Hope for Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by some special friends of this ministry pastor Greg wanted to see a special word of thanks to the harvest partners who make this ministry possible next time your online check out Pastor Greg's personal blog@blog.greglaurie.com. I couldn't believe this was happening.

That's not possible is like time just Pastor Greg Laurie on hearing the news. I actually thought of a person could die from hearing words I could die from what I had just heard. I love my avatar that I could sleep.

I want to do in the immediate state of shock. I collapsed on the floor. I could not.

I cried out to God today on the new beginning.

Pastor Greg cheers from his family's very personal experience, but still very very painful. There is still a deep hole in our lives that was once occupied by Christopher, but I've learned a lot about reading laws but I want to tell you one other thing I learned a lot about I learned about hope we all need hope in life to get through today a message called hope for those who wash it's a study that's Russian so many of our motion. They voted one of those past years most requested messages get a permanent copy of this encouragement for yourself by going to harvest.war. Here's Pastor Greg. Now to begin.

How many of you lost a loved one.

Your facing crisis is going through hardship for a time of great trial right now, raise your hand up against quite a few how many of you are not raise your hand up don't be a very good good for you. It's, so here's the way I look at it, but we have those moments of common life where things are going reasonably well.

We give God the glory. But sometimes the Lord will give us the truth in our life that we will store up for another day.

Sort of like the little squirrels saving up for the winter, so store these crews in your heart because if you live very long. It's only a matter of time until a loved one is going to leave this world before you before a doctor gives you bad news before some kind of crisis happens in your home.

So we want to be prepared.

It's been said if you preach to hurting people. You will never lack for an audience. Today I I'm in a talk about hope for those who have lost loved ones and I posted this on my Facebook page that I was to be addressing this topic and you want to read what people said how they're facing great crisis or have lost a loved one recently in how they're seeking to cope with that.

So certainly there's a lot of people that need to hear that you know I become a member of a club. I never wanted to join and but there's no denying the fact that I'm a bona fide member and I met many others who are in it as well and so I hope that I can bring some words of comfort and encouragement and perspective to those that are facing this right now. You know, I guess I should get my credentials on why feel qualified to speak about this. I suppose that I've suffered quite a bit in life. I I've not suffered as much.

To some, but perhaps I've suffered more than others. I had a crazy childhood. I you've all heard the story of my upbringing, my beautiful mother who wanted to look like Marilyn Monroe and I saw my mom rarely and she would come and make an appearance and it would be so excited to see her. Then she would disappear again, and this is sort of the cycle of my life being what they're not being with her dealing with all of the things he went through is an alcoholic and someone who is married and divorced seven times, well then I was sent to military school and though I did not like going to military school. Though I was very lonely there.

I have to look back and acknowledge it was one of the more stable times of my life. The Southern California military Academy on signal Hill in Long Beach. It's no longer there.

I remember that we were forced not for so we it was mandatory to attend chapel every Sunday. So, along with the other cadets I would sit in the chapel services. There was a song that we sing their that I still remember to this day that title. I think is you'll never walk alone in the song words when along these lines.

When you walk through a storm. Hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark at the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of the Lord walk on the wind walk onto the rain though your dreams be tossed and blown walk on walk on, with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone for some reason that song resonated with me. I had this optimism despite my upbringing that someday in some way things were going to get better. I always believe that there was a God. I always believed in Jesus Christ as much as I knew about it when I lived my grandparents home.

She had a painting or a portrait of Christ. I would look at this depiction of Jesus and and I would have great admiration for him. I would think.

I wish I could know this Jesus, but he came he died. He's gone. Or maybe he's up there somewhere, but I don't know where and I don't know how to communicate with him but though my life had taken a lot of difficult twist and turns in 1970. I heard a message that I understood and I prayed and asked Christ to come in the my life now.

That was when things started turning for the better and and I was determined to not follow in the footsteps of my mother, though she did been married seven times I was determined to have a successful marriage and so when I met Kathy. We got married we wanted to do everything to make our marriage strong and I'm thankful to say that we been married now for 37 years, and God is been so good to us and then our first son came along on Christopher and then 10 years later along comes Jonathan you know because I never got a father growing up. I wanted to be super dad, I'm not implying that I think I succeeded because I don't think I did it all but I wanted to be a hands-on father. I wanted to be a loving father. I wanted to be a present father I wanted to teach them in the way of the Lord, but I wanted to have fun with them to and you not, no question about it. I spoiled Christopher. I bottom way too many toys and I think one of the reasons was I wanted to personally play with those toys to so I like Dr. Dobson once said every parent owes their first child, an apology. There's probably some truth to that, but you know he was precocious. Any was always getting into trouble and he had a timer as he got a little bit older and this 20 Z rebelled against the Lord. He was never rebellious outwardly with us, but but I know he was living a double life, and we prayed we spent many sleepless nights and I and then thankfully God got hold of him and he made a recommitment to Christ and then he got married to a girl named Brittany and our first granddaughter little Stella was born in. It was so exciting to be a grandparent and then also a little Lucy was on the way out we were at home how Kathy was doing a little Bible study with Britney, Christopher's wife and her mom, and I was watching Stella and we hadn't heard from Christopher.

He worked her at the church and was on his way to work and that we try to call me didn't answer so I texted them I remember what I said where are you there was no answer.

While the reason there was no answer is my son left this world around 901 and one into the presence of God in an automobile crash only those of you who have lost a loved one will understand what I'm about to say but the word devastated doesn't express how bad it actually is understand.

I've been a pastor for quite a long time and I got to been with friends when they heard the news I was with one couple in the waiting room of a hospital when their child was being operated on and the doctor came and revealed that she had not made it through. So I've been there.

I've seen it up close and personal he know what it's like and I thought I had a sense of what it would be like to hear a permit when it happens to you. It's like time just stops and I want to do in the immediate state of shock.

I collapsed on the floor. I could not stand. I don't even know if I cry I just was stunned. I couldn't believe this was happening. That's not possible and immediately seem like within minutes. Our home was filled with well-wishers and family and friends in the phone was ringing and and everyone was trying to bring help in comfort, but it was just a blur of noise to me and and I got away and I went over to my office, which is over our garage and I just fell on the floor and I just cried out to God for help to get through.

Not the day the minutes it would just seem like how can you survive this.

I actually thought ever person could die from hearing words I could have died from what I had just heard. I lost my appetite. I couldn't sleep and die. It just seemed to go on forever. It's like a nightmare and you keep hoping that you wake up from it you know any of the bad dream and in your heart is racing anyway. Company is a it's okay. It's just a dream. I wanted so badly to wake up from this dream that was not a dream at all, it was reality.

So Friday past, and then Saturday came and went. Send Sunday and then without Wallace go to church and I came here now people of Centennial Greg. It was so courageous of you to come to church, you know, you're such a model of faith. Well, thank you for saying that but you know what I was here because I needed God. I don't think it was an example of great faith. I think it was the example of someone who was weak who needed help, but I'm not embarrassed to admit that. So we came in and we wanted to hear the word of God taught and we wanted to worship the Lord and I'm not embarrassed to say that Greg Lord will have the second half of today's very personal message in just a moment. We enjoy hearing would pastor Greg's teachings on the radio touch lives, my name is Noah and I live in Chicago. I listened to Greg at 11 AM well backing. I went through a very dark period and in my life got so bad that I need and want to listen to the radio anymore, so I would drive to work in the morning just getting total silent when their turn on the radio wanted to start flipping channels and digital have been met as a great show came on and I started listening to it gave me hope. It gave me strength brought me back to the Lord and started going to church and I still listen to him in the morning to get me from my front door my house to the front door work, harvest, partner and total joy and actually enjoy going to church. I enjoy listening to Pastor Greg and I like his insightfulness I like humor and the blessing at a time in my life where I needed some intercession. I believe God sent Greg into my life so thank you very much encouraging story stealing studies minister to you in your sale which you let us know tell us your story by calling 866-871-1144 that's a special number 866-871-1144 today.

Pastor Greg is presenting a powerful message called hope for those who've lost loved ones sharing from his heart about the loss of his son nearly 11 years ago. He continues now. I'm still morning. It still hurts.

I is it the same as it was back then. Though it is and it's it's different.

Is it better in a way it is. But it's still very very painful. There is still a gaping hole in our lives that was once occupied by Christopher, but I've learned a lot about grieving and laws and daily pain. I learned how to live with pain how to cope with it. As I mentioned a few moments ago I become a part of a club. I never wanted to join so hardly a day goes by when I don't encounter someone to hear from someone who was also lost a loved one, and they're asking for some kind of help. So I've learned a lot about these things and learn more about morning but I want to tell you one of the thing I've learned a lot about I learned about hope and I have hope and hope is like an anchor that keeps it someplace during the tumultuous storms of life and beg Hebrews 619 says we have this hope is an anchor for the sole permit and secure and so that's what we want to share with you today. It's been said that men can live 40 days without food three days without water. Eight minutes without air and about one second without whole. We all need hope in life to get through. Now listen, that doesn't mean that you're not going to feel pain to have hope does not mean that you have a permanent smile plastered on your face, nor does it mean you had some kind of a spiritual lobotomy when you don't feel what other people feel you can have hope in pain coexisting together. But what does it mean they have hope.

Is it just open all all II just know things will get better will way you don't know it because things could actually get worse, right.

So what is my hope in my hope is in God. I have to look to him and here's what God says to us in one of my favorite verses Jeremiah 2911 the Lord says I know the thoughts and I think Georgie says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and what I hope that's what God is saying to us now, contextually, that statement was given to the Israelites when they were in Babylonian captivity because of their penchant for idolatry. The Lord banished them to the land of idolatry Babylon for 70 long years they they were no longer worshiping. They said they hung their harps on the willow tree which means that they sort of the put the guitar away in the closet and unplug the M send, there were no praise services happily because they felt like God had forgotten about them and God get abandon them. So with that backdrop, the Lord says hey everyone, listen, I know the thoughts that I think Georgie says the Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future and a whole God missing Israel listen to me. Your days are not over, I have a future for you and God is saying the same to us. Love how the Lord says I know the thoughts that I think toward you would've been enough about what is said, I know the single thought. I once had toward you for a fleeting moment when you be happy to know that God Almighty, the creator of the universe had a single thought about you. I would, but that's not what the Lord says he says I know the thoughts plural more than one that I think not. Just past tense, but present tense toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you future.

So the thoughts of God are from what he is thought what he is thinking what he still will think they're good thoughts. The Bible says in Psalm 45.

Many are your wonderful words would you have done in your thoughts toward us cannot be counted there more than can be number that was in the Senate. It all depends how some of thinking about you mean someone might be thinking about you right now in the our thinking evil thoughts there plotting and how they're going to destroy you like don't think about me getting off your radar screen. That's not the way God is thinking.

I know the thoughts that I think Georgie says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and all home so his thoughts are good and what is he mean when he says the future they can better be translated and expected in for another translation would say a ground of hope are things hoped for. In other words, there will be an outcome there will be completion in your life.

God will tie up the loose ends because as a Christian I am a work in progress.

I am an artist use that word loosely and that was good artist but I like to draw and the people will sometimes ask me to draw something as a great job. Draw me in, or draw this a draw that I like to draw from little kids especially, you know, because they're always so appreciative and and so I will sit down it and all of the pin and I'm looking at the paper and maybe I'll just sort of do a line and I'll start to smile and so it is a what are you smiling on.

There's nothing on the paper I sent this laughing about what I meant to do because it's going to be a caricature of you and you can look so bad.

No see, that's me right so here's God.

These he's working on a canvas and and he does align we say while Lord would second to be finished until I'm completed but in God's mind the artist on the painting is completed. It's already finished and in the same way God looks at you and though it's still a work in progress for you. God knows exactly what he is doing. There is an expected in and it is good they might in a way Craig went out with everything in life doesn't make sense. What about will we get sick and we pray to be healed and were not and what about when someone dies, where's the good now. Greg where's he inspected the end. Now really is called heaven folks, it's not going to all be Rosie on earth.

You can have good moments here beginning have times when things come together and make sense. And then there's going to be times when they don't make any sense at all, but ultimately the future. For every believer is been in the presence of God in heaven. That is the thing we hope for and God is the 1 We Pl. our trust in Psalm 3815 visual Lord I hope in you. You will hear all Lord my God. Psalm 130 verse five. I'm counting on you, Lord. Yes, I'm counting on you. I put my hope in your word that this all sounds quite sunny and happy, but I want to the know that you can actually be hopeful in morning simultaneously. You know when a loved one leaves this world, especially when it's unexpected. It tears us up inside even once expected. It's very hard to deal with is a deep sense of loss because it was a deep love. You know sometimes people will say we you shouldn't be crying.

You should in the morning there and have it if you're a believer, but even the great apostle Paul talked about the deep sorrow he was feeling. If a friend of his would die in Philippians 225. He says I thought I would send a pampered eye this back to you is a true brother of people worker, a courageous soldier. He was your messenger to help me in my need. Now I am sending them home again, for he is been longing to see you and he was very distressed that you found out he was ill and he surely was built.

In fact, he almost died, but God had mercy on him. Listen to this. Paul says, but also on me so I would not have such an bearable sorrow, this is Paul is been a heaven and is come back again this is Paul, who had more faith in anyone. You can imagine.

And yet Paul himself is a pampered guy. This had died. I don't know if I could have borne it using and that's all can be wondered can I bear this. Can I get through this. When you lose someone you think it can I survive that some people will say no, don't cry. Get over it. I want to say something to you that know someone that's morning. The Bible says there's a time to weep and there's a time to mark and don't ever tell a person who's lost someone to get over it, or to stop crying. Who are you to say such a thing.

I think of some things that I have flippantly said even to people who are going through a time of morning. My impatience to see them get better. I had their best interests in mind, but I didn't really know what I was talking about. You need to give them space you need to give them time and understand something this morning as part of the healing process. If you don't go through it properly. They can sort of mess you up a little bit. I know people that have lost loved ones that have never dealt with that properly they have never mourned as they should. There either in a state of denial or they will not acknowledge it happen or they can't let go of the person and it changes who they are. You need to let it out though you want to fight tears. I'm telling you tears have their place. And when you cry, and I mean really crying that we arise mist up. I mean, when you cry so badly.

It's like you feel pain in your chest and you drop to the ground. That kind of morning can actually have a healing of that on me, so be patient people were morning Greg Laurie great counsel from Scripture and from his own personal experience and there's more to come next time from this message.

One of the most requested studies of the past year. Now for a permanent copy of today's full presentation here on a new beginning get in touch and mentioned the title of this message. It's hope for those who have lost loved ones.

We can help you with your order. If you call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org yesterday were excited to make available your book on Johnny Cash yes he was an iconic music star and he was also a believer, but he had seasons when he wasn't walking with the Lord you and you know when I read Romans seven I think not only of myself but I also see Johnny Cash in that chapter. It's a chapter that talks about the war between the flesh and the spirit of the things I want to do. I don't do the things I don't want to do I do and you talk about that in the book that he was is troubled about that. Is anyone yeah you know I think when you're a Christian and you stumble into sin, you never happy there and you don't want to stay there and that was Johnny. You he would stumble he knew what was wrong he would be sorry for what he had done and then he would make you a recommitment of sorts to the Lord so you know he had various struggles in the site.

There would be times long stretches in fact were there would be no labs and then there would be another lap say anytime he would have an injury and he would be reintroduced to any kind of medication he was just one of those guys that was vulnerable in that area you know some people are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol and drugs, and others are with this is a medical fact in and Johnny was certainly one of those guys that was just a weakness in his life, and in it was a weakness that he struggled with and you know Paul talks about this in Romans seven he says a good I want to do. I don't do the bad I don't want to do I do then he cries out old wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me and you know for someone else. It might be a struggle with another kind of a sin or advice. It could be a struggle with pride for another could be a struggle with pornography for another could be a struggle with alcohol for another could be a struggle was something else and we all have those struggles in life and and you know some struggle more than others, and do we have to struggle that much, not necessarily, but you know if we give into bed temptations and let them get a hold of us.

You know that we struggle more and we face the consequences of those temptations and others don't struggle as much because they hang on more tightly to the Lord. So a lot of that is up to us, but there's always good to be a vulnerability in our lives as Christians to the allure of sin. There's never going to be a point where worse sin proof in this life until were in heaven, so it's something that were all going to have to deal with temptation throughout our lives. So I've written this new book Johnny cash redemption of an American icon.

It's a spiritual biography of a man who really was a living legend and now is larger in death. Even then he was in life, a true American icon is a story to tell. We want to offer you this book, Johnny Cash, the redemption of an American icon. Yeah that's right it such a great book and the story goes way beyond your sativa music performer, but of a man who at want seem to have the world by the tail, but also had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He faced so many struggles much like the struggles. Many of us face it such a powerful story of God's grace to send you your copy of Johnny Cash, the redemption of an American icon call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org well next time as our best of messages. Continue yesterday comes back to bring us more insight on how to properly support those who are facing the loss of a loved turn in here on a new beginning with Pastor Greg for an impossible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email devotions and harvest.org