The Refreshment of the Spirit in Times of Trial: Refined and Refreshed

We are glad you're joining us for a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners get more encouraging audio content. When you subscribe to pastor Greg daily Devos learn more and sign up@harvest.org allows royals in our lives, so we will grow up we may not like Troy should read Lori points out that God can often refine is that during times of challenge daughters of God who is entering your soul for something because in the future. Remember this, even when things look bleak all things work together for God's glory in your lives on sanded and shaved mind furniture, but if our compassion and want to see that stress most of us would just have John's tree in our living room pastor Greg Lori points out the sending and shaping our lives kind of people. God wants us to be some time in the dry wastelands of life. I will find God more than about 5 PM anywhere else. I would love to perpetually live on a mountaintop, never having an emotional low, but the reality is spiritual fruit does not grow on mountaintops. It grows in Valley but one way have to go through trials as a follower of Jesus is the answer.

James one verse two dear brothers and sisters when troubles of any kind. Come your way considering an opportunity for great joy. Another when your faith is tested, your endurance is a chance to grow so let it grow. When your endurance is fully developed. You'll be perfect and complete. There so if you're taking notes is point number one God allows trials the life of the Christian so we will grow up spiritually again.

God allows trials in our lives, so we will grow up spiritually so iron will enter our soul. Let me explain you heard the story of Joseph is in the Old Testament book of Genesis. He was one of the sons of Jacob, and Jacob favored Joseph by the way, your kids know if you favor one of their siblings over another.

You think you're very secretive and evenhanded. They know they probably of little debates about who is your favorite child or favorite grandchild my grandchildren come to me who's your favorite grandchild pop up. I think your all my friend did not come on. Who's your favorite and so all of the brothers of Joseph do that dad favored Joseph over them and one of the ways he showed was he gave them what is called a coat of many colors. Now this basically was just a coat that was more reserved for someone that was didn't have to work in the fields and so his brothers were cut off clothing that are out there laboring Joseph a conclusion. Then in the school code hey guys how's it going and he would wrap his brothers and tell dad what the brothers were up to. One day the brother said we can't take this anymore.

Let's just kill seems like an overreaction to meet. Let's kill our brother Joseph and Ruben, the oldest brother sees group of slave trader Charlie Weis says why don't we just sell them to the slave traders instead will make a little money on the side. They all thought that was a great idea.

Then they took that beautiful code. Jacob gave to his son toward covered in the blood would hold events at all dead were sitting over your son that you love so much. His daddy was killed and Jacob was brokenhearted and so what happens the Joseph he's he's bought by a guy who effectively was ahead of the Secret Service for the Pharaoh. This man had a huge estate. His name was Potiphar and Joseph was so responsible. That part of her can't give you more more responsibilities. Next thing you know Joseph is running everything will Potiphar had a wife.

She was the original cougar she saw the handsome young Joseph started to hit on him.

Her name was Mrs. Robinson the wrong story that's a dated cultural reference Google ad I don't want to go to that but anyway if you know the movie she was like Mrs. Robinson trying to get Joseph to be involved with her sexually.

He resisted her advances, and then she falsely accuses him of rape and he sent up to present. Now he sitting in a prison cell, how easily could have thought will is this what you get for following God. I made a principled stand.

I resisted the enticements of this woman that I'm in prison God was at work and it's interesting because he had an iron collar around his and then we read this interesting verse someone 05, verse 18. They bruised his feet with vendors and placed his neck in an iron collar, a different translation emerges from the original care which says as he lay them iron iron entered his soul. He was getting toughened up just what God was preparing Joseph or something. Maybe God's preparing you for something big to iron is entering your soul. God is toughening you up for something he has in the future and remember this, even when things look bleak all things work together for God's glory and your ultimate good. God has a plan God has a purpose. Here's another point God's ultimate purpose for us is to be conformed into the image of Jesus we "Romans 828 for we know that all things work together to those who love God.

Another called according to his purpose.

Verse 29 says, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his own dear son, supported together. Here's what it says whatever you going through in life. God will ultimately work it for good.

But this endgame is actually to make you more like Jesus say we miss our last part way I'm going though our type wears a good I don't see the good work all things together for good to those who love him and then he wants to make you more like Jesus. So we have to get the bigger picture because God is preparing us for heaven.

Here's another one suffering to bring glory to God. Suffering can bring glory to God in our lives.

Listen any full can be happy when the sky is blue and the sun is shining when you're going through a storm.

It's a different matter.

You know you might have people to know you were not Christians makes England's Christian :-) not happy because the church and sending this to happy praise the Lord whatever and then when they crisis it your life.

Something horrible happens. Another watch. You still of a smile on your face and you still have faith in God. There's a will there be a need to dig a second look at this Christianity thing because maybe there's something to it. That's right because when a Christian can glorify God in a time of difficulty.

It is a powerful testimony to a lost and watching world.

Case in point, Paul and Silas. There were arrested for preaching the gospel.

They were treated in a very cruel way by a Roman guard who whip them and then put their feet in stocks and we read at midnight Paul and Silas sing praises to God, and then we also read and the other prisoners were listening and I can be translated. There were listening with pleasure because I don't think those other prisoners ever heard anyone sing praises to God in that hellhole in that dungeon. I don't know Paul and Silas are going to get to part Linda McCartney Harmony are you all I know is these people and never heard that kind of thing before. Suddenly a great earthquake comes the walls are shaken and collapsed, and the Roman jailer knows he's dead, you will be executed for losing the prisoners. He pulls out his sword is ready to kill himself. Some insist, don't hurt yourself, were still here.

This guy drops down in his knees and says what must I do to be saved. Why Paul and Silas earn the right for this man to hear the gospel, by the way they live in adversity they were praising God when the walls collapse of the prison they were praising God when they were in stocks in the prison and that men came to faith as a result, Mr. Greg Moore will have the second half of his message just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here encouraging you to join us as we give her what we call harvesting that home. It's worse and it's a message of the word of God. You can watch it with your family and your front room where you can watch it on the go on your tablet on your phone or your computer. Take it with you. Take the word of God with you. Join us or harvested home harvest today.

Pastor Greg is pointing out the purpose of the challenging times in our lives.

Good encouragement for times of trial and suffering can be used to prepare us for a special task back to Joseph. He's in a prison cell. So two other guys are arrested they work for the Pharaoh. It was the Baker and the Butler so I guess the butler did it he did something and they have these weird dreams and Joseph interpreted their dreams. They say when you get out of here. Make sure you help me. I'm the guy that can interpret dreams okay forgot all about me sat there another two years. One day, the Pharaoh had a troubling dream and it was actually a dream about the future of Egypt and the famine that was coming. The butler remembered the set and the kind prison you can interpret dreams process bring them up there. Joseph comes up for the Pharaoh interprets the Pharaoh's dream Pharaoh was so impressed he says I making you the one who was in command of the food supply of Egypt and Joseph went from the prison to the palace and became the second most powerful man on the planet. So the famine came in. He hid his brothers way back where they were living so Jacob said go to Egypt and get us some food. So when to the palace come the brothers of Joseph and he recognizes them, but they don't recognize him seated and dress like they did me more. Now he looked like an Egyptian. He walk like an Egyptian and he probably had guy liner on right as you had.

He recognizes him. He starts talking. They don't know you're talking to their brother.

They sold then he says everyone leave the room looks at his brothers and he says I am Joseph Woodruff that reverberated. I am Joseph of substance then looked at him and collectively thought and we are dead dead dead dead dead. But no, he didn't condemn the bid that they would've been the ultimate payback story, but it was it was the ultimate forgiveness story. He forgave his brothers for the horrible things he did to him but then he made this amazing statement.

He said you meant it for evil but God meant it for good to save many people alive. I know what was in your heart.

I know you were evil, but God used it for his glory.

God be a preserved you for something that is coming and here's the thing. When you've gone through a hard time. You can really minister to someone else who is going through a hard time Paul actually writes over in second Corinthians that we can comfort others with the comfort we have been comforted with all rights he comforts us in all of our troubles so we can comfort others. So if you're a cancer survivor and someone finds out they have cancer bore you the person they need to talk to. I saw a woman who posted on our harvested home service. She's had some miscarriages.

She is a ministry to other women who fed miscarriages to. Here's how I got through it. My wife and I and our son. We have the ministry that we never wanted we have a ministry to parents of lost children. I never wanted to join that club but I became a bona fide member when our son went to be with the Lord some 13 years ago, and as a pastor I performed many funeral services. Far too many for children, which are the hardest because you're trying to find the right words and I look at parent sitting in the front row and I think what can I say to bring a measure of comfort and hope to them, and then one day I woke up and I was in the front row and the pastor was speaking to me and I remember the devastation.

I remember wondering how I would get through it. How I would survive it. But the Lord is helped us and continues to help us so we still miss our son so much. But the point is is know I can comfort others with the comfort that I've been comforted with an eye from one of the things I do more of now than I used to do before our son had died. As I I'm a better listener. I not so quick on the draw with the Bible verse I listen, tell me what happened I'm so sorry. Let me just share a few things that we learned in this journey were still on and the listen to me and my wife and them I said because they know we've gone through it so listen. There's things that have happened to you that you wish did not happen to you, but did it ever occur to you. God allowed them to happen to you so you can help others that are going to the same thing. This is very important for us to realize God is a plan and God has a purpose and he can use all of these things in our lives and in the lives of others element close with one thought in thoughts can be long. This could be a 30 minute thought this could be a four-minute thought, but it's going to be a shorter one novel underwent the greatest travesty of justice in all of human history, the worst crime that was ever perpetrated against any man was the arrests execution and blood in the murder of Jesus Christ, the son of God on the cross. People want to blame someone for it was the Romans they did it. Others will say, committed Jewish people that did it. Let me say some little blow your mind. It's God that did it because the Bible says it please the father to Bruce and all know the father took no pleasure in watching the sun suffer and die but the father knew that through the death of his son on the cross that salvation would be purchased for all of humanity. So out of the greatest travesty of justice came the greatest good of all time. Your salvation and mine is not great to know. The fact is, Jesus voluntarily went to the know and took his life. Jesus, a greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. He laid his life down.

He went voluntarily to the cross.

He died there as I've often said it wasn't males that held Jesus to the cross. It was love for you and for me, God loves you. God wants to forgive you and I don't know why you're here today how you got here today. Maybe this is your first time at church. Maybe you are brought by a friend.

Maybe something bad has happened in your life and it's got your attention. I wanted to say first of all, was glad you're here and I want you to know that God will help you if you call out to him and asked for his forgiveness because Jesus didn't stay on the cross to the he rose again from the dead three days later and these with us right now in this place, standing at the door of your life and knocking and he says if you hear his voice and open the door, she will come in Jesus can come into your pain. He can come into your struggle, he can come into your life. They can forgive you of all of your sin and give you the assurance that you go to heaven when you die and then if that wasn't enough, and then go give to you the meaning of life wonder what is the meaning of life. Why am I here short answer the meaning of life is to come into a relationship with God, and to walk with him and I'll show you that your life is all about and where your life should go, but he won't force us in your life you have to ask for him to come in and forgive you of your sin and in a moment were going to close in prayer.

I'm going to extend an invitation for you to believe in Jesus and be forgiven of your sin. I'm telling you, can happen in just a second.

So Macy, how quickly we can change a memo and I just a kid 17 years old and I was on my high school campus Harbor high school and I saw the Christian sitting there. I just want to look at him and I think they're so weird and there's no way this is true is not true.

The crazy looking up and but I just kept watching them.

Their singing songs about Jesus and then a guy got up to speak and then okay what's is all about. Then remember most of what he said that when he said Jesus said you're either forming or against me. Suddenly I looked at the Christians and I thought it's all true. How that happened to go over and say that's not true. I don't believe any of it.

They couldn't be true to it's all true and I wanted I don't know how but I didn't do it. God did it. It's a work of the Holy Spirit and you experience it as well.

Then you know people are said to be great you're an evangelist tells the one thing you can say to a nonbeliever to make them believe what you think.

I carry that around my back pocket. If I knew said something I would've already told you. Trust me, there's no one thing I can say to make a person believe, but I do know, as we proclaim the gospel as we share our faith with others, God's Holy Spirit will open their hearts and they can bleed just like that. Like I meant going back to the story of Paul and Silas in the Roman jailer.

He just said what I need to do to be saved would only need to do to get what you have a believe in Jesus. He said I believe in Jesus that can happen for you right here right, the Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

So were going to pray and then will extend this invitation for you to come to Christ today for you to change your eternal destiny for you to find the meaning and purpose of life. If you need Jesus respond. Now let's pray father, thank you for your word to us. Thank you for your love for us and I prefer any person here, Lord if they don't know you, let this be the moment they believe in Jesus name I Greg Lord important prayer and if you like to make that kind of change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you in just a moment before we wrap up today. You're on a new beginning. What were making available a fascinating new book called the Jesus music Pastor Greg you wrote a book called the Jesus revolution talking about the Jesus movement how much is Jesus music linked to the Jesus movement yeah Dave, I would see it's very linked. It was well they say the music of the 60s was a soundtrack of a generation than that's true, and the Jesus music which would be late 60s onto the 70s and relieved of the present day is also a soundtrack of a generation, but it's a Jesus generation and it's very important music because it was borne out of revival.

It was revival music in its early stages. It's worth noting that in the beginning we call the Jesus music and later became an industry known as contemporary Christian music, but it really started with just songs about Jesus and I had a front row seat we were attending Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa in 1970 which was the epicenter of the Southern California Jesus movement and all these bands were forming before our eyes every week. It was like a new band. There was bands with things like love song. Of course gentle faith joy country for a mustard seed save lots of faith. Back in those days, but what was really unique was these were songs that were written to speak to people they were songs that express his newfound faith that these musicians had found after coming to Christ, and so was very exciting to see and then it became a whole industry and others contemporary Christian music stations. Of course, and in huge events and concerts that happen all around the world. But it started very simply and it started in revival and we have a brand-new book that sort of tracks the history of Jesus music back in the late 60s early 70s. Yes we do. It's called the Jesus music written by Marshall Terrell, by the way, there's a documentary film put out by the year when brothers and kingdom productions by the same name an amazing film, but this book the Jesus music written by Marshall Terrell tells you the story and I was able to have some input in the writing of this book because it was there. I wrote the introduction to the book as well and as a matter of fact, some of you may recognize Marshall's name because we have written three books together. One of them is Johnny Cash, the redemption of an American icon. The another is Steve McQueen the salvation of an American icon, and of course Billy Graham, the man I knew. So Marshall is a great writer is a good researcher and this is gonna take you back to the beginning of this music to the present day. There's a lot of stories you read, and a lot of things you will learn and I'm sure you did not know about some of your famous artists out there that have touched our lives in so many ways. Yet such an interesting book, you'll love it. Even if you're a relative newcomer to Jesus music again. It's the new book called the Jesus music and would be glad to send a copy your way to thank you for your partnership with us in making the studies available each day.

It's only through listener support the best possible so thanks so much for your generosity. Writer set a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org will Pastor Greg you pointed out the importance of asking Jesus to forgive our sins. A few moments ago.

Could you help those who want to do everything right now. Yeah, you know, the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ stands at the door of our life and he knocks and if any man will hear his voice and open the door he will come in maybe. As you've heard me speak today while you've heard another voice speaking to you with the voice of God and you realize you need Christ in your life you need your sins forgiven you want the assurance that you will go to heaven when you die when here's what you need to do. You need to pray and I would like to lead you in a prayer right now or you will be seeing the Jesus Lord come in the my life. I choose to follow you.

So let's pray Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I think you for dying on the cross for my sin. I turned from that sin. Now and I put my faith in you be my Lord, my Savior and my God, my friend.

I choose to follow you, Jesus.

From this moment forward. Thank you for loving me and calling me and accepting me in Jesus name I pray, amen.

Listen if you just pray that prayer I want you to know on the authority of Scripture that Christ himself is coming to your life. The Bible 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.

If you just pray that prayer in minute you can know today you have eternal life MEI be the first to see you.

Welcome to the family of God and we want to help you grow as a believer want to send you our new believers growth packet will send it free of charge if you prayed with Pastor Greg today just write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 24 seven that's 1-800-821-3300 or you can request it online at harvest.or just click on know God for next time.

As Pastor Greg continues his refreshed series will consider how revival is the ultimate spiritual refreshment. Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Moore and I knew beginning of the podcast, made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God if this shell has impacted your life. Share your story, leave a review on your favorite podcast and help others find help