Three of the Hardest Words to Say | Resensitizing Your Conscience

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God this at our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org believes something is to evaluate the way that I live in the way that I live you really moving Pastor Greg Morrison when it comes to the judgment of friends and family members may be facing. What are we doing to present and I said I believe there's a heaven and hell is the case why would I not want to leave my comfort zone or someone else's world change the width of the gospel genders and say how 50% through the other 50% are in danger of facing judgment in danger of dying in there soon. The CDC announced another virus was the population.

We always talk about this eternal dangers where we just got a new beginning.

Let's grab Bible manual chapter 9 Daniel chapter 9 the title of my messages.

Three of the hardest words to say about the many John was in the hospital. He was very sick. In fact, he had an oxygen mask on. He really couldn't even talk. Though the pastor was called Elton John was a believer and so the pastor went to encourage Jonathan in the house. The pastor was with them a John's breathing grew more labored. The path there was concern that so the pastor dropped to one knee and began to fervently pray that God would help John and suddenly John was gesturing wildly, wildly, he needed a piece of paper to Ben waving, gesturing for paper and append the pastor grabbed the bees at Weber but then John wrote something down and then done and the pastor took note of John's last words with him, put it in his coat pocket. A few days later they were doing John's memorial service and the pastor remembered he still lathered out and he never took the time to open it a read. Would John's last words were, so I went out to the people gathered for job service. That said, I know that we all love John and he always had an inspiring word to say and I happily have his last words here that he wrote to me and they hear the last words of John pastor you're standing on my oxygen to so what you know one day we will give our last words, our last statement could be in a hospital bed. It could be at a meal or some other place and we don't know. They are our last words MIB when ramming a conversation with someone and suddenly Jesus calls us home to heaven in the rapture of the church. We talked about that last time so we don't know what it's going to happen but just for the sake about point let's pretend we did not. I know no one knows the deer. They are when Christ will come back over the sake of a point. Let's pretend we did know the day of the hour. Let's pretend that it was revealed to us somehow Jesus was going to return on December 25 of this year Christ is going to return on Christmas day so well you can count it down and talk when you started seeing Christmas decorations in the stores.

What is it in August. Now usually it's like all it's getting closer. Christmas is" the coming of the Lord is close as well. Let me ask you a question. Would you live any differently than your living right now if you knew it was coming back that soon. If you were living sinfully. Would you continue to live sinfully. If you were complacent.

As a Christian, would you kick it into gear summits. I yeah probably late November, I think. No, really.

Hey, if you weren't a Christian, would you become a Christian. While I think it would impact you in the way that you live now we don't know when Jesus is coming back he could come back in December 25 he can come back on August 25. We don't know when he's going to come but we need to always be ready and live in anticipation of that it was Martin Luther who said and I quote there are two days on my calendar this day and that day this stand out in the table performing on that day, the day of the Lord one day he will come back well were now in Daniel nine and this is a story where the prophet is reading the Scripture and a certain passage just jumps off the page for him.

Have you ever had that happen to you your your reading the Bible and all of a sudden a verse or a series of verses just come alive and speak directly to this situation. The you're facing that given moment. Or maybe it's in a message is something that said, it's almost as though it were scripted for you. That's what happened to Daniel now. Daniel didn't have a Bible like we have that was still being put together. At this point, but he had a scroll of the prophet Jeremiah saw these reading through Jeremiah. It suddenly occurs to the prophet Daniel that this prophecy that Jeremiah gave is happening in real time.

The prophecy Jeremiah gave is happening in Daniel's lifetime. He's gonna literally see the fulfillment of a prediction that Jeremiah made in an impacted Daniel the experience a personal revival so if you want a personal revival listen very carefully to what happened. Let's read it together. Daniel nine starting in verse two I Daniel learned from reading the word of the Lord is revealed to Jeremiah the prophet that Jerusalem was like I slept for 70 years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him with prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with dashes stop so what's the background of this Israel is living in Babylon their captives there because they kept turning the false idols and false gods. There were worn by problems like Jeremiah and others to turn from this rampant idolatry were a time of judgment would come upon them, but they ignored it and blew it off and finally that judgment came in, Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians came and conquered Israel and took them back to Babylon so they did. Now in Babylon for 69 years and Daniel realizes way. God said 70 years accounts accounts about and he says we been here 69 years. That means forget now to hear and one year. This prophecy is going to be fulfilled in my lifetime.

Now I'm sure that as you read through Jeremiah. He read this very familiar passage.

Jeremiah 29, where the Lord says, thus says the Lord, after 70 years and completed a Babylon I'll visit you for my good work toward you and cause you to return to this place and then the Lord says, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope recognize adverse Jeremiah 2911 so the context of that statement is God is speaking to the Jewish people living in Babylon as captives God saying you're going to go back home to Jerusalem again and by the way, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace, not to be able to give you a future and I hope some would say that only applies to Israel doesn't have any obligation to us by beg to differ.

Principal, it does apply to us because maybe you're in a Babylon of sorts.

Right now, life is not going the way you hoped it would go.

Your situation is actually gone from bad to worse. You don't know if it's ever going to improve five good news for you. Better days are ahead for you. I am certain of this, that some of your so how do you know it might get worse yet, yet my I'll acknowledge that, but ultimately better days are ahead. Why do I say that because Romans 828 is still in the Bible right you know that's us.

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Another called according to his purpose. What I'm saying he was ultimately God is going to work out whatever you're going through for your good and his glory. Let me say that again. Ultimately I didn't immediately ultimately God is gonna work out whatever you're going through for your good and for his glory and the better days I get. I am certain of our the days of heaven in the days I will be in the presence of the Lord. So it is going to get better so Daniel understandably was deeply moved by this discovery and in the same way, our hearts should also be moved when we read certain things. Let me take a quick poll. How many of you believe the afterlife Israel, raise your hand if you believe the afterlife is, you believe there really is a heaven and a hell raiser. How many of you believe that Jesus could come back in your lifetime. Raise up your again. All right, one more thing how many of you share the gospel with someone this week raise up your day. Some of quite a few of you. God bless you and not all of us. The reason I bring this up is because there's cause-and-effect to see if I say I believe something it should impact me in the way that I live and if it does not impact me in the way that I live.

Do I really believe me and I said I believe in the afterlife. I said I believe there's a heaven and a hell if that is the case why would I not want to leave my comfort zone and enter into someone else's world and engage them with the gospel so we should take tangible steps if we believe these things to be true. Mr. Greg Laurie of the second half of his message in just a moment.

I don't know if you know about this, but we have a weekend service called Harvest at Home exclusively for people that are tuning in literally from around the world listen to this.

We even have harvest groups where you can get into a small group with folks from all around this planet of ours, studying the word of God is so join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for Harvest at Home at harvest. The book of Daniel today for pastor Greg's message called three of the hardest words to say let's continue. Now, here's Daniel. He understands that the reason there in Babylon is because of their sin. He admits that they brought this on them selves so here's now what Daniel does, that brought personal revival in his life. And if you're taking notes years point number one we have to admit were part of the problem.

Again we have to admit were part of the problem, look at Daniel nine verse seven Lord says Daniel, you're in the right but as you see our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us including the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and all Israel scattered near and far for you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you oh Lord, we and our kings, princes and ancestors are covered with shame because we've sinned against you with the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving.

Even though we have rebelled against stop there. So he owns it.

Notice in verse seven he says were covered with shame. You know what this seems to be something that's really lacking in American culture today.

Shane, you know, we celebrate the things we used to be ashamed of. Everything is upside down right is wrong. Wrong is right, the Bible says woe to those who see evil is good and what is evil and darkest light and the light is dark and bitter is sweet and sweet is better.

It seems like no one wants to be held accountable for their actions anymore because now we're a nation of victims.

It's never our fault.

It's always somebody else's fault and we have no shame over things that we do when they're wrong. I read an interesting article from team vote by the way, I don't subscribe to teen Vogue over to the and I hope you don't either, and I hope your children don't know understand why say that when you hear what they had in this article was an op-ed in its an article about some activists who want to use our quote to raise awareness about the erosion of reproductive rights, but their emphasis is on humor in their messages. Yes, abortion can be funny, really is. I will rent now abortion can be funny, taking the life of an innocent unborn children is to some people.

Funny yeah that's the culture were living in right now it just seems like we keep moving the goal posts and it gets worse and worse when you think it can't get any worse, it gets a little worse and I think we get cheated by the barrage of social media were exposed to every single day.

As one writer said, quote from violence glorifying graphics on the big screen to incessant headlines or perversion on our newsfeed to the latest appalling video on our cell phone. We become accustomed to the extreme to the twisted to carnage and to Gore."

Very true. The Bible warns that we can lose our sensitivity in Ephesians 413. The Bible warns that you can have your conscience seared as with a hot iron. But the good news is is Christ can re-sensitize your conscience.

I was with Billy Graham years ago in Portland, Oregon, of all places ever see the TV show Portlandia.

You know, they're very liberal in Portland not not a churchgoing city, shall we say, Billy had one of his best crusades I've ever seen in that city and thousands were in attendance and thousands coming to Christ. It was incredible. So on the last night were driving out I was in the car with him and Ijaz were pulling out.

He was in the backseat and I was in the front seat. I wanted to complement them. So I turned around over the see this in Billy. That was a great message tonight. I love your point when you said Christ can re-sensitize your conscience. Billy looked at me and said well he can no I was just trying to complement him, but I found a Billy didn't really like to be complemented all that much, which is kind of a good thing isn't it. But you know I think the point was really true.

Christ can re-sensitize a concert if you get jaded if you get a hardened you knee-jerk conscience, re-sensitize to say how can that happen very simple. Just start by spending as much time in God's word. As you spend on social media to start their nugget to get into binge watching stuff on Netflix and all the other things they do all the television to get into any of that.

I'm in a just start with social media. If you spent as much time taking in God's word is you spend on social media, it would probably bring a spiritual revival to you because some people live on their cell phone right they look at them constantly. I need a cell phone for a problem is a cell phone I'll give it back to the way you getting the text still listening to that stupid preacher who was this now so we have the cell phone and we carry with this everywhere. It's almost like it's attached to her hand right to self at the cell phone and every time a buzz is I got a text someone just updated their Instagram others something new on the news and so we carry with us and so were standing in line and we look at it never forget talking to some dispirited and then we cross intersections.

Nobody notices people go cross intersections are granted the of the green light, but there are cars everywhere. People sometimes run red lights right and they're just walking across something like this. Just looking on the car you insane. You see somebody for about other Lane. They're either drunk or thereon a cell phone so were really attached to these cell phones of ours and then all men when you forget your cell phone set around with the three blocks from your house and you realize I love my cell phone at home. You could do it trawls you shaking your shaking. You turn the car around growth. What I say getting the word of God in your life. I mean just reading it, but listening to it didn't get the Bible and audio and then listening the worship music and listening to good Bible teaching. Just kidding. God's truth in your life if you would just start by getting as much of this in your life as you spent in getting that in your life until he knew it would turn you around to number one. He he accepted responsibility for what he did. Number two God is right and we don't agree with that. We are wrong as ever a blunt point. No delicacy there.

God is try and that we don't agree with him. We are wrong. I was in a Q&A one time and someone asked me the question what you do when you come to a Bible verse. You don't agree with. I said change your opinion know sometimes we don't understand Bible verses and it helps that someone can explain what it means contractually or from original languages or whatever, but the point is, let God be true and every man a liar. The Scripture says this is a standard we measure all other truth by doesn't matter if you agree with it or not. Okay so that brings me down to the three hardest words to say what you think they are the three hardest words to say ready write them down. No more dessert, no that's not that's not that the three hardest words to say I have all those hard I see you sent. Sometimes I can even say we in a broad sense in our own way but me know as much as you have said, but for me they say I have said those are hard words to say but Daniel said them were spy but we have sinned, and done wrong. We rebelled against you and scoring your commands and regulations.

They know this is interesting because Daniel did not excuse himself or point a finger at others. Yet as you study the life of Daniel. Can you really finding instance were Daniel send now I know you did because he's part of the same race were part but yet there's no illustration of a know David's life.

All you Simon Peter's life. Yeah Sampson all you want to sins Daniel's life. I can really find one. I made Daniel he he was so godly, you know, not eating, that the king's table because he thought as a compromise, probably because the food was offered to idols, Daniel speaking truth to power to King Belshazzar to King Nebuchadnezzar taking areas. He was not intimidated by anyone. Daniel still got down on his knees and prayed. When a law was passed that no one could pray to any God for the next 30 days yeah but he said we have said so he knew he was culpable. He knew that he was responsible as well so will say well yeah you know but I don't really know that I've said will look when we say sin is a lot of things that meet that standard number get sin not only means to cross the line. It also means to miss the mark so I might say why I'm you know I'm not sinning like grandma, immorality, or stealing or line have at harboring unforgiveness in our pride myself in the background so spiritual I love God so much I love God more than anyone around me. That person over there. I got this really that soon my friend and here's what Jesus said about things like that. He said each of us. If we do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive person. Jesus is not saying we must forgive in order to be forgiven. Really what he is saying is if you understand anything of the forgiveness of God. You of all people I of all people should be a forgiving person forgiven people should be forgiving people. And if you're not a forgiving person you need to know more about forgiveness that can be sent as well. As I told you before there are sins of commission breaking laws and committing transgressions with their sins of omission not doing what God has called me to do this is very important today on the new ending were learning some important lessons from her studies and Daniel not only about Bible prophecy but also about the practical matters of the Christian life pastor Greg Laurie will have more of his message called three of the hardest words to say in a new DVD called the Jesus to see how Jesus music grew out of the Jesus movement editor of CCM magazine.

John still in Southern California there's a church called Calvary Chapel the left dissolution young people come in and it seems silly now, but that bends that go to church in jeans for barefoot counterrevolutionaries that they would normally let you when encourage you not funny at you hippies started accepting Jesus and it gave birth to this whole new kind of music Michael W Smith this thing called Jesus somehow found its way in my hometown change my life.

You know we tickled those things for granted.

Dousing a preacher wearing blue jeans. Today is no big deal seen the drum kit on the stager amplifiers were used to it that we would have fog machines now in all kinds of lighting systems and all the screens and all the things that we use, but it wasn't always this way, folks.

So in 1970 the church was still overall, very traditional in many churches you'd find in Oregon on one side of the stage of piano at the other and the songs were hymns, and occasionally maybe there would be a full conversion on an acoustic guitar of a song.

But Jesus music was different.

It was born out of a revival in the hearts of young musicians who had been radically transformed by Christ and wanted to speak to their culture with their tools that they knew best, which was music so all these bands started forming in the created what is probably the first actual Jesus music record which was the everlasting living waters Jesus music festivals that would was called David have a lot of words in it. Then most people notice Marinol, that one had a white cover big red design of the dove in and that was kind of in the beginning there were other artists out there like Larry Norman that were breaking ground and even hundred crops in the disciples and others. But this one single album in many ways was the first of many waves that were to follow out today we call it contemporary Christian music. We have great stations across the country that play this music for us all day and night long and I'm so thankful for it but it started out in revival and we want to tell you the story. It's all found in this brand-new documentary film produced by the Irwin brothers who also directed. I can only imagine.

I still believe also, Steve McQueen of the salvation of an American icon and the new feature film that will come out next year called Jesus revolution but the Jesus music tells a powerful story that will move your heart and will also educate you as well. So we want to send this to you for your gift of any size is going to be a DVD and Blu-ray and downloadable so you can watch it on your phone your tablet or your computer and you can show it to your friends and enjoy it for years to come. So let us send you a copy of the Jesus music for your gift of any size and thank you in advance for what you can send because will put it to good use to continue to teach the word of God and preach the gospel. That's what we do here at a new beginning, and harvest ministries yet. It's right in your investments are so much appreciated and so helpful right now. Would you let us enter this new film the Jesus music will send it to say thank you for your investment.

So just give us a call at 1-800-821-3300. You can reach us any time at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest knothole will help you tune in again next time pastor Greg continues this message from Daniel 812.

Three of the hardest words to say join us here on a new beginning.

Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie and everybody. Thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God