Why God Chose You | Adopted Into God’s Family

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners.

If this program is impacted you, I love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org today master Greg Laurie Morris, Jesus sets us free from our changes, but there's even more to the story and practice the rational part of the story.

Here's a picture. During the slave market your chain. Jesus comes and says I'll take this one penalty retail is Academy your new master master only wherever you want me to go down one because I know he was my own child in business now more than 12 million people take a DNA test more about their lineage related to royalty today at the beginning as we study the life of Pastor Greg Laurie points out, there's a lineage that extends beyond the earthly will see spiritually speaking. We've been adopted into God's family through Christ we are related to oil, which shows sons and daughters. We live Esther a bad mood was rising, the villain of the story came in emerges on the scene and now he is coming into power.

As you recall, the king is put him as second in command and not only that but the king is given to him in his signet ring that would be like giving someone your credit card or giving them your passwords.

Payment had access to all the power of the king, and he catches this wicked plot to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of the earth.

Why was we discovered together. Haman was an avowed enemy of Israel descendent from the Amalekites king. A gag was spared and the inkjet guy were a race of people, and Haman was in a gag.

I took he had a blood feud with Israel, and of course our good friend Mordechai and Esther were Jews so they would be on his hitless now with this plan with the good Esther three starting in verse five when he came and saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect. He was filled with rage. She had learned of Mordecai's nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordechai alone and said he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes that would be the person empire so he's in power. He wants to wipe the Jewish people out and he gets the Kings approval so Mordechai attaches wind of this plot and so he being a government official himself sends word to Esther saying you've got to do something. Meanwhile, Esther is living in the literal lap of luxury there in the palace of the king, she was occluded and isolated. He knew nothing about the plight of her people.

So Mordechai is standing outside of the walls of the palace cupboard in sackcloth.

He's in morning.

Because of this threat against the Jews in an someone notices him and says a Esther your cousins outside not dress very well. He looks pretty unhappy. Jesus will send him some new clothes and I may send them simple.

Talk about missing the point altogether and so now Mordechai needs to tell Esther what's really coming down.

That brings us to Esther chapter 4.

Look at verse 13, Mordecai said to Esther, don't think for a moment that because you're in the palace, you will escape when all the other Jews are killed if you keep quiet and a time like this.

Deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from of some other place.

Would you and your relatives will die, but who knows perhaps you were made.

Queen for such a time as this very interesting statement that Mordecai makes to Esther. Here's what we need to remember that God does not need us. Sometimes Evergreen was a God meets us the reason God created humanity is because he was lonely up there in heaven wanted some companionship nonsense God doesn't need anything or anyone but having said that, it is true that God wants us it is true that God loves us. It is true that he longs for relationship and friendship with us. Now here's a question. Can God reach lost people without us. Yes, but does he want to reach lost people without us know because the Bible says, how will they hear without a preacher and how they preach unless they are said how beautiful are the feet of those that bring good tidings of peace.

So here's what Mordechai said Esther girl listen if you don't act on this God will raise up somebody else.

But don't think you're off the hook here because of you will die along with the rest of your fellow Jews, but did it ever occur to you that you are where you are because God put you there. We did it ever occur to you that cranky neighbor that that difficult to deal with coworker of that person. Do you come into contact with in a regular basis could be your mission field. Did you ever stop and think about praying for that person by name and frame for an opportunity to engage them in a conversation to lead them to Christ.

And so she was chosen by God and we been chosen by God that brings us to Ephesians pop over the really quick Ephesians chapter 1. Why did God choose us how many of you believe you been chosen by God raise her hand up. That's good.

Why do you think God shows you here's the answer in Ephesians 1 verse four just as he chose us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption. You might underline those words adoption to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, heard the story of two brothers were signing up for Little League. They were to write down their birthdates, which they did, but the coach noticed they were both born on the same year, but they were born two months apart when I'm a little confused about you do brothers how can you be brothers will be born in the same year. A few months apart in one of the boys that were adopted go to know which one of you was adopted. They both said in unison. We don't know what you mean you don't know how can you not know which one of you was adopted a similar dad said to us he loved us both so much. He couldn't remember which one was adopted. I told that story to my wife and she said how good a father be so stupid, you're missing the point. It's because the father love the boy well and we been adopted into God's family. Notice the verse says in verse five. According to his good pleasure that will predestined to adoption by the pleasure of his will. God is happy to have done this for us. You know when you have kids, how many of you have children, Regina Ricky, how many of you have grandchildren vision. It's different when you have grandchildren is not, you know, because the role of a parent is to raise a child to be responsible to teach them what right and wrong are to to help them develop a work ethic.

Most importantly, to to show them how to have faith in Jesus Christ. The role of a grandparent is to build the child was sugar, give them toys have found that I'm exaggerating but the point is that a grandparent can be more indulgent that a parent can be.

It's sort of the reward we get for parenting and as a punishment on our children for the misery they brought us his will return their child to them full of sugar right but you know I do things for my grandkids because I want to because I know always of the parentage. Do your homework go to bed brush her teeth so I argument would see who wants to go get ice cream and buy a toy they like that idea. That's my good pleasure. I enjoyed it because I enjoy seeing them have a good time.

I figure you know them enough responsibilities and it's not like I only fold them was sugar. We have wonderful talks together about a lot of wonderful things but we have good food, what were doing it as well. You know, but the idea is that this is my good pleasure.

And if God could pleasure when he adopted us into his family anything about that adoption.

I don't know about you but I was adopted. That's right got my name Lori I never knew my biological father effective found out later in life that the guy my mom told me was my dad was in fact not my dad at all, and in so I did track down my biological father. Years later, after my mother died. The problem was he had senility was setting in. And he didn't remember my mother.

You didn't really know why wasn't so it was a little underwhelming to say the least. But the one man of all of my mother's husband's and she had seven and a lot of boyfriends in between the one man that she did me like a father should treat a son was a gentleman named Oscar Lori and he cared for me and he disciplined me and he tried to teach me right from wrong and it was heartbreaking to me when I was a little boy was taken away from him because I always regarded him as my dad one of my great joys in life. As I was able to go back to the East Coast where he lived, and track him down in my young adult years when I was just starting to pastor and I was able to share the gospel with them and lead him to Christ, so that was a great joy to the thank you for what you did for me. And now, let me sort of return the favor little bit but the Lord put that altogether. But to be adopted is a great thing because you really chosen your chosen by the person by the parents and God's chosen us to be his adopted children. I mean, the Bible uses different pictures to describe his or like a slave out of the open market and that's what the Bible says you've not received the spirit of bondage like a slave or one of adoption where why you cry, Abba, father to. Here's a picture here in the slave market you're chained up on no one's bidding on you. No one wants you and Jesus comes and says I'll take this one NLP retail is even bargained for you your so grateful to have been purchase. He looks like a Bill Nye's master pieces of Your new master affordable master. I'll follow you wherever you want me to go okay good, let's go to the courthouse. Why because I'm now adopting you as my child.

That's what God did for us. It took us out of the slavery of sin and adopted us as his own child. That's why we have so much to be thankful for. We were chosen by him and here's something amazing. Look at verse six of Ephesians 1 to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved Mr. Greg Lori will have the second half of his message in just a moment or so encouraged when we hear the pastor Greg's teachings are making an impact on people's lives and relationships dear Pastor Greg message you recently gave about going to someone in our casting forgetting my flesh, didn't want to do that.

I know that obedience brings a blessing and we are to be obedient to God and not our flash.

I don't know how your message came to me today and it came at the right time because God is never late right gives us what we need when we need it and I needed your message today. Pastor Greg May God bless you and your family. It's a blessing to know that God is using his word to touch hearts pastor Greek studies impacted your life would you let him know drop an email to craig@harvest.org now. Pastor Greg continues his message based in the book of Esther with additional insights from Ephesians called why God chose you. I want to tell you something that may blow your mind right now. I'll start with the question how many of you believe that God the father loves God the son, raise your hand if you believe he loves the son.

Okay, now here's something I want to tell you, God the father in heaven loves you as much as he loves Jesus Christ his son. Did you know that. So don't ever doubt that God loves you is a will. What is that based on what that's based on the statement of the Lord himself and what is the real Lord's prayer found in John chapter 17 verse 22. He says of the father, may they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Look, I stand accepted in the beloved.

The Bible says what is that mean I stand in Christ.

With that, I'm not worthy. I don't deserve it.

Never deserved it. You'll never be worthy.

Bottom line, God shows you God for gave you God adopted you and you standing in Christ love as much as the father loves his own son on the cross. God treated Jesus as if he had personally committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe though we committed none of them let me say that again on the cross, God the father treated Jesus as if he had personally committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe though he never committed any of them.

That's called the doctor and the substitution lesson. He died in our place, our substitute. God punished Jesus as though he lived your life that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So he gave his life for my life and that is why I have this position with God. Jesus lived to the age of 33 years old. Jesus could have done everything came to do literally over the weekend just ascended from heaven died on the cross rose from the dead done deal. You're all good, but he walked among us as a man for all those years before he began his public ministry, which was relatively short, want to be doing because he lived a perfect life.

He was righteous in every way, and he passed every single test, 33 years old. My granddaughter Stella and Lucy were talking to me a while ago and they said pop out that that they call me how old you want to be when you're in heaven and people ask how will we be in heaven is like your because of you. Have you make it to 99 you want to be 99 in heaven.

Probably not right. You want to be three in heaven. Probably not. So I said I don't know I say 33.

That's a good age and I said, by the way, that was the age of Jesus than my granddaughter Stella said what I was the age of my daddy Christopher who is in heaven. Our son Christopher went to be with the Lord when he was 33 years old and then she thought about it for a moment said there must've been a reason that that was interesting. And then Lucy said to me, I want to be too when I'm in heaven. I said you wanted me to what he wanted me to.

She said because I miss the old me that's Lucy install in a nutshell right there.

Those comments are not trying to be a psychologist here for a moment, but I don't know, dad. You had already told you I didn't have a dad said no point of reference. To speak of except for Oscar Lori which was pretty short-lived.

Actually about maybe when you think of a father you would a distant father and uncommunicative father. Maybe a cold father.

Then again, maybe what is super affectionate father, a loving father and nurturing, supportive father.

I don't know but whatever father you had on this earth. I just want you to know that your father in heaven is better even if you had an awesome day and maybe you had yeah maybe you had a horrible dad. I don't know. But your father in heaven is perfect. And he loves you and you been made, accepted in him. Listen, you are here on this earth for a reason God is a plan for your life. God put Esther where she was for a reason.

We need to find that reason and we need to do what we can to bring honor and glory for the Lord is two things we can do with our lives.

We can chase after the empty promises of this world and just waste and many do they waste their entire life. Or you can say I want God's will.

I want to discover God's plan. I want to take the position is given to me. Whatever it is wherever it is and leverage it and use it for his glory. Let me close with this.

How do you know if your chosen by God will as I said earlier, believe in Jesus Christ and you prove that you are. I would assume everybody here would already be a Christian but I don't think we should always assume that it's possible there someone here who was never asked Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sin's possible that one of you is here at this study in your thinking.

I'm not really sure if my sin is forgiven.

I mean I want to think that but I'm not sure about what I would like to be. Listen, remember this, Jesus died on the cross for your sin, and he rose again from the dead and now he stands at the door of your life, and he knocks and he says if you hear his voice and open the door he will come in doesn't say it's all predetermined. You have nothing to say about it. You can open the door. You could not open the door. Jesse could be resisted. If on an irresistible grace. It is irresistible grace. That is why the Bible says harden not your heart if you can hear his voice, so you do have a choice in the matter. A big choice, but if you want to prove your chosen by God, I urge you to believe in Jesus Christ right now and if you're not sure that you do. I like to give you an opportunity to do is we bar had some prayer. It's overhead to write everybody praying father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for each of our sins, he stood in the gap for each and every one of us the Lord we are so thankful for that. And then he rose again from the dead and now Lord, we know that you offer your forgiveness to anyone who would believe so. I pray now for anybody here anybody watching or listening wherever they are, that they don't know you yet hope them to come to you. Help them to believe in you. Now Greg Laurie Fortin were to prayer today here on a new beginning. And if you want to make that change in your relationship with the Lord today. Pastor Greg will come back in just a moment to help you do that simply stay with us. Have you heard about Pastor Greg's new book is called lemon Dale and Alice and Jesus that examines the way so many of the top music artists had it made, but their lives soon unraveled and your Pastor Greg.

I tried to imagine what it must be like to be extremely famous. You know or you can even go to the grocery store without a mob developing a you can't even open your window blinds for fear of paparazzi with telephoto lenses and that's the point you make in the book. These music stars have a lot of stuff but they have a lot of stress to yes they really do. I mean, it's been said careful what you wish for you might get it.

And these are people that got what they wish for.

And then it even went beyond their wildest dreams. But the problem is the dreams in many cases, turned into a horrible nightmare. You know, when you look at the founders of rock if you will. They call them the millionaire quartet Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis called Perkins they were all produced by a man named Sam Phillips who had Sun records.

These guys came from abject poverty. In some cases there were just country boys, all of them was sort of the gospel foundation, all of them were taken the church as young men and of course they all rebelled against it, but interestingly, every one of those founders ultimately came to realize they needed to turn to Jesus. Elvis struggled through the years. He often sang gospel songs.

There's a lot of fascinating revelations about Elvis Presley. In this book, lemon, Dale and Allison Jesus Jerry Lee Lewis is the only one alive still. Of the four, but in recent interviews.

He's talked about his need to get right with God and of course Johnny Cash became very strong in his faith. I wrote a whole book about Kim as a matter of fact called Johnny Cash, the redemption of an American icon and then finally called Perkins who wrote blue suede shoes and other great songs. He was a raging alcoholic and actually came to the Lord while he was on tour with Johnny Cash and took his bottle of booze and threw it into the ocean and committed his life to Christ and serve the Lord for the final years of his life. So yeah, these guys experienced it. In some cases girls experienced it and saw the emptiness of it. So this is a very honest book so I start the book with these words, W3 surprises when we get to heaven.

Number one. Some of the people we thought would be there won't be there. Number two. Some of the people we never thought would be there will be there surprise there were three you will be there.

So these are some of the people you never thought would be there who will be there because no one is beyond the reach of God.

That's right.

We hope you contact us for your own copy of Pastor Greg's new book, Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus. The subtitle is the spiritual biography of rock 'n' roll there so many lessons to be learned from the lives of dozens of artists who show us where the pursuit of fame and fortune ultimately leads will send this book. Your way to thank you for your partnership. It's only through the investments of listeners that we can continue to bring Pastor Greg's insight your way each day. So thanks for prayerfully considering how you can help and will thank you. With the book, Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus just call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24 seven phone number 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg or somebody listening right now knows that they need to make a change in their relationship with God. They can do that right now They really cannot.

I think some people might say what what, pray what the why listening to the radio, absolutely because guess what Jesus Christ is with you right where you are right now if you want Jesus Christ to come in your life and forgive you of your sin if you want to invite them in your life, why don't you pray this prayer after me right now. In fact, I would even encourage you to pray it out loud. Let's pray Lord Jesus, I want you to come into my life and forgive me of my sin. I think you for dying for me on the cross and then rising again from the dead. I choose to follow you from this moment forward be my Savior be my Lord be my God, and be my friend. Thank you for loving me and calling me and forgiving me in Jesus name I pray, amen Allison is you just pray that prayer maybe you felt something emotional. I've had people write me and tell me of how they prayed with me at the end of our radio broadcasting.

Tears came down their cheeks or they felt a great joy to be one of those things happen you are and then again maybe you felt nothing less than irregardless of how you feel right now I want you to know a fact.

If you pray that prayer and minute Jesus Christ has come into your life. Why don't I say that because the Bible says these things we write to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, that verse doesn't say so you can think you have eternal life. For hope of God's in a really good mood. You may have eternal life notes as you can know it. And if you just pray that prayer and minute prices come in your life. So let me see the you welcome to God's family and would like to help you get started in living your new life with the Lord would like to send you some free follow-up materials called our new believers growth packet just get in touch and will send that packet right out to you as I said, it's free of any charge you can call us anytime night or day at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go to harvest.org and click on know God will next time pastor Greg advances the story of Esther. Contrast the two men Mordechai and Haman wanted honorable man. The other evil man and will see how each reaps what he so join us here on a new beginning – a revival regular bank beginning Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner harvest.org