America, This Is Your Wake-Up Call: Don't Think God Can't Use You

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God this at our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org doesn't seem like America is unraveling.

For very long as this is an issue that needs to return to be written more we jump in the spiritual renew our land and how believers alter the service to isolate these colas filtrate is called permeating this century.

Our culture with the truth of the gospel in his omnipotence, he often calls on his ever so limited to accomplish his agenda were limited not only our abilities but also in our willingness today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie helped raise God's plan for the spiritual transformation of our culture shows us that God empowers those he directs senses to do a job as the Bible you do turn to Matthew chapter 5 start a story about a woman I was walking down the beach and she sees something embedded in the sense he bends down to see what it isn't it look like a lamp, so she reached out and picked it up, brushes that set up and sure enough it's a lab and a genie appears and he says all master I will grant to you one wish she thought about it for a moment and she pulls out a map of the Middle East.

She says genie there's always been conflict in the Middle East and I would like them have some kind of a peace agreement that they could live by.

So genie that's my one wish. I want peace in the Middle East, he said, are you crazy there's no way that's ever going to happen. You gotta come up with something else. So she says well you know what genie I've I've always wanted to find one good man, one that is considerate and kind and fun and loves to cook and help with the housecleaning, one that will smother me with affection and attention and he will just sit around the couch watching sports all day long yeah that's what I want genie I want one good man. The genie says let me see that map again.

You know sometimes things seem impossible right.

But the Bible says with God all things are possible but doesn't it seem like America is unraveling before our very eyes. I need this is a nation that was built on the word of God. We call it Judeo Christian values and we really did build this nation on those principles. There was a time in our nation, when we had the 10 Commandments on the wall of every classroom.

We just talked about the 10 Commandments recently. Think about that.

There were everywhere, and even today.

If you go to Washington DC the 10 Commandments are there in the US supreme court building.

Imagine if we would follow those 10 Commandments, it's so important, it could change our nation. But no, we got those 10 Commandments off the classroom walls and we disregarded them and were now seeing the effects about the Bible says when you sow the wind.

You will reap the whirlwind. But think of the foundation of this unique nation that we have the privilege of living in our first president, George Washington made this statement and I quote to this distinguished character of patriot. It should be our highest glory.

They have even more distinguished character of Christian" James Madison, the fourth US president made this statement, quote accursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Jesus Christ like that but some will sale no.

America was not built on a biblical foundation or Judeo-Christian principles. What what are you talking about you think you could protest like people are protesting in America right now and other countries like China or Cuba, they would be quickly stop. If not, imprisoned and executed.

Know the very liberty that we have, to express our feelings and declare our rights was given to us because we built this on the foundation of a belief in God. So here's what it comes down to this foundation has eroded. It was John Adams.

Our second president, who made the statement that I quote United States Constitution was made for a moral and religious people.

It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." This is why the idea of nation building is not work as we tried to do it in other parts of the world see our nation was born out of the soil of revival have another George in our history.George Washington but George Whitfield. He was an evangelist from England and he came over to the colonies and preach the gospel and thousands and thousands of people believe that it was in the wake of this revival that our nation was formed, so were a nation built out of revival and I think ever going to continue as a nation or a nation that needs to return to revival or a spiritual awakening order simplified. We need to return to God we have a choice as a nation to choices really judgment or revival listened judgment is coming to every nation of the world including America, but were praying that judgment will be postponed by God.

A little bit longer and that we might see at least one more spiritual awakening Peter Marshall of the former chaplain to the U.S. Senate once made this statement and I quote the choice before us is playing Christ or chaos conviction or compromise discipline or disintegration. So, do we have any hope in America. Is there anything we can do as followers of Jesus to help our nation turn in the right direction. I think the answer is a resounding yes and it's found in the words of Jesus, right here in Matthew chapter 5 starting in verse 13 he says you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor of Celebes season. It's good for nothing but to be thrown down and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do you light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house so let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your father which is in heaven. Salt and light. Why did Jesus use these two word pictures because the world is a very dark place in the world is an evil place and so Jesus uses two very intentional illustrations to explain to us what we need to do as his followers at the start the biblical worldview of this culture is it is dark and it is getting darker. It's it's our nature is people we always go on the wrong direction.

We always default toward sinful things never toward godly things.

General Omar Bradley once made this incredible statement. We have grasped the mystery of the atom, but we have forgotten the sermon on the Mount. The world is achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants" that is so very true.

So as we look in America we see there were going the wrong direction. We say that since there's nothing we can do.

I think there are things that we can do.

Here's what we should not we should not try to escape the culture altogether or engage in isolation. That's virtually impossible, but to make the point.

God is not called us to isolate. He's called us to infiltrate. He's called us to permeate and to saturate our culture with the truth of the gospel. He's not called us to evade he's called us to invade to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ mounted a tricky balance because the Bible says don't love the world, neither the things that are in the world and were also told in Romans chapter 12 don't be conformed to this world but yet at the same time. Jesus says in John 17. I'm not going to take them out of the world. I want to keep them safe from the evil one and then he says of the father. I'm sending them into the world lesson.

The only way to change the world is to go into the world with the gospel. So do we know what this culture to change us, but yes we do want to change the culture.

So let's not try to withdraw. Let's try to be a good influence. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment, emails, letters and phone calls let us know that you're gaining benefit from Pastor Greg's teaching its valuable feedback).

I get why Eric will now every night, get back to my life. I can't wait to listen to you program every morning at 635 get to bed at 10 o'clock or 12 o'clock I'm always something.

Just energize me when I hear the message renewable everyday. God bless you. So Greeks Pastor Greg's messages touching lives. If you have a story to tell of how the studies you want to call us and give us all the details. Here's the number 1866-871-1144 1-866-871-1144 will today.

Pastor Greg is pointing out how we are Christian soldiers and our job is to infiltrate and permeate the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He continues now so this is a battle that were again since were either winning or losing in this battle with either advancing or retreating because as believers we must realize that we are behind enemy lines. I was watching a World War II film recently and there's a scene where the commanding officer says of the paratroopers of easy company that were behind enemy lines, a Panzer division is about to cut you off and you guys are going to be surrounded in the lieutenant in charge of easy company says where paratroopers were supposed to be surrounded culture say we been dropped behind enemy lines you were surrounded by people that don't share our views. We are in hostile territory and not everybody's going to respond in the affirmative to the message that we give some will respond favorably to the message of the gospel that were proclaiming and come to faith in others will not. Second Corinthians 214 Paul says no wherever we go. He uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the good news like a sleet perfume our lives. Paul writes like a fragrance presented by Christ to God, and this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved by those who are perishing to order a fragrance to some and well stench to others.

You know, some people wear too much cologne or just a little tip for you people that love cologne or perfume. Less is more to just a little, and I've seen people a couple pool of it in the palm of their throw it on and then everyone to come in to contact with smells like that cologne so you don't want to be that person. But it can be a fragrance.

When you're a follower of Jesus, something that's wonderful. A believer enters a room, a believer enters the conversation a believer in the culture they can change the temperature of a room they can change so many things. Sometimes it's their presence and then of course what they say makes a huge difference as well. But what is a fragrance to some is a stench to others. Take garlic as an example, garlic is great on food garlic smells good when it's cooking but it doesn't smell so great when it's on someone's breath afterwards. Doesn't so living godly will read some people and other people will be offended by it. Look my job is to live and share the gospel.

But before I can effectively tell them I must first live it because nothing is a worse witness than a hypocritical Christian, you know, I encourage believers to share their faith. If you're a Christian, I encourage you to engage people in evangelistic conversations you know people are scared right now.

There's a lot of uncertainty in the air a lot of uncertainty in their lives. Opioid use is up alcohol sales are up. Suicide rates are up calls to suicide help lines are so people are looking for truth that this is a moment for us to step into that conversation.

Talk about the hope we have found in Christ. But let me say something that might surprise you for some people out there.

I would say please don't talk about Jesus.

He's a Greg you just contradicted yourself. No, here's what I'm saying if you're seeking to live a godly life. Not a perfect life will fall short will mess up, but you're seeking to live a godly life.

By all means. Look for opportunities to talk about Jesus, but if you are living a hypocritical life.

If you are contradicting what the Bible says by the way that you live, please do us all a favor and don't talk about Jesus.

In fact, you might just focus on repenting of your sin in getting right with God before you talk to others but I think our culture today is looking for authenticity a W toes or a preacher from days gone by, made this statement in a quote the world is waiting to hear an authentic voice of voice from God is not an echo from what others are doing and saying. But an authentic voice." And I think that is so very true.

So we want to be salt. Salt effectively earns us the right to be like. Let me explain. You see salt back in its day with something of great value, and in fact, Roman soldiers would sometimes be paid in salt, hence the term. He's not worth his salt. Salt was valuable.

Salt was something that stop that the spread of rotting in me they would cut the meat up in strips and and they would embed Sultanate so to be preserved.

This was before refrigeration and of the same way. That's what we should be doing as followers of Jesus Christ. You know us Christians that stop the spread of evil in our culture today. It's Christians that stand up for the rights of the unborn, it's Christians that speak out against racism and try to bring about reconciliation. It's Christians that are out there doing good works helping people who are in need of the believers we believe or not that's what it means to be salt out in our culture today and another thing that Saul does is it stimulates first you remember back when we used to go to movies well you would get some popcorn and you know all of those things you get at the concession stand were so expensive that you get a little popcorn, a medium-size name one the size of a garbage can rightly fill it out and get free refills. Okay, thanks. It you are covered your driving a popcorn but they over salted and you thirsting you come and see she is because I get a glass of water.

I'm sorry were not allowed to give these comps out, but here's a little thimble you can get some water over there from the hose or you can buy some bottled water for $40. That's more than you would ever drink in a single lifetime. That's is kind of the way it works. Salt stimulates nurse right and if you're really living for Jesus as you want to and being the salt of the earth. You will stimulate in others a desire to know God. Think of it as going out with some of the E may be someone invited you to dinner and you'd already eaten any set will go longer to sit with you as you read all about couple coffee and so they order their partner and their fries and in the Malton you're just sitting there drinking your coffee and ice you see him and connect one of those fries sure to go. You want to delete that fry what is stolen food so much better than food that you order yourself in a sentence or my wife is cooking. She cuts things up a little portions closures the carrots. Here's the tomatoes and I'll go over and take a look at. Don't take those those of the portions you'll mess up the portions but there's something very exciting about stolen food.

Anyway, going back to the front you eat the frying for some unknown reason.

That's the greatest French fry you've ever had in your life and then you order your own and they're not usually as good as a fry you took from someone else.

Here's my point. When someone's enjoying a meal. It makes you hungry and in the same way when someone's walking with God and loves the Lord. It makes you want to know Jesus as well.

This is what won me over to Christ, you know, I'm sort of the exception to the rule of how evangelism works because we generally say go out into the gospel with people in the believe maybe invite them to church or something like that.

Nobody invited me to anything nobody talked to me about anything, but I was on my high school campus and I saw these Christians.

I transferred over there from another campus and we didn't have a bunch of Christians. My other campus in these followers of Jesus are everywhere. My friends warmly, Greg. The Jesus freaks are everywhere here. Be careful and I said hell yeah the lesson gets ever going to happen is Greg Laurie would become a Jesus freak famous last words right. But here's what interested me about these people as they had this joy.

They had this happiness they had something I did not have something I was trying Through the use of drugs and there was an emptiness in my life. It was there walk with God that attracted me to them. So I ended up at one of their meetings and I wasn't even invited but I was sitting far enough away where I can hear what they're saying but not so close that people would think I was one of them. That was the first time I heard the gospel and when I heard what it meant to be a Christian. That was the day I gave my life to the Lord.

But my point is simply this, the thing that reached me was Christians being salty by salty I mean it was Christians living as Christians ought to live in it was a very attractive thing to me.

But you know what's sad is when Christians are not salty. Look at Matthew 513 Jesus says the salt of the earth.

But if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned. It's good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. While heavy duty words from Christ.

Good for nothing.

Basically, Jesus is saying that salt isn't salty. What good is it because with a friend sometime ago we went to a coffee place and I got my normal cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso and he said he would like to have a decaf lowfat latte and I just looked at him and said why I need to just order an empty cup tin you're drinking something mean decaf lowfat all the fun is gone right and what we have today are decaf disciples what we have today are Christians that aren't salty like they ought to be like when a Coke goes flat who wants to drink and we have none carbonated Christians and Jesus is saying, what good is it if you're not being the salt that I have called you to be Esther, Greg Laurie, pointing out that we need to be robust, full strength, productive representatives of Christ.

Good encouragement today here on a new beginning, and there's more to come in this message. If you missed any part of today's insight you can catch up by going to harvest.org just look for the message called America. This is your wake-up call yesterday were excited about making available a couple of warmhearted resources from our good friend, author Sally Lloyd Jones is always a good friend of yours and Kathy's and yes I know is you summed your way through these new resources. They really touched your heart as well. Absolutely Dave, the other just what is the right word. There just charming their adorable there there biblical and yet there done so beautifully well so a child can understand them. You know it's been said that the objective of a preacher is to get the cookies on the lower shelf so the children can get to them and I think that Sally Lloyd Jones does an amazing job with the project. She works on from the Jesus storybook Bible to this special resource were offering right now that is simply called near, and she always brings it home in a way a child can understand, so she works at this very talented artist named John go and this is beautifully illustrated and is a graphic artist. I really appreciate his his design sensibilities and his attention to detail and this is based on some 139 so this is something I want to put in the hands of the folks out there. Especially you that have young children or you then have grandchildren, you give them this little book and they're gonna want to open it and look at the pictures and read it or you can read it to them, but I promise you there gonna want to open this and check it out because this is so well done. Otherwise, why would we offer it to you were very intentional on what we choose to bring to your attention here at harvest because we want to provide you with the finest spiritual resources so you can reach your family, both young and old. What you got a copy of a right in front of you maybe you could read just a little bit of the book for sure. So Dave, if I was going to be this to my grandkids. I would read along these lines, God is my father who made everything and I'm a little explored of the white world is near me and he protects me, sees me and he knows me. He is strong and he looks after me is with me always. However, far ago.

He's always near me. I can climb the highest mountain bike in light of the highest star I can dive into the deepest sea lion concealed far far away to the north will still be there.

I contract jungle. I could write desert I can do is best like still be there.

Even in the darkest night there stays close.

Anyone ever because I was little child loves is not great. Those are the words of Sally Lloyd Jones from her children's book near and we've had a little bit of enhancement ourselves. But you know you can add your own creativity. As you read this wonderful story to your children or grandchildren the skies the limit and by the way, will also include Shelley's resource called babies carry along Bible and adorable little board book with 10 Bible stories told in rhyme will send both resources near and babies carry along Bible to thank you for your donation right now you know what your partnership that allows us to bring Pastor Greg studies each day. So thank you for your generosity and you can write us today at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 one line to harvest for next time. Pastor Greg brings us more insight on how we can affect our culture and help begin a spiritual awakening. I got the part you can play next time you beginning and everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God