Unseen | A Message from Special Guest Dr. Jack Graham

Hey there, thanks for listening to the Greg Laurie part just a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries. To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org well thank you Pastor Greg and I love harvest church and I don't know how many times that we've had the opportunity to be here with you, but every time is a great experience. I love just being in the worship this morning with you and me is wonderful to be online in some of your watching, viewing online right now you have a credible outreach across the nation and the world online is wonderful. We do something similar, but isn't it great to be in the house and to worship together, and if there is just such breath in our lungs as were worshiping and and celebrating. And yes, I Devon I have been that close friends with Greg and Kathy and their family for a number of years. In fact, we weren't even grandparents, and now we are and so we shared life together in many experience both sorrowful and joyous and I love Greg and Kathy. I love you this wonderful church and pray for you often view you often worship with you online as well.

But it's good to be with you now just coming off this weekend.

The decision on a Friday and overturn Roe V Wade, I want to add something to that as well. Greg statement is tremendous. What Jonathan just said just perfect it. It truly is.

I do think it's interesting that God had the last word in June which someone described as Gay pride month. God had a word to say about that here at the head and and I believe that word is and answered our prayers that God is in control what we believe might be impossible.

God has done and when we began when we began this fight for life. We wondered if this day would ever come when we would see Roe V Wade overturned course we know there are many battles yet to be fought for life goes down to the states and communities where it should be where people can decide in our government. How we will live our lives, but the fact is that God has given us a new beginning an opportunity to get this right going forward and to do what God is calling the church to do and that is to stand for life, the sanctity of life because God is the author of life Jesus that I come that you might have life and have it or abundantly, and may God give life for these precious little babies and I'm praying you know our church back in West Palm Beach before I got to Dallas in 1989 I was pastoring West Palm Beach.

The other coast down in South Florida and I remember preaching want the eBay we had an outdoor amphitheater on the ocean.

The intercoastal of the Atlantic Ocean and I was. I remember this moment because it was one of those moments when I'm certainly God spoke to me clearly about something and as I was preaching. I was preaching on the sanctity of life and and and the evils of abortion and as I was speaking God said to me seem to say to me in my spirit.

What are you going to do about it and after prayer and counsel.

We opened there in South Florida crisis pregnancy center was one of the first at a church in America done we opened it is still operating along with other clinics centers down in South Florida and so we came to Dallas when the first things that we did in 1989 when I came to Dallas was to begin making plans for a crisis pregnancy center in our church. We now have 2+ a mobile unit and were expanding to more next year. And just like you are stepping up to the needs of women in crisis and families and and the experience of the crisis pregnancy just as you are doing that and also that we are responding.

We just opened up a brand-new resource Center for mom's in one of the lies that the proponents of abortion tell is that we don't care about anything but the pre-born.

That is a lie that we are the church. We care about everyone we care about life from the womb to the to his whole life, from the very beginning and so here we are resourcing, it is a beautiful place that we have created there so women could come in and be resource with diapers all the things that babies need car seats and all addresses clothing us a lot of good things but the point that I'm making is the way to overcome evil and abortion is definitely an evil way to overcome evil. According to the Bible is Romans 1221 which says don't be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

Good had the greatest good is God and the gospel of our God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we're going to do what we've always done really stand for life, and really preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That is who you are.

That's what you do as a church and you do it better than anyone I know is your reaching the world for Christ will fight this battle on our knees were going to keep praying this is a time to celebrate, but we don't need to be, you know, spiking the ball in the end zone right now we need to celebrate get on our knees and thank God for what he's done and what he is doing that by his grace by his grace we have seen this great victory when I was a little boy was born in a little town north of Little Rock, Arkansas. Greg's grandparents some of his grandparents are from Arkansas so I was born in a little town, Conway, Arkansas and is the home of the mighty one office cats. The Conway high school one office.

Cats never seen a lot this Probably not. It has six legs and two arms for the run with unify where this a mythical creature that they say piles around in Arkansas.

Somewhere there's a lot of things probably around 10 Arkansas as well. I got the taxes as soon as I could.

No offense, Arkansas. I love Arkansas had with but there we got our first television in the 1950s. Yes, I'm officially old. I remember the 50s and the 60s they say if you can remember the 60s, you probably want their well I was there and I was there in the 50s as well, and then we got our personal black and white television in 1954 Philco television. I think we bought it used there only two stations black and widely was fuzzy and I was one of the first we were in the mouse could tear generation and had my nose peeled to Mickey Mouse the mouse tears I love and that the cello how many of you love and at the gel okay with me on that. So, but there was a fellow on television. He was a Catholic Bishop, you see it on YouTube today, but his name was Fulton J.

She and his program will begin the remember this is early days of television and the program would began with just a dark spring. Well, it was either black or white anyway so they started dark and then a hand appeared out of the shadows and struck a match and lit a candle, not a little Baptist boy in Arkansas. All right, my mother was getting after me for watching this Catholic Bishop on television and but I was watching I I don't know if it was his robes is changed, but it went really captivated me was this is open where he just recommend someone stuck a man lit the candle and then this voiceover came across, which said better to light a candle than to curse the darkness and somehow is a little bitty guy that got in me better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. It became an echo in my soul.

From that day forward and to the ministry that which we have been given by the Lord to be the light of the world. That's what Jesus said to do right to let your light shine the light the candle of your life and to shine. This is our time to shine. This is our time to light the night.

This is our time to stand for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. This is our time.

This is our light in the light comes from God. So that's why we started these pregnancies and because rather than shake our fists and curse the darkness with the turn on the light and let the light shine and so that's what these pregnancy centers are and I hope you'll pray for not only ours but many pregnancy centers in this region across the world. We have ours.

Under very tight security right now and you know why this is been called already the age of rage and this incredible amount of rage right now be expressed in America but God has given us the victory. That's what I want to talk to you about today.

There would be no victory apart from opposition, it will be no when apart from losses.

Opposition is necessary that we experience victory and satanic resistance should be expected by all of us who name the name of Christ you didn't expect this to be that easy. Did you.

I hope not because Jesus warned us that we would always face resistance and opposition and even persecution for our faith in him. He said that they if they persecuted me, they going to persecute you, so you're in the target zone of the enemy and let me just say before I even get started with the rest of this message that the people around us, even the people on the other side of this issue. Even the people who don't even care about this issue. The people around us. Some of you in this room.

Some of you watching right now online. The people without God. The people without Christ, the secularist all the rest. These are not the enemy.

These are the mission field right not the enemy, but the mission field. These are the people God has called us to reach with the love of Jesus Christ, but we do have an enemy, and in fact we got three enemies described in the Bible the world the flesh and the devil. But I know to concentrated this unseen battle that I wrote about in the book and I love this. I love the subtitle of this book where it says winning the battle for eternity. That's what we're fighting for is the battle for life is the battle for eternal life is the battle for eternity and we should expect opposition, but we should also expect celebration and winning and that is a good thing that you got me on the clock because I'm going to Orange County and will better you be in for a long morning here.

I assure you my my heart is frequently full but is as you think about the battle we have experienced a sign of the true that we are more than conquerors through Jesus. Romans eight we're super conquerors.

We don't live by just a little bit. We we went all in the always eternity in the lives of people who will go there because when Christ went to the cross and died on the cross he defeated death and hell and judgment, and in Christ we have victory and that victory can be celebrated. Some people are saying you know we should be celebrating. We should just be still lamenting know this is a time in my view, that we should decelerate that and in fact every day should be a celebration. That's what worship is it is declaring and celebrating our victory in our worship in Jesus Christ. So Satan is our real enemy, but in Romans chapter 60 in verse 20. I've been obsessed with this verse ever since I preach. The Romans recently and we got to the end of the book of Romans and chapter 16 and Paul is saying goodbye and signing off of the group of friends that is mentioning a lot of people, ordinary people doing extraordinary things in Rome and throughout the world.

And as he signing off.

He then confronts one more time the false teachers.

The enemies of the gospel and those who cause divisions. This is verse 16 of Romans partly verse 17, Romans 16 he says I urge you, brothers, note those who cause divisions contrary to the doctor and what you've learned and avoid them is talking about false gospels. Paul often dealt not just with the world but people who were religious people who preach the practice false doctrine because the enemy is the father of lies. So he says avoid this. One of the problems we have today in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ as we can get out of our own way and we should avoid any gospel that is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. There's no other gospel but the gospel of Jesus's death, his burial, his resurrection, and the truth of God's word. This book, the inerrant and infallible word of God and and so he says avoid this. Don't associate this so-called liberal progressivism in the church is destroying churches everywhere, and any church, any church that is not preach the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. You want to avoid it at all costs. That's what Paul is saying here and he said, verse 18. For those who are such do not serve the Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple see Satan is a deceiver and because he is the deceivers he puts lies even into the mouths of ministers and some preachers.

I heard years ago about a hollowing party over and I think North Carolina they were saying in this this church instead of a liberal church. The pastor addressed up in a in and the devil sick. I could you imagine that Greg Laurie shows up at Halloween in the devil suits no I don't think I've ever see a preacher in the devil suit but I've seen and heard a lot of devils and preachers think because Paul said the devil disguises himself as a messenger of light so be warned. Be aware that not everything under the guise of the church and everything on the guys of Christianity is the true gospel of Jesus Christ and reject any other gospel and those who preach it. What he says next, I can say about you is this for your obedience has become numb to all yes harvest your obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, led by your pastor and the wonderful pastoral staff team and the leadership. Your obedience is known to all. Therefore, I'm glad on your behalf.

But I want you to be wise, don't be due. Don't be deceived. I want you to be wise, what is good and simple, concerning evil but then here's the verse that just has captured my mind and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you that you may want to underline that underscored in your Bible because in the midst of all this chaos in the age of rage, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. That's a promise from God, the God of peace. You know you can have peace apart from the fact that you defeat an enemy. And there's the end of war so the ultimate reference here is to the return of Jesus because there will be no peace on earth until Jesus, the Prince of peace comes again and establishes his eternal kingdom and you've been taught and you know well that Jesus is coming soon and that's what Paul said. He said shortly. I don't know when, shortly, is no man. No one knows the time of his coming, but we are to live in on tiptoe with expectations of that coming because Paul said I I I have I have run the race. I fought the good fight I've kept the faith and therefore there is laid up for me a righteous crown and not only to me but to all those who love his appearing.

So everyday we are to lean into this promise, and every hour we should expect the hour that will come. And so in one sense this is future when he says the God of peace will soon soon crush Satan under your feet and this is a joyful day to know that one day all evil will be gone and all sin and all suffering in God's eternal kingdom will be established in heaven and on earth, and we will reign and rule with him because notice he says the God of peace will crush Satan under his feet under your feet. And so that's coming. But there is also the sense in which Satan is already crushed and under your feet, because when Jesus died on the cross and cried out is finished to Palestine completed.

He did not mean that he was finished, but Satan was finished at the cross and therefore it's been said many times in many ways we don't fight our fight for victory.

We fight from victory.

The victory that we have already experienced in Christ, the forgiveness of our sins's new life in Christ. But there is a battle that we need to fight and therefore were told in Ephesians chapter 6 that because we have this enemy Satan in with him. These demonic forces in heaven and earth, because we are in this battle. The world is now a battlefield. This is a secular Satanic battlefield in many ways I'm talking about the world system. He tells us in Ephesians chapter 6 that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and rulers in darkness and in government send all the rest.

So Satan is involved in this world system. He ignites the world system. The age of rage is a result of satanic influence in the world. So how are we to deal then with the devil. Well, we are to put on the armor of God, you know that passage, I hope. In Ephesians 6. If you're not acquainted with your Bible, you will get up later. Ephesians 6 that we face this enemy who is a defeated foe but he is decided that he's not gone away and he's not just the impersonal force of evil in the world. He is a real person. The devil out of the devil become the devil pride according to Isaiah chapter 14 one of the great angels of God created by the hand of God. Lucifer, who was known as the son of the morning became the father of the night when he rebelled against God. The set I will exalt myself above the throne of God. That was his motive. It always has been and always will be, to exalt himself above God at his own kingdom and as a result of his rib alien against God. He was removed from heaven, and with him this revolt that was going on in heaven before time the game. Therefore, there was before there was a revolt on earth. There was revolution in heaven and Satan and his minions now are part of this, the panic force and in field in the earth, but the fact is that though we are fighting him is a fixed fight because we know who wins the bantamweight.

We know that is a five socket with Jonathan on the way over here.

We were taught about one of his sons is he's doing some not, some fighting, but of course in recreation not not in the streets, but but you know I said look at this battle that we're facing and fighting right now is is like a cage fight is a case by this is face-to-face. That's the way Paul described it when he said fight the good fight of faith. The word which means intense strenuous banner when not back to Arkansas. We take you back there again when I was a little guy about the same time I was watching the Catholic bishop.

There was a dog in the neighborhood and I was scared lifeless from that dog. Every time I would pass this this house to three doors down from us. That dog will start chasing me not run as fast as I could to get away from that don't. I started going around the block not to have to pass in front of the dog. The dog was. He had my number and I could. I couldn't believe so my dad sits me down. He says don't be afraid of that you need to learn some courage here know now I've been watching Davy Crockett on television and Davey could. He can stare he can stare down what that's ready can stare down a bear and so I'm thinking okay I can stare down this dog. So I tried it I just stood there as long as I can stare down this dog and what I many mind. I took off again, but my dad said just keep walking. Don't slow down, don't show fear. Just keep walking and thinking. Why would my dad put me in harms way like this, but I tried it one day. I just kept walking, whistling in the dark here comes this dog run as fast as he cannot stop.

I stared at about the time he got near me on the sidewalk about 5 feet away will that dog been chained up the whole time I was on a longchain, a big one.

We could get to me now. My father loudly knew that they will never Satan in the harms way unless he knew that, and I've often thought of that story in relation to Satan our father. Sometimes we wonder why doesn't God just deal with the devil he has.

He's got a Montrachet and he can't touch you. He can threaten you. He can taunt you think of great beauty can taunt you. He can tempt you and he does but you don't have to be afraid of the enemy. You can have courage. You see how many battles there were fall in the Old Testament, yet wonder why there's so much fighting in the Old Testament. All these battles you have a series on David coming up on David was a fire.

All those battle God use all those battles. For example for us to show us how to be courageous in the live by faith in the face of the enemy.

So I believe God sent me here today on this day I'm so glad I get to preach on the Sunday following what happened on Friday with the over turnover we wait. I'm so glad that I got this I get to stand here before you and declare victory in Jesus. Our faith in him so armor to be forewarned is to be for armed so armor every day, put on the Gospel of life. Take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, knowing that the battle is because the battle is the Lord say what kind of battle we commonly do about all this fighting all this battling you know I I I wouldn't. I don't need to hear battle cry like a here I don't know a love song we like love songs. There's a kind of so much of this in the Bible. Isn't there about this undersea warfare is a battle for your faith ultimately that's why Paul tried his finishing the course to fighting the good fight of faith and keeping the faith is a battle for your faith. When Satan slithered into the garden of the first thing that he said was has God said he put it? On the word of God and the love of God, and that's what he still doing today he's questioning everything everything that you believe what you were taught to believe. Perhaps even as a child and you've rejected it because you been listening to the lives and the deception that Satan brings us.

Satan wants to destroy your faith was to destroy churches who believe in the inerrancy of the sufficiency of salvation in Christ and Christ alone in the Scriptures. That's why Jude 3. There's zero.

There's a book of the Bible all about.

This is called Judas a little book but in June 3 just one chapter verse three it says that we are to earnestly contend for the faith. So we keep fighting with the life of Christ.

Satan wants to destroy you with doubts and fears and lies and discouragement and deception cancel culture that wants to cancel Christ and the gospel, but we are to earnestly contend that our generation like generations before us past the way along to us for the sake of our children for the sake of our grandchildren. We keep fighting the good fight of faith and resisting allies on the enemy solidified for the faith and continue to take ground for the kingdom of God.

This is a battle between the kingdom of darkness in the kingdom of light. Simply put, and that's the way the Bible gives it to us that this is a cosmic battle going on all around us, behind the sea.

There is a invisible world around us is in my book. I talked, I have a chapter on angels and part of the unseen world of these angelic beings. And did you know that there angels in this room right now. Yes, there are there angels in this place, but there also demon spirits that can attack doubts and fears. I love the fact that in the Bible tells us when Satan fell 1/3 of the heavenly host fell when they met King. The demon force of the world and of hell.

But two thirds of the angels of God remain faithful to God, so I figure we got into the one know you because God doesn't need the angels. He already has the victory, but the angels are with him and with us and so in this invisible war. Satan is real. He's not a care cartoon character is not some Darth Vader evil looking person. He's is a powerful, persuasive be Andy's real because he's real you need to line up and take on his attacks fighting on your knees, fighting with the word of God, and I thought I would close this message by giving you some ways that I think we are in our generation to fight this good fight of faith because the enemy who seem to be crushed in the end is attacking today in the world. So what should our role. Number one uphold the authority of the Bible uphold the authority of Scripture.

Because this is where Satan attacks has God said in the minute you stop believing the Bible or start believing the lies he has you. Because this is your greatest weapon against temptation. When Jesus was tempted and he was tempted of the devil. He followed out the counterattack with the word of God. He said it is written, it is written, it is written to all three of the temptations that Satan unleashed against him in the wilderness, so I know, under the leadership of your pastor and your pastoral team in this wonderful church that you will keep believing the Bible believe it because it's true.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. This is the living breathing word of God. In this book cannot die because the breath of God is in it and against every from generation to generation, the word of God stands the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever so uphold the authority and the inerrancy and infallibility in the sufficiency of Scripture. That means that this book speaks to every issue, whether it be the sanctity of life for the sacredness of biblical marriage how government should operate how we should treat the poor how we should minister and so is all in here so uphold biblical authority. Secondly, in our generation. In particular, but I think really in every generation. We must stand for biblical sexuality and the sanctity of life.

What does the Bible say about a man and a woman. What does the Bible say about marriage. What does the Bible say about the sanctity of life in this Christians we should always stand for truth and not to live the lives stand for biblical sexuality and sanctity of life.

Thirdly, be courageous.

Be fearless in the face of the enemy because remember that dog back in Arkansas he can get to you. Your coverage are secure in Christ only made diet. Many have at the hands of the enemies of Christ. But guess what, to live is Christ and to die is gain can defeat a person like that right can defeat a man, a woman who says to live is Christ to die is gain.

So be fearless was alarmed me over the last several years is just so much fear in the world and in our country, of all people.

We as Christians should be fearless and faithful no matter what next love and live the truth love and live the truth.

Satan and his cohorts hate truth, they are allergic to truth.

That's why they propound so many lives and so we are to love the truth and then live the truth and that's not on us alone because we have the Holy Spirit, we have the spirit of God who lives in us to enable us and empowers us to live the word of God people around us right now. They certainly are looking as always for the truth of God alive in us don't live by lives live by truth and then lastly proclaim share the good news the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why we're here. This is why we exist to go into all the world and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Would you bow your heads with me in prayer every head bowed, please. And every eye close you walked into this room. Maybe on the arm of a friend, someone brought you to church today. Maybe you came here today under conviction about your own life and where your life is been going and you realize you are going in the wrong direction but you sense something brand-new here, you, you sense that there could be a new beginning, and there can be a new beginning for you as was mentioned earlier, if you have had an abortion or participated in an abortion. There is no sin greater than the grace of God right on the heels of the God of peace will crush say, this is by the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is God's love on relenting reckless love available for you and if you will look to Christ and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

You can be safe, say from what say from your sin safe so that Christ can live in you and give you a brand-new life is called Jesus said, being born again what can happen to you today is like it is so revolutionary, it is so radical is like a brand new life is in verse Christ comes to live in you and you can know that one day when Christ comes again or he comes for you personally, and death that you will be with him forever. So I'm going to invite you to pray right now if you don't know Christ. Many of you are watching online where you are watching on the screen. Let me encourage you to pray a prayer like this, not the words that you say, necessarily, but it is the expression of your heart and your desire just to say Jesus I ask you to come into my life. I believe you died for me, and rose again right now. I trust you as my Lord and my Savior.

I asked you to come into my life. The change my heart, I want to be safe, I want to be forgiven. I want you to change my life. And Lord, I want to go to heaven one day to be with you forever so invite Christ to come in your life right now receive him as your personal Lord and Savior. Yet to do more than dive to go to heaven because the same Bible that tells us there's a heaven tells us there's a hell and there is a judgment so turn from your sin turn away from the judgment and the hell that is to come and receive Christ as your Savior and Lord today.

That's a promise from God that you are his forever, but how we thank you for your word which is life to us. We believe and we received your truth.

We thank you for your church of God for the people of faith. How encouraged we are to come together like this, and to worship and pray to give and to serve and to hear your word and now to go and live your word in the world and the warlord make additional witnesses fill us with your spirit unite our hearts in faith, and may we go to the ends of the earth for the glory of your name for the faint of your name we pray in Jesus name, amen and amen. Everybody, thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow this show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest