The World Changer at the End of the World: Pleasing God

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Visit our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org moving through rubble culture today going out with a great warrior to resist conforming to anything other than Christ ago euros to do it.

Everybody owes it doesn't say what everybody else you will first form existing culture that is changing before our eyes want to be rubble follow Jesus Christ to be a real rubble wide is the gate and broad is the way leads to the structure. Lots of folks going is the way that seems right to a man is the way of the family. We give Greg Laurie shows an alternative, he helped us through the narrow lawmakers popular red letter to live in a way that is pleasing to God. Rather the other way around. Amanda really changed his world.

He is what we would call the hero of the Bible every day during a very dark time in human history. Maybe the darkest, it is ever been talking about the time before the great flood. When God brought his judgment upon planet Earth. Jesus called the days of Noah and its relevant to us because Christ said, as it was in the days of Noah, so also shall it be when the Son of Man returns so Christ is saying remember how I was in Noah's day is going to be very similar in the time before my return yet I get this very dark background lived a man who walked with God showing you can live a godly life in an ungodly culture and I like to call him a world changer. What is a world changer world changer is someone who does not accept the status quo.

Rather, a world changer wants to change the culture they think for themselves and they do what is right, a world changer is a follower of Jesus Christ and the affect their surroundings more than their surroundings affect them in a world changer is someone who wants to make a difference. In fact, world changers, or let me put it another way, committed Christians are the true rebels in culture today. Don't tell me it's rebellious to do drugs and party that status quo man. Don't tell me it's rebellious to do what everybody else doesn't say what everybody else says MBO woke person and conform to pre-existing culture that is changing before our eyes. A world changer, a real Christian is someone that believes this book and they live by what this book says you want to be a rubble follow Jesus Christ to be a real rubble today. You don't need any leather jacket or motorcycle your wallet attached to a chain in the way bikers always do that. You know is going to take a bikers wallet anyway.

But you know that's real rebellion in the best sense of the work world changers are thermostats, not thermometers thermometers just tell you what the temperature is up thermostat changes the temperature in the same way a world changer changes the world will the guy want to focus on will everyone knows the story. His name was Noah. We think of no we immediately think of Noah's Ark and that's appropriate but there's a lot more to his life. And then, but know it is one of a number of people, men and women that are mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11, which is been described as the heroes Hall of sort of the rock stars of the Christian world of the Bible culture. The people that just stood out and lived as God wanted them to live there, not in the heroes Hall of faith because they were perfect. In fact, they were far from it.

There there primarily because they exercised faith. That's the word that keeps popping up again and again by faith. He did this by faith. They did that and it just reminds us that you don't have to be a perfect person to be used by God. God is not looking for ability. He's looking for availability. God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called. He's just looking for some man some woman, young or old, to just downright Lord here I am, send me.

I want to make a difference in my world. I want to make a difference in my family. I want to make a difference in my culture. I mean look at some of the people God used for Pete's sake. I mean there's some people that messed up pretty badly we think of Abraham or Abraham, the father of faith that he had faith, but he stumbled in his faith at least twice lying Sarah his wife laughed at the promises of God. Then she denied that she laugh. Sam said he made it into the hall of faith. It was a woman chaser and a pretty immoral guy Gideon struggle with fear and self-doubt.

Rahab was a prostitute. David had an affair and murdered a man to cover it up. Elijah the prophet struggled with depression and wanted to die.

The Samaritan woman had multiple divorces. The disciples fell asleep. When Jesus asked him to pray. Simon Peter denied the Lord three times Timothy had an ulcer.

Lazarus was dead. So what's your excuse. I mean, seriously, God cannot use you, and no other government to focus on for the next two times is a man who got drunk and put himself in a compromising position. But God gave him a second chance with.

Here's what Moa Moa is Moa okay that's a new character I just invented well with his brother's lesser-known brother Moa. She just told a little rowboat with a hold of that but no Noah built an ark right but no had great faith in a great got I think is a misunderstood character even caricature.

Of course I'd seen in cartoons.

Steve Carell portrayed him for laughs and Evan Almighty. Then there was that Fillmore Russell Crowe portrayed no that was one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. I think he was channeling gladiator more than Noah because there's a scene when he's getting the ark ready to go and people are trying to get in and Russell Crowe as Noah is killing people so they don't enter the ark. That's actually not what happened in the Bible. The fact is the door of the ark remain open for a long time. So anyone wanted to come kickoff fact is nobody wanted to go in the art, but does so there's all these distortions of the story and it's important to go back to what the Bible says so. Hebrews 11,006 by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen move with godly fear and prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith so there are several principles in this passage and help us to understand what made no way to cure is point number one if you're taking notes. God revealed secrets to know God revealed secrets to know Hebrews 11 seven. He was divinely warned of things not yet seen to God spoke to him and his faith was activated and I wonder if God is spoken to you lately know sometimes people say I don't think God ever speaks to me. I remember hearing Pastor Chuck Smith tell the story of his grandson who said to his mom. Mom got never speaks to me she said honey, you don't you do something wrong and you feel bad in your heart for doing it.

He says yes she says I can be God speaking to you the pause for a moment and then said mom got speaks to me all the time is a lot a lot of ways God speaks to us, but he does speak to us in the primary way he speaks to us is through the word of God but God revealed his secret to know the Bible says the secret of the Lord is with those of Dara loitering cancer were smaller. I used to take them to secret places. I would say you know were going to go restaurant you want to go in the regular way like all the other people what you want to go on the secret. Michael get all excited, secretly pop and I just to come in through a side door, but they thought it was secret. There was this part that's not far from our house and so I said we can go to the regular parka we can go to this other part I caught the secret part and that's what we when it's not secret. Anyone can find it. To this day we still call it the secret part that is am going to walk to the secret part what you know but we like secrets right so the secret of the Lord is with those that fear God reveals things to Christians that people who are not believers don't understand.

As an example as a Christian I know that God's word is true.

You see, the basic Christian in many ways knows more than some of the great intellects of our world because we believe this book and we know because we believe this book that there are certain things that are true in certain things that are not true princess. We know man is not basically good and that's a hard one to believe business omens basically good and really what the Bible doesn't teach men is basically good. The Bible teaches that man is basically sinful. Now that makes sense in the world makes more sense when I accept the premise were not basically good or basically sinful, but the Bible also teaches that God is good. The Bible teaches that one day Judge will come to the world. The Bible teaches that it's going to get worse before it gets better.

The Bible teaches that one day Christ will return and he will write every wrong and Jesus even said of the father father, thank you that you've hidden these things and revealed them to your children.

So when you believe the Bible you know things other people don't know, and Noah understood that God revealed secrets to him. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message in just a moment.

Sometimes, we can always make a picture here is his church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone. We do it every weekend and it's called Harvest at Home. We worship we have a message of the word of God. If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvest at all now. Pastor Greg continues to study one of the most requested of the year called a world changer at the end of the world part one must listen number two. Noah had a great reverence for God, get a great reverence forgot.

I think that maybe this is lacking in our culture today how we become too casual with the Lord. I have we taken him for granted, possibly when it says he moved with godly fear that does not mean that he cowered in fear before God.

A better way to translate that would be. He moved with reverent we need to have reverence for God and one definition of the fear of the Lord that I like is a wholesome dread of displeasing him wholesome dread.

Not cowering in fear, but God's going to smack me, but rather I love God so much and God is so holy I have this respect for him. But maybe we've gone too far the other way. You know Jesus is my homeboy man, have you/your homeboy so-called created the universe.

Have a little respect when you talk to him have a little respect. When you worship him have a little respect.

When you speak his name. I've gotten to know Dr. James Dobson pretty well over the last few years and had been with him a lot of situations and you'll say to me Greg call me Jim that's okay Dr. Dobson the no-no call me Jim and I don't feel comfortable calling him Jim for some reason and I think it's because I respect him so I'll say will Dr. Dobson are from would be super C dock listen you know so that I call him back out of respect and in so Noah had this reverence and respect for God and he never lost that reverence for the Lord and so he was a last days believer because he was living in the time before the flood came, why did the flood come. Why did God send judgment on the earth. The first time the answer is found in Genesis 6 want you to turn over there if you would Genesis 6, you don't know where that is. It's right after Genesis 5 having a hard left and go all the way and you will find Genesis 6 first book of the Bible Genesis 65 gives us a description of the world and the days of Noah. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of his thoughts was only evil continually.

You might underline that only evil continually in the Lord was sorry he made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart out underline that to come back to it.

So the Lord said I will destroy man whom I created from the face of the earth, man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air. I'm sorry I made them. There, what exactly was going on here in planet Earth, to bring God's wrath so heavily. Genesis 65 gives the answer. The Lord saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thought of his heart was only evil continually. I'm just amazed at the things I read in the news today.

You know the news feed just the atrocities the. The horrible acts that people do against people it just endless and you know I don't even have to illustrate this.

It's just heartbreaking. It's disturbing and it just seems like people find new ways to do evil things, and that's what was happening at this time but you know what this shows us is God is aware of the wickedness of man he's paying attention and their wickedness is full to the brim would be a better translation sort of like an overflowing trashcan or a septic tank, you know it's bad. It was stinking to high heaven. It was so bad you know it's interesting the book of Genesis can be divided into three sections generation degeneration regeneration generation degeneration regeneration. So first it was generation.

When God created all things and said it was good that degeneration.

That's when sin entered into the garden when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit than regeneration were at phase 2. Here degeneration and God said he's grieved no it's interesting that the word grieved is used here in verse six, you only green for those you love. You don't grieved when some random person cuts you off on the road.

You get angry. Maybe upset. But it doesn't grieve you. It grieves you when your child is disrespectful or goes astray, or someone you love or care about, says or does something that hurt you your grieved only by the people you love right so the fact that God uses the word grieved shows is that this is hurting the heart of God because he loves humanity. Remember Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and he wept over them because he knew they were effectively bringing judgment on themselves.

We read in Luke 1941 he saw the city and wept over it said all Jerusalem.

If you'd only known this your day.

The things that made for your let me ask you a question.

Have you ever shed a tear for someone who is far from God ever shed a tear over a prodigal son or daughter over a prodigal mom or dad or someone you care about. It's going the wrong way.

God takes no pleasure in bringing judgment on anyone. Greg Laurie pointing out God's heart for lost sinners good insight today on a new beginning from one of our listeners most requested studies of the past year and if you have a broken heart for someone who needs the Lord. We can help you share your faith more effectively. Pastor Greg has a great online personal evangelism course and it's free of charge is called tell someone find out more about it by going to harvest.org were so pleased to have Pastor Levi Lesko with us today. As you may know Levi as lead pastor of fresh life church with campuses in Montana, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming and is author of the new children's devotional book were making available called roar like a lion, Levite, such an engaging book the art design is just wonderful and it's interactive with so many extra features, but explained the anchors in the book. One of those about our day. I'm glad you brought that up.

You know my family loves to go to Disneyland would love to go with the Laurie family when we have the chance. In one of the fun things to do.

It is going to select for the hidden Mickeys are these hidden Mickeys in built into the rise all around the park.

You can Google it and find them and it makes the fun. Just one more fun thing to do and you there and so we decided to put hidden anchors all throughout the book, like on page 22. There's one in the sushi tray and so as you're reading the kids. My kids love the squeal out hidden anchor hidden anchor it's built into the trestle of the roller coaster or that you know whatever and the science experiment of their group in a rude Goldberg machine and and then at the back of course as a whole entry on the anchor because Hebrew says if you have hope. It's like having an anchor in a storm in a boat that's anchored can be moved but it won't be totally lost because it has something holding onto it and that's really just one of the things that we want this book to be because you know it's hard to teach kids about death. It's hard to talk about some of the things that we have a whole entry on page 6.

Call not the end we talk about death and so my hope is that families would be launched and propelled into having difficult but important conversations through you know this simple tool that will make them in a facilitate such a thing. You know Levi know that the anchor is personal to you and your daughter Len yeah as I remember, as we said goodbye to her and had her little funeral service which was such a powerful, poignant and sad and yet hopeful day because of the hope of the resurrection, but I know the anchor was something that was important. You tell us why you personally use that symbol. When you think of your daughter Len yeah yeah will, in addition to Hebrews 619 which gives gives a such a beautiful picture of having an anchor in and I'm even distill gratitude and choked up a little bit. Think about that because I'm also grateful for your family coming out for the service he preached on his funeral were there with us in the snow that day. You know, we love that symbol of the picture of hope and when the week. We were trying to get ready for the funeral. We couldn't find Lynn years anchor necklace. We given each of the girls a little necklace with an anchor on it. We can finally anchor necklace and Livvy said what I want her to be buried with mine so Livvy gave her anchor necklace and and we you know put that on Len you in the in the cask of course we know she's with Jesus. She's not wearing that she's here with Christman, but in in a casket she's wearing this anchor in. We had an artist come in because the casket that we could get in time was, not not the only one we looked at the catalog and picked one out, but because it was Christmas week when she died. They couldn't get it in time and so we picked a very simple casket.

We had this artist painted a beautiful anchor on the lid of interest and so that's on there. Then my wife and I both had the anchor symbol tattooed on us is just a reminder, hope, and I noticed some people may be objective tattoos that's never the point of this message, appointed as its it's for us.

Very important symbol of the truth that is the death is not the end.

So Levi and I have something in common. We both have children that went to be with the Lord, our son Christopher was unexpectedly called home to heaven through an automobile accident in 2008 and little Lenny went to be with the Lord in 2012 and so we share this pain but here's what I love about what Levi and his wife Jenny of Don and their family is is a deacon. This pain and they've put it in the purpose they don't live hopelessly. They live hopefully and but they also live realistically. See here. Sometimes Christian Jenna would want to talk about the hard issues, but we should be afraid because the Bible addresses the afterlife. It tells us is the hope of heaven that tells us how to live in this life and so I appreciate the fact that Levi's pressed on. You know not everybody does that. Some people have their marriages fall apart when a child dies or they have all kinds of other issues that develop later on, but Levi and his wife Jenny and the children have all pressed for the Lord bless them with a little son now as well. And they're all pressing forward serving God and one of those efforts, the fruit of that is this brand-new book by Levi Lesko called roar like a lion inserted themed around the idea of a lion.

He called his little daughter Len yeah Lenny a lion, and he wrote another book through the eyes of a lion that talks about all that they went through with saying goodbye the linear, but this is a book that will inspire you and it's a devotional to read with your family especially your kids, so we hope you'll order your own copy of roar like a lion by Levi Lesko 90 devotions to a courageous faith. Yeah, that's right, and will be glad to send this resource your way to thank you for your partnership in bringing the hope of Christ to so many. Each day we recently read a social media comment that said, I want to let you know you're a great inspiration to me. You've helped me through the toughest times this past year.

Just being able to listen to you and watch you online. You made a difference in my life, and many others. Well, you know, that kind of encouragement could never happen without the partnership of listeners who help make these daily studies possible.

If you partnered with us.

Thank you and if you can make a generous donation right now would like to send you this wonderful new children's devotional book roar like a lion. You can donate online@harvest.org or call us anytime at 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 one Eckstein, Pastor Greg brings more insights from a life of no continue learning from this great hero of our faith. Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teachers regularly and everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God