20/20 Vision - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, you want to hear from you. Would you consider emailing me you can reach me at greg@harvest.org again that's Greg harvest.org and you can also make me one of your friends on Facebook and drop me a comment we want to finish this race of life. Well please yes 278 says finishing is better than start as we all know injury is determined at the finish line starting today on a new beginning.

Pastor Greg Laurie helps us keep our eyes on the products doesn't matter if you start well matters if you finish, here's the key you're looking to Jesus. So I think what we really need right now is we need vision today on Pastor Greg Laurie brings a message finish well race of life.

First, Pastor Greg, it's hard to get our minds off of what's going on around us. You know, but the Lord doesn't want us to be anxious. Yeah, that's right, Dave. You know the Bible says don't worry about anything or be anxious about anything but pray about everything in the peace of God that passes all human understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. So let's try to get perspective, you know, one thing that I've shared with folks as were facing this pandemic called coronavirus together as number one. We need to be practical. Follow the guidelines of the CDC number two. We need to be prayerful. Let's be calling on the Lord to arrest and churn this virus away. And thirdly, we need to be proclaiming that is telling others about Jesus and fourthly we need to have perspective just be reminded of the simple fact that God is still on the throne. The Lord is in control and really get through this together. That's good encouragement and reminder.

There's so much more good encouragement online, including an intimate weekend worship experience with pastor Greg called Harvest at Home, found it harvest.org check it out with pastor Greg begins his message now practical encouragement from chapter 12 of Hebrews, let's read Hebrews 12 verse one.

Therefore, we also, since were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let's lay aside every weight in the sin that so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. A come back to that word endurance and talk about it. Looking under Jesus ought underline that to. That's the key. The author and finisher of our faith and for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame now is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. There let me ask you a question by talking to somebody today is worry and discouraged in their soul. Maybe as you look back at 2019.

There was a major setback spiritually. Maybe you even fell in a significant way. Or maybe you find yourself discouraged or spiritually lethargic and you need a jump start giving and how to why get back on track.

Hello I get into the race. What is this secret to running and winning the race of life. Well I'll tell you what the motive it then will reveal some secrets or some tax if you will, and running this race.

Well, this secret in a loop back to this is Jesus looking on the Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. The key is to look to him bringing this to point number two. We need to run this race to win we need to run this race to win verse two. Let us run since were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, great examples, let's run this race over in first Corinthians 924 Paul says remember in a race everyone runs only one person gets the prize, you must run in such a way that you will win. But listen to this point number three to win the race of life, you need to run light to win the race of life, you need to run light. Look at verse one.

Let's lay aside every weight in the sin that so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race of this up before you don't want excess baggage in the race of life. Look at the things in your life.

Look at things that you do and ask yourself this question is is speeding me on my way, or is this slowing me down. This is building me up spiritually or is it tearing me down. Another way to look at it is this thing awaiting the reset awaits point number for Christians who want to win the race of life run hard.

They run hard verse two.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

The word that the author uses for endurance is from the Greek word Grupo Moni. Now I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it right but I've had many people tell me how to pronounce it.

I went to a few websites looking at the pronunciation. One website says hoopla Moni another website says people Moni another website says hoopla Monet. I don't know I was going to call it true grit spiritual grits determination.

I was speaking with David Jeremiah on the phone the other day and he asked me what I was speaking on.

I mentioned it was Hebrews 12 and he says all I just read a great book. It's called grits, and that he explained to me that the author of the book is the daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of genius to begin the research. Why people succeed in life.

Why do some succeed in life.

What others don't. This included parents, students, educators, athletes, business people, she said this secret she discovered is a special blend of passion and persistence that she calls grit grit so you know you may be very intelligible.

You may not have grit, you can have passion but not persistence you can a persistence and no passion so this people Moni or hoopla Moni are over you pronounce it is patient persistence and guess what you know you get this spiritual endurance that you need to run the race of life you get it from trials and tribulations because in James one it says, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces true grit or people Moni or whatever the word is so you can have its perfect work and you be complete and perfect. Lacking nothing that testing of your faith.

So sometimes you might pray Lord I want to be stronger in this coming year spiritually in a trial or hardship comes a global why didn't say I wanted trial, a hardship I said I want to be stronger.

The Lord said exactly and that's were you going to get stronger. You see, trials are sort of like God. Jim and God will allow the sink so you'll get stronger spiritually.

Point number five if you want to move forward in this race.

You can't look back you can't look back or live in the past. In Philippians 313, Paul says this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward of the things that are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Now when he says to forget. Forgetting the things that are behind it does not mean to fail to remember that means no longer be influenced by or affected by those things. Read an article about what some people in New York City did on New Year's Eve. Someone brought in a giant shredder and people were encouraged to bring whatever they wanted out of the life to throw into the shredder and many showed up because then they would take all the things that were shredded and put a minute giant garbage truck and it would drive off with them. One person that I feel liberated after shoving a photograph of her ex-fianc� and his new girlfriend into the shredder. Another lady sees the opportunity to banish three unpleasant thought, high cholesterol or high blood pressure and her bills.

Now that's kind of fun. But guess what shredding your bills will not make your bills go away right so I don't have a big shredder for you today, but I have a great Savior who can help you put your sins behind you us ever having you still controlled by the even better. God says your sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

That does not mean that God is going to have a lapse in memory.

It means that he will no longer hold our sin against us. So to forget means we break the power of the past by living for the future.

You don't have to be controlled by past failures or sins. 1 Sure Way to forget your past is to not repeat your mistakes, learn from it, learn from that fall as I like to say learn how to fall forward, which simply means if you stumble okay I don't want to do that again, remember that very difficult lesson I just learned that's why Jesus said, remember lots wife or simple thing to remember lots wife shut.

I remember lots wife while she along with lot was called out of the Sodom and Gomorrah Lord said leave this wicked city and what did he tell both of them don't look back. And as they were leaving, she looked back and by the way, the word for looking back in the original language reads. It was a deliberate willful stair. Don't look at this. Oh yeah, I'll look at that and you know she turned into a pillar of salt.

Remember lots wife. Don't look back.

Jesus said no men having put his hand to the plow and looking back it's been for the kingdom of God. So forgetting the things that are behind the pressing forward of the things that are before Pastor Greg Loring will have the second half of his message just a moment pastor Greg, one of the things radio does best is gives people immediate information.

Well were drowning in information right now. Yes, but we want to use radio to deliver a dose of hope in the midst of this concerning information going yeah we really do. Dave you know I think of Kovic, 19 like a storm and a storm is a beginning in the middle and an end and working to come to the end of this prayerfully very soon, but until that day. I want you to remember something Jesus is with you in your storm. He's on board your little boat that's been tossed back and forth to the waves of information that can cause a person to panic very easily and you remember that when the disciples Red Sea Sea of Galilee. Actually, there was a great storm.

They called on the Lord who came up on deck, and he rebuked the storm and then he said to them, oh you of little faith, and so we need to have faith listen. Dave needs to take the place of fear and prayer needs to take the place of panic.

So let's be looking to the Lord right now.

And remember this better to be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without great reassurance pastor Greg continues his message now number six to run this race of life. Well in the finish it well. We need to look to Jesus and by the way we want to finish this race well.

Ecclesiastes 78 says finishing is better than starting it doesn't matter if you start well it matters if you finish well and so we want to finish this race with joy.

As Paul said, here's the key you're looking to Jesus.

So I think what we really need right now is we need vision vision for 2020, number one, we need vision for our own spiritual life. This means committing ourselves to things that matter. This means opening the Bible every day to do that. You open the Bible every day will I look at it and after my iPad. That's okay. The same thing to look at the word of God every day.

Let it sir to set the course.

Your day you show me a person that's having problems spiritually and I'll show you a person that is close this book and has been living contrary to it and then ultimately they reap the consequences of it and they scratch their head and ask why is this happening hello open the book don't close the book, we commit yourself to the study of Scripture, but also recommit yourself in church be an active part of church lunches Sunday morning find out areas of need in the church and start serving because that changes the whole dynamic of attending church for you of something that you're doing for God's glory.

And there's a great joy in helping others is a great joy in serving others and I would encourage you all to ask the Lord to show you what your spiritual gifts are and start developing them, and start using them and be involved me that you need a vision for your own spiritual life. Secondly, you need a vision for lost people. We need to see nonbelievers of crises that sometimes will see nonbelievers as the enemy listen. Nonbelievers are not the enemy. You used to be a nonbelievers. Some of you may still be actually but nonbelievers are not the enemy. There, under the control of the enemy.

The Bible says the God of this world is taking them under his control, so we understand that about them and we see them as Jesus sees them as sheep without a shepherd and that we want to see them come to believe in Jesus set a goal for this year. Think this year on the lead 10 people to Christ. One of I don't meet the goal. Greg would've only need three people to Christ. That's okay, it's still good. That's better than zero.

That's better than no goal. Look for opportunities to start a banjo listed conversation. I bet you if you would say today. Lord, I want to lead someone to Christ this year.

Lead me to do that that you will see results.

Would you dare to pray a prayer like that you have to leave your comfort zone, but I think you'll be glad that you did because one of the greatest joys I know is seen someone come to Jesus. Hey, how about this. Bring someone that's not a believer to church with you when the last time you did that we need a vision for our nation and our world and we've set a lofty goal heavily wanting to see 100,000 people make a profession of faith in the next two years or so. Greg would've you reach a goal. What if you only reach 50,000 it's okay, it's all good. So him to do what we can.

What we've seen, the goal it's in God's hands, but through our next crusade, Angel Stadium and then ultimately the LA Stadium in 2021 and then the release of the Jesus revolution film it's gonna reach thousands and thousands of people all around the world and that is not an exaggerated statement that I just make. I know this factually because my friend John Irwin who directed I still believe that I can only imagine this told me from the I can only imagine film they have a number at the end, the people can call if they want to give their life to Jesus.

He said 100,000 people of call that number fits, half the movie will go places that will never go someone to watch it on Netflix evidence that there are Amazon prime or brochure in iTunes or whatever, but people get to see it and when it goes in the theaters and then beyond and so that's what we're praying for and we only to be a part of this we need that vision to get a little rise of Jesus it lift up your eyes and look on the fields there white to harvest. But don't just think of the world.

Think of your world. Lift up your eyes and your family.

There are people that are ready to come to Jesus lift up your eyes and your neighborhood.

There are people ready to come to Jesus lift up your eyes. There are people in our community ready to come to Jesus why don't they just come to him. Will they, well, guess what God says how will they hear unless someone preached to them how beautiful are the feet of those are bring good news of glad tidings God reaches people through you. You know this so pray for that vision. So how do we do this we look to Jesus.

That's the key. You keep your eyes on Jesus, and that will keep you going in the race of life and I'll tell you why that's important because things happen that can be discouraging when you follow Jesus right people, let us down. Life doesn't always go the way that we hoped it would go tragedies but follow us. There's questions that are answered and we sat don't know if I can keep going mold.

Who did you sign up to follow I don't know about you, I signed up.

If you will to follow Jesus. Jesus is always been what he promised to be for me he's never failed me once he's never let me down and guess what, he's the author and finisher of my faith. That means God finishes what he starts. I'm a procrastinator by nature. I'll start something and not finish it.

Sometimes I clean up a mess and then I get right to the end and only three things auto sale, get to it later, and that will be the seed for the new mess right. God doesn't do that.

He finishes what he starts.

He started to work in your life. He wants to continue it on that they happen need to keep your eyes on him, run the race for him. You need to run the race for him because he ran his race for you. 2000 years ago Jesus had his back ripped open by the Roman with 39 times. He was last with it 2000 years ago. Jesus picked up that huge cross after he had been whipped and carried it to the streets of Jerusalem and then they took him to that same cross and they nailed his hands and his feet to it and he hung there, why did he do it. What kept them going, how good you complete a task like that.

The people cried out in unison. Crucify him let his blood be upon us and on our children, his own disciples were largely in hiding. One of his own head. Friends totally betrayed him. Judas Iscariot always leak it is that I'm done here.

People nobody apparently understands why I've come for this world and what I'm about to do so. I'm not going to do it and he would have been justified, but the Bible says, for the joy that was set before him. He endured the cross, despising the shame, what was the joy set before him. You, me, us, we were the joy we were the thing that motivated them, he saw what it would accomplish.

Jesus told the story of a shepherd. What 100 sheep one when the strength how easily this Africa deception. Well, what one of you lose a few cost of doing business is over 99 know Jesus said that shepherd left his flock. Any search until he found that wayward lamb, and he brought it back in his shoulders, rejoicing. And then Jesus said and I say to you, there is joy in heaven over one sinner that comes to repentance, so he knew what it would accomplish. That was the joy that kept them going so he ran his race for us.

We need to run our race for Kim. Some of you might be same and I wish I could forget my past, but it's it's so bad and it's haunting me right now you you can be forgiven of your past.

The Bible says God requires that which is passed, so if you don't ask God to forgive you of your sins you're going to face the full consequences of your sins, but if you confess your sin, he is faithful and just to forgive you your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. It doesn't say summits is all you can make a clean break with your past, you can have your sins forgiven and forgotten.

And you can start this year off fresh and new. Running this race for Jesus.

I like it when it rains usually range right after I wash my car but done with a lot of people don't wash their car. What I like about rain as it washes everyone's car. If they want it or not. Everything just looks so pretty after train birds come back out. Sometimes you might see a rainbow God can make everything fresh and new in your life right now all it looks so dark and tangled and messed up. I know, but you don't need a shredder you need a Savior. If you come to him. He'll forgive you.

So were going to pray with you to pray and I'm a no extend as I always do and I always will and invitation for anybody that needs Jesus today wherever you are working to pray. I'm not to apply pressure.

I'm looking to push you. I miss can we invite you if you want Christ to come in your life and forgive you of your sin, and thus know you're going to heaven responded this invitation if you need to make a recommitment to him. He can do it right here right now. Let's all bow our heads and pray together. Father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to this earth. Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and being born in that manger in Bethlehem then living a perfect life and then dying on the cross for arson and then rising again from the dead. Now we pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince any person, here are listening wherever they are, of their need for you help them become to you and believe in Jesus name I pray, amen Greg Laurie with an important prayer and if you like to do just that and make a change in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes then the pastor Greg has a word about a brand-new resource parents and grandparents are, love is our first opportunity to mention it today. So were very happy to be offering this to book set called found in love written by Sally Lloyd Jones, and Kathy was here in studio with my wife. It's Easter time. It seems like this is a really good book to give to a child for Easter what you think is a grandmother I am concerned that all the junk in candidate kids get him in at that time in their Easter baskets. I'm always looking for something special to playing in their basket and this would be an amazing gift to give the Master time. First of all, there's all kinds of little lands in the illustrations shared that the books that is so gorgeous it comes in. This hardcover talks and two hardcover books with ads included in there is an original keepsake print which shows a shepherd holding cuddling a little lamb in his arm so this is perfect at Easter time. That also just say a word to him. Those of you that is looking to give somebody a sweet gift anyway adult child whatever age you are going to find this book will be a special way to minister to somebody who needs to know that day I laughed and found by guide and I I've read it and has spoken in my heart.

It's something that I want to reread and think about because these two books are based on Psalm 23 and the Lord's prayer to very, very familiar passage is so familiar that we only hear the words anymore negative strip.

This is a way to share it with fresh ears and to welcome you into your heart and a new way so I don't see children alike in any appreciate this book and at Easter time. Hey stick it in your Easter basket. Excellent idea that will be happy to send this outstanding resource your way to thank you for your donation to help us continue to reach out with this program each day here on the new beginning is to hardcover books in a durable storage box along with the keepsake print and if you'd like to receive found in love by Easter, April 12. Be sure to call us for information on expedited shipping options are numbers 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or you can write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org pastor Greg today wrapped up your message by talking about eternity. How can someone listening know that they're going to heaven.

That's a great question and I guess we take it a step further. I know that is the most important question you can ask, how can a person know they're going to have let me say at the outset, I believe I'm going to have an effect out to get a step further.

I know I'm going to have is a Greg is not kind of arrogant, not really, because I know this because God is made a promise to me and I've believed that promise. The Bible says we write these things to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. I've believed on the name of the son of God.

Thus, I know I'll go to heaven when I die, here's my question to you. Do you believe on the name of the son of God, is there any more important issue that that I can think of one. So I like to lead you in a simple prayer and this is a prayer will you will be asking Jesus to forgive you of your sin and you'll be asking them to be your own Savior friend Lord.

It's a prayer. Only you can pray pray these words. If you would, Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose from the dead. Jesus come in the my Lai. I want to believe in you.

I want to follow you. I want this relationship with you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin and rising again from the dead, and I think you that you've heard this prayer and I believe you've come into my life in Jesus name I pray, amen. I want to help you grow in your faith. I want to help you grow spiritually so I have a free gift for you. It's called the new believers grow packet what's in it know not a bag of seeds to plant in your backyard. I guess it's sort of a form of a bag of seeds because I want to sell some spiritual seed in your life to help you develop as a follower of Christ, so I'm of the send you a copy of the New Testament and the new living translation but it's a special edition that's called the new believers Bible and it's filled with notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this new commitment or recommitment you've made to Christ and there's some other materials in the new believers packet as well so order your copy today and I'm so glad I have this privilege today to lead you, and that prayer. God bless you. You've made the right decision.

The decision to follow Jesus Christ.

Here's how to get that new believers packet just writers had 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 the words know God we serve is the first opportunity to bring someone to church. It does not get know the Lord is a big difference this year were going to do it all online. That's life. Easter is coming here how dear tablet to your phone wherever you want to view it just goes to harvest.org to find out more, let's work together to reach the largest group of people we have never been able to make contact with this coming Easter harvest Easter on line next time, consider the life of Nick, the man who walked with the Lord and was not the Bible says, because the Lord took him walk with the Lord straight into heaven, will learn about the importance of walking faithfully with the Lord. Next time you beginning and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email, devotions@harvest.org