Greg Laurie on Lennon, Dylan, Alice and Jesus | Part 2

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They have all the song that was in the coming up to begin. Pastor Gregori surveys the stories of rockstar shows another pursuit of fame and fortune often would be having more people know your name will make you happy to be very disappointed when you reach the goal and find it is not the answer. Christ is the special edition of the broadcasters. Pastor Gregori is here in the studio with us for the full half hour were discussing the research that led to his new book called lemon Hill and Alice and Jesus is a fascinating read what you know how to get the book for yourself. A little later Pastor Greg first question, what is it that drives your interest in cultural icons, especially in the music industry. I've always been a fan of pop culture always been interested in it. You have to understand that God has called me to be an evangelist and evangelist builds bridges to the culture. He lives in or she lives in. Take Paul on Mars Hill recorded in acts 17. At that time Athens was the cultural and intellectual center of the planet. It also was the city that had thousands of altars are directed to various idols, various gods of the worship so Paul went sightseeing and took in the sights and sounds of Athens and the Bible says his spirit was disturbed and so he got up in front of the people in the town square. There effectively. The Areopagus and begin to speak to them, but it's interesting how we started. He said men of Athens, I perceive that you are spiritual. One translation says religious, we might say today I see your into spirituality. Then Paul quoted their own poets to build a bridge to the message that was based on the gospel so I take this concept and I use it in my preaching all off and start one of my evangelistic messages that I would do one of our events that we call harvest crusades and I might start by quoting the movie start quoting a rock star quoting the billionaire seen something that lines up with what the Bible tells us as an example, I would quote actor Jim Carrey who would say I wish everyone could be rich and famous and have everything they ever dreamed of. So they would realize that's not the answer.

I'm not basing my message on what actors are rockstar say, but I use that to build a bridge to my listener and then I tell them what the Bible says okay so no shift gears over this book I've written titled Lynn and Dylan Allison Jesus. So I'm exploring the lives of these people who had it all who been there done that about the T-shirt and in some cases had been the T-shirt and I'm showing through their lives that the things this culture offers are not really going to meet the deepest needs of our life successes and going to do it.

A new record is another do it.

Global fame isn't going to do it a bunch of cars are and mentioned that won't do it. A bunch of girls that won't do it. No, they need Jesus and I told the stories of those that found the answer they were looking for and became believers people like Richie pur�e Carrey live grin of Kansas, Alice Cooper beyond the Mucci of DM and the Beaumont Roger McGuinn of the birds and many others that I also told the tragic stories of those that did not find the answer and how their lives ended like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse in Chester Bennington, and the list just goes on. So it's a book that shows what happens when you make the right and the wrong choices, but ultimately it's a book that I think will offer hope and say to you, there is no one that you know that is beyond the reach of God.

Let me ask you in researching the book in writing the book. Why do you suppose rock stars and for that matter.

Celebrities of all different stripes. Why do they seem to self-destruct so often. I think a lot of these folks are our damaged goods and so many of them come from broken homes, so many of them come from horrible backgrounds or they come from horrible poverty or something else and and they want to be noticed. They want their life to matter. They want their life. They have meaning and and I think there's actually searching for fulfillment through fame and fortune their thinking. If I can one day be famous if I can one day live in a mansion if I could 1 Day Dr. a Rolls-Royce or Ferrari or whatever it is that I one day had people chanting my name that would bring happiness and of course that's not true and they climbed to the top of the mountain and they find out there's nothing there so I think many of them are really just on a search for the meaning of life, but they're born with the talent as a singer as an actor as a performer of some kind and so many of them rugged quickly to the top. Another like the worst thing that can happen when you don't have a support structure to help you deal with all that adulation, fame and success in all that money you make. I mean, I know it's a clich� when we read the stories of these folks that just spend money like crazy and they find themselves bankrupt and in trouble will be there not prepared for that kind of a life they just like to sing or are they like the performer they like to do something else and then they have this incredible success that can be absolutely. In many cases devastating to them. You know, some might look at all the trouble secular music artist get into and say That's that's why I don't even listen to that crowd anymore, but often their struggles are common struggles and there are some things we can learn from them right. Oh sure, these are just people. When the day is done, and they go behind the closed doors of where they live there just regular people like you and I are, they have the same struggles they have the same insecurities they have that they have the same questions and just because they have all these things doesn't mean that they're happy. In fact, that's why so many of them turned to drugs or other things because they're not finding the fulfillment in the things they may have thought they would find fulfillment in a lady wrote a book talking about hitting the high note and she referenced different people who had great success in their careers, like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. And she said the reason they turned to drugs is because they couldn't hit the high note anymore by that she was not speaking of literally hitting a high note, but they could maintain that level of excitement and euphoria that they may have experienced when it first started for them.

You sort of adjust to that you become acclimated to that.

So then you say what is the next high note. What's the next accomplishment. What is the next mountain to conquer.

Then you conquer that then use it. What's the next thing to do. What's the next car I should driver what's the next house I should live in her houses.

I should buy or yacht. I should have then you accomplish that you think what's in the and on and on it goes in it, just empty empty empty.

The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun was welcome Muggeridge once said, all news is old news happening to new people and you would think that rock stars would look of the lives of other rock stars who have crashed and burned and say I'm not going to do that but yet so many of them do so. It's a story of people were searching, but many of them have found the Lord.

Tragically, many of them have not found the Lord so this book looks at both sides of that and what happens with the decisions you make in life. I think though ultimately it will be a very encouraging book for you to not give up praying for people you know that are not yet believers and listen. This would be an excellent book to give to anyone you know who is not a believer but the rev fan of rock music because I think this book will really speak to them you know of some of the people you talk about in the book obviously have already passed on all which one of them is at the top of the list of who you'd like to meet and have a conversation with. If it were possible. Yeah, that's a really good question. I wish all my there's so many so many I think of Janis Joplin very talented young lady, harassed, made fun of when she was a young girl extraordinarily talented died so young. 27. I wish it could've sat down with her and said Janice God loves you.

And even if others don't love you, as they are to you are loved by the Lord, and he has a plan and a purpose for your life. I was to get us sat down with John Lennon it's a John you need to just follow Jesus, you made a profession of faith in him. Now you need to just grow in your faith spiritually and continue want to discover all that God has in store for you.

I wish it could've sat down with Jimi Hendrix my opinion the greatest guitar player who ever lived by accounts of people that knew him. He was a kind person. He was a humble person but he was a man he was searching as well and I just wish I could've told these people that there is a God in heaven who love them and that a plan for their life. I wish I could tell them that their life matters and so many people care so deeply about them and I can't tell them that unfortunately but I can talk to people who are alive today who maybe are despondent, who maybe have thought about taking their lives somewhat of even attempted to take their lives and say, look, this is not the way you want to go.

Here's the way you want to go you want to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ and discover his plan for your life and get to know him and then you'll have that happiness and that peace that you long for through your entire life will have more of this discussion, Pastor Greg Laurie in just a moment whenever you reach out to us, whether through email a letter or even a text message we read every word. Pastor Greg went to thank you for everything you do. If it wasn't for your messages.

I honestly believe my husband and I would no longer be married. It's been difficult as my husband is in the military and we have a special needs child.

One night when I was about to meet him begged me to stay and watch your married sermons on YouTube and so I did. Now when we go to bad we still watch your sermon videos that we don't use them to fall asleep. Of course there's a lot obviously left out but I hope one day we can talk in person. In March we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary.

Because of God in you. Thank you and God bless out encouraging streaks teachings help to save this marriage of a story this year if so, would you let us know tell us your story by calling 1-866-871-1144 again this 866-871-1144. What were speaking with Pastor Greg today about his new book called women Ellen Alice and Jesus triggered a lot of the ground you cover in this new book is centered around the 60s and 70s.

Yeah that unique era in American history which you also address in your upcoming movie Jesus revolution. That's right. How does this book fit in with the larger projects you been working on while I've always been a fan of music I like movies I like television, though I like all of these things I'm interested in them.

But I also want to bring Christ to people in these worlds. That's why we make movies. We've done films like a rush of hope, which reached millions of people were making a new movie right now. There were actually calling fame and that fill my interview Alice Cooper Darrell strawberry and others. People who have had the great success in life and it found that's not the answer, but Christ is the answer to all of these projects I work on of from a rush of hope for this upcoming feature film Jesus revolution our bridges bridges to walk over and tell stories you know it's interesting, I think the time were living in right now really parallels 1970 the late 60s early 70s we have turmoil in the world. We have the threat of war.

We've had race riots in our street. We've had the effects of drug use. We've had the rise of crime. All things we were experiencing in the late 60s and early 70s.

It's even funny to me as I see young people today who have rediscovered vinyl and they're playing these old records.

We used to listen to the first time you see kids hanging out, you know, in the hipster coffee shop touring Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd a designs in their insured are talking about the Beatles as though there are current bandits hilarious so there was a cultural connection and I think when we make this film Jesus revolution, which is basically set in 1970 and 71 it will speak to a generation alive today.

It will connect to them because we were dealing with a lot of the same issues they are dealing with right now so I'm looking to build bridges. That's why I write books like Lennon, Dylan, Allison, Jesus, or I make movies like a rush of open fame and Jesus revolution and we have our events in stadiums and arenas because we want to reach people that don't know the Lord Jesus did not say the whole world should go to church but he did say the church to go to the whole world. I want to go to where people are and reach unexpected people in unexpected places in unexpected ways with the gospel that can change your life, what my passionate what are you hoping the reader takes away from this book again called Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus. I hope they take away the simple thought no one is beyond the reach of God. I don't care how famous they are.

I don't care how powerful they are or what they've accomplished. Everyone needs Jesus or something to keep in mind everybody is empty. The Bible says that the creation was made subject to emptiness, asking James for their sortable hole in our life. The Bible says God is put eternity in our hearts which means were on the search for God. Listen, you may see a person drive by in a Rolls-Royce there empty another person drives by in a previous there empty. One person has a beautiful home there empty. Someone has a simple little shot. They live in there empty everybody's empty number two. Everybody's lonely no matter how many fans you have or how many friends you think you have how many followers you have on social media, you're lonely and really there's a loneliness in your heart for God himself. Thirdly, everyone's afraid to die.

All I know some people say oh I'm looking forward to die know they're not there afraid to die. And lastly I would say everybody just needs Jesus so rock stars, movie stars, billionaires, unknown people. People that can play two cords in the guitar.

Everybody needs Jesus, so this book shows that those who've been there and done that about the T-shirt have still found that's not the answer and some of them made wrong decisions and reap the consequences. Some of them made right decisions and got on the road that leads to life and started following Jesus Christ. My hope is when you read this book, you'll say this gives me hope for my son or daughter. This gives me hope for my husband or wife. This gives me hope for that crazy neighbor that's always giving me a hard time. All this gives me hope for my boss or my coworker or my friends from my past, but also I would encourage you this would be a great book after you've read it to share with someone that's not yet a believer at the end of the book as always I present the gospel and I even have a prayer that a person can pray to accept Jesus Christ. Let's talk to somebody who may be listening right now. Maybe a young person who really, really, really wants to be famous or wealthy or adored by a stadium full of adoring fans. You know, some so many young people want to be a tick-tock sensation or a YouTube influencer drawing on the insight in this new book what your message to them. With so many of these artists of days gone by that have become iconic didn't have social media in their day, but they had it all. They had massive success. Global feint you know they had private jets and Bentleys and mansions and yachts and you name it they had it, but they saw that wasn't the answer and I think of stories I read even recently of young influencers, young people who have had great success on social media platforms that have taken their own lives and it just doesn't make any sense to us.

But in the way it makes total sense. Because of you think that fame or having more followers are having more people know your name will make you happy you going to be very disappointed when you reach the pinnacle and find it is not the answer. So what I want to say to those folks is, Christ is the answer. No, God may bless you with success. God may bless you with fame. God may bless you with other things but don't make that the sole purpose of living here is what the apostle Paul said he said the live is Christ. For some people if they were honest they would say to live is possessions. Their motto would be he who dies with the most toys wins. I would just add to that he who dies of the most toys wins� Nothing. Another might say for me to live is success well yes you can have success but Jesus said, what is it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul. Somebody else might say I live for this other thing live for Christ. Put God first. Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. In context he was talking about what you eat or what you drink, or what you wear. God will take care of all of the needs of your life but don't make those things. The focus of your life.

May Christ, the focus of your life and if you do you'll find the meaning of life thrive and listen if you'd like to know more about having a relationship with the Lord. Just go to our website harvest.org and click the words know God. Now there's a lot more this important insight and passion.

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Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org are you receiving Pastor Greg's daily devotions each day via email is not much to care that right now you can sign up today free of charge@harvest.org and you receive a daily inspirational thought from God's word each day in your inbox again. Go to harvest.org everybody what are you doing this weekend. I like to hang out with you that 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 that Harvest at Home. Join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for harvest@homethatharvest.org now stay with something fun. A while back, Pastor Greg stop by our listener services Center and posed as one of our operators. You'll hear what happened just a moment.

But looking ahead. Next time, Pastor Greg launches a serious and a fascinating book of Nehemiah. It's a book filled with insights on leadership, the power of prayer and how we are all called to the work of the kingdom. That's ahead. Next time the other day Pastor Greg went to her listener services area to have some fun.

Everyone a little behind-the-scenes thing here worth of an answer couple calls a mess of people's minds and see if I can get them to insult Greg Laurie, that's my objective.

Thank you for calling harvest ministries of Greg Laurie how can I help you in your you know actually the reason for that is that's intentional because Greg Laurie himself asked us to not send you material first John really personally I like the guy I don't know why he's on the air now.

Really he you don't know what is really like you doesn't mean praying. Sometimes he messes with the mailing list. He probably did it. I'm in a try to make it right because you seem like a nice lady. Actually, this is Greg Laurie so I'm just answering your call for fun. It is nice to talk to you two were you calling from 90 good yes I will.

That's great. You know that's a great university liberty as well" are right address and sign the book and send it to you as well for being so nice with my obnoxiousness. Thank you God bless you when you call us at 1-800-821-3300.

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