Tell Someone: Joy in Sharing the Gospel

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harvest.org and while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith sharing your be exciting. Coming up today. Pastor Grigori disclose the myths and misconceptions that often keep believers from sharing the good news don't know or telling others about Jesus, to be sure, leaving Jesus to be one of the great joy ever known. Drudgery. It's an opportunity to sure we can faster read more weaker. Our mission is knowing him and making him know begins a series that will deliver the good news of Jesus Christ in the most effective way to good time to take some notes and if you miss any part of replay instantly on your website. I know most of you probably have heard my how I came to Christ with this sort of sets up what I'm about to say about go over it just a little bit.

I came to believe in Jesus, at the age of 17. That was 10 years ago no longer, but I came from this crazy home of dysfunction and alcoholism.

My mom was a raging alcoholic married and divorced seven times, lots of boyfriends in between the life I lived with her was craziness and I saw things know little boy should ever see, and in many ways I had to become the parent of the relationship because she would basically passed out drunk every single night so very early in life. This set me on the surface what I was thinking to myself, there has to be more to life than this. I don't want to live this way but as I got older I got in the high school I started walking to my mother's footsteps. I was out getting drunk on the weekends. Partying with my friends smoking, etc. I couldn't believe it will run. This time the drug culture is coming on strong and they said in those days you take drugs will become more aware so I bought into the lie of it and I started effectively smoking pot every single day taking LSD on the weekends, my life was a mess and I did become more aware of how miserable I was.

I felt like I was 70. At the age of 17. Another one is life about for me. It became process of elimination. Clearly it's not my mother's world, which included affluence and all that. Clearly a thought in my own world and the choices I've made. Where is it while I was going to school at Harbor high school I had transferred over there to actually dive deeper into the drug culture and disconnect from my friends of my previous school and as a gun and A couple of my druggie friend said Greg. Be careful. We have a lot of Jesus freaks on this campus and their everywhere don't talk, go, stay away from him and I said there's no way Greg Laurie would ever become a Jesus.

Forget serious famous last words. Okay, so I dismissed them as a bunch of crazy people. I thought they were all effectively one taco sort of a combination plate right just there's something wrong with these people but one day I saw this cute girl and I noticed he was talking to a friend of mine and I thought woke up and introduce myself to the schools I walked up there and I went for a break in the conversation, looking at this girl and I know she is a yellow notebook for school.

A few textbooks for class and then I saw she had one of these books. One of these books, you know with the shiny pages in the ribbon on own no Bible. She's a Jesus freak. What a waste of a perfectly cute girl, why would she be in that and I was curious now and so one day at lunch time I was walking across the campus looking for the cute Christian girl that I found her sitting on the front lawn with a bunch of her fellow Christians singing songs about God and I sat down close enough for a good sort of eavesdrop on their conversation, but far enough away were my friends wouldn't think I was becoming one of them and as I watch them. I felt sorry for them. I thought that that's so sad and pathetic look at their stupid smiles look at this like this weird piece they have.

Too bad they can't be cynical and miserable like me and over the first time I can ever remember.

I tried a new thought on. I thought for a fleeting moment. One of these Christians are right and you can know that if no way there's no way you get a relationship with God.

This is all a fantasy living in a dream world and I guy gets up to speak his name was Lonnie. He was a youth pastor and he shared a message. I don't remember most of what he said all remember was he had long hair and a beard and he looked like Jesus. So I'm just watching what was sky looks like Jesus you know and then he made one statement that stayed with me said Jesus said you're either for me or against me.

I looked around at the Christians and I thought there definitely for him and I'm not one of them does that mean I'm against Jesus.

Well I didn't want to be against Jesus. I mean, he was my God of choice in times of crisis whenever there was trouble. I I called out to Jesus for sure.

I always admired him I'd seen all of his movies but I didn't know we could be known in a personal way. And then this guy Lonnie was speaking said if you want to ask Jesus to come in your life.

Get up right now and walk forward instead here and break it up but you get got up and walked forward to the front of the room and I thought there's no way I could do that.

I hung my head might. There was singing in my eyes your imagination. I used of the most awesome surfer way] is this all the time was of the days, but some I hear sorting my eyes something of there's no way I can do this in the next thing I knew I was up there and I'm praying with these people in the same brain I'm thinking this isn't going to work for me. I'm not the religious type God won't hear this prayer and after I was done praying. I didn't feel a thing and I was really sure. Anything did happen, but Christ did come in the my life that day. I wasn't quite sure where I fit in because I knew I didn't want to go hang out with my old lowlife druggie friends but I wasn't quite comfortable with the Christians, yet they were so intense its appraisal Lord this and hallelujah that the gondola boning out with them so that I want to be a solo Christian.

It just me and God, so that we can pass that it was Monday at school and walked along sorting this all on my mind and some guy yells brother Greg brother Greg who is this guy brother Lincoln is not my brother Leslie's brother from a different mother.

I won't get with all of my mom's marriage and divorce is who knows you know know you throw praise God like okay whatever going if you want my some of the sick. I will yeah okay bro I saw you accepted Christ last Friday. Yeah bro, you need to really start getting in the word. What you need to read the Bible okay yeah I got a Bible for you and he pulls out the weirdest looking Bible I've ever seen. It was covered in suede and it had two popsicle sticks glued together in the form of a cross from being a designer.

My aesthetics tenses were immediately offended because it teary-eyed that okay thanks a lot. Go away no go away now so you want to win a mic with this thing on the walkaround school with a popsicle stick Bible so I shoved it in the pocket of my coat. I ripped the pocket in the process.

I was very bold witness for Christ. As you can see, I went over to see my old friends.

I used to go to this guy's house.

It was near our high school and we literally would get high every single day and what were my grades were solo anyway but I got over my friends as I took my Bible out of my rib pocket and put it in the bushes in front of the house. You know I hadn't seen these guys since accepted Christ so I walked over there like we did every day and night came walking in this and Lori were saying that we get nowhere. What you been up to nothing while been a we got some good dope you want to smoke it. No Lori what's wrong with you. I don't want that.

I said nothing's wrong with me.

Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit started tugging on my heart racing.

Tell them about Jesus and I'm saying, no way southern third. Ask any more questions. I'm trying to ignore them. Suddenly the front door opens up on my friend's mother comes bursting in what is she holding but my Bible does this belong to like I've committed a crime. Who doesn't want to. That this woman has kids doing drugs in her house every day and she's worried about a Bible but as a form to every eye in the room goes to the popsicle stick Bible then it goes to me they just knew there was a connection. I said that's one what Lori would you say since my visit to mobile so it's Bible what Bible he ideally to Bible. One of my buddies that all praise the Lord brother Greg are we going to be Christians don't follow Jesus. I said nominee kick you in the methods I had read first Corinthians 13. I admit anything yet they started harassing me mocking me giving me the hardest time and I knew right then and there.

Okay I'm not going to hang out with this group anymore.

That was when I realized that he this is a change in my life. So let's just say that my first attempt at sharing the gospel was a complete failure is that maybe describe you as her Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they received from Pastor Greg's teachings, his books and God's word hi Pastor Greg, thank you for writing about your personal loss and hope for hurting heart. I read your book many times in the past two years. After my dear son went to heaven. Three days before his 20 birthday. I continually refer to your book for encouragement and help as you know firsthand what it's like to lose your own precious son. I also appreciate your podcasts and glean wisdom from please pray for me as I still cry God bless you, your ministry and your dear family, thank you for being God's messenger for information on Pastor Greg's book for hurting hearts search for that title@harvest.org if you have some words to share how Pastor Greg studies God's word touched your life, drop him an email greg@harvest.org. In fact doing today would you that's great@harvest.org today.

Pastor Greg is beginning a series offering practical help in sharing the good news. It's a message called tell someone find out more@harvest.org if it said there are two things that Christians and non-Christians.

Heaven, they're both uptight about evangelism were uptight about sharing our faith and nonbelievers are uptight about us sharing our faith with them, but there's no getting around it. Jesus is given to us as his followers what is called the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Actually, there's two versions of the great commission. One is in the Gospel of Matthew the others in the gospel of Mark and Matthew's version Jesus as all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father of the sun and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you below. I am with you, even to the end of the then there's Mark's version of the great commission which is going to all the world and preach the gospel to every person but yet many of us are not doing this. In fact, for many of us the great commission has become the great all mission. Consider these statistics, 95% of all Christians have never let another person the Christ only 2% of churchgoers have invited an unchurched person. The church in the last year, 2% think about that 59% of all Christian say they seldom or never share their faith with others. What's going on here part of the great commission become the great omission. Let me say something that might surprise you, but I believe I believe, to fail to share my faith can be a sin before God and a Greg, you've gone too far. Let me explain. Because the Bible speaks of sins of commission and omission. You know the difference or the story of a Sunday school teacher that was talking about sin in her class to the kids. She asked them. Do any of you know it, the sin of commission as a little girl sitting up in the front razor again. The teacher called on earth little girl said the sin of commission is when you do something you should not do.

Teacher said that's exactly right.

Now, does anyone know what the sin of omission as little boy said of the back of the room waving his hand back and forth. The teacher calls on them. Okay son, what's the sin of omission. He says those of this and you want to do, but you haven't gotten around to yet not accept the little girl how to write the sin of commission is what I do what I should not do. I cross the line.

The Bible talks about trespass and sin. You've seen the sign in a park.

No trespassing. I step over that line, I break the commandment of God at the sin of commission, but a sin of omission is not doing what I should do again a sin of commission is doing what I should not do the sin of omission is not doing what I should do and I'm told over and the book of James chapter 4 verse 17.

To him that knows to do good and does not do it to him. It is sin so it can be a sin to not show the gospel. Let me illustrate. Let's see her walking down the street and you are to scream and he looked, and there was a house on fire and someone yelled out there's a child in their knowledge, that you heard that a walkover looked at her for a few moments and I just kept walking with a be a bad thing.

I mean, at the very least, call 911. Better yet wanted to maybe run into that burning house and say that child yet at the same time we walk every day past burning homes, so to speak. People that are facing something worse than a burning home there facing an eternal fire, and we do absolutely nothing affect. We don't even really care because as far as were concerned our eternal destiny taken care of. Why worry about them but yet the Bible says that we should snatch people from the flames of judgment there in the book of Jude chapter 1 God wants to use you to bring other people to him. Don't ask me why God chooses to use people, but it's clear that he does. He wants to use you to bring others to Jesus.

I believe that you will hear process and implement the principles that I'll share with you from the word of God that you will be leading people to Christ before you know it you might see a Greg that's a bit presumptuous is in it is not conversion the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, that's true. But honestly, sometimes that said by people that do absolutely nothing in evangelism. There's God's part and there's our car. Our part is to proclaim the gospel, God's part is to convert people, but we all have a part to play. The Holy Spirit is going to nudge you at times to share your faith, but he's not going to take you over and make you do it and I can turn into a little gospel robot GGT note, you must believe in Jesus or some like that anaerobic seem like they look like they robots never walk that fast it out. Now he's going to nudge you and you can say yes to him and he'll empower you and give you the right words, you could say no to him and miss the opportunity but this is what God wants us to do lesson this series is not designed to make you feel bad if you've not been all that effective at sharing your faith.

In fact, I hope it's the very opposite of that. I hope with it will inspire you because I want you to understand that sharing your faith can be an exciting experience telling others about Jesus can be an adventure, leading people to Jesus can be one of the greatest joys you've ever known, and dare I say it being used by God can be. That's right fund, not a mere drudgery, not mere duty.

It's a joy.

It's a privilege it's an opportunity and listen to this were told and someone 26. Six those who go out, weeping, carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy carrying their sheaves with the idea that is.

I go tonight so my little gospel seeds in the lives of people to periodically the Lord will allow me to see a person come to Christ that brings great joy not just on earth, but check this out.

Every time a lost person believes in Jesus. There is a clause in heaven. The Bible says that there is joy in the presence of the Angels over every sinner that comes to Jesus Christ. And next to knowing Christ myself. To me the greatest joy. I know the seen others come to Christ and the growing in their faith.

John said I have no greater joy than to know my children are walking in the truth that you joy and then we are also told by Jesus himself. It's more blessed to give than it is to receive the way the word blessed to be translated happy. It's a happier thing to give than it is to receive. You tell that to a kid. They will believe no. To receive this happier as you get older you discover the joy of getting down to and that is joy because a Greg Laurie good encouragement to start this new series called tell someone you're on a new beginning as the title of the series and also the title of today's message and to take this help a significant step further. Want to check out the online training course. Pastor Greg has developed to coincide with this. Tell someone series is completely free. In this course, you'll receive a lesson per week and it comes via email and at the end of six weeks shall be better able to share your faith with confidence and with a firm grasp of the gospel message again. It's the tell someone online study course.

Learn more about this free course@harvest.org Pastor Greg, I'm a sucker for crime show.

You know specially where they solve real-life crime stories, especially cold cases yes and we happen to have a real life retired cold case detective with us today and as much as I'd like to sit here and hear some stories of cases he's worked on. He sure he's here to talk about a more important case right yeah that's right it's a brand-new book for my friend Jay Warner Wallace and the J sensor Jim my eyes, yes – J Warner Wallace in his new book is called person of interest, subtitled why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible you know I think this book is really neat. Jim because you are basically looking at the impact of Jesus on culture in general, there are actually people walking around. That will say Jesus Christ never existed. This is all a man-made method course at such a ridiculous statement but what would you say that someone that would say well all we have is the biblical account you can't trust that. So why should we even believe that amending Jesus ever even walked this earth okay so I'm with you for a point of argument or trial. For sake of argument let's just toss out the biblical management can trust that he ever exist. You can't trust the Bible says about is okay fine as you take it out.

Is there a way to make the case for Jesus even if every single Bible in the history of Bibles had all been destroyed.

What turns out there is just Like when you make a case in a cold case where you got saved a husband and kills his wife and he gets rid of her body and we take a missing persons report. He says oh she ran off and so then years later we decide this is a shame she never came back.

Something's up was opened as a homicide now working as a homicide and we got no crime scene. He moved to clean the place up, got no physical evidence about how to make that convocation to a jury will hear that we do it.

I was told the jury on the day of the murder. A bomb went off, something explosive happened, but there was a long fuse that burned up to that explosion and there's all kinds of shrapnel afterward to make this case to you from simply the fuse and the fallout all the stuff that led up to this day and all the stuff that fall. That is all you did was look at the history of humanity, everything that leads up to the appearance of this explosive moment that breaks that that BC and A.D. you want, you know, before the common era, and other common area where we want to turn it something explosive had us right there that changes history alkalosis exam.

The fuse was examine the fallout.

Here's what you gonna discover is that yes there is only one cause for that turn in history. His name is Jesus of Nazareth and you can reconstruct the story of Jesus without any reference to any biblical manuscript just from the fallout of history in the arts in music and literature in science and education is leaving example this all you did was go and visit the top 15 universities in the world today as you discover they are all founded by Christians in the top 15 all founded by Christians nothing of a Christian anymore right but they were founded by Christian HOSPITAL as Ryan relief organization will send all those song.

Guess what, if you just took. It was the buildings you don't know Bibles not just the buildings. The buildings abuse campuses of those top 50 schools you're gonna discover they're covered in verses yes they're covered in artwork of Jesus. You can reconstruct the story of Jesus just from the buildings of the top 15 universities in the world.

So unless you're willing to destroy all of it on the top 15 universities your to be stuck with the story of Jesus. Even if you didn't have a new test. How about a nation called the United States of America what is the role of Jesus Christ in the Bible itself, and the establishing of our country elegantly again is yours. It's great. Even people who would say that I'm not a religious person are not a pastoral essay about this deal is.

As I was a fraction between science and in faith right now I can't do both will really go back and look at the thing called the scientific revolution and all of the fathers of all of the scientific disciplines you discover the vast majority were Christians who also wrote about Jesus in their private writings and all you had was the private writings of the top scientists in the history of science. Yes, you can reconstruct the story of Jesus what you want to get rid of all those people to from history, you're still stuck with the stopwatch is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant here talking to Jim all this explosive information is contained in this book that we are offering to you. It's called person of interest by J Warner Wallace why Jesus still matters in the world that rejects the Bible. I will send you this book for your gift of any size because we want to put quality resources into your hands and we also want to give you an opportunity to support us as we teach the word of God and proclaim the gospel around this planet. So if you like your own copy is going to give you the contact information I will send you person of interest. Yeah that's right it's brand-new. In fact we have advanced copies.

You won't find it anywhere else just yet, so thanks for sending an investment so that this daily study can continue and let us thank you with a copy of person of interest by J Warner Wallace.

You can write us at a new beginning.

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

We can take your call anytime 24 seven again at 1-800-821-3300 portal online to harvest.org next time more practical insight on our privilege and responsibility sharing the good news with those around you beginning. Everybody, thanks for listening. Beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. So for more content that can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org