have to leave our animals, but I love what Moses says to Pharaoh.

26. No Pharaoh, not a hook will be left behind. Why would Pharaoh even want the animals because he knew if there was something left in the land it would keep them potentially coming back to the land. But here's what Moses says no you, you can have our animals. You can have our kids. You can't have any think we are leaving lock stock and barrel, and we need to say the same thing that the devil, here's the deal devil listen very carefully, you get nothing you get zero. You get zip you get nada you rip me off taken advantage of me. You. You ruined my life for years and you ruin the lives of people I don't I'm giving you nothing. There's no compromise goodbye and you turn your back on him and follow the Lord and you'll never regret it.

That's the way to live for Christ. I said earlier need to be born again to enter God's kingdom.

You know you follow Jesus. He fills a void in your life you're the hope of heaven and you find what you were always looking for when you reject Jesus and have a heart-to-heart you walk through life with emptiness and guilt. Then you face a certain judgment. What a ripoff. It's time for you to make a change. You decide if your heart will be soft or hard to close down prayer and I'm anew extend an invitation for you to break free from the power of the devil. An invitation for you to have Christ and take up residence in your heart.

An invitation for you to know with certainty that you will go to heaven but solve our heads.

Father, thank you for your word and now I prefer any person here does not yet know you help them to see their need for Jesus and help them become to you believe now we ask this in your name. Greg Lord important word of prayer.

And if you'd like to make that kind of change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do that before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes Pastor Greg also has an important final comment to pass along as well. So stay tuned. Now the title today study is the danger of the compromised life mentioned that if you like a permanent copy of the full presentation.

You can reach us by calling 1-800-821-3300. We are here to take your call 24 seven that's 1-800-821-3300 or go online for an instant replay harvest.org and I were so happy to make available a new resource for the holiday called the Jesus storybook Bible, a Christmas collection by Sally Lloyd Jones is actually here with Pastor Greg and me today along with Pastor Greg's wife Kathy Sally. I think that when we speak to our children until our children Bible stories. We're so careful to not admit our own fears our own shortcomings and what I love about your stories is that you're very real and honest with children. You're not shielding them from some of the gentle realities that they need to begin to be talked to about it. There are things that go wrong. There are times when we are afraid.

How do you take those and difficult times in a child's life and address them to your stories based on what the Bible is shown you, I yes I think that's a right you don't hide the fact that sad things happen and you children right now we live experience had things happening using grandparents who and who knows said they know and children night from a very early age that not everything is right with the Weldon.

So unless we tell them the truth.

They can't trust us. So I think that just to encourage that obesity.

We we have to say at an age appropriate ways. But if we can process scary things with children while they own our lapse, then they can have that feelings well. With that in a safe place and that will just prepare them and equip them because I think the main thing is when yes we protect children, but we also have to get them ready so I think this yeah perhaps the telling of the truth is, yes, everything is not all right with the world, but the headlines didn't come from the knees. They come from this story, which is the story underneath all the stories and it's about the God he was still in charge even though everything looks completely out of control. He's not. And he has a good plan I think is just declaring the truth while great insight from Sally Lou Jones, everybody who you're listening to right now and it's easy.

It's a prolific author of children's books, and most notably, the Jesus storybook Bible and now of the special book that were offering called a Christmas collection of stories, songs and reflections for the Advent season written Sally's beautiful way and narrated also by David Touchet the outstanding actor. I illustrated again by Jago who she's worked with before.

Really has a great style as an artist. I really appreciate the graphic quality of this and this is a beautiful book, hardcover book with this button you push periodically with interactive features with the David Touchet's voice in a Christmas song in a line here is this going to be a delightful, very helpful, a resource for you in the Christmas season to get your children or grandchildren focused on what Christmas really is all about the most important of all stories and so we want to send you a copy of this book for your gift of any size. They help us continue on with our radio ministry that we call a new beginning because as you know we teach the word of God every day and we give people an opportunity to come to Christ. So if that's important you if you believe more people need to hear the Bible taught and they need to hear the gospel so they can believe in Jesus then we appreciate whatever you can send to our ministry and really I will send this to you for your gift of any size you frankly pay quite a bit of money for this.

If you were to order it online abide in the store and some of you can give a little more and maybe some of you not give as much forget what you can and will rush to your copy of the Jesus storybook Bible Christmas collection. That's right. And you can contact us right away at 1-800-821-3300. We are here around the clock to take your call at 1-800-821-3300 or send a note to a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or just go online to harvest.org and look for the Jesus storybook Bible Christmas collection pressure Greg you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord know someone can enter into that kind of relationship with God right now. Kathy yeah they really can. That's the amazing thing.

I think people are surprised that it doesn't take years to become a Christian. It doesn't take months. It doesn't take weeks. It doesn't take days, it doesn't even take ours you can believe on the spot and I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask for his forgiveness of prayer, where you can receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord.

So if you want Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want a second chance in life. If you want to go to heaven when you die, stop what you're doing and pray after me these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God and friend. Thank you for loving me and calling me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen and listen. If you have just prayed those words with Pastor Greg.

The Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. The Bible says Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and would like to send you some materials to help you begin to live this new life we call it our new believers] just ask for it and will send it your way, free of any charge. If you pray for the first time today with Pastor Greg write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us anytime at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.org and click on know God when next I Pastor Greg continues his series called world changers more insight from the epic confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh join us next time on a new beginning. But before we go. Pastor Greg has an important word to close today's program everybody a few thoughts about the selection that's coming up. As you all know on November 3 begin to elect the president of the United States.

Your vote matters. Listen, every Christian should register and vote.

I cannot emphasize that enough. It's our responsibility. It is our duty, but it is also our privilege and we really have no right to criticize what's going on in our nation if we don't even take the time to vote for a candidate I'm looking to tell you to vote for. But I'll give you some ideas when I cast my vote. I can tell you there's some things that factor into that I could talk about a lot of things but let me just pick two out in particular the candidate that will receive my vote will be one that is pro-life. I would never vote for a candidate that would support the aborting of unborn children number two on the vote for a candidate that stands with them supports the nation Israel.

God promises a blessing to the people the blessings God's people. So those are couple of things to think about is you go to the voting to vote your conscience, but vote biblically and to vote and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org