Best of 2020: The World Changer at the End of the World Part 1: True Rebels

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org KNOW know God.org it would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear you're moving through Robles Coulter coming out next Pastor Greg warrior to resist conforming to anything other than Christ. Why don't you go to do what everybody does. It doesn't say what everybody else is will form the existing culture that is changing before our eyes want to be a rubble follow Jesus Christ to be a real rubble and wide is the gate and broad is the way leads to the structure.

Lots of folks going is the way that seems right to a man is the way of the family. Lori shows an alternative, he helped us through the narrow will make us popular with red letter to live in a way that is pleasing to God rather than the other way around. Amanda really changed his world is what we would call the hero of the Bible every day during a very dark time in human history. Maybe the darkest, it is ever been talking about the time before the great flood. When God brought his judgment upon planet Earth. Jesus called it the days of Noah and its relevant to us because Christ said, as it was in the days of Noah, so also shall it be when the Son of Man returns so Christ is saying. Remember how it was in Noah's day is going to be very similar in the time before my return yet I get this very dark background lived a man who walked with God showing you can live a godly life in an ungodly culture and I like to call him a world changer. What is a world changer, a world changer is someone who does not accept the status quo rather a world history jerk wants to change the culture they think for themselves and the two what is right, a world changer is a follower of Jesus Christ and the affect their surroundings more than their surroundings affect them in a world changer is someone who wants to make a difference. In fact, world changers, or let me put it another way, committed Christians are the true rebels in culture today. Don't tell me it's rebellious to do drugs and party that status quo man.

Don't tell me it's rebellious to do what everybody else doesn't say what everybody else says MBO woke person and conform to pre-existing culture that is changing before our eyes.

A world changer, a real Christian is someone that believes this book and they live by what this book says you want to be a rubble follow Jesus Christ to be a real rubble today. You don't even need a leather jacket or motorcycle your wallet attached to a chain in the way bikers always do that. You know is going to take a bikers wallet anyway. But you know that's real rebellion in the best sense of the work world changers are thermostats, not thermometers thermometers just tell you what the temperature is up thermostat changes the temperature in the same way a world changer changes the world will the guy want to focus on will everyone knows the story. His name was Noah. We think of Noah. We immediately think of Noah's Ark and that's appropriate but there's a lot more to his life. And then, but no him is one of a number of people, men and women that are mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11, which is been described as the Heros Hall of short of the rock stars of the Christian world of the Bible culture. The people that just stood out and lived as God wanted them to live there, not in the Heros Hall of Fame because they were perfect. In fact, they were far from it. There there primarily because they exercised faith. That's the word that keeps popping up again and again by faith. He did this by faith. They did that and it just reminds us that you don't have to be a perfect person to be used by God. God is not looking for ability.

He's looking for availability. God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called. He's just looking for some man some woman, young or old, to just downright Lord here I am, send me. I want to make a difference in my world. I want to make a difference in my family. I want to make a difference in my culture.

I mean look at some of the people God used for Pete's sake. I mean there's some people that messed up pretty badly we think of Abraham or Abraham, the father of faith that he had faith, but he stumbled in his faith at least twice lying Sarah his wife laughed at the promises of God. Then she denied that she laugh Sampson. He made it into the hall of faith.

It was a woman chaser and a pretty immoral guy. Gideon struggled with fear and self-doubt. Rahab was a prostitute. David had an affair and murdered a man to cover it up. Elijah the prophet struggled with depression and wanted to die. The Samaritan woman had multiple divorces. The disciples fell asleep.

When Jesus asked him to pray. Simon Peter denied the Lord three times Timothy had an ulcer. Lazarus was dead. So what's your excuse. I mean, seriously, God cannot use you, and no other government to focus on for the next two times is a man who got drunk and put himself in a compromising position. But God gave him a second chance with. Here's what Moa Moa with Moa. Okay, that's a new character I just invented well with this his lesser-known brother Moa.

He just pulled a little rowboat with a hold of that but no Noah built an ark right but no had great faith in a great got I think is a misunderstood character even caricature.

Of course I'd seen in cartoons. Steve Carell are portrayed him for laughs and Evan Almighty. Then there was that film were Russell Crowe portrayed no that was one of the weirdest films I've ever seen.

I think he was channeling gladiator more than Noah because there's a scene when he's getting the ark ready to go and people are trying to get in and Russell Crowe as Noah is killing people so they don't enter the ark. That's actually not what happened in the Bible.

The fact is the door of the ark remain open for a long time. So anyone wanted to come to come back because nobody wanted to go in the art, but does so there's all these distortions of the story and it's important to go back to what the Bible says so. Hebrews 11,006 by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen move with godly fear and prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith so there are several principles in this passage and help us to understand what made no one to cure's point number one if you're taking notes.

God revealed secrets to know God revealed secrets to know he was 11. Seven.

He was divinely warned of things not yet been to God spoke to him and his faith was activated and I wonder if God is spoken to you lately know sometimes people say I don't think God ever speaks to me.

I remember hearing Pastor Chuck Smith tell the story of his grandson said to his mom mom. God never speaks to me she said honey you when you do something wrong and you feel bad in your heart for doing it. He says yes she says I can be God speaking to you, we pause for a moment and then said mom God speaks to me all the time is a lot a lot of ways God speaks to us, but he does speak to us in the primary way he speaks to us is through the word of God but God revealed his secret to know the Bible says the secret of the Lord is with those of Pharaoh only drink cancer were smaller. I used to take them to secret places.

I would say you know were going to go restaurant you want to go on the regular way like all the other people what he want to go on the secret.

Michael get all excited secret white pop and I just to come in through a side door, but they thought it was secret.

There was a spark.

That's not far from our house and so I said we can go to the regular parka we can go to this other park. I caught the secret part and that's are we when it's not secret. Anyone can find it.

To this day we still call it the secret part that is am going to walk to the secret park would you know but we like secrets right so the secret of the Lord is with those that fear God reveals things to Christians that people who are not believers don't understand.

As an example as a Christian I know that God's word is true. You see, the basic Christian in many ways knows more than some of the great intellects of our world because we believe this book and we know because we believe this book that there are certain things that are true in certain things that are not true princess. We know man is not basically good and that's a hard one to believe business omens basically good. Really what the Bible doesn't teach men is basically good. The Bible teaches that man is basically sinful. Now that makes sense in the world makes more sense when I accept the premise were not basically good or basically sinful, but the Bible also teaches that God is good.

The Bible teaches that one day Judge will come to the world.

The Bible teaches that it's going to get worse before it gets better. The Bible teaches that one day Christ will return and he will write every wrong and Jesus even said of the father father, thank you that you've hidden these things and revealed them to your children. So when you believe the Bible you know things other people don't know, and Noah understood that God revealed secrets to him. Mr. Greg Moore will have the second half of his message in just a moment we send Pastor Greg studies out via the radio, email, satellite and even our harvested home online services and it's encouraging when we hear that these messages are impacting lives later in your daily person for a couple of months now. They are my favorite devotional and I look forward to getting them every day.

In addition, about one month ago I started turning to your life sermon on Harvest at Home. You inspire me and I get all your jokes.

Thank you for your ministry and how it does to bring people to a relationship with God. I'm happy to partner with you in your mission.

I pray God continues to bless you exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or think. It's a privilege to bring the studies and were thankful for our harvest partners make them possible which you partner with us, you can make a donation@harvest.org and you'll find Pastor Griggs harvested home services@thesamewebaddressharvest.org now. Pastor Greg continues to study, called the world changer at the end of the world part one. Let's listen number two. Noah had a great reverence for God, get a great reverence for God. I think that maybe this is lacking in our culture today how we become too casual with the Lord. I have we taken him for granted, possibly when it says he moved with godly fear that does not mean that he cowered in fear before God. A better way to translate that would be. He moved with reverent we need to have reverence for God and one definition of the fear of the Lord that I like is a wholesome dread of displeasing him also dread not cowering in fear. But God's going to smack me, but rather I love God so much and God is so holy I have this respect for him.

But maybe we've gone too far the other way. You know Jesus is my homeboy man hey you/your homeboy so-called created the universe. Have a little respect when you talk to him have a little respect. When you worship him have a little respect.

When you speak his name. I've gotten to know Dr. James Dobson pretty well over the last few years and had been with him a lot of situations and you'll say to me Greg call me Jim that's okay Dr. Dobson the no-no call me Jim and I don't feel comfortable calling him Jim for some reason and I think it's because I respect him so I'll say will Dr. Dobson are from would be super C.listen you know so that I call them back out of respect and in so Noah had this reverence and respect for God and he never laws that reverence for the Lord and so he was the last days believer because he was living in the time before the flood came, why did the flood come. Why did God send judgment on the earth. The first time the answer is found in Genesis 6 want you to turn over there if you would Genesis 6, you don't know where that is. It's right after Genesis 5 paying a hard left and go all the way and you will find Genesis 6 first book of the Bible Genesis 65 gives us a description of the world and the days of Noah. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of his thoughts was only evil continually. You might underline that only evil continually in the Lord was sorry he made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart out underline that to come back to. So the Lord said I will destroy man whom I've created from the face of the earth, man and beast, creeping thing, and birds of the air.

I'm sorry I made them. There, what exactly was going on here in planet Earth, to bring God's wrath so heavily.

Genesis 65 gives the answer.

The Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thought of his heart was only evil continually. I'm just amazed at the things I read in the news today. You know the news features.

The atrocities the. The horrible acts that people do against people it just endless and you know I don't even have to illustrate this.

It's just heartbreaking. It's disturbing and it just seems like people find new ways to do evil things, and that's what was happening at this time but you know what this shows us is God is aware of the wickedness of man he's paying attention and their wickedness is full to the brim would be a better translation sort of like an overflowing trashcan or a septic tank, you know it's bad.

It was stinking to high heaven. It was so bad. Notes interesting the book of Genesis can be divided into three sections generation degeneration regeneration generation degeneration regeneration. So first it was generation. When God created all things and said it was good that degeneration. That's when sin entered into the garden when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and regeneration were at phase 2. Here degeneration and God said he's grieved no it's interesting that the word grieved is used here in verse six, you only cream for those you love. You don't grieved when some random person cuts you off on the road. You get angry.

Maybe upset. But it doesn't grieve you.

It grieves you when your child is disrespectful or goes astray, or someone you love or care about, says or does something that hurt you your grieved only by the people you love right so the fact that God uses the word grieved shows is that this is hurting the heart of God because he loves humanity. Remember Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and he wept over them because he knew they were effectively bringing judgment on themselves. We read in Luke 1941 he saw the city and wept over it said all Jerusalem. If you'd only known this your day. The things that made for your let me ask you a question. Have you ever shed a tear for someone who is far from God ever shed a tear over a prodigal son or daughter over a prodigal mom or dad or someone you care about that's going the wrong way. God takes no pleasure in bringing judgment on anyone. Greg Lord pointing out God's heart for lost sinners good insight today on a new beginning from one of our listeners most requested studies of the past year and if you have a broken heart for someone who needs the Lord. We can help you share your faith more effectively. Pastor Greg has a great online personal evangelism course and it's free of charge is called tell someone find out more about it by going to courses.harvest.org again is called tell someone and you'll find it. Courses.harvest.org. We know that more than 140,000 people made professions of faith. Last year through harvest ministries. Yeah, the Lord moved in such a mighty way in the midst of such a tumultuous year and one of the main outreach platforms was your film called a rush of hope it's right now were making the DVD available for short time longer, and we're hoping our listeners will take this film and use it themselves to bring people to the Lord actually to Dave, you know, during these days of the coronavirus. It's been hard for a lot of people to go to church but listen to this. Jesus did not say the whole world should go to church but he did say the church to go to the whole world. We need to go to where people are and I'll tell you where people are right now they're looking at screens looking at phone screens, tablet screens, computer screens and television screens so we thought.

Instead of saying the people come to us. We thought let's go to them let's saturate.

Let's permeate. Let's get the message to them in a way that will be entertaining visually stimulating but without compromising the essential gospel message. So the result of that was a rush of hope, a cinematic crusade that I did with my friend John Irwin who is along with his brother, Andy Irwin rending kingdom studios as a part of landscape. These are what the Brits might call proper filmmakers of the of the most successful Christian film of all time. I can only imagine these guys know how to make movies so I had this idea to do this so I went to them so we work with director Ben small bone under the direction of John Irwin to produce what many of called the greatest evangelistic film they have ever seen those other words not mine, but we have some proof that it's reaching people because we've seen thousands of people come to Christ.

As a result of simply watching this film that we call a rush of hope, something about something. Imagine getting someone you care about in front of the screen to watch. This is a all at some cheesy religious film. They don't want to watch it. Trust me, they'll be cooked after the first two minutes and we will pray that God will impact them with the message of the gospel that is baked into this film, so I want to send you your own copy of a rush of hope for the first time ever out on DVD. We also will send you information about how you can stream it exclusively. This is not information for the general public, but you will be able to do it because will give you the info you need and we want to encourage you to support our ministry was in the best I can sell this to you but instead I'm in a give it to you� For your gift of any size son can only give a little something give a little bit more. Some can give a lot do what you can to help us get the gospel out to our generation.

Our nation needs to hear the gospel what other hope was there for America right now you really think it's a political help. I don't care what side of the aisle you're on the need is spiritual and the answer is spiritual and the answer is the gospel. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes the were the Paul use.

There is from a Greek word that translates out to explosive power its dynamic or dynamite power.

There is explosive power in the simple message of the gospel. The story of the life, death and resurrection of Christ, and we want to get this message to people you care about so order your copy of our rush of hope and send what you can and in advance. Let me say thank you. Yet such a strategic time not only for your donation. But for you to reach out with the hope of the gospel surrenders today at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and we can take your call 24 seven or just go online to harvest.org ever start your day off wrong, you know, things started badly and just kept going downhill. A lot of it has to do with your focus where your mind is centered as the day starts when I plug into Pastor Greg's daily devotions there free of charge. It's good encouragement to keep your eyes fixed on Christ.

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Join us this weekend Harvest at Home.01 Pastor Greg brings is more insights from the life of Noah will continue learning from this great hero of our faith. Next time beginning and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor great free daily email devotions and harvest.org