From the Archives | Chuck Smith: Man of Impact Part 3

Hey there, thanks for listening to the gray glory pod just a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries.

Learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org, Chuck Smith asked me to come down and do a Bible study at his church were the pastors Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa around 1989 a Monday night Bible study that I did and was largely attended by young people in the place was packed out and young kids were coming to Christ is 5060 70 a week. It was quite amazing and chunk of this vision any came up to me with this idea Greg when we take what the Lord is doing a Monday nights to a larger venue and I said what you mean. He said you know, sort of like a Billy Graham Crusade, and then I asked him where he wanted to do it and he said the Pacific amphitheater which is a large venue not far from cover Chapel of Costa Mesa and I told Chuck that's a pretty big places in it. This response as well. Greg we serve a pretty big God. And that was the beginning of what we know now is our harvest crusades at a been going on for some 23 years and we've seen hundreds of thousands of people attending come to faith in Christ and let's give credit where credit is due.

Chuck have the original vision for this ministry and so were thankful that God has raised up such a man as Pastor Chuck Smith wellness listen to this final portion of your interview with Pastor Chuck, you asked him about his current health challenges. You recently disclose that you have cancer in your right lung.

And I remember hearing you say this, we have the discussion on the Saturday before and and you told your congregation at Calvary that you have perfect peace you as you reveal this and in what you said quoting in them. She could say it again, but you said no fear, no concern the Lord to take care of it. Whatever it is the worst thing that can happen is I could die. That's not so bad being a child of the Lord you budget your belief.

I believe that told what is a perfect peace will you know you can. How can you explain a peace that passes understand this record passes description in the you don't you can understand it itself but you just know you have and the is just comes by commitment to the Lord. Amended is just all in his hands and so you know that he's watching over whatever he wants. You know that's best for me and so that's what I want. Do you ever have doubts. Chuck just about why is this happening that this is right or are you if you have fears no fears. You don't ever have things that frighten you check your thing is knowing Chuck I believe what he saying this he lives what he says you know you're given a model in running the race of life and you I you know we've seen you start to race. We talked about that tonight. Maybe middle point somewhere around the Jesus movement and no you're coming to a point life word on Youngblood may give you many more years.

We don't know, maybe not. But you're coming to where you're thinking about finishing the race.

Yes, Billy Graham was asked the question in an interview. If you were to do things over again would you do it differently. He said yes I would study more, I would pray more trouble elastic, less speaking engagements by how to do over again. It's been more time in meditation and prayer. Just telling the Lord how much I love him and I'm looking forward to the time the organist spend together for eternity. Chuck if you were going to do things over again would you do anything differently. Greg I think that the Lord had charge of the whole thing and so I would try and improve on his program. What is been the best decision of your life. Key to most embarrassing event that comes the mine while I was in New Guinea speaking for missionaries and we had assisted pastorate at Calvary Chapel called romaine yes and romaine had a favorite kind of saying you know that he was just blessed out of his gourd. Yes I remember as a young and does so I was sort of closing up and telling them what a blessing it was to be with them that we can teaching the word and all and just wonderful time that we had there message. I've just been blessed out of my gourd and I did real facts until they almost broke up and I lost him because the New Guinea natives were these gourds over their private part with it Mila because I'd seen pictures and I thought oh my that's the worst I have ever made. You know that's the worse is not too bad it your first sermon Chuck yes I do, what you preach on well every son of any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. If you give one last sermon, what would it be on. I think it would probably be on just preparedness because the Lord is coming soon.

You been preaching that for your yes preaching your last sermon for years in varying ways not using the same thing but assessment returned to this theme over and over again.

My the return of Christ. Why is that been such an important thing. You and your preaching. Over the years telling people that Jesus is coming back again. Well I think that actually there's sort of three things that it does. I think the first of all, it gives us sort of a proper perspective concerning life.

In other words, we don't have much time and so we need to use the time that we have wisely and so I think that it keeps us on that path of just using the time wisely because no I don't have that much time and that so I think that that's is a real impetus to test went to the way you live right and so that's number one. That's number one. Number two is well.

If we have only one life and will soon be Pastor Emily was done for Christ will last and so looking at the eternal, and realizing the value of the eternal over the temporal right and I think that that again. You know, we need to be ready for our Lord when he comes, and then I think that Jesus did warn the disciples and the is in the Scriptures that beware lest that date catches you unawares. You know I'm in the importance of being ready at any time because we don't know when he's coming and he just left us with that, you know, the commission really to just be watchful and be ready because you don't know the day or the hour that the Son of Man is coming. I purchased it many times also that you know it impacts the way that we live in that house also purifies himself, even as he is pure. That is a terrifying effect on our life as well. You started a church that is turn into a movement of churches around the world.

It's called Calvary Chapel the various names that you were call harvest on micas horizon John Corson is Applegate, but it's of ministry philosophy in a nutshell like like almost a summation, Calvary Chapel is what is the exposition of the word of God, encouraging the people to read the word of God and expounding to them the word of God and and it is really built on the word of God.

It is just God honoring his word as he said he would be city downers word even above his name and so it's just a movement is been built upon the solid teaching of the word of God. Let me ask you some of the really important questions now that are running on everyone's I think mine right now Chuck Smith what is your favorite color. It all depends on what you doing about it on about IE's.

My wife is the most beautiful blue eyes and so blue would be that the other for I talk about� Well, I don't think blue would be very cold in here is not so good either blue hair like blue what your favorite kind of food. Oh my rack of lamb but your favorite song, the love of God with classical the love of God is greater for the tongue or pen can never tell the love of God given right goes beyond the highest reaches to the lowest why is it your favorite.

Well I think that's probably the first song I sang as a solo in church is again totally August 14.

What is your favorite flower roses, electro suggests, what about give a favorite bird yes I like it.

Well there's a couple prior blue Jay in the middle like I hate seagulls when they steal your lunch that growing up in our right you try one natural gift would you like to possess and you want to be a doctor ended up as a pastor teacher. Is it everything that I wish I could have done this well. I really admire musicians and you know I would like to bed. Probably they get like Dennis is playing the guitar and that it I like I like music and I would like to been proficient in an instrument and I would like I've always wish to play guitar maybe in heaven will both have like like Elvis hair will be rocket out car maybe five or your hero. Oh Billy Graham Devlin is one of my heroes. You got to know Billy Graham. I'd had that privilege. Yes, he had great or has. I've heard them speak of you many times of just his admiration for you and in the work that God gave to you and I really thinks very highly of you so I know it's a mutual financial and not you telling the story of I we were having lunch. You and I am Franklin, his son and Jonathan. My son and you told the story when you went heard Billy Graham for the first time, and youth for Christ meeting and he wasn't as well-known as he was to become later when he did his tent meeting in Los Angeles 1949. Would you even remembered this sermon. That's right, it wouldn't he preach on well actually visited Anaheim high school and it was a youth for Christ on a Saturday night and that he Anaheim high school yeah at the auditorium. There and he was saying, you know that Hitler would raise the swastika and thousands of German youth marched under the swastika.

Many of them to their debt and that but those that died for Hitler died in vain and uninstall and raise the hammer and sickle and millions of Russian youth marched under the banner of the hammer and sickle many to their death, but those that died in under the hammer and sickle died in vain. He said Jesus raise the cross and he said through the years thousands of young people have lots have marched under the banner of the cross. Many of them to their death, but those who died for Christ never died in vain that really stuck in my mind that still prefer and got stuff gets done.

What makes you angry Questions like this and never been asked such weird questions of you never thought about the young who makes you laugh when you find funny. My drink is there always fun thing.

How do you want to be remembered.

Chuck just as one who loves the word of God and love. Some people, and you are known for that now. So you're already there straight. You mentioned that you like to sing and maybe you can play guitar but you can build the tomb that's referred in the best and is a good genie and to come out here and play guitar and we would have you sing a song right we would hear Chuck Smith sing a song love all is greater. All men and never goes. The high reaches the lowest in and God gave new and is entering a records show and harden is all red though all major and strong sound will see a so took anything as we close tonight like to ask you to pray for us really would be a lot to all of us. We don't know what challenges within the phase heard about your life and the twists and turns the highs, the lows, but the love of God is you just on this always been there and you've always trusted in him, but to any final thought of something you would like to say to us about serving the Lord.

Following the Lord, that it's really important to you. We are living in a rapidly changing world. The important thing is that we hold onto an unchanging Christ and that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever, and when you're living in uncertain kind of conditions it's just important that you have an anchor that doesn't change and so just hold on your unchanging Christ is now whole the course hold the check would you pray for us all. Yes father, we thank you for the opportunities that are going to be given to us in this coming year. Lord we look forward to that which you have planned, and that which you are going to do. Hello, we know that already. You got the whole thing laid out in so as we Lord just go by faith day by day just seeking Lord to know your will and to do your will. We pray father that you'll just guide us and use this as you see fit that we Lord might be instruments through which you can accomplish your eternal purposes and so Lord blessed we pray as Lord we seek to follow you and be instruments, Lord, through which you can accomplish your eternal purposes and know the blessings and the joy of just being your servants here on earth. So thank you Lord for what you've done and we look forward to for what you're planning to do and going to do is we just surrender and submit our ways unto you and bless you, Lord, we thank you for Jesus and all of his love and all that he's done for us and largest may we go forth. Inspired by your spirit looking forward to the things that you want to accomplish through our lives as we surrender and yield ourselves fully to you in Jesus name father amen amen.

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