The Gospel Is Only Good News if It Gets There On Time: Led by the Spirit

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org if you have a cure for cancer.

You can keep that to yourself. Pastor Greg Laurie says what about the cure for something more serious villages that you found the cure to cancer all a person is visiting this bill will, I hope you would shut up on the roof top which is comfortable talking to strangers. This invokes we have something that's even better than the cure for cancer. We have the cure for we have the only hope Jesus cry and by the way, an atheist is how much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize, how much they have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that even an atheist recognizes the good news is so good to share today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie helps us do just that series called tell someone relearning the practical side of pointing people. You can bring others to Jesus and we are told in Scripture. Of course the going to all the world and preach the gospel, who should we share the gospel with everyone.

Everyone needs to hear the gospel. There are no exceptions. I don't care if the person is affluent or impoverished, or if their hand simmer not as attractive or younger up there. All of the remand of the woman.

It really doesn't matter doesn't matter what race they are with social economic background the art.

Everybody needs Jesus, we agreed on that. So I am called to bring the gospel to those people go into all the world and preach the gospel. That's what Christ said, let's personalize it going to all of your world and preach the gospel go into your family and preach the gospel go in your workplace and preach the gospel go into your neighborhood and preach the gospel go to your campus and preach the gospel go into all of your world. Think of it this way, we call it friend Julissa friend Julissa. It's a simple way to remember friend Julissa and FRA in F is for go to your friends are.

Go to your relatives a go to your associates and go to your neighbors friend Julissa you know someone named Fran out there right, we are called go preach the gospel. I know you choke on the word preach because you think the word preached means we did a brief prayer each just what you can preach quietly preaching just means proclaim the gospel when you talk to some of you to yell at them that you found the cure. A preacher in the stadium.

How are you today good to see you got what you doing just talked a house ago engagement conversation in our next message of him, a look at the master communicator and see how he led up, burned out a moral woman from darkness to light and talking about Jesus and the woman at the well.

He showed us how to do it. But here's the key. Once we've earned the right to share our faith.

We have to verbalize our faith. Romans 10 as the question, how will they hear unless someone tells them that's why this series is called tell someone how will they hear unless someone tells them then at first Corinthians 121 it says since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God. God was please listen to the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe not too foolish preaching, but the foolishness of the message preached. I do not know why God chooses to use someone as flawed as me. I don't know why God chooses to primarily reach this world through verbal communication. It seems like the Lord to just roll the clouds back and poked his face through and say hi earth. I'm God and you are why don't you believe in me right now I would be pretty persuasive or the Lord to raise about army of mighty angel appearing before people and telling them to come to Jesus, but he hasn't chosen to be that his primary way of reaching lost people. Maybe he could have done it through a can use animals and verbatims donkey talk to cool talking animals are in the gospel.

Feeling down your dog walks up to your pet them in your dog's have you ever consider Jesus Christ what the cat would never do that even a macaque could talk shows possible say would really thinks I heat you and I love for both you and I GOD and choose animals. God didn't choose angels.

God didn't choose open the heavens up a bogus face through God chose to reach people through people listen to Primary Way, God chooses to reach other people is through people like you and specifically through the verbalization of the gospel. He wants us to tell someone that you were a brilliant scientist who somehow got cancer so you dedicated your time and your efforts and your considerable intellect of finding a cure and after years of study and work in experiments and so forth. You found a cure, a single pill that can be taken at one time in cancer would go away almost immediately. How I wish someone would find a cure but how awesome would that be valid to say you are that person you found the cure to cancer all a person has to do is take this bill qualitative well I hope you would shout it from the rooftops. What would you say well I'm really comfortable talking to strangers, yet that may be, but this is kind of a big deal so can you can get over yourself and your discomfort and actually share this good news with other people.

This invokes we have something that's even better than the cure for cancer. We have the cure for death we have the only hope Jesus cry. We must tell other great British preacher CH Spurgeon said, quote, listen to this, if sinners be Dan. At least let them lead to hell over our dead body and if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped around her knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled out to be filled in the teeth of our exertion and let that one go unworn or un-prayed for the eunuch kitten away, hang on you. I want to do everything I can to reach you see the word gospel gospel preach the gospel is anybody know the word gospel means good is very good. It's good beautiful.

Guess what is has to be delivered but it seems strange to return on the 6 o'clock news nursing anchorman sitting there is anything adjusted to this testament God's throne was he doing well. He's just been a good example of an anchorman stupid deliver the news FYI turned on the TV. I want to hear what the news is or not. Just to be that good example we need to articulate the news and that requires verbal munication. I was a kid east of the paper route and I got pretty good from papers amendment out from over hedges a certain way of throwing I learned the sandwich throw in a learned underhand toss because I didn't want to get off my bike and take it to the porch I was lazy even that is kids are sick.

But I do super cool bike. It was a Schwinn stingray had a banana see had a little rollbar had what they call a Pinger handlebars had a little wheel on the front of the big wide slick on the back. And best of all, I do stick shift on my bicycle. She was sort of the forerunner of my Harley sitting at future late you know but still I would have my bags under and all my papers and there my job was to deliver the news. My job is not the right thing is my job is not to make the news. My job was to deliver the news. My job is still the same. Right now in your job is the same. It's to deliver the good have you ever stop to think that the coincidences in your life. Not really coincidences. They may be God ordering the circumstances in a moment.

Pastor Greg explains how the random people we meet may not be that random. They may be appointments arranged by God everybody Greg Laurie here. You know my uncle Fred Jordan at one of the first Christian TV programs out there. It was called church in the home. I remember watching it as a little boy when I was living with my grandparents only have church in the home for you every weekend is called Harvest at Home. You can find it@harvest.org we have worship in a message of God's word. So join us this weekend for harvested home harvest.Pastor Greg continues now with his message about our village of sharing the good news called.

The gospel is only good news if it gets there on time.

When should we share the gospel. When should we share the gospel. Short answer whenever whenever I was a get say they got wakes me up every morning speaks to me audibly good morning Greg, your mission, should you decide to accept it to the mission impossible thing go today to adjust station at 1102 and there you will find amending Josh Smith pumping gas mission, should you decide to accept it is to engage Josh with the gospel. This message will self-destruct in five seconds. She is, God speaks to me as I get my car and drive and I was a little like those on the Culloden idiot like means I'm low on fuel. Although the go good. Yes. So I drive out of the gas station. No audible voices under pumping gas, waiting for some guy pumping gas in his car sales go is going to go with you. By the way his name is Josh see a lot of times I find I just walk into these things. We call them coincidences but I call them Providence. I believe that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord out of the Bible says so when you get up in the morning is the Lord guide my steps and lead me.

I want to be ready to share the gospel. I bet those situations, I had no plan to go to that place.

It was out of my normal path.

Even but I ended up there and I realized this was a divine appointment and then you engage that person as the Lord leads, here's what the Bible says. Second Timothy 42. Be instant in season and out of season was another translation puts it, I prefer this be on duty at all times be on duty at all times, even the bathroom when he explained number of years ago I was in a mall and I had to go to the restroom so I went home, going to great detail, but to say I took my seat so I'm sitting there in I hear no noise in the stone. I think I got you guys next crisis has gone missing. When we try some about guys restaurant. First of all, girls don't ever going to guys restaurant ever. He will be horrified guys are pigs. Okay, but girls will be when you go to the recipe. Can this go no go in the top put on your makeup guys we don't do that we don't want to talk to each other when were there at some of the more embarrassed to get it your business then you get out.

That's a guy go to a restaurant. So this guy think I'm kind of stuck there a little bit of anyone to talk to find one of those fines like I want to talk find the couple moments go by nieces were you supposed to meet me here. What is this, no, I said, wanting to terminate the conversation. Then the thought came to my mind. Could God use me in a restroom by media responses no somehow inappropriate you don't talk about God and restroom then went on in and so I waited nieces to have something forming I said what is it you're looking for. He says I was going to buy some drugs. This is a divine set up in the men's room so I said I don't have any drugs for you but I have something better. Oh what I sent a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ that I thought were great what you doing you cannot evangelize in a restroom in a stall to stop it now and this guy says the boy already tried that Yorty tried that were tucked into a wall by the way is pretty tried that guy tried it.

Did you go to church I went to church. What church did you go to. He said harvest Christian Fellowship and the laugh I said William. He said no I said I'm Greg Laurie, the pastor of harvest Christian Fellowship and he said oh my God totally true somebody.

God must love you a lot this in your pastor to you when you're trying to make a drug by so done with this restroom evangelism is a thought today will wait for you outside and so I went out and waited out he comes.

He's easy to spot. He was a guilty looking guy is just talking again to make a recommitment to Christ, and we prayed right there and he recommitted this life to the Lord wherever God can open the door for you.

Don't think about that unit to be big and dramatic in lights or something. Hey could just be the most common occurrence is one of those moments when you just take a shot at it and see what happened, so will talk more about this later in our next message will learn the how it was sharing our faith as we see how Christ share the gospel with the woman at the well in our final message will do with the what of the gospel. This is probably the most important message in the series. What is the gospel you might be surprised to realize that you may not have it exactly right that we want to make sure we have this part right because if we don't have the message right.

Everything else is really irrelevant. So will deal with the one of the gospel and specifically how to sort of close the deal to use business, vernacular, or pulling the net to use fishing vernacular, how to lead a person to Christ. Listen. Maybe you've come to this meeting here just to learn more about evangelism but maybe you don't know Jesus Christ yet. You know, it's amazing finger you are to meeting were talking about telling people about Jesus and you don't know Jesus.

It would be pretty silly of me to talk about always giving people an opportunity and not give you an opportunity right now. Here's my question for you.

Do you know God in a personal way, has Christ come to live inside of you say well I think I'm a Christian. I listen if you're a Christian, you'll know it if you don't know that you are a Christian. If you don't know that Jesus lives inside of you.

Let's get that resolved right now to. Here's your problem. You're separated from God by your sin. Even if you try to be the best person possible. You still fall short of God's glory. The Bible says that and you know what one sin is enough to keep you out of heaven.

Bible says if you have been in one point of the log are guilty of all of it is a lie not as bad as some people that may be true, but God doesn't grade on the curve.

God grades on the cross. One sin is enough to keep you that's about it. Here's the good news 2000 years ago God sent his son Jesus Christ on a rescue operation for you. God came down from heaven. He was born among us as a little baby in a manger in Bethlehem, he grew to be a man and he went to the cross and died for your sin and for mine. It wasn't nails that held under that cross 2000 years ago. It was love for us. But then Jesus who died in the cross and absorb God's wrath in our place. He took the judgment of God on himself so we wouldn't have to rose again from the visa line lease here with this right now that Jesus as I stand at the door and I knock it if you cure my voice and open the door, I will commit to.

Here's my question.

Have you ever opened the door and asked Jesus to come in because he will Jesus as he or she that would come to me.

I would in no way cast out. This could be your moment to get right with God.

Maybe you have a divine appointment with God. Right now I want to make sure you keep that appointment in a moment were going to pray, to extend an invitation to you if you're not sure of Christ is living in you. If you're not certain you will go to heaven when you die, but you want to be a man ask you to respond to this invitation I'll give as we close now in prayer.

Okay tub our heads everyone praying father, thank you for your word to us, Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to this earth and dying on the cross in our place and rising again from the dead.

Now we pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince those that don't know you of their need for you to yourself. Greg Laurie important prayer if you'd like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do that just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning.

Concludes our current studies are a part of Pastor Greg series called tell someone because of the importance of this information.

Pastor Greg has developed an online training course that corresponds with the series. It's a six week course that comes to you a lesson per week via email is absolutely free at the end of six weeks. You can be fully equipped and ready to share your faith, just as Jesus has commanded us all to do. Learn more about the free tell someone training course@harvest.org and I think sure harvest partners for helping us make resources like this available what is such a privilege to have a good friend here in the studio with us today. He's retired cold case detective J. Warner Wallace, Jim Wallace and he's just finished his latest book called person of interest why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible.

He investigates the person of Christ, using his training and skill as a detective. It's it's a unique look at the face and you know Jim, your book is so full of facts cold hard facts, but when people come to the Lord. They come by faith. So how does a factual case support a faith decision about as we do it if an injury trials were constantly saying he were going to give you enough good evidence to make the right proper inference about what happened even though you are still going to have unanswered questions to be the kind of person who has can't make a decision on a jury with unanswered questions were not going to impanel your workout leave you off the jury because we know were not going to be able to answer every question will build answer enough though to leave you with a smaller step of trust that for your inference. What we do in Christianity same way Jesus did the same thing.

He said you know he will believe them ever but I was told you at least believe on the evidence of these miracles is as is the gospel of John. He provides evidence at every turn he he he heals.

Then he heralds white, why not order why Dwight why don't you do this first to demonstrate the authority I have with the words and about to say.

I boarded laid the foundation for them evidentially went when John the Baptist is starting to struggle right.

He sends his disciples to Jesus. Jesus can easily tell those disciples of John the Baptist go back and tell John he should know better is my cousin, for crying out loud. He left and the woman, her parents met you know he baptized me saw the sending of the really judge another note, we does is he reminds the disciples of John the Baptist of the miracles he has worked in front of them go back and tell John go back and remind John that's evidence that's called indirect evidence.

Read the evidence of miracles. Jesus constantly does this even though we know that that evidence. I know this to. I don't expect are you somebody into the kingdom when I want to do is help people to come remove the barriers they constructed for themselves so that when they hear the gospel is available to them. And so I think the work we do is just to Tell the soil be impairing the ground for it, and I know that for me personally, you could on this all day long. It would've been useless, but at some point God first acted to change the nature of my heart so I would pay attention to the case at all. I didn't do that.

Nobody I was prayed that position by people who love me enough to pray for me and God's spirit moved in May and it was all got top down, but at the same time delete to take time to make a case or kind of like basically is a big preaching the gospel. I needed to hear the case.

That way I needed to hear that evidential case before I would listen to the gospel in size that was held at that time became a Christian I became a Christian. By examining the Gospels as if they were eyewitness accounts to see if they were reliable and that help me to to tear down the walls that I had constructed so that when I read what the New Testament said about Jim Wallace about my need for a Savior.

I was able to actually respond. Well, those are just some of the insights that you'll find reading this brand-new book from Jay Warner Wallace, a former cold case detective in the title of the book is person of interest subtitle why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible.

This is the kind of insight that help strengthen our own faith and offer such practical help in sharing our faith with others on their level and would like to send you person of interest to thank you for your investment. So a new beginning can continue coming your way each day so send your donation today to a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and then Pastor Greg just before we go. Would you mind praying with that person listening who wants to make a change today, and their relationship with the Lord. I'd be happy to Dave you know is you been listening to this today.

Maybe you've heard another voice. By that I mean yeah you heard me say a few things, but you heard God's voice speak to you deep in the recesses of your heart and it suddenly dawned in you.

This is what I need artist data more accurately. This is who I need I need Jesus.

And I want Jesus, but maybe you don't know how to make that connection. Let me help you pray this after me right now if you want Jesus Christ to comedy your life Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sin and I need your forgiveness right now. Would you come in the my heart, my life as Savior, as God as friend. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen. I know there was a relatively short prayer. Maybe you felt something as you prayed it. Maybe you felt nothing, that doesn't really matter because God's word says these things we write to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. It doesn't say so. You may think you have it or you may hope you have it of gods in a good mood. No that you can know it and I want you to know if you prayed that prayer and minute Jesus Christ, the son of God has come into your life. So congratulations, you're now a Christian now continue to follow the Lord and to help you as you follow the Lord would like to send you some resource materials we call our new believers growth packet it will answer many of the questions you might have and get you started off right in your new relationship with the Lord. So get in touch and ask for, send it free of charge. Write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click know God.

Well, we're presenting messages from Pastor Greg tell someone share next time focus on our manner, sharing the gospel.

Our manner and our manner to the next time more practical and right here beginning and bank to a new beginning.

Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner harvest.org