Best of 2020: Greg Laurie & Don Stewart on the Hard Questions Nonbelievers Ask: Part 3

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 coming up today after Greg Loring another Don Stewart discussed the hard questions. Nonbelievers often have what about the person who says what I believe that Jesus Christ is a great moral teacher, but you know I don't necessarily believe that he's the only way the guy you Jesus claimed to be God the son. One way to get to the true God and so you can have Jesus the great teacher great teacher would not lie about his peace of the Lord of all is that many of us have something puzzles is within you discover the answer we could have aha moments, thumbing through a dictionary or news article might watch a documentary how to video but when nonbelievers ask tough questions about the faith of offering them an awful moment. Sometimes hand us in oh will help is on the way today on a new beginning.

Pastor Greg Laurie Bible scholar.

Let's give a warm harvest welcome to Don Stewart as a question you like did not know the answer to yeah affect every question I was ever asked Greg, the first time I was asking to know the answer to what I said I don't know but I'll find out. So the next time they asked that I knew the answer. All you all the time when the early years so that brings us of the question, what about when you're asked the question you don't know the answer. Do what you do you say look, I don't know but I will find out because somebody knows against the answers are there, is finding where they're at and don't let people tell you because you don't know the answer on the spot and that one second is all that's it for Sandy falls down. Not a lot of people thought that was said that no, I don't know the answer will find out because again there are answers and that's the great news yeah that's right.

Should we still quote the Bible of people say they don't believe the Bible yeah the powers of the word of God that you really should because there's something about the words of Scripture penetrating deep in the heart done it. Just get shipped.

And so that's why we want people to read the Bible to hear the Bible and that's why we ought to memorize the Bible and be able to quote it when we can yeah because God says my Word will not return void will prosper in the place where I send it and it's alive and powerful.

And I think the key to effective communication and sharing our faith is the role of apologetics. To me, is to maybe remove the barrier that stopping a good conversation from happening you address the question but the ultimate thing.

Like I've said before, is not to win the argument itself.

When the soul so the power of the gospel is in the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So I want to beat a quick path that that answer the question of the best of my ability. I don't have the answer say that's a great question to get back to you and that I want to talk to my pastor called on still hurt or find a book with an answer. Talk to someone is more mature in the faith, but let me come back to what I do know and let me tell you about Jesus. When you say exactly.

That's exactly what you do and you said it right Greg what what we do in apologetics is remove roadblocks to get out because we all have been taught things can't trust the Bible, Jesus maybe never existed. We don't know much about them. Evolution is true or you know if God is evil. If he does exist and so by answering these questions.

What we want the person to do is see Christ on the cross of no roadblocks in the way and realize that he died for them and make a decision for Christ.

It's not one an argument not to prove how smart we are, but is to bring them to the cross of Christ that is the reason we do what we do you know when Jesus spoke with the woman at the well. She got up in the debate about where God today worship right and you know Samaritans believe this and you Jews believe that Jesus did address the issue.

But then he came back to the main issue that I think what we want to try to do is avoid rabbit trails and think this too far off and especially avoid things like political debates that my objective is not to win a political argument is to show them their need for Jesus Christ. Those are secondary issues to me. I want to get to the main message of who Jesus is and and what he promised and how to come into a relationship with him right so evolution of dinosaurs are going to get the dinosaur to someone asked this question about dinosaurs are dinosaurs in the Bible. And what about evolution okay what Dino the word dinosaur wouldn't be in the Bible because it wasn't going to the 19th century by the British scientist to Richard L1 and so means terrible lizards so know that word isn't in the Bible but yet the teaching is I Joe 4015 that describes a creature that we would call a brontosaurus at all the all the you know the different things a brontosaurus how you know that the huge mess of it. It was that you know it was that was in a mediator was a carnivore that it was a life of young wife and another one yeah you got to them. The behemoth in the Leviathan and so I behemoth and 4015 Leviathan right of sea creature and is describing creatures that we don't see today greater Job knew of them and talk about real creatures, so if God pray to the land animals on the six day that would include the dinosaurs. So evolution summits is what I believe in evolution. I believe we all evolve from apes and in you know, therefore I don't believe I'm treated by God and not accountable to God. How would you respond well again, Job 38 four when Job and his friends were pooling their ignorance God broke into Job and said where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth. Tell me if you have understanding of the words were you there. I know none of us were there, God was there and he tells us what he did.

Now evolution says chance blind chance. There's two choices people have a chance or design and all you have to do is look at the human body. You look microscopically or telescopic, click anywhere in the universe. What will you see design purpose. Whenever you see design and purpose. There's always a designer and a purpose or who puts that together and that it is the God of the bar.

But that says some type of God exists in the God of the Bible tells us who we has it he explains, is the creator God evolution again since everything happened by blind chance, but that we live in a world that doesn't seem like it's by blind chance. Do we know we live in a world that seems pretty regular and orderly and how to get that way and how to get there without being destroying itself you know. Eons ago, is because it didn't come about by chance God created what about the person who says well I believe that Jesus Christ was a great man. Maybe the greatest man who ever lived. He was a great moral teacher and a guru or a prophet, etc. but you know I don't necessarily believe that he's the only way that God did you know if you found you know fulfillment through Christianity in your religion.

That's fine but but I'm finding that my own way but I don't think Jesus is anyone special yeah but Jesus claimed to be more than a mere man he crime to be God the son, the one way to get to the true God either wise or he was not. If he was not.

He was either a liar, knowing he wasn't the one way to get the one God said it anyway or is a lunatic, thinking he was not one way to get the one God, but was excited and so you can't have Jesus the great teacher great teacher would not lie about who we is an himself and claimed to be God, to start work that way. He's either Lord of all or not Lord at all.

It's just that simple yet true. So let's shift gears to other questions outside of just nonbelievers asking years when that someone asked you believe we will be ruptured soon and what is soon and many say now we will go through the great tribulation. Possible let's explain terms rapture is a word used in first Thessalonians 417 which talks about a generation of Christians that will be caught up word rapture caught up to meet the Lord in the air as they are caught up alive. They will be changed for mortal and immortal, right before that happens, the dead in Christ rise first. Those who have died their bodies in the great spirits with the Lord.

They will be joined together in wall yellow completed at that time. First Thessalonians 418 says comfort one another with these words. That's an event that's talked about in the New Testament. First Thessalonians 413 to 18 first Corinthians 1551 to 58 in John 14, 1 to 3 all talks about this about Jesus coming for his own now.

The timing of that epic happened soon, it could.

We don't know we don't know Greg, you know, here's the thing we need to live every day as though it were last in affect John Wesley. I think of John Wesley once told a group of young preachers preach every sermon as though will be your last one you'll be right you know. So what you do.

You let me stay that way because you don't know you don't know none of us are promised tomorrow. James is her life is like a vapor like smoke just here and gone and so whether it happens in our generation were going to see the Lord one way or another anyway and so but while were here the time of waiting is a time of working outstanding on the launchpad ready to blast off and some white outfit getting on preaching the gospel. That's right getting out of preaching the gospel. That's the operative phrase there are, you know, Martin Luther said, paraphrasing there two days in my life. There's this day and that day and basically the day before me that God is given and in that day of the Lord is your great glory have more of his discussion with Don Stewart in just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here personally inviting you to join us for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a Bible study. It's a worship service into the church in your home, you're not able to get out your church right now.

If so, join us for Harvest at Home people are listening this from around the world listen to this. We have seen thousands of people make a commitment to follow Christ. Join us this weekend harvest@home.o today Pastor Greg's gas is author and Bible scholar Don Stewart.

It's a fast-paced discussion of the subjects and questions the catch believers off guard while sharing their faith. Today's presentation is one of the most requested by our listeners, but still lightning round. I just give you a term and give me a really brief explanation of the case so you define the rapture come back to the gun, the rapture is what the catching up of living believers to meet the Lord, and there will be change. Transformers are caught up. What is the great tribulation. It's called the 70th week of Daniel or the time of Jacob's trouble is a seven year period, with the wrath of God hits those upon the earth. Okay, who is the antichrist of the antichrist is the final Antichrist. Many antichrists have, according to first John 218, the final one will be a Gentile world ruler is called the first beast of Revelation chapter 13 to be a world ruler his cohort, the false prophet everyone worship him. What was the best Beatles song.

Hey Jude. What I said hey Joe that's your answer.

Yeah, the best Beatles in his agent yeah is given. What was the worst Beatles song. The ballad of John and Yoko some evil here to know what were talking about some do. I just like to throw little things Emily.okay to in times of the hundred and 44,000 Jehovah's Witness. Now I know 12,000 of each of the 12 tribes general dimension to their the second coming.

Distinguish the second coming from the rapture. Yeah, the rapture is always a time of joy and blessedness for believers, the second coming is a time of judgment where God comes to earth and judge the believers.

This is when Christ comes to earth to set up his kingdom upon the earth. And the good news. You and I those who know Christ ago to come with them and working a room with a vinaigrette. What's the battle of Armageddon. Armageddon is more of a campaign of final war which meets at the pain of a ghetto which is the Israel and moves towards Jerusalem and it's kind of the final battles the Lord intervenes at that time, rescues the Jewish people at that time actually turned to faith in Christ as the Messiah and he comes back then and coppers their enemies antichrist destroys them false prophet and sets up his kingdom, the millennium, what is that money on the Latin word for thousand new thousand year reign of Christ on the earth which will happen after his second coming. We believe in a literal millennium. Some people don't that is symbolically believe this to be a literal thousand years Christ will reign as an intermediate kingdom before eternity begins.

What is the new Jerusalem new Jerusalem is great.

That's Revelation 21, 1 to 5, the city that comes down from heaven for you and I will live in probably one of the greatest pastors in all the Bible is Revelation 21, 1 to 5, or talks about the new Jerusalem, coming down God will dwell with us. We will be his people, he will be our God, he will wipe away all tears there be no more pain, no more crying. The former things have passed away and would be with him forever and ever and ever. Why do you have some of the Well.

I like cats. How many cats do you have right now. Six.

What we have a dog to driver pretty is not one of the names of all your Okay we have vanilla. The one you like what you do you like your boy send me a picture of vanilla like what was the melanomas curled up with your book vanilla they don't like your book, and she curled up on it. We took a picture of disintegrates is a no no ever heard me preach his exits about things about Nelson elevator was forgiven. You could she's very picky who she likes and she likes you and wanted to say hello to Guido and then we have another Coach I was. There's no guile in chai what would you name a chance. I didn't. My oldest daughter did okay well we got mama cat KIND of the big one that had the other was cocoa the black cat that always talks cocos funny you and scrubbing that I have mustache, like that one is I want to scrub it off. That's whenever scrubbing the and there is belt bells Alaska that's my daughter by the daughter Kelsey picked up Bill okay so let's wrap this up as board assistant boring because we burn through a bunch of time but we have a lot of fun. Don and I talk about all kinds of things. Okay, so we say all the gospel preach the gospel share the gospel. The gospel, the gospel in a nutshell, what is the gospel. I need to know because I'm an evangelist and I have to preach it soon so tell me, so I have the answer to you with let's hope you do before you get out there. Now this is something all of us need to be able to do is very simple.

God created the human race. Perfect because of the sin of the first parents, Adam and Eve, the world is imperfect, it's not. Again, this is not the world God created but to bring humankind back to God. God the son 2000 years ago became a human being he died for the sins of the world.

He died in our place so we could know him in a personal way.

He rose from the dead proving he was the one whom he claimed to be. He ascended into heaven, and someday he's gonna come back and join the living and the dead. But the gospel very simply as Christ died for our sins. He was buried, and he rose again.

First Corinthians 15 1 to 3, and so the message the great preacher so well that all of us hope we are doing to is that there is a God, there is one way to get the one God and the gospel says Jesus Christ is the answer for all of us, not just our answer. Your answer to.

And that's the gospel in a nutshell, say so what happened to a nonbeliever if they die without Jesus Christ. Yeah Luke 16 actually tells us what happened.

There's two people that died a rich man and I'm a poor man named Lazarus, the rich man did not know the Lord and he went to this place in the realm of the dead where he was conscious, he was still aware of who we was where he was. He was in a place of torment. A place of punishment, and he realized Greg that he knew who he was, a new where he was. He knew why he was there and he knew that he didn't want anybody else to go there either. And that tells us Luke 16, verse 19 about that verse 30 what happens to the unbeliever when they die.

It's a place a temporary place of punishment, waiting for the final judgment.

Revelation 2011 to 15 when the great white throne judgment takes place.

So once you die. There's no other chances after denim. That's it. That's why we need to share the gospel and the bottom line, you know, the bottom line of the gospel is if you believe in Jesus. Your sin is forgiven and you can go to heaven when you die and you will not go to hell. That's the big message. All the other wonderful things we talked about the peace and joy and purpose of the wonderful things but the bottom line is that in so someone is assisting right now and they say okay I want to believe the gospel. I want to know that I go to heaven when I die water they need to do real simple. They just need to say a simple prayer something like this God if your God and Jesus Christ.

If you're the son of God and right this moment, the best way that I know how I want to trust you as Savior and Greg, you know, God accepts that member the criminal next to Jesus on the cross you said remember me. The Lord knows the hardest position of the body so much as the position of the heart knows your heart and you're using flowery words you say I want to know Jesus.

Along that � it really is. You know that that became a Christian I really understood so little of what I was doing but but I knew this, I believed what I heard about Jesus Christ. I wanted to know Jesus Christ and so I prayed this prayer and and you know I think we way over complicate this thing. I am, and it's not as hard as we think it is and is not as hard to share the gospel as we think it is and you know more than you think you do and I think a lot of times folks say why I just don't know that much.

You know a lot if you come to church and you listen you read your Bible, you have a lot of information stored in your mind and the key is that the Holy Spirit can take these things that we've read any can bring them to our memory in a supernatural way chanting yet he sure can.

And Greg, you're right. You know when I came to Christ.

I was in an audience like this and I saw people like this that had something I didn't have.

I just yell during the service.

I said God I want whatever they got.

That was my prayer to come to Christ and it's it's very simple. You know, a child can do it and it you and Jesus, and allow the little children to come to me for such the kingdom of heaven, we make it difficult but God's made so simple that anybody can do it.

Very true, and done we are glad you responded to the gospel and that you're serving the Lord in helping all of us select things done for them to extend an invitation because there might be someone that is joined us who isn't sure if they're going to heaven. You know we've been talking about how to talk the nonbelievers and nonbeliever in. We have effective been talking right to you. So we want you to leave here knowing your sin is forgiven leaving here knowing that you have a relationship with God and that can happen by you saying yes to Jesus. He died on the cross he rose again from the dead is with us right now he's standing at the door of your heart, and he is knocking, and he is saying if you hear his voice and open the door he will come in. Would you like that they happen for you. It can happen just like it happened for Don hundred and 50 years ago and I had had it for me hundred 10 years after you. You actually we both came to Christ the Savior that we not 1978, 1970 was a good year for dunamis.

So many of you were even born then that's when Don and I became Christians and were very glad of it and does so were praying that this is your night. If you haven't asked Jesus in your heart. Yet in your life yet. Let's do that together and respond to this invitation I'll give you now, as we pray father, thank you for this time to look at your word and and to find answers from Scripture and I pray for any person, here, any person listening or watching wherever they might be Lord, help them to see their need for Jesus and help them to come to you now in Jesus name I pray, amen Greg Laurie important word of prayer.

And if you like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg would like to help you with that will do so before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes what we featured a fascinating conversation between Pastor Greg and Bible scholar Don Stewart today.

In fact, it's one of the top 10 most requested presentations of the past year and if you missed any part you can catch up by listening online@harvest.org downloaded MP3 for later if you like, or order a permanent copy on CD by calling 1-800-821-3300.

Look for the title Greg Laurie and Don Stewart on the hard questions nonbelievers ask again are 24 hour phone number is 1-800-821-3300 never so happy to make available Pastor Greg new film, a rush of hope and it draws on riveting true life stories from three memorable movies including Woodlawn, one person alone willing to speak truth when it's not one person willing when it is not when there is much look around, were not alone such as in so many issues acting our culture. A rush of hope available now on DVD exclusively from new beginning this cinematic crusade fits squarely into our mission, knowing him and making him known. Yes, there's a message to everything that were doing it ultimately under the just present the gospel in this straightforward way to the person who's watching. Tell them who Jesus is, how to come into a relationship with him and I went to answer those big questions of life such as why am I here what is the meaning of my life. What happens after I die, and who let the dogs out know I won't answer that question. I don't care who let the dogs out member that song okay no, but I will answer those other three questions because the Bible has answers to those questions and more in so we can put this research in your hands.

I got to do is order. It is the order I need to do will send it to you for your gift of any size yet it's right and when you request a rush of hope you'll not only get the full movie on DVD, but extra resources to help you reach out and host a watch party based on the film, including an evangelistic booklet called life's most important questions, and one other thing I would add about this. Dave is when you order the DVD.

We have a special digital download code. What that means is you can downloaded to your phone to your tablet to your computer and take it with you.

Imagine you can over the evangelistic crusade in your pocket on your phone on your tablet device you could sit down with someone and say let's watch this right now, put the tablet in front of them or the laptop in front of them and watch it with them and they can hear the gospel so this is a special resource you not only get the DVD, but the special digital download to carry with you wherever you go, and it's right in all of this is available exclusively from a new beginning, and harvest ministries.

It's our gift to you to thank you for your donation to write today at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300. We are here to take your call around-the-clock 24 hours a day, or go online to harvest.org will pressure you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord.

Someone can enter into that kind of relationship with God right now 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 man, and listen. If you have just prayed those words with Pastor Greg and meant them sincerely the Lord is hurt you and forgiven you of your sin.

The Bible tells us 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 that are new believers growth packet just ask for it and will send it to you free of any charge if you prayed for the first time today with Pastor Greg. You can write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. Again, dial 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.or click the words no guy next time. Pastor Greg continues her series of top 10 most requested studies of the past year since a message called God's plan for sex and Mary join us next time you're on new beginning possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org