A New Kind of Family: Bring Your Questions to God

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The person is wrong, maybe a sign that he is today on a new beginning after Grigori points out, we can bring our Lord there's no question he can handle the Lord linger so you might go like questions. I certainly believe her. You know what to do the same for you become a child of God would be great if all our questions are immediately worked out suddenly to spell the gaps in our understanding are instantly filled in becoming to know God's plan for our lives and challenge of living the Christian life today on the new beginning for Greg Laurie points out how we should feel free to God for help in sharpening our understanding of our series on the golf Mart which are calling the gospel for busy people. The title of my message is a new kind of family. Jesus now establishes his new family of disciples going to reenlist of the men that are used to change the world. Some are familiar names.

Others, not as familiar and they could not be more different from one another. We read about them in Mark chapter 3 verse 16.

Now he appointed Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James, a son of Zebedee and his brother John, to them he gave the name Blodgett in this which means Sons of thunder. There was Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas James said about Phineas Thaddeus Simon the zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him the right of the top of the list of very familiar name.

Simon Peter, apart from Jesus himself. No other name is mentioned in the New Testament more than Simon Peter.

He was a central figure of Jesus three years of ministry and also for the first three years of the early church and Jesus spent more time with Peter than anybody else. Another thing I would point out no other person speaks as often or is spoken to as often as Simon Peter. I might also add no other disciple is reproved and corrected as often as Simon Peter, flawed character.

Yes, but he was faithful to the end Osher. He denied the Lord, but he was there with Jesus in the last hours of his earthly ministry, along with the apostle John, though he had his lapse in this setback. He also had his mega come back when Jesus recommissioned him again. Yet he was part of God's family, and then we have Andrew, the brother of Peter. They couldn't be any more different if Peter was like your lot uncle of the family reunion. Andrew is like the quiet cousin. While peters talking Andrews clearing the table and working behind the scenes affect was actually Andrew who brought his brother Peter to Jesus in John 141 we read the first thing Andrew did every realize that Jesus was the Messiah.

Was he brought his brother Peter and he said to him, we found the Messiah and he brought him to Jesus. That's with Andrew was always doing bringing people to Jesus. And what a great thing to be known for bringing people to Jesus. So we got Peter allowed one we've got. Andrew acquired one and now we have James and John, the fiery wants it peters like your lot uncle Lynn Andrews required cousin. These are the brothers were always arguing.

You know there at the family reunion. They turn everything into a big debate they get very upset about things. These are the kind of people that when they post on social media.

It's all in caps right there always fired up about something and that is a good description of James and John there described as a Sons of thunder for good reason that fiery temperaments one occasion the disciples went into a village of Samaria and the people were not responsive. They were not hospitable. So James and John come to Jesus and they said, Lord, shall we call fire down from heaven on these people like Elijah did. Jesus was like, wait, what call fire down from heaven, and then he had to remind them what his mission was.

He says guys you don't know what kind of spiritual rub. The Son of Man did not come to destroy people became to safety for so you think I side income to toast people. I came to forgive people to peace Simon give me a break, but these guys were were very full of fire and passion and and so they were upset that people were not responsive to what Jesus had to say. They can also be very insensitive because Jesus talked about his impending crucifixion with them. On one occasion and that he says the Son of Man is going to be betrayed and he's going to be condemned to death and they will flog him and kill him and three days later arise again.

I mean imagine hearing Jesus say that that's heavy stuff you would just sit in stunned silence, you would know what to say will not. The Sons of thunder. They had plenty to say because then they blurted out well.

We were wondering if you would do what ever we want you to do what wait what Jesus just got done saying that he's going to die and they say interesting. What can you do for us so that would be like some of the Savior.

Why just found out I'm very sick and I'm dying and I only have a few weeks to live. And then he respond yes so we need to do with that car you just bought that I have it.

So the conversation continues on, we want you to do whatever we ask you to do so. Jesus is okay, I'll bite.

What you want me to do. We would like to sit on your right and left hand in glory. Well, they should be thankful. Jesus did not answer that prayer because what happened shortly after this, Jesus went and was crucified and who was on his right and left hand to criminals who were crucified next to him. See if you would have answered their prayer they would have been the ones on the crosses on each side of Jesus. So thank God for unanswered prayers right so we got the loud one Simon Peter. We got the quiet one, Andrew.

We've got the fired up ones. James and John, the Sons of thunder.

Now we have this skeptical one another courses. Thomas when you're at a family reunion. You know, everybody sees things a certain way and Thomases like that to a relative.

Also, I see a completely differently than the rest of you, that's just his nature. He was a guy who thought for himself. Of course we remember Thomas because he did miss the resurrected Christ. After Jesus was crucified, he rose again and he appeared to the disciples in the upper room and they told Thomas a man you should've been there last night just to shut up Yahoo, sets Jesus. He appeared to us all right yeah Thomases I'll believe that when I could put my hand in the prints of the nails and put my finger into his side will the next thing they got together for a meeting. Thomas was there. And guess who shows up Jesus will Thomas seen the risen Christ just said, my Lord and my God and he believed on the spot to be: doubting Thomas. I don't think he was a daughter think he was a skeptic and he wanted when everybody else had he wanted to see and know for himself and by the way, you don't have to live up somebody else's faith.

It's okay for you to say to the Lord, make yourself real to me.

Help me with my doubts help me with my questions. I certainly did that when I was a brand-new believer. I was filled with skepticism and I said to Jesus if you're real, you're going to have to make.

Make yourself known to me because I have a hard time believing some of these things for myself and you know what he did and he does and he'll do the same for you.

Yeah Thomas a B didn't understand something would talk about it out. Well, one occasion. In John chapter 14, Jesus it on my father's all start many mansions there were not so I would've told you. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you want to myself and where you go, you know, in the way you know I think all the disciples were probably not even in unison, an agreement that Steve that it's really true. And it's Thomas who says on choosing out of the raises and I requested yes. Thomas Wheeler know where you're going and we don't know the way I like that he was honest and what is Jesus say he doesn't rebuke him. He says I am the way the truth and the life no man comes with the father but by me listens skepticism is not assigned that a person is wrong and may be assigned that he is thinking you may have children who are pushing back on the way you've raised them in your Christian home, they have their own questions. Hey mom, how can I know the Bible is the word of God. Hey dad, I'm grappling with this question. Your they get older we done we build our kids know the thinking for themselves or like Thomas to help them work through those things and help them develop their own thing. Greg Moore will have the second half of this message just a moment we send these daily studies via radio satellite over the Internet.

We don't always know how these messages are touching lives. Pastor Greg, I stumbled on your daily Bible studies.

One morning, while listening to the radio became so interested in the way you explain the Bible but then the station went off the air.

I searched and was able to find your Google podcast and now listen to every day, the way you explain the Bible stories finally let me connect with the Lord in a way I've never been able to before.

I grew up attending Christian school and church here ministry because it was like someone finally turn the lights on and connected the dots. After all these years it took someone across the country for me to finally explain things in a way I can understand. I appreciate you and thank you for turning on the lights were so grateful to hear of the change lives to harvest ministries. If you'd like to download Pastor breaks podcasts.

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We've been considering a number of the Lord's disciples today as Pastor Greg presents his message called a new kind of family that I wish I had time to go to all the others that are on our list, but there's one last name that I want to end with, and that would be Judas Iscariot. So Peter's like your loud uncle Andrew is the working behind-the-scenes guide James and John are always fired up about something Thomases this skeptical one whose Judas. He's not the evil guy. You may think you know when we see movies about Jesus or religious art depicting the disciples.

You can always figure out who Judas is because he looks so treacherous is always hiding over in the shadows. All the other disciples were wearing white robes. He's got a black robe, a black leather robe with a collar turned up wearing sunglasses right now, really, but you get the idea. Oh that is not the way Judas appear. He appeared as the most virtuous of the lot.

Judas is sort of like yourself righteous relative who's always moralizing judging and putting others down. And one day you find out he is the biggest hypocrite of the mall Judas is the literal definition of a hypocrite that I don't think we even know what the word hypocrite means we throw it around a lot. We say someone who claims to be a Christian and slips out. That's hypocrisy.

That's not hypocrisy that's humanity. Everyone of us as followers of Jesus best we make mistakes we say the wrong thing we do the wrong thing. Hopefully we own it and admitted that's not a hypocrite, a hypocrite, literally defined as an actor at the performer.

It's a person who is pretending to be something they are not that was Judas. He appeared to be the most virtuous guy a ball when in reality he was the most wicked. Here's a perfect example of the disciples were gathered together for a meal and we read how Mary began to wipe the feet of Jesus with some very expensive perfume and the fragrance filled the air. So this perfume that she wiped his feet with because she was given an insight into the fact that Christ was going to go suffer and die on the cross she wanted to do something extravagant, something next level. Something to demonstrate to Jesus how much she loved him so this is probably a family heirloom worth thousands and thousands of dollars so she's annoying seen the feet of Jesus with this beautiful fragrant perfume and Judas says our perfume is worth a small fortune.

It could have been sold and the money given to the poor.

The other disciples probably not in unison said you know that's that's true, Judas and narrator know that was the good stewardship to waste our perfume and the feet of Jesus but them were given this little detail in the Gospel of John and John 12 six Judas said that not because he cared for the poor. He said it because he was a thief and he was in charge of the disciples funds and he took some for his own use, while so at the moment. He appeared to be the most virtuous, he was actually the most wicked and it's his greed for money that destroyed the life of Judas Iscariot. It's not forget he sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and how did he betray Christ with a handshake with a pat on the back, although you know the answer. He betrayed him with a kiss.

He told the religious rulers, the one that I kiss. He's the one you're looking for. So there in the garden of Gethsemane. Here's Jesus and Judas approaches him and kisses him and in the original language it's implied he kissed them over and over again, not just the peck on the cheek he kissed them like oh I love you so much Jesus but he was just identifying Christ so he could be arrested. He was the worst kind of hypocrite out there, but you want to know something amazing he could have been forgiven.

Jesus knew Judas would betray him. Jesus knew Judas would abandon him, but Jesus offered to Judas an opportunity to repent. When the disciples gathered together in the upper room for what would become Last Supper, we read that Jesus washed the disciples feet.

Now that doesn't make a lot of sense to us.

But back in these days when you would go visit a person's house. The servant in the home would wash your feet.

So Jesus was taking the role of a servant. He wants their feet and he came to the feet of Judas Iscariot and wants them up. I was Jesus. I would not of washed the feet of Judas.

I would've broken the feed but the Lord even washed his feet and then he identified Judas as the betrayer and then he said to do this. Whatever you do, go and do it quickly, and we read that Satan filled the heart of Judas, so he was not some helpless Pando. He made a deliberate decision to betrayed Jesus. But even there in the garden of Gethsemane as Judas approach we read Jesus said to them, friend, why have you come if Judas had repented of his sin. Jesus would've forgiven him.

Even there, but he was never part of God's family. He could have been, but he was a wicked man.

Listen we can all be a part of God's family is a how do you do that well you're born into the family of God. All you're saying you have to be raised in a Christian home, no, not at all you need to be born again in the family of God. Jesus said you must be born again.

So when you turn from your sin in US God to forgive you. You become a part of God's family Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become sons of God, so you can be in this incredible family of God. No matter what you've done. Maybe relate to one of the people I've talked about in this message may be like Simon Peter and you walk with the Lord.

For a time but you messed up and you failed and you send and in the case of Peter. He denied three times that he knew Jesus but he was forgiven. Or maybe you're like Thomas you believe but you had your download so or your like some of the others who have had setbacks but Jesus loved everyone of these men he loved every one of these women that followed him and he loves you. And if you're part of his family.

He wants to maintain fellowship with you.

You know when were sinning against God. We don't break off the relationship. We break off fellowship you're still in the family, you're just not communicating and it's because we broken communication down by our sin, but the Bible says a bull confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our send and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and communication can be restored. Maybe I'm talking to somebody right now the wants to join God's family somebody right now that maybe doesn't have a family to speak of the I mentioned that till we all of the family had a pretty dysfunctional family growing up. My mother was married and divorced seven times and was a raging alcoholic. I had a very unstable upbringing but when I became a Christian I join God's family, and suddenly I found brothers and sisters. I did not know that I had that were fellow believers in Jesus Christ and God can do the same for you last a weekend for Harvest at Home.

Someone watch the service and they wrote me this little note and I'm reading it now.

She says I just want your message on harvest and it brought me tears of joy. I needed to hear what you said you answered all of my questions and it brought me so much peace because I prayed that prayer and I'm looking forward to heaven when that day comes, thank you for sharing that today. Praise Jesus.

Jesus, when I prayed that prayer.

Prayer the same prayer that I'm a lead you in right now, our prayer will you will say to God you're sorry for your sin, you want Christ to come into your life and you want to become a part of God's family. If you don't know right now that your sin is forgiven. If you don't know was certainly right now that you go to heaven when you die if you're not sure if you're in the family of God. You can join our family right here right now.

Wherever you are in a Legion with a simple prayer I mentioned multiple times that Jesus went to the cross and died for our sin. Three days later he rose again from the dead and now he stands at the door of your life and Enoch's and he says if you hear his voice and open the door he will come in so listen if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to join God's forever family or if you failed and you want to recommit your life to the Lord lead you in a simple prayer similar to the prayer that this young lady prayed with me last weekend and this can be a transforming moment in your life for Christ comes to live inside of you. If you want Christ to come in your life and you want him to forgive you of your sin, pray this prayer after me up that you could print out loud right now if you like. Just pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died in the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. Now I put my faith in you and I choose to follow you from this moment in Jesus name I pray. Pastor Greg Laurie important prayer for those making a change today in the relationship with the Lord.

And if you just join Pastor Greg in prayer and have asked Jesus to be your Savior would like to offer some help free of charge would like to send you our new believers growth packet. It'll help you get started in your walk with the Lord and help you build a solid foundation for your faith should contact us and ask for the new believers growth packet. You can write us at a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300.

We are here to take your call anytime 24 seven.

Again, dial 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click on know God and that is a privilege to have Pastor Greg's wife Kathy with us today she's joined by Shannon bream anchor Fox News at night on the Fox News Channel and Shannon has just authored a wonderful new book called the women of the Bible speak. The subtitle is the wisdom of 16 women and their lessons for today getting.

I found the one chapter that you wrote about Esther and Ray had and you talked about being prepared for the Esther or Ray have moments that will come into our lives and I was winning if you can give an example. Maybe from your own experience of what an moment like an Esther Rahab moment would look like about dear so much that God is preparing and planting along the way and all of our stories and we are making every effort to be in his will and walk with him. I think not even things like Scripture memory verses I learned I think him to come back to me now to so when those moments come on, don't even think about it, it becomes natural that that something pops up in your mind. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight oh Lord my strength and my Redeemer were about putting on the full armor of God so I feel like having those things touch awakening into memory can be encouraging can be helpful. We know that Christ himself used Scripture when he was confronted by the me to shoot down every line of his and he sees coming us with lies every day about who we are, what were worth anything for women especially, they need to. Now we are creating kind and needs are precious in his sight.

We are daughters of the King as believers and so I think being able to to call in that truth when the lies come and tell you you are worthwhile and you are not chosen, you don't get this job or this relationship falls apart. We don't hang and attain the rank I mean there are struggles in every single day for me. It really was the years of living in chronic pain that were sort as Esther and Ray have moments for me how well I rise to this occasion can I get through this and I'm Scripture was a huge comfort to me in those times when I thought I can't make it through one more day attendance anything we will all face challenges, whether their sudden loss is illness is projection of the trail whenever it is or on any get there.

So I think having the roads having to Scripture. In our hearts so that we can call out lies from the enemy. Based on that Scripture means you need is all things we can do to prepare for our Esther and Ray have moments on we hear so often that phrase for such a time as this which is fun. Esther story and it's important to remember that when Mordechai and her uncle came to her to explain her sent a message to her the entire Jewish people were under attack and would be annihilating without some kind of intervention for her. He asked her to go to the king that she knew she went to the king unbidden. He could have her put in that we have to remember in her story. She didn't immediately say, okay, I'll go.

She said handle the Jewish people fast for three days at the end and that I will go and if it cost me my life. I will go on because Mordechai attend her don't think if you don't rise to this occasion that somebody else wants and that you won't be protected as well. So it's good having to remember and her story. There was some hesitation and fear in their but she asked for the help of fasting. If it ain't for the Jewish people and she then can make. She would go on despite what he or she may have had, and to be brave in the moment so you know there there is preparation and rising to those moments that Shannon bream speaking with Kathy Lori about her new book, the women of the Bible speak there such deep inspiration in the stories not only for women but for men as well, and Shannon does a great job of helping us connect with that timeless encouragement will be glad to send you this new book to thank you for your investment so we can keep Pastor Greg studies coming your way. Your donation not only helps you benefit from them but so many others as well. One listener express gratitude for them this way.

Thank you so much for your passion toward lost souls. There is, in a moment in any of your sermons were. You don't offer an opportunity for people to come to know Jesus. I admire and respect you so much, so we hope you'll send your investment today and then be sure to ask for this new book the women of the Bible speak by Shannon bream.

You can write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 call anytime 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org sometimes we can always make sure his church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone it would every weekend and it's called harvest home. We worship we have a message of the word of God. If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvest at all. When next I more from Pastor Greg series in the Gospel of Mark called the gospel for busy people will discuss what Pastor Greg calls the golden key to spiritual growth is next time you beginning, everybody thinks her list.

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