How to Have a Personal Spiritual Revival | Getting Uncomfortable with Sin

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 is holding over why do the models is so because as soon as all know that's a gigantic law, double show. Many people should read Maurice's shin has a hard momentarily live a happy life without sin.

God is not out to ruin your life is your life so you would you need to do it his way is tracking each of his fallen victim to and so many have experienced the disasters often follows. Shin looks good through the windshield of bad memory in the rear view mirror today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie brings us a cold hard look at how to resist old law in the book of Nehemiah covering how we can each experience of personal spiritual revival make a distinction between two words that are all interchangeably. Revival and awakening. What it comes down to America needs a spiritual awakening the church needs a revival and awakening is when God sovereignly pours out his spirit and in impacts of culture.

That's what happened in the Jesus revolution that would happen in multiple spiritual awakenings in the history of America predating us being established as a country but a revival that is what the church must experience its when the church comes back to life when the church becomes what it was always meant to be.

It's all returning to passion well before us here in Nehemiah 8 is a national revival.

Nehemiah chapter 8 verse one when the people assembled with unified purpose at the square just inside the Watergate, the schedule described to bring out the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord given for Israel to obey and on October 8.

Ezra the priest brought the book of the law before the assembly which included the men and the women and the children old enough to understand he faces square just inside the Watergate from early morning to noon. He read aloud to everyone who could understand the people listen closely to the bulk of the law, and Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform and have been made for the occasion, and to his right stood. There's a bunch of people. It's to do is right and left my let you review those things later because I can't pronounce all of those names and address it on the platform in full view of the people when they saw them open the book they all rose to their feet. There so this was a full-blown revival where the people in their standing there, and Ezra has God's word for them. He shares God's word to diversity all the people listen closely to the book of the law.

I can tell you how much of a difference it makes between a group of people that want to hear God's word and a group of people that don't and I've had a lot of my friends who come here and spoken or pastors tell me how much they loved a breach of harvest I say tell me what is it because they love God's word. That's a good trait in your preaching until we know, when you don't really want to hear us and people are not exactly subtle. By the way, I don't know if you're aware this but actually I can see you know people mother. The third you're picking your nose for minutes saw the non-but I see everything you do and as I speak. I sort of scanning the room. I look at people periodically.

Sometimes we will say you were staring at me the whole message you are preaching to me by the way, who told you that personal information about my life.

Nobody gave me any information about you and I never stare at anyone intentionally except you and I miss Derek to UK you think it was all right. So, the yawning out loud group I love this on Allstate all right will instrument our Bibles doing a lookup in some of the really good you not even trying to suppress Leon and then when you close your eyes and pulled her hand. I know you're not ring. Okay, forget it. I'm not buying the prayer DO your taking a nap. I understand that is get up and leave.

I get up and lead to guard sleep time and walked out the back there so you know you know that you see that from a peer about when people are hungry for God's word. When you say turn your Bibles to I love when people lunge the Bible, flipping through at that sound of the rustling of Bible pages. The sweetest sound. I know, and so these people wanted to hear Ezra 9 know preachers can be boring. I don't get it. I don't know how you can take action-packed living breathing word of God and make it dull, but absolutely, some preachers do it and I know sometimes preachers go along but know this extra one for hours and hours and the people stood the whole time. So don't complain about my long sermons again and they listen, they listen closely is what we read.

They listen closely, the story is told Pres. Calvin Coolidge attended church one Sunday I came home after his wife said so. Cal.

One of the preacher.

Talk about today.

Pres. Coolidge said he talked about said, I think she said what did he say Pres. Colin said he's against it.

Yet that the guy was not listening okay you know sometimes after church. All talk to people on the safe good sermon today, pastor of simple think you wanted to like in particular about it and look at you during the headlamps write your story about the dog you know whatever. Sometimes, RCV of notes. I think you think I look at your notes go here.

Then I read that I love that cousin I see what people are picking up on the get the point I was actually making a why are you writing I dislike this preacher make him stop God make him stop now. Yeah so you know it's really coming down to how we listen, we we put a lot of pressure on preachers delivering the goods. We expect them to do it and I think they should work at their craft in their gifting and the delivery of a message but there's also a place for prepared listeners. There's a right and there's a wrong way to listen the way you engage taking notes is a good way to retain information. Point number two you're having revival and people spontaneously and passionately worship God having revival people passionately and spontaneously worship God to give her six Ezra praise the Lord, the great God and all the peoples and amen amen and they lifted their hands and they bow down and worship the Lord with their faces to the ground. You know, a hearty amen goes a long way when someone speaking in know what it would even say that amen means so be it. I agree right on I'm down with that true that however you want a frame it's right yes yes just scream at you know some people and it freaks the preacher out.

You know, just like amen yell that resonated with me.

Amen.

That's of the people are doing. Amen. Amen. And he opens the word of God, to them I want to point out three things that are very important will explore for a few moments in normal and the message, but there are three things that happen here is the people react to God's word number one they understood the word of God versus 18. They understood the word of God.

Number two, they rejoiced in the word of God. Versus 9 to 12 and number three they obeyed the word of God versus 13 to 18, so they they herded. They understood, they rejoiced in it and they also obeyed it and so this is something that's very important as we hear God's word because wasn't God's gonna come to us through Scripture.

Sometimes he will say I never know the will of God. Read the Bible and you will read the Bible and you will I don't mean that are versus going to jump out and tell you you should buy the right of the green dress after church Bible doesn't deal with things like that gives us principles. It gives us principles we govern our life by, and the Holy Spirit helps us to know how to apply those principles in day-to-day situations and it would give you the wisdom you need when you need it, but as you immerse yourself in God's word you learn to start thinking biblically and understand what it says and Jesus says behold, and the volume of the book I've come we don't worship the Bible we worship the author of the Bible of the Bible is the autobiography of God. So as I read Scripture I discovered him. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment.

It's a joy to hear when the studies touched lives. Listen to these comments from one of her listeners pastor Greg.

I remember the very first time I heard your voice and I knew I would have to listen. It was about five years ago and I was riding my car a snippet of one of your sermons came on. Between songs on a Christian station and I've been a fan ever since.

I really like your jokes to sometimes corny but always funny. You make me a better Christian and I thank you for that.

I need all the encouragement I can get to walk the straight and narrow.

I appreciate you my brother in Christ, if you have a story to share. Why not call us and give us all the details. 1-866-871-1144, 866-871-1144 were in the book of Nehemiah today for pastor Greg's message, how to have a personal spiritual revival must continue number two. We must be convicted by the word of God. So first we understand the word of God and we must be convicted by looking Nehemiah 88 they read from the book of the law of God, and clearly explain the meaning of what was being read helping the people understand each passage. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe in the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, don't leave for such a time as this.

Today is a sacred day before the Lord your God and the people began weeping as they listen to the law of God. Listen, sometimes we have a false idea of how Scripture and even church should impact you know we want to be blessed never convicted. We want to be happy never sat with a don't beat me down in church Lithia.

I want to be inspire. I want to be encouraged.

I want to walk out here happy. Well, hold on now, buckaroo.

Let's determine your spiritual condition for China want you to be happy. If you're living in sin. So there may need to be that conviction of the Holy Spirit will show you what your sin is so you can repent of it and then walk out truly happy, because Jesus said blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.

You know the word blessed is interchangeable with the word happy so you could translated happy are the sad for they will be happy. What you said all of this is on right before the Lord, I need to change this and then you can find the true happiness that you really desire. So really what Ezra is saying okay guys look you've got this you've repented of his sin. Now it's time to rejoice and be like going to a doctor and seeing a doctor. You know, I've got some goal issues are some symptoms I wanted to do a checkup and then I want you to give me only good news. Don't give me anything negative just good news. What you can't do that. He's taken a Hippocratic go and among other things, he is to do no harm yes to tell you the truth, for your own welfare and the preacher has to do the same and we need to do the same of the church. But here's what actually is being said to them by Ezra.

He says stop your morning and instead rejoice. I love the statement from Warren wears me quote it is as wrong to mourn when God has forgiven us as it is wrong to rejoice when sin is conquered us is wrong, rejoice when sin is conquered. If you didn't listen to my message right now in your living in sin and you feel good about it. That is a bad song if you're, you know, sleeping with her boyfriend girlfriend if you're doing drugs. If you're lying, stealing, looking at porn, whatever. And somehow in your mind, you managed to rationalize this as being okay and you managed to even convince yourself. God is fine with that. You're in a dangerous spiritual state because you're in danger of getting a hardened heart and is seared content. You don't want to feel good about yourself.

You want to feel bad enough to repent. God does not convict us of our sin, to drive us away in despair God convicts us of our sin to send us into the open arms of Jesus who died on the cross to pay for all of your sin and then when you accept that forgiveness. You can find the happiness you want, because the Bible says blessed or happy is the man who sin is forgiven. So Ezra is actually saying come on guys, it's time to rejoice and be happy because the Lord has forgiven you.

One final point, we must obey the word of God. They understood the word of God. The rejoice in the word of God and the obeying the word of God as the people heard God speak to them through Ezra. They realized they had missed something.

Something this Scripture and told them to do. And among these things was going outside building structures out of branches and leaves and having the time where they were living out in the open. There in thankfulness to God for all that he had done for them, and the result of their obedience was great joy.

Verse 17 is my point. Sometimes people think all. If I do with the Bible says to be so miserable because the sinners have all the fun they get to do all the cool stuff do whatever they want to do this. Sinners really have more fun hold they have fun sometimes something otherwise would never send Woodley the respondent sin momentarily, but all man. The penalties are brutal and sometimes very lethal is a close in on your life you face the repercussions of that and so this is something that we need to think about. But here's the deal God and his word says don't do this do this instead of that thing and he says if you do these things you'll find happiness. Luke 1128 says happy are those that hear the word of God and keep it. You can have a happy life without sin. You can have a happy life without sex outside of marriage without drugs or alcohol without selfishness.

God is not out to ruin your life these out to bless your life and to fulfill you, but you need to do it his way. Same in so you gotta do it become Soundview, there's all these things God wants to do for you but you need to come and understand God's word.

You need to come in, rejoice in God's word and then you need to come and obey God's word and if you don't do that well. The Lord is not going to force-feed you. It's in front of you.

It's yours to enjoy jurors to reject yet. They had a great revival that last well for a time revival to last forever. They have a beginning, middle and end of I was a little bit like an explosion blew like when you start your car effectively.

It's an explosion and then the car starts and so revivals like an explosion within you know sometimes we lose sight of it. We need another revival that we need another one. Someone once asked Billy Sunday that evangelist if his revivals lasted. He said no, neither does a bath but it's good to have one. Occasionally, so it's good to go back and say Lord provide me again and again and again, I think we have a close by asking him to provide us. I know that I need constant revival YouTube on the way we all do our church does the church does in America needs an awakening. Let us start with us when we close with this. Some of you that have joined us some of you watching us right now.

You may not have this relationship with God.

We been talking about you been trying to find happiness without God you been trying to find happiness in a bottle you been trying to find happiness in a medication of some kind, legal or illegal human trying to find happiness in illicit experiences human trying to find happiness through material things we been trying to find it through. Accomplishments are whatever it is and you haven't found it. And here's a newsflash. You never will. God prewired you to know him and everything you're looking for is right in front of you in a relationship with Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ was born in that manger of Bethlehem, he walked the streets of Jerusalem, and then he died in the cross outside of the walls of Jerusalem for the sin of the world for your sin and for my in the fall term for my sin. He will come and live inside of me and listen to this. Your name will be written in the book of life, and if your name is written in the book of life. When you die. God will say enter written to the joy of the Lord, and if your name is not written in the book of life. He will see the part for me. I never knew you. It's your choice. You want your name in the book you want your sin forgiven you want this happiness you been seeking.

It's right here Jesus Christ to die on the cross and rose again from the dead is here with this right here right now ready to come in your life and forgive you of all of your sins and you need to ask immense organic close in prayer and I'm in extend an invitation for you to ask Jesus Christ to come into your life.

So let's all bow our heads of father I pray for everyone here.

Everyone watching wherever they are, that they don't have this relationship with you. I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict them and convince them of their need for you and help them to come to you and believe.

So their name can be written in your book. In Jesus name I pray your great glory important prayer to close today study time here on a new beginning. And if you like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord today. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment and at the very end of today's program. Pastor Greg will lead us all and asking the Lord to revive us yesterday were making available your new book called Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus in your subtitle you call it the spiritual biography of rock 'n' roll – it's full of stories of rock icons use meteoric success. Then, often soon after self-destructed by let's talk to somebody who may be listening to us right now.

Maybe a young person who who really, really, really wants to be famous or wealthy or adored by a stadium full of exuberant fans and of so many young people want to be a tick-tock sensation, YouTube influencer, drawing on the insight in this new book what your message to them. 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 fame. 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 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're 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. Yeah, that's good insight and there's a lot More Coming Your Way in Pastor Greg's brand-new book called Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus. So can we send a copy to you. It's our thank you gift for those who can partner with us right now.

Your investment helps keep Pastor Greg's insights coming your way here on a new beginning, and they help us reach out with the gospel through our large-scale evangelistic outreaches such as Boise harvest just a few weeks ago. So your investment is an investment in change lives. Contact us today by calling 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime at 1-800-821-3300 or write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord.

Someone can enter into that kind of relationship with God right now. Kathy 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 man listen. If you have just prayed those words with pastor Greg. The 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 would 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 you free of any charge if you prayed for the first time today with pastor Greg call us at 1-800-821-3300. Again, that's 1-800-821-3300 or are mailing addresses a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org and click know God when next time will see the story of Nehemiah included a massive call to prayer and yielded some dramatic results will see what we can learn from that next time before we go.

A pastor Greg closes in order prayer we talked about revival and I think we should pray that God will revive us now because we need it, we needed each and every day you know what I don't know. Maybe it's the evangelist in me. I love the lead people and prayers because it marks things in time saw only two guys in a prayer if you would like to do that and you can print out loud after me and it's a prayer for revival adult freight if you don't mean by all means don't. But if you do mean it and you want this revival in your life you want to be rekindled. You want to be restored and pray this prayer out loud after me. Let's all pray for this now, Lord Jesus, I need personal revival and I need it now. So fill me with your Holy Spirit.

Give me a passion for your word. Give me a passion for prayer.

Give me a passion to share my faith with stormy revive me, empower me, I commit myself to you now and I receive it in Jesus name I pray father we pray this prayer just like the folks did back in the book of Nehemiah and you filled the menu. Bless them, so fill us and bless us. Now, as we worship you, for we ask it in your name. The preceding podcast was made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God learn how to do, harvest partner, sign up for daily devotions and find resources to help you grow in your faith harvest.org