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May 11, 2022 3:00 am
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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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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 nobody like Bonnie. Not many people choose to walk away from there you should read Maurice's bill you have going billion dollars gift cards ago one claim, the reader, all cards fun playing all the money so here's the Bible with cards if you will guard because the Bible is filled with promises that all you want to do some of it and put it in your pocket at all when you file your tax bill.
The IRS keep tax refund for the show. Probably not. If something belongs to us will take today of a new beginning for Greg Laurie points out, the blessings and promises of God is made available to many of us have never taken advantage of what we are meal my was the cupbearer to the king Artaxerxes.
It was the leader of the Medo Persian said to be a man, that the king could trust actually had to be a man, that the king liked because he spent a lot of time with them because whenever food was served of the king. Nehemiah either first and basically Nehemiah die the king without a vote, and it would be the cupbearer a new one. Rather then he would drink of the cup before the king would drink about.
But in time he became the confidant of the king, he became the counselor to the king in many ways, he was the second most powerful man in all of the nation at this point so very successful job and is super cushy one at that. And you would want to jeopardize it but despite this luxurious life. Nehemiah was concerned about others. That's where his heart was in a perfect world, he didn't want to be in the palace. He wanted to be in the temple. In other words, he had the finest this world has to offer what he wanted to be with God and with God's people cared about them. So he asks about them.
So were in Nehemiah chapter 1 starting the verse one by the way I'm reading from the new living translation in late autumn in the 20th year of king Artaxerxes rain. I was at the fortress of Susa not I one of my brothers came to visit me with some other men would just arrived from Judah.
I asked him about the Jews would return there from captivity and how things were going in Jerusalem.
They said to me, things are not going well for those a return of the province of Juneau are in great trouble and disgrace the wall of Jerusalem is been torn down and the gates have been destroyed by fire truck on verse seven. When I heard this I sat down and I wept in fact for days. They mourned and fasted and prayed to the God of heaven and I said, oh Lord God of heaven. The great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfeeling love with those who love him and obey his command. Listen to my prayer look down now and see me prayed day and night for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned. We've sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees and regulations. You gave us for your servant Moses. There.here are some principles on how to pray from Nehemiah principle number one of your taking the because God answered this prayer you want your prayers answered.
Pray Nehemiah's way. Principle number one you acknowledge the greatness of God. You acknowledge the greatness of God. Verse five again. Oh Lord God of heaven. The great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfeeling love with those who love him and keep his commands. Oh great and awesome God I love that word awesome is still very popular is meant I just cost him that wasn't awesome. Berger wasn't all that was an awesome movie. Oh, you look awesome. Today we throw the word around a lot.
You want to get real technical only God is completely awesome and that's what he says your awesome Lord saw Cimino Meijer on aspiring I'm I'm speechless. Lord, consider this when you see God in his greatness.
You will see your problems in the relative smallness I'm not diminishing your problems because you might be here today with big problem. A big challenge something that's kinda scary, even.
But your God's bigger your God's way bigger than your problem so that's something that you should always remind yourself you approach God the Lord hear the Almighty God, you, the great God, you are the creator God. You're the sovereign God.
Why do I say that I'm just getting things in perspective before even start and is this not what Jesus taught us in what we call the Lord's prayer, the disciples came to him and they didn't say Lord, teach us a killer prayer the prayer to pray in case of emergency. Give us the big one, Lord know they said, Lord, teach us to pray God teaches a prayer. Teach us to pray. Jesus said after this manner therefore you should prayer another way of putting it. Follow this template or pattern of prayer our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, so that prayer that Jesus taught us to pray the model for all prayer does not start with my needs.
I don't say our father who art in heaven. Give me this day my daily bread. No I say my father worn in heaven.
How would set apart be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So I'm contemplating God in his greatness. Number two. Nehemiah reminded God of his promises.
He says in verse five the God who keeps his covenant did Nehemiah need to jog God's memory.
Does God forget stuff know he does so what Greg the Bible says God speaking your sins and iniquities will I remember no more. So he forgets our sins.
Yeah, but there's a difference between literally forgetting things and choosing to not remember things you know so when God says he forgives our sins and forgets them doesn't mean he has you know a lapse of memory. That means I choose to not hold that against you any longer. But he still remembers technical detail. He remembers everything I forget stuff all the time I lose my keys, I lose my wallet. I lose I lost my phone the other day.
Look for like all day with my phone where's my phone we lose things we forget things. God never loses anything. He never forgets anything.
He's omniscient, which means he is all knowing, so why would you remind God of something when you pray will in a way you're reminding yourself as much is your reminding God. God you promise to provide us for all of our needs.
So were praying in light of that, like the teacher gives an exam and they find that the students have learned the material that's very pleasing to the teacher and sometimes people come up to me after I spoke and think. Great sermon pastor and the will thank you very much one in the message spoke to your heart will great sermon pastor and there's one thing you were listening. I appreciate the gesture, but you say no.
It's when you made this one point really spoke to me to that that brings me joy. As Okies got through right half the time.
He now I work on a message for a long time and I love the analogy about a dog and the guy love the dog story really is that all this with dog stories. All you remember what if something I guess. But I don't have a dog story in this or but the point is is that when someone hears what you say that's wonderful and so what we say Lord I been reading your promises.
And I remember your promises and I'm reminding you of your promises.
That's a good thing. See that remind us that we don't just read through the Bible we pray through the Bible because the Bible is filled with promises.
Someone estimated there are 3000 promises to believers found in the pages of Scripture 3000 I don't know if the numbers accurate. If you want to go check this week and get a new number to me. I might use your number for a while. Then I read the other day that there are $5.8 billion in gift cards that go unclaimed every year you know about that view of gift cards. You cannot claim how many of you unclaimed gift cards.
I have a feeling around.
Think of all those gift cards unclaimed all that money not utilized. So here's the Bible filled with gift cards if you will give cards Geordie paid for you to see the Same in there so many promises God has given you say, what are they won't just give you four quick points number one God says you'll never be alone in life will never be alone in life.
Isaiah 4110 the Lord says don't be afraid I'm with you.
Don't be dismayed. I am the Lord your God. I will strengthen you and hope you will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you. Number two God will get you through whatever you're facing. Isaiah 43 to God's is when you go to deep waters. I'll be with you when you go through rivers of difficulty. You will not drown when he walked to the fire of oppression. You'll not be burned up in the flames will not consume you in on a year that promise cuts and I'll be with you through the rough waters in the fires of like, it's nice until you're getting your next round of chemo until you're facing the crisis until your world seems to be unraveling and all of a sudden that becomes what it is always been a great and precious promises from God and all you have to do is claim that promise for yourself because the gift card is paid for. Just go redeem it. Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message just a moment, you know, there's nothing lying here in the word of God worshiping the Lord together. I will encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home every Saturday and Sunday harvest.org you can join Christians literally from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together. So join us for Harvest at Home and harvest will pastor Greg is highlighting some of the rich promises of God available to believers promises we often overlook today's message is titled the rebuild life there's another one God will provide for your needs. Give financial needs right now.
Here's what God says Jesus speaking. Matthew 633 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added on the human all these things is a reference to an earlier statement he made when he said don't be like nonbelievers obsess about what they're going to wear what they going to drink and what the getting eat.
Jesus is saying put God first seek a verse that all these things will be added to you. Malachi 310 God says bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and though be enough food in my Temple. And if you do I'll open the windows of heaven for you brought a blessing so great you won't have room enough to take it in.
Client put it to the test. If you were put God to the test and tithing so I don't believe in tithing. While God does and everyone should tie. That's when we start as it will. I don't want to type. We don't have to talk but I'll tell you what God promises up were faithful in our giving to him, he will provide for us and he even says put me to the test on this one. That's very interesting, because he doesn't say that anywhere else and also God will forgive us of all of our sins, for someone eats is a book confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Okay that's for promises there's 2966 more to go claim them. And speaking of confession of sin.
That's what BMI did next. Look at verse seven. I confess that we have sinned against you.
Yes me in my own family.
We have sin we send terribly by not obeying the command's decrees and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. Notice the use of the word we in my own family and I have said interesting as we look at the life of Nehemiah. I don't really read of any notable sin.
He had not worship false gods. Like many of his fellow Israelites, but yet he says I have sin I am responsible.
You know it's easy to point fingers at everyone else and say that they are the problem. It's them. The whole world against me.
I don't know why everyone dislikes me.
I don't know why everyone's getting angry at me.
There also wrong. Did it ever occur to you is you that comes as a revelation to some people. Could it be you.
Why is everyone upside down with you.
Why are so many people hurt by you.
Maybe if you so wanted to stop pointing the finger because of your notice to be .1 finger up three or pointing back at you say say Lord my marriage is in trouble, this lousy husband he needs to repent Lord this ungrateful. Why doesn't know how hard I work with these miserable children Lord is that they want so many things to change them, change them change everyone. Did you ever stop and say Lord change me her story about a little boy, he was sent to his room for misbehaving. He told his mom he thought it over and said a prayer.
She said very good.
You should pray that God will help you not to misbehave. He said oh I didn't ask God to help me not to misbehave. I asked him to help you put up with me about you changing some complaining about your wife and pray that God will help you to be a more godly husband some complaining about your husband and pray that God will help you to be a more godly wife and better parents and on it goes. Start with you.
It you and then if we listen folks were all in this together were all in this together in about two old ladies who had never flown before. They're afraid of jet plane so they found a prop plane flying to where they wanted to go in and they took their seat. There were a little nervous and suddenly they heard a loud noise.
One of the ladies looked out the window. On the other side of the plane and saw the engine had stopped. She turned to her friend and said what we do and her friends, and I wouldn't worry about that. That's their side of the plane. Well, it will affect you to so it's very easy to say what so-and-so would do this. Everything would be better. Okay so-and-so maybe needs to do that, but you can't control so-and-so. So let's just start with you, we see the nation needs a spiritual awakening. True, we say the church needs a revival again. True. But listen. Revival starts with you. Revival is personally say what you mean by revival I mean restoring to original condition. So I am that man of that woman that God wants me to be. Yes, it's good to pray for someone else to change.
Pray that God would change you prayer does changes things. But it's also true that prayer changes you and sometimes prayer changes you and you change thing so some angel pray Lord is actually I want you to do this job and Nehemiah prayed and God said good job buddy because you are going to be the one to bring the change through you going to be the man who will make a difference and so he called out to the Lord and we need to do the same.
One would state your life is in right now you know we talk about these walls of Israel walls mattered back in those days they were defensive. Of course at the Enemies out and especially the gate of the city was were commerce was done. It was also where the elders would need to and they would make important decisions there were. They were placed of authority so they meant a lot and in our life. We have wall sort of build around us, and sometimes those walls start breaking down, you know, we compromise a little here, we compromise a little there and then the weeds start growing in the problem start developing. Maybe we need to go about rebuilding our own walls. Personally, maybe it needs to start with a prayer. We just see yourself as we really are. Listen, if you're not a Christian, let me tell you your to state before God, you're a sinner in need of a Savior because there's nothing you can do to earn your way into heaven. But the good news is, as God loves you so much. He sent his son Jesus Christ 2000 years ago on a rescue mission to die on the cross for your sin and to pay the price for all the wrongs you've done, then the rise again three days later you need Jesus and even after you've known the Lord for months and years and then decades, you still need Jesus. Any Jesus every day and every night and every month and every year from your first year to your last and sometimes we start well and we just get off track and we need to recommit ourselves to Christ, and we need to rebuild broken down walls and that might be some of you now, so the closing prayer and I meant to extend an invitation for some of you to believe in Jesus for the first time and also an invitation for some of you to recommit your life to him because well the walls in your marriage.
The walls in your life. The walls in your testimony there there broken down and in some cases there in rubble. But God can help you to rebuild those walls again but it starts with seeing God and his greatness. Confessing my sin, calling out to him. Let's pray father, thank you for your word to us today and I pray for anyone hear anyone watching wherever they might be, who does not know you yet. Lord, help them to see that with a really long from life as you they long for Jesus I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of their need for you help them become to you and believe in Jesus name I pray for Greg Lord important prayer. If you want to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do that before today's addition of a new beginning wraps up so stay with us, Pastor Greg, you just released her new book, Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus yeah and were making it available right now through a new beginning. Yes, let me ask you in researching and writing the book. What 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. 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 same and fortune their thinking if I could one day be famous if I get one day live in a mansion if I can 1 Day Dr., Rolls-Royce or Ferrari or whatever it is that I one day he 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 rocketed quickly to the top and then is 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 cliché when we read the stories of these folks said just spend money like crazy and they find themselves bankrupt and then 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 but I think a lot of these guys are searching for peace and meaning.
Why are they here on this earth.
It just about this. Don't take the wrong course in life don't think that things will fill that void in your life or a career will do it, or success will do it, or sex will do it, or any other thing.
What you really want what you really need is 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've long for throughout your entire life. This right is such a strong evangelism tool and a fascinating group of many biographies of so many of the names we know well the subtitle is the spiritual biography of rock 'n' roll and would like to send you Pastor Greg's new book, Lennon Dylan, Alice, and Jesus is her way of saying thank you for your investment in these daily studies were completely listener supported.
We couldn't be here each day without the generosity of listeners like you.
So thank you for your partnership and when you send your donation be sure to ask for Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus call us at 1-800-821-3300. We are here round-the-clock to take your call 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and then a Pastor Greg wants to help you if you'd like to make a change today in a relationship with the Lord, babies, you've been listening to this message, you thought I wish I could come into this relationship with God.
I just don't know how. Let me tell you how you can come into a relationship with God right here right now. First of all you need to recognize, you need God. You need to admit you're a sinner. I know some people choke on that word.
But the Bible says all of sin and fallen short of the glory of God. But then you need to recognize that Jesus Christ, the son of God died on the cross for your sin. The Bible says while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and then you need to believe in Jesus. Jesus put it this way for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life.
You might ask, how does one believe in Jesus to believe means to put your faith and trust in Christ and Christ alone and to receive them into your life as your own friend Savior and Lord. The Bible says, for as many as received him, he give them the power to become sons of God. Would you like to receive Christ.
By that I mean would you like to us Jesus to enter into your life and be your Savior. Your friend, your Lord, if so just pray this prayer after me now pray these words. If you would, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin. I sure now from my sin and I ask you to come into my life and forgive me of all of my sin. Thank you for loving me.
Thank you for hearing this prayer and thank you for answering this prayer in Jesus name I pray, amen. If you just pray that prayer I want to congratulate you and say welcome to the family of God strike him and listen. You may have some questions about this change in your life will Pastor Greg would like to help by sending something called our new believers growth packet it will answer many of those questions and help you get started off right in your new relationship with the Lord is free of charge. Just contact us and ask for the new believers growth packet. Our phone number is 1-800-821-3300 and we can take your call anytime.
That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click know God. Next time as we continue our study in the book of Nehemiah. Pastor Greg brings inside on the vital role of prayer in the life of the productive believer join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible Greg Moore and everybody thinks or listening to beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. So for more content can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner.
Just go to harvest.org