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Three of the Hardest Words to Say | Revival Can Begin with You

A New Beginning / Greg Laurie
The Cross Radio
July 12, 2022 3:00 am

Three of the Hardest Words to Say | Revival Can Begin with You

A New Beginning / Greg Laurie

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July 12, 2022 3:00 am

Some are in the fault-finding business. . . and business is booming. If we spend all our time finding faults—like a sight-seeing expedition—we have little time to consider our own failings. And if we overlook them, maybe we can convince ourselves they’re not really there. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points us to a man who not only accepted his own sins and shortcomings, but those of his people as well. It’s an encouraging study about humility and self-sacrifice.

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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

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Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith.

Three words to say what you think they are. All I know it as soon as know about it so easy to call out the shortcomings of hardwood with them about ourselves after good morning Kurt I wonder how many of us would be honest enough to say this to the Lord. I will begin with business is booming. If we spend our time finding balls or sightseeing. We have little time to consider our own feelings overlook them. Maybe we can convince ourselves they're not really there today on Pastor Greg will report not only accepted his own shortcomings with those of his people as well is an encouraging study about the ability self-sacrifice about Daniel. I and this is a story where the prophet is reading the Scripture in a certain passage just jumps off the page for him.

Have you ever had that happen to you your your reading the Bible of all of a sudden a bird for a series of verses just come alive and speak directly to this situation 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 so these reading through Jeremiah. It suddenly occurs to the prophet Daniel that this prophecy that Jeremiah gave this 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 and it impacted Daniel the experience a personal Bible.

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 learn 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 that 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, the judgment came in, Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians came and conquered Israel took them back to Babylon so they didn't know and 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 we're getting out of here and one year.

So, Daniel, understandably, was deeply moved by this discovery. 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 so so here's now what Daniel does, that brought personal revival in this 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 in our king's 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 so he owns it he accepted responsibility for what he did. Number two God is right and we don't agree with it. We are wrong as ever a blunt point. 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. 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 this day 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 I get. As you study the life of Daniel.

Can you really finding instance for Daniel send me Daniel he he was so godly, you know, not enough 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 soaking you he was culpable. He knew that he was responsible as well. Point number four. If you want a personal revival, you must intercede in prayer for others. You must intercede in prayer for others again. Verse 20. Daniel says I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people pleading with the Lord God for Jerusalem is holy mountain.

Pray for your forgiveness for pray for others to if only we would spend as much time talking to God about others as we spend talking to others about others know you see someone compromising spiritually. Maybe you see someone who's fallen away so you talk about everybody you know what they're doing it.

You follow them and Instagram that you see this phone can you believe this you know and okay yah they have a problem. So what are you doing tomorrow talk to everybody I can talk to about them so only see them will give them the evil eye, praying for them about interceding for them. What should I do that because my friend one day it could be you. Oh yes you mean us any of us have the capacity to fall right so we pray we intercede. We stand in the gap for them. This is something we all should be doing and were asking you right now to be praying for nonbelievers that you know where praying that God will open their eyes are praying that God would open your mouth to share the gospel with them. You know it's interesting that there is a sin that the church as a whole is guilty of. I would say this this prayerless nice.

Let me illustrate that we announce a Bible study. Attendance will be good if we announce our guest speaker.

People like attendance will be even better if we announce special music or some Arctic people like to listen to attendance might even be stronger if we announce our prayer meeting.

What happened in this ghost.

What we don't need to bring it.

Do we need more Bible studies and more worship and listen the more artist yeah maybe there's a place and then of course it's helpful, but we above prayer. No, we don't need to pray.

The Bible says you have not because you ask not. How important is prayer. It's time to intercede for others in prayer when the last time you spent time not praying for your needs.

And there's a place for that would praying for somebody else. There's a story in the Gospels above a man who had a child and the child was dying so he came to Jesus he bowed down the is Jesus to touch his son in Hilo and so Jesus says this you know unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe what a guy comes with the dying Charlie bows down in reverence and respect toward could you heal my son you know unless you people see signs and wonders, you won't believe it. That almost seems like is blown the guy off the we.

Here's what was really happening. Jesus was blowing the guy off about Jesus was Lehman addressing his words to that man in particular was talking to the others it came to be entertained. He was just testing the man because he wanted the man to overcome hurdle. She sometimes in prayer we pray for something on the Lord allows a curdle because he want you to press in you want you to keep praying you want you to keep praying. Keep seeking to keep knocking and then the door will be open so Jesus finishes this talking guy waste patiently memo Christ is all done. The guy comes back to Jesus that says the Lord would you come down before my child dies. Jesus is abutting.

Listen your son lives. You're good to go now.

Is he okay what else Wayne, I went to the Lord and then when the Lords alerts us all your sons heal because you know what you pass the test you Pray don't give up so quickly in prayer today. Keep praying impact braille Holland more. Mr. Greg Moore, the second half of this message just a moment in such a blessing to hear from listeners who take time to express their appreciation to Greg you are my favorite pastor, your video on the radio in Ohio. One day I heard you were talking about and was excited because I was actually making eye during that time the music artist most green one month before my husband and I would schedule to help clean costs first killed in a plane crash. It was a real blow in performance.

i music off of painful happen one day.

Continuing to God. If your life is been impacted through the ministry of harvest which you let Pastor Greg know just drop him an email craig@harvest.org again. That's great@harvest.org and find out more about the Jesus music movie available through us here@harvest.org were learning important lessons today from the example of Daniel and Pastor Greg continues his message now called three of the hardest words to say.

Point number five. God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed.

Let me say that again God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed.

How many of you want to be blessed today razor. You're crazy if you're not raising your hand I want to be blessed, don't you guess what God is not stingy with blessings. The Bible says it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God loves to bless you that he wants to bless you. But he's waiting for you to pray, check this out. Daniel nine verse 21. Daniel says, as I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice explained to me, Daniel, I've come here to give you insight and understanding the moment you began praying, a command was given and now I'm here to tell you what it is for you, for you are very precious to God. I love I love that it says that he came swiftly. Are your prayers heard in heaven if they are, why they all answered quickly, because God has his timing, but sometimes you let your prayers so quickly and make your head spin your have that happen. You're so used to waiting waiting waiting Florida I just pray for this to Wow now you wanted to be that way all the time right but sometimes the Lord says yes. Sometimes the Lords is wait.

Sometimes the Lord says no.

Sometimes the Lord says grow. Sometimes the Lord says go he has his answers that are appropriate but pray about it and that's what he did and who is this bad from heaven, but Gabriel Menino something is a big deal when Gabriel shows is only three angels mentioned in the Bible by name Gabriel Michael, can you guess the other Lucifer. Lucifer, also known as the devil.

Now he's a fallen angel, so we don't really count it as an angel in that sense, but the two highest ranking angels are Michael the Archangel, and Gabriel maybe Gabriels and Archangel. I don't know, I know, is a high ranking angel is sort of like a five-star general angel.

So when Gabriel sews up some big coming down so Gabriel shows up when to tell Mary you're going to be the mother of the Messiah will that's a big announcement about the Angels all clamored to get that one, but Gabriel got it and now Gabriel shows up as man when you're praying I was dispatched by God to you with an answer quickly, and God wants to bring a message to you as well and I love what Gabriel says to Daniel, he says, and I want you to know something.

You are very precious to God. Did you know that you're very precious to God knowing not know actually you are, but I'm not worthy know you're not worthy or not even close to where the beggar the most unworthy sinner ever just like me. This is not about worthiness is is not about merit. I wish we could move beyond this, we don't approach God because we deserve to we never deserve to approach God. We never will deserve to approach God but God loves us and we are beloved.

You are loved by God, beloved by God. When you worship in your love by God.

When you read is heard. Your love by God. When you share the gospel.

You are loved by God when you don't worship and when you don't read your Bible. Even when you said no, you're disappointing to God when you do that, but you're still loved by him. Our father who longs for fellowship, friendship and relationship with each and every one of us. He doesn't want anything December or separate that communication even for a moment or beloved to God.

Let me take it a step further, God the father loves you as much as he loves Jesus Christ his own son.

Why don't know about the work that the Bible EXACTLY John 17 and Jesus said in John 17 to the father.

Father may they know that you love them as much as you love me. It's true loves you as much as he loves Jesus he loves you because if Jesus he loves you because Jesus died in your place, and transferred his righteousness into your account and you stand positionally righteous before God, not because you live a perfect life. You don't I don't but because Jesus did this for each of us your love by the father know this also. Nothing will ever separate you from the love of God. Nothing or no one that hides their death, not angels, not demons done any living creature not our fears for today are worried for tomorrow. Nothing will separate us from God's love.

Point number six and this is my last point, if you want to see a revival, let it start with you, but it start with. Oh, it's so easy to point fingers you know fully the church did this morning.

The pastor, if you do change that.

You know I'm here in America and the president is in the Congress and the Senate over your Hollywood and a bully.

You know, you have Melissa start with you. Yeah, maybe all of people need to change but you know what you pray about that start with you. Let revival begin with you. Daniel said I have sin. I wonder how many of us would be honest enough to say this to the Lord today. I have sent you know it's always will. They have sin, we would even say in the broad sense we all of said yeah, but how about just sent sins of commission doing what I should not do sins of omission not doing what I should do.

This is where it all starts. This is why say I have sin and here's the good news, if you will confess your sin.

God is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Coming back to an earlier point, we have to understand that God is right that we don't agree were wrong right okay what is award confess mean it means to agree with God agree with God's of God and I are standing here right now were looking out there together at the sunset and the Lord says that's a beautiful sunset eyes. It sure is Lord. You did an awesome job. Beautiful. Do we agree on something, and God says I don't like what's happening over there. And I say I agree. Lord I don't like it either, agreeing with God. That's with music. So God says you send, you fallen short, I agree. I don't make up excuses.

I don't blame it on the person next to me because were so quick to do with my hose with my wife and dog.

It gets a cat always a cat. It's you it's you it's me it's me, it's us, but the start with you. Let's all bow our heads.

Father, thank you for loving us. Thank you for the door way to use through prayer.

That's wide open. Through Jesus, help us to walk through the Lord. We want your forgiveness we want revival guests in our country. Yes, in the church is in our church the Lord he needs to start with us. We want personal revival so were praying for Greg Lord important message today on a new beginning. A study titled three of the hardest words to say and as an important way to close our study time in just a moment. So please don't turn away, and Amy Grant and I have been playing music and telling stories since I was 18 I don't want to make this thing negative, but at the same time want to be on his emotional never share this whole thing allow this thing is no longer an all season and everything would just send out the story was so that's an excerpt from a brand-new film called the Jesus is produced by the Irwin brothers. You know the best for their films like I can only imagine. I still believe in that share their releasing the feature film based on my life and on the spiritual awakening called the Jesus movement. The title of the film will be Jesus revolution while out of this movement of God that happened in the early 70s, a whole new form of music came to be that we call contemporary Christian music today but in the initial stage it was just called Jesus music. It became an industry with all kinds of people involved and there's some drama in the story. As you'll see, but what I love is that the story of redemption. How God is use flawed people to bring this music to us. But listen, God always goes out of his way to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things you really be surprised by blessed by encouraged by this movie that were going to send you for your gift of any size on DVD, Blu-ray, and also downloadable again. It's called the Jesus music you may have seen in the theaters run streaming platforms. Now you can have your own copy Ellison whatever you send will be used to help us here at new beginning in harvest ministries to teach God's word and proclaim the gospel so order your copyright now of the Jesus music you love this really is a terrific film. It's a fascinating story, along with plenty of surprises.

We will file to send it your way were sending it to say thank you for your partnership when you partner with harvest ministries and a new beginning.

Together, we can reach even more people you know more than 220,000 have made professions of faith. In the last two years and if the investments are friends like you that help make that possible. To contact us today with your investment. Let us thank you with a copy of the Jesus music as Pastor Greg said will send it on DVD, Blu-ray, and also give you a way to download it to your tablet, your phone, your computer, so just give us a call at 1-800-821-3300.

We can take your call anytime again at 1-800-821-3300 or write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org ever start your day off wrong, you know, things started badly and just kept going downhill. A lot of it has to do with your focus where your mind is centered as the day starts when it plug into Pastor Greg's daily devotions there free of charge. It's good encouragement to keep your eyes fixed on Christ.

You can read each day's devotion or listen to the audio version. Your choice. Sign up today free of charge@harvest.org you know the details of God's plan for the end times seem like a puzzle and we're left puzzled when next I Pastor Greg helps us put the pieces together. But before we wrap up Pastor Greg closes this way.

I think we should close in prayer that I like to lead you in a prayer, and ask you to pray a prayer with me, but don't prate if you don't mean it, but if you do, please do it if you want this revival we talked about today. If you need to get right with God today if their son sin, you need to confess today I went to the pray this prayer out loud after me just pray these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner I can. That's my sin. I agree with you about sin and I turned from an and I repent of it and I'm sorry for Lord, I want to be an intercessor.

I want to pray for others. I want to share the gospel with others. I want personal revival. So, would you send it to me now provide me Lord, fill me Lord, use me Lord, in Jesus name. The father you've heard those prayers. Your word tells us that our prayers rise like incense. They have their pleasing to you. I pray this was pleasing to you. Lord I know you will answer this prayer because you told us to call out answer this prayer Lord, and bring this great awakening in revival to each of us, for we ask it now in Jesus name. Thanks for listening to a new beginning.

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