Never Say Never | Don't Say This to the Lord

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When you subscribe to pastor Greg daily Devos learn more and sign up@harvest.org when we call Jesus or maybe he's in charge today pastor Greg Laurie points out our everyday's region should reflect that relationship never more words do not go together more where Laura goes together for even goes together. Why, Lord, if you like never say never seen one on TV classic car farm animals as you're sitting there to be very quiet and very still wrap your head at the wrong moment in the 1500 pound Texas Longhorn today on a new beginning. We need to be careful in our speech and attitude toward the Lord glory. Our behavior should draw people Lord not stand in the way the work of the holy. That happened the lives of ordinary people.

It was the spirit of God working through the word of God in the hearts of the people of God.

It was said above that the teacher in their world upside down will know when the book of acts we have sort of a shifting of the gear if you will. And there's a change in the strategy of the church where they now seem to get a better understanding of the simple fact that there were to take the gospel to every one acts chapter 10 over diversified. The next day of Cornelius's messengers were nearing the city peters up on the flat roof to pray. It's around noon. He's angry hungry, he was hungry, lunch as we prepared.

He fell into a trap and he saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners in the seat were all sorts of animals, reptiles and birds and then the boys said to him, get up either kill and eat them. Verse 14 never Lord Peter declared, if you have a pen.

Underline those two words never Lord will come back to them. I have never in all of my life eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws, the voice spoke again instead of something God says is acceptable. Don't say it isn't it will stop there, and so the idea here is this is not about food.

This is about people this sheet with all of these critters that were rounded as a metaphor that God is giving to Peter anything leave your comfort zone and go to one new group of people specifically that Gentile and it's interesting that this happened in a place called shop this job a ring a bell with any of you Bible students. Of course you remember the story of Jonah God called Jonah to take God's message to the people of Nineveh will run down for their wickedness and cruelty and Jonah flat out refused and he got a boat going in the opposite direction from a little place called Joppa. I bid the job, but it's a seaport in Israel and Todd's a beautiful little spot actually and so there is Joppa Jonah ran from God.

You know the rest of the story.

A great storm came and he was thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish. Ultimately, he repented, was given a second chance and went to Nineveh and preach to them of the great spiritual awakening broke up, but it's interesting that's Joppa job was the place where God was directing Jonah and now Peter to go to people they were not necessarily comfortable with. So here is a challenge I have for you, would you take the gospel to people who have hurt you. Would you take the gospel to people who have offended you, would you take the gospel to people who have mistreated you, or people you're not comfortable with or people you don't even necessarily want to be with some very interesting interview recently done with Elon musk and of course he's innovative with his electric cars and his rockets and all the things that he's involved in very intelligent man.

So he actually did an interview. Now with the New York Times not with a major new site like CNN or Fox News instead heat is an interview with the Babylon be how many of you have heard of the Babylon be a case of the Babylon be is a satirical Christian website. They sort of poke fun at the church and find that politics, etc. and so he follows the Babylon be in twitter so they thought.

Well, what if she would do an interview with us and they asked him much of their shop yellow mustard greens other sitting down with this very wealthy man, very powerful man, very intelligent man talking about all kinds of things sort of the woke movement in our country. What she doesn't appreciate either and also about electric cars and technology and then one of the editors of the Babylon be says, would you just accept Jesus Christ right now is your personal savior kind of abrupt anyone must contribute to Kelly's taken aback by this a little bit. He contemplates it for a moment. Then he says actually there's many things about Jesus and what he taught that that I agree with including forgiving people turning the other cheek going the extra mile and how these are appealing teachings that are in the Bible. Forgiveness is one of the greatest of all. But CS Lewis once said, everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have someone to forget right so that's a good point, but would you go to them with the gospel that's effectively what Peter was being commanded to do and so he obeyed the Lord.

Unlike Jonah, who went the wrong way but got rerouted and eventually got a right Peter did immediately when God called him to do. Got asked in verse 24 they arrived in Caesarea the following day.

Cornelius was waiting for him, and called together his relatives and close friends to me. Peter Peter entered his home in Cornelius thought of the formal form and worship. Peter pulled them up and said, stand up, I'm a human being like you Cornelius got up and they talk together and went inside and where the others were assembled and Peter said you know it's against the Jewish law for me to come to a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should never think of anyone is impure, so I came as soon as I was sent for Peter preaches the gospel to Cornelius, and the result was.

He is converted. Think of what God can do for the life of one person you know Chuck Smith once said to me that Greg everything in life is preparation for something else and God was getting Peter read and God is getting you ready for something unexpected. That's going to happen in your life but you have a choice. You can be a Jonah or you can be a Peter. You can either run from it or you can run to. Speaking of Chuck Smith.

Chuck was pastor nodded especially successful pastor by his own admission he had struggled in condo few churches in the this is in the late 60s. Now the whole counterculture movement is happening in all the kids are turning to drugs and in the country is in chaos and there's riots in the streets, and division.

That's unbelievable. I and so his wife Kay Chuck's white cases, you know, honey we should start praying for these kids. Chuck wanted nothing to do with these counterculture kids, he thought. They all needed a haircut, a shower, and they needed to get a job right and I was one of those kids. By the way, I was a clean shipping. I showered every day and I iron my clothes. I was very unhappy of me but I doubt that anyone is going to point that out so she said let's start praying for them. Chuck so they would going on Huntington Beach and they would sit there in their carnal these young kids are walking around the streets doing drugs and everything else and they either pray Lord Todd Summit shut still as part was pretty far to the whole idea within that started this often, they said, Lord, all right help us. How do we do this, send us a hippie and one day lo and behold knocking on their door, a genuine living, breathing, hippie appears and that he was a Christian. And so pretty soon they open up their church, Calvary Chapel, to all these young kids will some of the old folks for that excited about it and so the hippies would sit on one side of the church.

The old folks would sit on the other side of the church for more more young people started coming.

The Chuck was very excited to see them having their lives changed, but the problem was the kids were coming in and sitting in the seat and there those little holders for communion cups there were poking their toes up through them and their barefoot and so the elders came to Chuck and said Chuck we can have these hippies in the church barefoot they have to wear shoes and because we just laid new carpet and it was avocado green shad carpet, so the next Sunday. Chuck is in the foyer.

The entrance of the church with a washbasin and a cloth to wash the feet of all the hippies of the elders said okay we get the message and in a revival broke out. It was a literal spiritual awakening and we call it the Jesus movement and it impacted not just California but the country in the world because one man one man was able to overcome his prejudice overcome is saying to Greg Moore will have the second half of this message just a moment.

Everybody what are you doing this weekend.

I like to hang out with you at harvest and home services own. It is a time of worship and Bible study exclusively designed for people that are viewing in from all over the place so you can be a part of our extended congregation that harvested home. Join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for Harvest at Home@harvest.org getting some important encouragement today to share the gospel.

Even with unfamiliar people. Even with those outside of our comfort zones pastor Greg points out how God prepared Peter to do just that God was getting Peter ready to bring this message and he obeyed. Now here's the thing, let me come back to that early statement Peter never Lord never Lord. He says those are two words that do not go together.

Yes and Lord go together where Lord goes together when Lord even goes together. You can even throw in why Lord if you like, but never say never. The Lord that's what the title of this message is never say never really when you say never Lord our know Lord that is what I would call an oxymoron note, an oxymoron is right. Here's an oxymoron jumbo shrimp jumbo. So how can it be shrimp and be jumbo or how about this one. Virtual reality that's very popular now with the meta-verse but is it really reality if it's virtual.

Here's another Civil War. How do you have a civil war. Here's another deafening silence.

Silence could be deafening.

There's another genuine imitation. Here's to more airline food that's an oxymoron. Walmart government efficiency right never Lord never say never.

You can say why Lord you can see where Lord you can say when Lord but never say never.

Lord, because God's plan is better than your plan and you should never be afraid to commit an unknown future to unknown God. Now let's be honest, there are times we don't understand like or even agree with God's plan is a Lord never led you to do anything you didn't necessarily want to do. We've all had time to really Lord you really want me to do that.

I don't know. I'm not comfortable with that. Even Jesus struggled with the will of the father in the garden of Gethsemane. You recall that as he contemplated the hordes of Calvary which were coming. He knew all things that were about to happen. Being God. He knew that his beard would be ripped from his face. He knew his back would be last with the Roman with. He knew that he would be struck repeatedly. He knew that he would be nailed to a cross.

But worst of all, he would never sin knew that he would have to bear all of the sin of humanity for all time, upon himself and then amended is he face the judgment of God that he would be temporarily separated from his father and he recoiled from that and in the garden of Gethsemane. He prayed father. If it is possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done. Dr. Luke gives us a detailed the Jesus what is a were great drops of blood. Some medical experts think this may have been describing what is known as hematuria drove six when a person is under intense pressure. Their perspiration is actually mixed with droplets of blood.

This may be what Christ was experiencing, but whatever was he actually said that the father father if it's possible let this cup pass. If there's any other way. Let's go that way. But then he says nevertheless not my will but yours be done.

You know it's okay to pray for the cup to pass.

Maybe you're going through a time of hardship right now and you're saying, Lord, it's enough. Could you just make this stop. Could you get me through this.

Could you bring an end to this. It's okay to pray that sometimes God will let the cup pass. Sometimes God will still the storm sometimes God will heal the sick person, or even raise the person from the dead. But other times he will not do that and it is in those times of your walk with us through the hardships of life and will see him on the other side. You know know life is in on finish life. We think success is a long line actress and comedian Betty White died at the age of 99.

They had actually done a people magazine cover story in her Betty White reaches 100, but unfortunately she did make it to 100, but I saw many many articles celebrating the life of Betty White because they think isn't that great. She made it to 99. That's the ultimate goal to live a long article that is a fine thing, but success is not necessarily a long line. Success is a life that is live for the glory of God, even if it's a shorter life events live for God's glory. It still is success. You see, because as Corrie 10 boom said a life is measured not so much by its duration, but by its donation using so there are times things don't make sense. Stephen was the first martyr of the early church. What a tragedy. Life cut short and unfinished like wasn't only God knows these things, but will we must do live as though it were your last year when it fits what if the Lord said you're done. You coming to heaven or the Lord said, I'm done. I'm coming back to earth and taking you back to heaven. Whatever it is live it as though it were your last, you're not. I'm not saying this to depression. I'm saying this to motivate you, like, yeah, let's make this your account. Let's make every month. Let's make every week count on that to recommit myself to bring glory to God and see the Lord, not my will but yours be done. If you're a true Christian, you cannot say never. Lord, instead you should say yes Lord is God calling you to reach out to someone right now is God calling you to forgive someone right now. I encourage you to do that, who was at Cornelius that God wants you to reach with the gospel to build a bridge to listen God is preparing you to bring the gospel to people so respond to those opportunities coming back to Elon musk.

So you send that interview with the Babylon B and he says he believes that many of the things that Jesus taught and then Elon musk makes a statement quote as Einstein would say I believe in the God of Spinoza and I do look that up.

To be honest with you because I didn't know who Spinoza was. So Einstein once allegedly made the statement that he believes in the God of Spinoza, so Spinoza was a philosopher who believed that God was not the creator of the world with the world was a part of God that he also believe that God was not one to concern himself with the Bates and actions of human beings. Okay so what sort of this disconnected power out there and so he llama says hi. I agree with that statement, but if I could sit down with Elon musk. Right now I would say there is a God in heaven who loves you that wants to be involved in every aspect of your life and you can come into a relationship with him. That is why he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin because we all sin fallen short of God's glory and broken his commandments, but Christ died in our place, and rose again from the dead, so it's not just about admiring Jesus. It's about knowing and following Jesus.

That's forever but you know maybe I'm talking to somebody who has been seeking God like Cornelius he know you. You responded to what you know you responded to as much light as you proceed, but I wanted I want to finish it for you. My wife is putting a puzzle together and I don't know why she puts puzzles together but she that she loves it some and gave her a puzzle for Christmas so she works on it every night and I look at it and I think why is why, who cares, you know what she likes it in and now it's starting to take shape when you can come to see what images going to be there on the puzzle and and so maybe that's a description of your life you're sort of putting the puzzle together but there's these missing pieces that don't make sense. That was Cornelius.

I know there is a God.

I know it's not the God of Roman notes of these false gods are. I don't stop being in power because I have all that and I know that's not the answer. I know it's out there somewhere.

He was a true seeker. The Lord said, I see that seeker.

The Lord revealed himself giving the gospel and gave them the missing pieces of the puzzle and Cornelius believed here's a missing piece of the puzzle. Yes, you were made by God.

Yes you are here to glorify God. Yes you can know God, but you must reach out to him call out to him and then the Lord says, those that seek me will find me in the closing there's anybody here that needs to reach out to God and ask for his forgiveness. This is the moment to do it. If there's anybody here that needs to recommit themselves to the Lord.

This is the time and the place to do it. So let's pray father, thank you for your word to us.

Thank you for your love for us and I'm praying for any person listening. Maybe they're here watching online, wherever they are, Lord of the don't know you. Help them to come to you and believe, listen, just as surely as Cornelius reached out and believed. You can reach out and believe now be forgiven of all of your sin and if you've never asked Christ to come into your life.

If you've never asked him to forgive you of your sin if you don't know that you will go to heaven one day you can make a commitment to him here nominally join the simple prayer if you want to pray this prayer with me. This is a prayer of committing your life to Jesus.

Just pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I choose to follow you. I want to know your plan for my life. I ask you to come into my life and I ask this now in Jesus name, amen an important from Pastor Greg Laurie today on a new beginning so people make the most important decision of their lives. Decision – Jesus to forgive their sins and be there Savior. If you just pray that prayer and meditation. Surely, we want to be the first to welcome you into the family of God and we want to help you get started.

Living as a believer would like to send you Pastor Greg's new believers growth packet. It's free of charge. It will help you get started off right. So call us at 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 24 seven that's 1-800-821-3300 or write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest.org Prof. Greg many people been watching the stock market going the wrong direction.

But as believers we know that when we invest in the kingdom of God. It only goes up. Yes Matthew recorded Jesus words store up your treasures in heaven were moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal and we have a way for listeners to make an investment in eternity. That way that's true you know you can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead. And when you invest in a ministry like harvest, you are literally laying up for yourself treasure in heaven, and the stock market does not affect that the economy doesn't affect that in no other thing affects that it's there waiting for you so I would ask you to prayerfully consider becoming a harvest partner harvest partner is someone who stands with us every month and gives a financial gift and it's a reoccurring gift so it's something that we can depend on. As we make plans for responding to opportunities that come our way. So often to reach new people with this message that we bring.

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Get the details of harvest.org/partner or call us anytime night or day at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 one next time.

Some important insight on the power of prayer. Pastor Greg takes us to ask chapter 12 rating. Curcumin's coming your way.

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