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November 30, 2021 3:00 am
Imagine coming upon a burning car with someone trapped inside. And you help them get free. Or imagine seeing a toddler heading toward a busy street just as momma turns her head. And you scoop him up just in the nick of time. It’s a good day when you save someone from peril!
Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out we save someone from eternal peril when we help them come to Christ. And when that happens, it’s a very good day! Practical help today with evangelism.
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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.
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Today's episode of the new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library and free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith. I saw what they really are waiting for someone to their world and show the way, will you be coming up to read Lori points out the role we can have someone coming to make the first move say to you. Show me the way Jesus the most you doing this you are waiting for you.
Talk to them about the you help them get free toddler heading toward busy street just as mama turns her head, and you scoop them up just in the nick of time you save someone for Pharaoh today on a new beginning. Lori points out, we save someone from eternal peril. We help them come to Christ. When that happens, practical help my message is the refreshing power of telling others about Jesus. When we pray father. We know that you love the world so much that you gave your only begotten son, we know you're not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
And we also know Lord you've called us to go and preach the gospel to all the world and we know you reach people through people so as we look at what your word says about sharing their faith speak to us. We pray in Jesus name we ask it met little kids. John chapter 4 together a very familiar story of Jesus and the woman at the well and here we see Jesus as the master communicator. Yes he was God walking among us. Yes, he was the Savior of the world.
He was the Messiah, but he also was the greatest evangelist of all time. Any models for us how to engage people with his message so let's see how Jesus did it in John chapter 4 trim there would be if you would John chapter 4 verse three we read Jesus left today and departed again to Galilee, but he needed to go through Samaria. You might want to underline that phrase. It's very important. He needed to go through Samaria we came to a city of seminary which is called sidecar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph Doug Jacob's well was there. Therefore Jesus was tired from his journey, he stopped by. Well it was around the sixth hour that would be 12 o'clock noon and a woman of Samaria came to draw water and Jesus said to her, give me a drink for his disciples and got away that the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to him, how is it that you being a Jew would ask for a drink for me, a Samaritan woman for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans and Jesus answered and said to work if you knew the gift of God and who it is that says do you give me a drink, you would've asked him what he would have given you living water.
This is a perfect example of how the build a bridge to a person on this was an immoral woman as a story reveals she's been married and divorced five times and she was living with some guy at the moment.
This is a woman who was ostracized from the rest of the community. She would not of been an educated woman.
She didn't know what the Bible said so.
She was living this life that was in opposition to what the Bible teaches. But Jesus does not start with that, he appeals first tumor spiritual thirst. So often we want to go right to the lifestyle of the person you're talking to and again affected the cart before the horse. We do need to get to that now talk about that in a moment because I believe in telling the truth the people. However, Jesus starts like building a bridge. Jesus starts like appealing to their spiritual thirst. He reaches out to her bringing me to some points now that you might want to write down the first point is simply this. If you want to evangelize Jesus style. That's what I meant to call this Jesus style because that's what it was. If you want to evangelize Jesus style.
It begins with the burden again. Verse four he needed to go through Samaria. As a matter of fact he did not need to go through Samaria. It was actually way out of the way he was leaving his country. He was run effectively to another country that was populated by people that were known to be the enemies of Israel. So Jesus leaves his comfort zone if you will Jesus please. His people goes to this other place, not just to what woman it was a Samaritan but an immoral woman who was a Samaritan. So when you want to share your faith effectively starts with the God given concern. You have to care about the soul of a person who is not yet a believer. Jesus overcame any kind of prejudice.
Remember we talked about Jonah. And Jonah, it was hard for him because he didn't want to go to the Ninevites. He didn't want them to believe in any went the other direction, but he ultimately obeyed God and we have this huge spiritual awakening of 300,000 people. My friend Craig Rochelle puts it this way. This is the mission statement of his church quote we will do anything short of sin to reach people for Christ. I like that statement. We will do anything short of sin to reach people for Christ. Greg is effectively saying look will do anything oval will go away out of our way to reach people that don't yet know the Lord second point. If you want to evangelize Jesus style you need to use tact already touched on this earlier Paul use tax thereon Mars Hill we should do the same thing.
Isaac Newton said, quote tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" that's a very great way to say here is a classic example of someone being tactful in the Bible.
His name was Philip. By the way, he's the only man identified as an evangelist Philip the evangelist, so Philip was having some great meetings. People were coming to Christ. Miracles will be performed in an angel of the Lord says develop go to the desert. That's it. Go to the desert to get his said no thank you. I'll stay right here. But no, he goes to the desert a wonderful and thinking of what I'm going to preach the lizards.
Women would do in the desert, exactly.
So just literally standing in the desert waiting for directions and then he sees like this caravan coming this way was a large caravan as he got closer he could see these were important people. In fact what he was seeing was a man from Ethiopia that served under the Queen.
He was like a foreign dignitaries. It was happening to date of a stretch limo with the little flags. It was country on the car with the Secret Service guys running on each side. So here comes a foreign dignitaries but he Sennacherib not a stretch limo in this man from Ethiopia is reading from Isaiah 53 that he didn't have a Bible that is scroll. The very fact that he had a scroll says a lot about how important he was, because everything was written by hand.
In those days there were no printing presses yet he's reading the scroll of Isaiah, which was given to him. Apparently this important dignitary from Ethiopia went to Jerusalem searching for God he didn't find God, but they gave him a scroll of Isaiah. So is reading from Isaiah as a sheep is led before his shares in his quiet so he opened not his mouth is literally reading aloud from the scroll photo center, there's an okay Lord I think I know what I'm supposed to do next.
Two guys cruising by this Philip hey how's it going in villages standing in the middle of a desert waiting for you. Actually, Philip says, and you understand what you're reading. The man from Ethiopia says how can I unless someone shows me the way and he invited Philip into his chariot steps into the man's chariot and we read that Philip explained to him what that text means by the way. Isaiah 53 talking about a lamb before her shares, being quiet, so he opened not his mouth is speaking of the death of Jesus, who was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So Philip splaying the meaning of Isaiah 53. I love the way the story ends, we read that the man from Ethiopia when on his way rejoicing.
Acts 839. But here's the important thing when Philip saw this man reading from Isaiah 53 he says do you understand what you're reading and the man said how can I unless someone shows me the way this is what people are looking for Derek and his say to you. Show me the way to come to Jesus. In most cases there waiting for you to initiate the conversation there waiting for you to talk to them about God when I was a kid, I was searching for… You would vastly Greg are you searching for got a probably with the said no but I'm searching for truth, but in reality I was searching for. Got I tried to find truth through alcohol, imparting, I knew that was not the answer. I tried to find it through drug use. I smoke a lot of weed and took LSD and all of that and I knew that was not the answer I was searching and I remember I would hang around Newport Beach at night said lean against the wall. There, there would be Christians, walking around handing out religious literature and they would look at me and walked right by me occasionally that would give me something Arriba they wouldn't engage me and I remember thinking as a 17-year-old kid. Why won't you talk to me because they bought this façade. This this image I put out of where to look like everything I don't care but I didn't care people hide behind façade, but they really are waiting for someone to enter their world and show them the way. Will you be that person. You know people like this are you going to see someone like this before the day is over. Greg Lord will have the second half of his message just a moment.
We hear from listeners all over some who listen to a new beginning. Pastor Greg's podcasts and even to the recent SoCal harvest Greg Laurie and I made it out of Harvard. I walked out my cell phone and I crying and let him know that my friend died in a car like and you never get outbreak that I have a grandson, Jonathan and Nate hate that he had to come to pay yet not have the power to My current article in prayer. I'll never forget what beautiful I want the whole thing help clear and I want to let you know, Greg Laurie to come back by his shirt.
When you request prayer will make sure to pray for your need.
If you have a story of how one of Pastor Greg's outreaches is touched your life you call ensure it with us. Call 866-871-1144 866-871-1144 Rover getting some solid help in sharing the gospel. Jesus style, first by following the example of Philip the evangelist Pastor Greg takes us further in our study of John four so just as Philip entered the world of the Ethiopian. So Jesus enters the world of the woman at the well. He says if you drink of this water will thirst again he's using the well is a metaphor for life you'll be thirsty if you drink of this water. Again, you could write that over many wells of life if you will, you could write it over the well of materialism. If you drink of this water you will thirst again. You can write it over the well of pain if you drink of this water will thirst again you could write it over the well of so many things even religion. If you drink of this water you will thirst again. Now the woman isn't fully getting what Jesus is saying, and now she starts to effectively argue with him bringing me to my next point to share the gospel. Jesus style, we must adapt to the situation. John 1415 the woman said to him, sir, give me this water, then they may not thirst, nor come here to draw two things are just ago yeah you give water to drink, pose, sir, give me this water that your talking about Jesus effectively calls her out, he says in John 416. Why don't you call your husband come here.
She says well I have no husband. Jesus is true that we then say to that but he said that's true.
You had five husbands in your living with some dude right now. She is well. How did he know that she says Sir I perceive that you are a prophet see that there will come a moment when you're engaging something you appeal to their spiritual thirst. But they might ask you a question like what what time I'm living with my boyfriend, girlfriend, or were you know I'm doing drugs it, but I have to give that up to follow Jesus, you might say well I don't want to see you know yes that might turn them away know you need to tell them the truth. Yes, you need to give that up to follow Jesus Christ.
You see, sin is keeping you from God I don't start with those issues but I'm not going to avoid them when I get to them. They need to know that sin separates them from God, but the solution is a relationship with Jesus. The problem is in the solution is Jesus. And so Jesus engages her and tells her what she needs to do acts 319 says repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out in times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord say we need to tell people their sinners and that they need a Savior. Listen to this.
The Bible says if you confess your sins he is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. So comes out of this if you fess up to your mess up Jesus will clean your mess up next point. If you want to do evangelism Jesus style.
You don't deal with everyone in the same way, see Jesus dealt in a certain way with the woman at the well and then he dealt an entirely different way with Nicodemus Nicodemus is in John three. The woman at the well is John four Nicodemus is a religious devout man. John four is about an irreligious sinful woman, but the answer was the same for both the bull needed Jesus with the woman at the well.
Jesus engages her draws her in confronts her about her sin and tells her the truth with Nicodemus, it came to Jesus at night. Jesus effectively cut to the chase Nicodemus as a teacher, we know your great man. No one could do the things that you do unless God is with them effectively. Jesus is love somebody would just get to the bottom line. You need to be born again. So the point is we had tapped to the person we are speaking to.
Sometimes when I'm sharing the gospel.
I start by to show me you know what Charlene is. It's getting some bacon things in the water to get the fish biting. So instead of just going them with a full gospel press. I might just kind of allude to it, talking to a nonbeliever in my just mentioned, all walking just reviewing the Bible about that very thing you just mentioned or wow God answer to prayer for me recently I was talking to a young lady the other day and she was not a believer in.
She told me she's going into get surgery and I said, would you mind if I pray for you and she said please and I prayed for her and I prefer her in the name of Jesus. Eat.
It's pretty rare you're going to find even the nonbeliever seen you. I don't want you to pray for me because they acknowledge probably that there's a God out there so it's a good way to get a conversation started. I have a friend his name is Steve over is a past record church in Los Angeles. So Steve is very effective at sharing the gospel not only in the pulpit but out of the pulpit as well been with them on many occasions sometimes are right Harleys together and wherever you are. You can be sure it's only a matter of time till Steve asked this question and I'll even do it in his voice because he is a very interesting way of speaking still say is anyone ever told you that there's a God in heaven who loves you not been with him when we been online in a coffee shop with 10 people behind us and he tells that to the a barista I've been with him and restaurants. For he says it to a server. I've been with them resets it to random people on the street and there's a lot of reaction so that statement again. Has anyone ever told you that there is a God in heaven loves you. Somebody will say no, but your order.
Others say we they only know what to say. Sometimes people will respond. So were at a Mexican restaurant.
There's me and Stephen as I recall two other pastors were all writing Harleys. We were getting ready to order our tacos and the guy the pastors are having the theological discussion about something as pastors do and I'm sitting there, listening in on the conversation and then Steve turns of the services. Has anyone ever told you that God loves you, so I just watch like frayed Lord open this man's heart. The sky was a genuinely touched. He says no, no one's ever told me that Steve says will there is a God in heaven loves you and he started sharing the gospel. The pastors are still having their theological discussion oblivious to what is happening and Steve is literally leaving the server to the Lord. The server praised these pastors still didn't notice the server goes away. I turn of the pastors. I said did you see what happened. Steve just led then server to the Lord and this reminds me of the church a little bit you know were having our discussions are political debates that what you think about this and kinda it's time to lift up our eyes and look the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. You know, you think one day I like to go on the mission field across the sea to tell people about Jesus. Hey what a just Arbeit crossing the street. There are opportunities in front of you, each and every day we need to be looking for the good encourage from Pastor Greg Laurie.
Today's message here on a new beginning is called the refreshing power of sharing your faith.
Part two more to come. And for even more help, check out Pastor Greg's online evangelism course@harvest.org is called tell someone listed under the resource tab absolutely free get equipped again@harvest.org. 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 say it's very linked. It was well they say the music of the 60s was a soundtrack of a generation then that's true, and the Jesus music which would be late 60s onto the 70s and really to 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.
It was bands with things like love song. Of course, gentle faith, joy, country, faith, mustard seed faith. 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. It happened 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 I 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 and have touch 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 is 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 today is our last day to mention this resource so get in touch right away.
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That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org the next time more biblical counsel on sharing our faith effectively from Pastor Greg series called refresh join us here in a new beginning. Pastors and Bible teachers Greg Laurie and I harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God learn how to become harvest partners sign up for daily devotions and find resources to help you grow in your faith harvest.org