The Holy Spirit and You, Part 2 | Drawn to Christ

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Pastor Greg Laurie points out how much the Holy Spirit's job to draw people to Jesus Christ. Sometimes people will come up missing your defenses.

Tell me what I can say the only person believing like I have some secret, okay sure this say that MAA okay there's actually a mystery to just work of the Spirit of God and tried-and-true memorize these verses statements if they ask this preparation is sometimes people don't care how much you know until they know how much today on a new beginning. Greg Laurie points out, the Holy Spirit. C.

We have to allow for the Spirit's work in their lives. John chapter 6 and were looking together the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the non-believer in our last message.

We focus primarily on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian now were looking at the work that he wants to do in the life of the person who was not yet a Christian were John wherein John 16 starting number seven. Jesus says nevertheless I tell you the truth it is to your advantage.

I go away for iPad do not go away the helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him to you when he is gone he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment of sin, because they do not believe in me of righteousness, because I go to my father and you see me no more, and of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. There the Holy Spirit of God is come to convince us of our sin. Not so. While we would will be driven away in despair, but so I will run to the cross fearfully does he says you're bad you are sinful. There's the answer and he likes the way Jesus go to Jesus and your sins will be forgiven.

Go to Jesus and the righteousness will be placed in your account, go to Jesus in your questions will be answered at a very important distinction he shows you the sin that he brings you to the Savior. That said, the work of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is also keeping the lid on things is keeping the lid on things. It never had something cooking inserts overflow your holding the lid well right now things are super wicked. Consider this second Thessalonians to seven says the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way you do a national translation of that same verse says the one who now holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way the Holy Spirit through the church is a restraining force in the world today. When you look at these wanton acts of senseless violence, people walking into malls and shooting people walking into what church in Killeen people, even children and we see these horrible depraved things happening to say it can't get any worse then it gets worse, doesn't it, and then more bad things start happening closer together and this is just a glimpse of what is coming.

I would like to say folks, it's going to get better really soon know you know what is going to get worse, way worse because there is a time coming to the earth, called the great tribulation. This allows for seven years. It will be inaugurated by the emergence of the antichrist was really a false Christ, the false Messiah and all hell is going to literally break Lucius a. While this is the most depressing thing I've ever heard.

That's about Vince Ives and good news ready for it before the Antichrist emerges on the scene. Jesus Christ is going to come for his church and call us up to cover.

This is sometimes called the Rob of the church where it says the dead in Christ arise first. We withdraw alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Some pupils or the word rupture is in the Bible so your best argument. The word Bible is not in the Bible that you know that the word Trinity is in in the Bible. Did you know that so the word rupture is in there, but the word harp also is the Greek word, and so if you have a Latin Bible to translate to rapturous which we get our English word rupture from summer get the word rupture gullible harp also were caught up to meet the Lord in the air going to happen, but it's going to happen before Antichrist is revealed.

That's why it's futile and pointless to try to figure out who the antichrist is renowned in; I figured it out. They write a book but it's never the guy, and it's not even worth spending your energy on because Antichrist can't be revealed until the church is removed so the Holy Spirit working through the church now. Sometimes this is misunderstood and people think the Holy Spirit is going to be taken off of the earth, and that's not true. And here's why. Because people are going to come to Jesus in the tribulation. Not only that there's going to be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit during the tribulation. Oaxacan people come to Jesus without the Holy Spirit fell. We've already pointed that out.

No man comes to the father says our Lord… Spirit draws them so the spirit will still be at work in the world and the tribulation.

But what is insane is he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way, means the Holy Spirit's restraining work through the church will come to an end, caught up to be with the Lord in heaven and until that day comes, were told by Jesus to be salt and light in this culture to stand up for what is true to speak out against what is wrong to let others know of your faith in Jesus Christ as John 15 says the light shines in the darkness but the darkness did not comprehend it. That's an interesting thing that phrase comprehend the word that means understood means unknown believer cannot wrap their mind around what you believe. Alyssa Holy Spirit tells him her shows. That is why I always pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of people. When I speak and I pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the heart of a person when I'm sharing my faith because sometimes people will come up to me. It's a great urine evangelist. Tell me what I can say that will make a person believe like I have some secret, okay don't share this with anybody only evangelist know about it. But if you say this say this MAA. Okay, now there's nothing like that. It's just the work of the spirit. There's actually a bit of mystery to it, love, love that because I don't know I just know when I see it so I can share these things and some of you will hear and see. I get that.

I believe that in another personal harridan and not get it at all, only the Holy Spirit can help you to grasp this, but here's the funny thing sometimes we want to play Holy Spirit.

We want to be Holy Spirit. You know won't convict them of their sin will guilt trip them right into the kingdom will fracture them into believing will argue them in to the Christian faith know you do not want to do that because that they can be argued in they can be argued out that we wanted to be a work of the Holy Spirit. So as you live a godly life that creates the tension that the Holy Spirit uses to bring about conversion.

Listen to this. It's the division that brings unity's okay. I don't even know what to talk about them. Jesus said don't think that I came to bring peace that I tell you, rather division for men will be divided against us on a woman against her daughter in the men's enemies will be those of his own household. Don't think I came to bring peace, but but this deficiency without that Christianity is all about peace while in a way it is. But before there can be that ultimate peace.

There has to be attention. Here's how it works. You live as a man or woman of God, and you change in environment. Let's take Thanksgiving and your Christian and maybe you became a Christian in the last year or two so you get a get together with your family.

Let's see her family loves to drink and party in carry-on and tell jokes.

I should be telling etc. and now you're the Christian and they all know you're the Christian, so now the meal is put on the table and everyone standing around awkwardly waiting for you to hopefully not do a prayer absolutely do a prayer and I find most people will not stop me from praying I'll walk up to a nonbeliever, especially if they're hurting and I'll ask them do you mind if I if I prayed for you.

Can I pray for you very rarely have I had someone say no don't pray hospital is the uncle had say so you know what I like to just pray we know don't be obnoxious about it. Don't do a one hour prayer. Okay. And I know nobody should extend an invitation at your you know what our heads around her eyes are closed. Some of you might be thinking why no Jesus uncle hear him talking to you will be cool about it.

The Lord will lead you as to what you should see and do what it does create this tension and you don't like the attention because use the lab together and have more fun together and others this thing in you, which you can get rid of that thing in and will know it's that thing it said tension that the Holy Spirit will used by showing a contrast between your life in their life that can help to bring them to Jesus. So just roll with it. Don't make the tension worse than it is by guilt tripping people are being obnoxious or mean being as friendly and as loving as you can be. But just be a Christian and pray that the Holy Spirit will work through your life to make people aware of their need for Christ. That's why I say it's the division that ultimately brings unity or the conflict that ultimately brings peace. The Holy Spirit has come to bring us to Christ and first Pecan access. So let's pray that work happens in a person's life. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. Everybody what are you doing this weekend. I like to hang out with you at harvest and home services own.

It is a time of worship and Bible study exclusively designed for people that are viewing in from all over the place so you can be a part of our extended congregation at Harvest at Home. Join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for harvest home@harvest.org now. Pastor Greg continues his important message called the Holy Spirit and you part two. Let's just say that I went out about you a very expensive present back let's say that I emptied my savings account and spent everything I owned. I sold my house. I I took everything I have and I don't even own my house, but somehow I sold it. I'm still making payments on it, but I sold everything I said I bought you this gift and I want to give it to you and you know was viable because the price tag was still attached to it is not funny with people he price tags and gifts so you give it to the person. All I'm really hoping you'll do is say thank you and I accept this gift and I'm going to enjoy this gift you can live in my backyard.

I know you sold your house to get it if you were to take this gift that I spent everything I own, just get in. Think all think you so sweet of you and then you just remove it off of the side you can open the gift and really wanted.

Can you return it. Actually, I can't.

All that's too bad, you know that's an insult to me.

Now imagine what God did. He gave his own son. What more could God care for humanity than his own son.

Jesus put on the cross is spotless, sinless, perfect son that he loved with all his heart and then God took all of his judgment in all of his rapid should then put on you and should have been put on me and instead he put it on his own son that he loved so much, but he did that because of his love present. All we have to do now is take this gift of eternal life.

That was bought at the cross, just receive it and say, Lord. Thank you and if you say well I don't want that.

That's an insult to God in your rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit is come to do, and you can find yourself committing the unforgivable sin.

What's the unforgivable sin. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, according to Jesus, what is that it's the complete and total rejection of the work.

The spirit is come to do, let me put it another way, the unforgivable sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ. It's worse than any other sin. Why, because all other sins can be forgiven no matter how radical, no matter how horrible they can be forgiven, but the one sin. God will not forgive is if you reject his provision for your sin. Jesus, who died on the cross and rose again from the dead. Guess what the Holy Spirit is here with us right now I know what he saying is that how do you notice he says that in this work we read this in Revelation. In the spirit and the bride say, let him that is thirsty, come let him drink of the water of life freely. The Holy Spirit is saying to you right now if you are not yet a believer in Jesus, live questions, you just come alive all these problems. Yet, this addiction, the struggle is probably yeah, and there's a simple yeah, come to Jesus you say just come to Jesus because when you come to Jesus in your forgiven of your sin he can transform your life. It's not a 12 step program. It's a one step program come to Christ the belief so so ends the sermon filed but so begins a change life for you if you accept this message. We share. Here's the message.

Plain and simple euro center is not as good as you think you are. You're actually much worse than you ever thought you were. But the good news is, is God is made a provision for your sin, and he ported on Jesus who died in your place, and rose again from the dead and Jesus now stands at the door of your life and Enoch, and he says if you hear his voice and open the door he will come in in the Holy Spirit is saying to you, now you can say will know I don't want to come will you know what, you don't have to come in. The Holy Spirit will not drag you kicking and screaming will nudge you still show you, you will sense that need in your life but you can resistance it will. I don't want it. I don't care. Okay, that's up to you. You can resist him or you can yield to him and when you're driving, you see a yield sign that means yeah okay he'll be attention. Other traffic. Maybe flowing in your be open okay so we yield to God. It just means I'm sin all right Lord come in and I'm removing the stop sign of my heart. I'm opening the door of my life. I'm inviting you in I'm seeing here it is Lord come in enter in the my life and forgive me you'll do that for you.

Your life can change you can know you go to heaven you can walk out of here with that inner assurance I was talking about earlier.

His spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God.

If you don't know that respond to this invitation will extend as we pray together.

Let's all bow our heads and everybody praying father, thank you so much for loving us, sinful loss wicked us and you love us so much. You sent Jesus to die in the cross in our place.

Lord, your Holy Spirit is here with us right now he's at work he's tugging on hearts right now he's moving in the lives in the minds of people showing them their need for you but Lord, they have to respond. You won't force them to believe Lord I pray your Holy Spirit will convict and convince any person here or any other person listening or watching does not yet know you and I pray that they will come to believe in you. Now we ask this in Jesus Greg Lord important word of prayer.

And if you like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg would like to help you with that and it will do so before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes what were speaking with New York Times best-selling author Lee Strobel today about his brand-new book called the case for heaven only let me ask you, we would expect non-Christians to have alternate views of the afterlife with one percentage of Christians have an accurate biblical view of heaven in the afterlife. Yeah, that's a great question. I can't give you a specific number but I can tell you that there's a lot of confusion there's a lot of misinformation and part of it is that you cannot we have to understand you know the Bible says no I you see no ear is heard, no mind is even conceived what God has in store for those who love them. We can't understand the totality beauty. The wonder of heaven yet and so the Bible uses figurative language to try to suggest to us send in an accurate way but did to to kinda give us a little bit of a foretaste or an appetizer to try to understand what happens can be like. But the truth is we can't comprehend it yet.

In fact, you know in this world we see a color spectrum and is based on the light from the sun in heaven, though the color spectrum would be based on the light of God is working to see colors in heaven.

We we've never seen and how would you describe that to someone you can't and so the Bible can't say will here's a color you see in you can't describe it. So the Bible gives a suggestive language and so forth. And sometimes it can lead to a bit of confusion if you don't interpret it properly, but I think the confusion about heaven is true, as you say, not just among nonbelievers but among many Christians. I hope this book gives people a sense of encouragement, a sense of wonder. A sense of anticipation, a sense of joy I mean when you think you would consider this, you see pictures from the Hubble space telescope of the incredible galaxies and you know, billions of light years with of the universe and so forth in the beauty and the wonder of it. God can't call that into existence and when you look under a microscope and you see the complexity of a salad. You see the beauty of flowers and the wonder of the animal kingdom. She this is the creativity of God and the say that this God is going to create an afterlife of heaven that is going to be an expression of his creativity and love for us a place to sign for us, to him to maximize our sense of pleasure and joy in adventure and wonder you think about that you go okay I may not understand yet what exactly whatever is going to be like that. I tell you this.

I can't wait to experience it as can be awesome. This is going to be awesome. So if you want to clear up your confusion about heaven the afterlife you want to get a copy of this brand-new book from Lee Strobel. It's called the case for heaven will send it to you for your gift of any size to us here at the new beginning and will use those resources to reach more people with the gospel in the teaching of the word of God and is our way of saying thanks will send you your own copy of the case, for heaven by apologist, prolific author, my friend Lee Strobel. You owe it to yourself to dig into least strong insights. There's so much to learn here so get in touch today with your investment in this Bible teaching program and will be happy to send you the case for heaven.

You can make the arrangements by phone by calling 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. That's 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord. Someone can enter into that kind of a relationship with the Lord. Right now camping yeah they really can.

That's the amazing thing. I think people are surprised that it doesn't take years to become a Christian. It doesn't take months. It doesn't take weeks. It doesn't take days, it doesn't even take ours you can believe on the spot and I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask for his forgiveness. A prayer where you can receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord. So if you want Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want a second chance in life.

If you want to go to heaven when you die, stop what you're doing and pray after me these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God and friend. Thank you for loving me and calling me ever giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen. Listen if you have just prayed those words with pastor Greg Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. The Bible says Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and we like to send you some materials to help you begin to live this new life we call it our new believers growth packet just ask for it and will send it to your free of any charge if you prayed for the first time today with pastor Greg just call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click on know God.

The next time pastor Greg presents a message called the days change the world again for sharing our hearts for Easter.

Join us here on a new beginning.

Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Lord new beginning as a podcast, made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God if this show has impacted your life. Share your story leverage you on your favorite podcast and help others find help