A New Beginning

Greg Laurie: There's nothing wrong with telling God how you feel. If you're hurting, tell God you're hurting. If you don't like what's happening to you, go ahead and tell them you don't like what's happening to you, but cast it on the Lord.

Dave: Today, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the best thing we can do in our time of need is to bring that need to God.

Greg Laurie: Sometimes we withdraw from God in times of crisis. We don't talk to God. We're in our little cocoon of depression and misery. No, you call out to God.

Dave: Ever had your car break down out in the middle of nowhere? Scorching heat, no cell service, no other cars to stop and help, no friendly little farmhouse beckoning you in the distance. Crisis compounded by solitude. Well, today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out we never have to face our challenges by ourselves. We'll learn to reach out to the Lord in our times of need and that he's our anchor when we're feeling helpless and hopeless. Good encouragement is coming your way.

Greg Laurie: This is a story before us now in John 11 of three people that were impacted by the death of someone they love. We're talking about Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and we're talking about when Lazarus, the brother, got sick and died. Uh John 11, I'm starting at verse 1. I'm reading from the New King James Version. Now, a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore, the sister sent to him saying, Behold, he whom you love is sick.

And this is an excellent example of what we need to do when we are in crisis. We are not here to tell God what he should do, but we are here to tell him about our problem and say, Lord, here's my problem. And they describe it to Jesus. Call on the Lord. There's nothing wrong with asking God to help you. Nothing wrong with asking God to deliver you. In fact, you should do it, because in the book of James it says, you have not because you ask not. Now, God may deliver you from your problem, and he may simply walk with you through your problem, but bring it before the Lord.

Psalm 46:1 reminds us that Jesus is a very present help in times of trouble. Let's pick the story up John 11:4. When Jesus heard about it, he said, Lazarus sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God, so the son of God will receive glory from this. Now, don't miss this verse. Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Then he said to his disciples, Let's go back to Judea. So Mary and Martha, I wonder if they bragged on Jesus a little.

Hey, we know Jesus. Look, he's we've got him in context on our phone. Look, right there, Jesus, right there. I get texts from him right now. He's over here all the time. Let me tell you all of his favorite meals. Let me tell you what's he like in person. Let me tell you what he's like in person. They might have said, you'll see, Jesus will show up. He's our friend. And not only did Jesus not show up, but he got there late and even missed the funeral. So Lazarus has now died. And not only has he died, he's in the process of decomposition.

In fact, it's Martha who says to Jesus, Lord, by now he stinketh. That's King James. I like that translation. That's a nice way to tell someone they don't smell right. Have you used deodorant lately? Well, I don't know why do you ask? Because by now you stinketh. Think about using that if you like. It's all yours. But um So he shows up late. He comes into town. The funeral service is over. It's a complete disaster. What happens next? John 11 verse 20. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him.

Mary was sitting in the house, and Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died. But now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said, your brother will rise again. Martha says, yeah, I know he'll rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. I love that statement. Don't you?

What a powerful statement of Jesus Christ. But Martha is effectively saying, allow me to paraphrase, Jesus, you blew it. Um we were bragging on you. We were expecting you to show up. If you had been here, my brother would not have died. You missed the opportunity. Jesus says, your brother will rise again. Yeah, I know on the resurrection. No, Martha. Read my lips. I am the resurrection. I am the life. He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. But we've all said things like this maybe to the Lord. Where were you, Lord?

Where were you when my marriage dissolved? Where were you when my parents divorced? Where were you when my child went astray? Where were you when my loved one died? And so there's nothing wrong with telling God how you feel. You know, I think sometimes people say, you know, never pray a prayer like that. No, pour your heart out to God. And if you're hurting, tell God you're hurting. If you're confused, tell God you're confused. If you don't like what's happening to you, go ahead and tell them you don't like what's happening to you, but cast it on the Lord.

See, I think the problem is sometimes we withdraw from God in times of crisis. We don't talk to God. We don't talk to anybody else. We're in our little cocoon of depression and misery. No, you call out to God. God, why did you let this happen? Now, don't expect an answer. I think if God told you why things happened, you wouldn't be satisfied anyway. You know, because how is it going to make things better? God says my ways are above your ways. My thoughts are above your thoughts. We live on promises, not explanations. So we should not spend too much time asking why.

But I love what Jesus says. He says, your brother will rise again, and I am the resurrection and the life. And then Mary now comes. We pick the story up uh John 11 verse 32. Then Mary came where Jesus was and saw him and fell down at his feet saying, Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And he said, Where have you laid him? They said, Lord, come and see.

Now, the shortest verse in all of the Bible. John 11:35. Jesus wept. Two words. Jesus wept. And the Jews said, see how he loved him. Because Jesus loves us, he weeps with us in our times of pain. Because Jesus loves us, he weeps with us in our times of pain. Yes, Jesus was God walking among us, but Jesus was also a man who felt our pain and sorrows. Isaiah 53 says of Jesus, he was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with the bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by.

He was despised and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses that he carried. It was our sorrows that weighed him down. Wow. Jesus has walked in your shoes and then some. He voluntarily put himself in the way of danger to bear your sorrows on the cross. He didn't just bear your sins. He bore your sorrows. You might say, God doesn't know what it's like to live in this earth. Oh, doesn't he? Well, God doesn't know what it's like to lose a son. Doesn't he? He gave his only begotten son. Well, God doesn't know what it's like to be misunderstood.

Oh, I think he does. God doesn't know what it's like to be rejected by people and be betrayed. Oh, he knows that well. Well, he doesn't know what it's like to be lonely. Listen, Jesus was the loneliest man who ever walked this earth. When he hung on that cross and bore the sins of the world, and even his father turned his face away at that moment, causing Christ to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Jesus understands everything that you are going through right now. And he cares. And he sorrows with you in that time of sorrow.

Hebrews 2:17 says, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us. That's why he had to enter into every detail of human life. And then when he came before God as high priest to get rid of people's sins, he would have already experienced it all himself, all the pain, all the testing, and would be able to help where help was needed. He knows what you're going through.

Dave: Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message in just a moment.

Greg Laurie: You know, I've heard people describe a trip to Israel as seeing the Bible actually come to life. Hey everybody, Greg Laurie. And I've been to Israel many times and I've led a lot of tours and I have to say that's absolutely true. Listen, when you're walking on the same stones that Jesus himself walked on, well, that's something that's enriching to your faith. It's not just a travel experience. It actually energizes and enhances your study of the Bible. Think of it this way. It's a vacation with a purpose. And we're going to be taking a tour of Israel April 6 to 15 20 27.

You can find out more at israel.harvest.org.

Dave: Step right into biblical history. Join Pastor Greg for a tour of the Holy Land April 6 through 15 20 27. Get details at israel.harvest.org. Well, today Pastor Greg is pointing out Jesus is not only with us in our times of crisis. He knows what we're going through. Today's message title, Power Over Death.

Greg Laurie: Death breaks the heart of God just as it breaks ours. So we say to them, why doesn't he do something about it? Well, actually he has. Look at John 11 verse 33 and then I'll drop down to verse 38. When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled. And again, verse 38, he was deeply troubled and they came to the grave and it was a cave with a stone rolled across his entrance. Now, this word used here for trouble can be translated mad.

Jesus was mad. Yes, Jesus had anger. He never lost his temper like we do, but he had righteous indignation. He was angry. Why was he angry? Was he angry at Mary and Martha for doubting him? No. Was he angry at the people who are mourning the death of Lazarus? Again, no. He was angry with the Grim Reaper, if you will. He was angry with death itself. He was angry because this was not the way it was meant to be. And it made him angry. Then he says, remove the stone. Martha says, Lord, he stinks. Move the stone.

And then he says, Lazarus, come forth. And Lazarus comes back from the other side. He's still wrapped up in bandages. So it's not like Lazarus comes out, hey. He's more like um um Someone unwrap these things. It's a good thing Jesus said, Lazarus, come forth, because if he simply said, come forth, everybody in every grave in every place would have burst out at that moment. Lazarus in particular come forth. And by the way, I feel sorry for Lazarus. Say why? Because he had to die twice. Isn't it bad enough to die once? This poor guy had to go twice.

You know, when a loved one leaves you, you want to communicate with them. And sometimes people try to contact people on the other side. Never do that. The Bible forbids it. They can't hear you. And any messages people say are coming from the other side, that's not true, okay? But I understand the longing to communicate with someone that has died. You can't talk to them. They can't talk to you, so don't try. But you can talk to the Lord about what you're facing. But let's just say for the sake of a point that we could call our loved one in heaven and say, I've missed you so much.

And guess what? I want you to come back here again. You know what would happen? They'd hang up on you. What? I don't want to go back there. No, come back. It's so great. We had the greatest burger. What uh what? We saw an amazing sunset. I'm sure you did. If they could speak to you, but you're not seeing what I'm seeing right now. I can't wait till you join me here. No one in heaven would ever want to come back to earth if they were even given the choice. But having said that, here's Lazarus called from the other side.

Now he has to die again and face all of the challenges of life. But here's the big story. Not just that a man was raised from the dead, but it's this. Death is not the end. The tomb for the Christian is not the entrance to death, but to life. Heaven is the earthly life of the believer glorified and perfected, okay? So your loved ones they're in pure bliss. They the reason they don't want to come back is because it's better where they are. It'd be like imagine the most beautiful place you've ever been. You know, maybe some tropical island looking at the greatest sunset of all time, eating your favorite food with someone you love and dolphins are jumping out and unicorns are galloping by.

I don't know that know unicorns, but you know. Yeah, it's just a perfect moment. All this is so great. And then imagine someone saying, we need to leave immediately and go to the dump. I hear they're burning some trash right now. Uh why why would I want to go to the dump when I'm here? And that's what it would be like to go from heaven to earth. That why Paul said, I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. But it's important for me to stay here with you. Heaven is so much better, but the real message here is that death is not the end.

And God will be with you in the hardest times of your life. And he'll be with you in the greatest times of your life. He 'll be with you for all of your life. He 'll never abandon you. Jesus said, I will never leave you or forsake you. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 43 when God says, when you go through deep waters and great trouble, I'll be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up. The flames will not consume you.

David said in Psalm 23, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why, David? Because you are with me. God will be with you in every phase of your life. Going back to the first miracle, water into wine, wedding day, amazing day. He's there at the birth of a baby. He's there at the death of a loved one. He's there at the beginning of life, the middle of life, and he's there at the end of life, and then he's there to take you to the afterlife. So you don't have to be afraid anymore.

Doesn't mean we want to die. Christians don't just sit around and say, hey man, I wish I would die today. That'd be cool. No, we don't want to die, but we don't fear death. If this is the day, we say fine, Lord. You know, to be absent from the body is to be present with you, whatever you have in mind, because no one loves life more than the Christian, right? But he will be with you. You don't have to be afraid. So I want to close with this statement of Jesus. I just love it. He says, I'm the resurrection and the life.

He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. But what does it mean to believe in Jesus? Does it mean to merely acknowledge a man named Jesus walked this earth some 2,000 years ago and even to acknowledge he died on a Roman cross and even to acknowledge he rose from the dead? Well, that's important, but it's more than that. It's believing in him. And what does that mean? It means to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your savior. I know we use this phrase a lot, but I think it's accurate.

Personal Lord and savior. He becomes your God. He becomes your Lord. He becomes your friend. And he comes into your life. You say, well, how does that happen exactly? Through prayer. When I say, Lord, I'm sorry for my sin, I believe you died on the cross for me and paid the price for every sin I've committed and I turn from my sin, or as the Bible puts it, I repent of my sin, I change my direction in life and I believe in you. I trust you. And if you do that, God will forgive you of all of your sin.

And you can know with certainty that you will go to heaven when you die. And you can find the meaning and purpose of life. You say, well, I want that to happen for me now. Well, it can and it will for some of you. Because we're going to pray together and I'm going to extend an invitation for anyone here that wants to ask Jesus Christ to come into their life and be forgiven of all of their sin, so they can know with certainty they'll go to heaven when they die. And so they can find the meaning and purpose of life.

Let's all pray. Father, I ask you to speak to the hearts of all those that are here, all those that are watching wherever they are. If they don't know you, we pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of their sin and their need for Jesus. Help them to come to you and believe right now. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Dave: Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer with those who know they need to make a change in their relationship with the Lord. And Pastor Greg, could you help someone who wants to do that right now?

Greg Laurie: Yes, I'd be delighted to. This can be the moment where you change your eternal address literally from hell to heaven. I'll pray a simple prayer, and I would just ask you to pray this prayer out loud if you like. After me, just pray these words. Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the savior who died on the cross for me and rose again from the dead. Jesus, I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In your name I pray. Amen. I know it's such a simple short prayer, but you just called on the name of the Lord.

And you know what? He heard that prayer. And if you meant that prayer in your heart, he answered that prayer. Now let me help you to get started on the right foot in your new life in Jesus Christ, the greatest adventure awaits you, the life of walking with God. And I have a resource I want to send you. It's called the New Believer's Bible. So the New Believer's Bible is the New Testament in the New Living Translation with hundreds of notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you are making to follow Christ.

There's some other materials included as well in what we call the New Believer's Growth Pack. But let me get this New Believer's Bible into your hands as quickly as possible. Here's Dave to tell you more.

Dave: Yeah, to get that New Believer's Bible along with the other items in our growth pack, just let us know you prayed along with Pastor Greg to receive Christ today. We'll be glad to send our New Believer's Growth Pack your way. Call us at 1-800-821-3300. Call anytime 1-800-821-3300. Just let us know you want our free New Believer's Growth Pack or write A New Beginning box 4000 Riverside, California 92514 or go online to harvest.org and click Know God. And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation.

It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right, Pastor Greg?

Greg Laurie: Yeah, it's really true, Dave. And I believe it's so important because you know the gospel saves lives. It saves eternal lives because when a person believes in Jesus according to scripture, they pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. And then of course, that changes the course of their future. That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything. And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year. Thanks to the Lord. Also thanks to you for your investment in this ministry enabling us to reach people wherever they are.

So if this is something you care about, I encourage you to make a financial investment in A New Beginning and Harvest Ministries.

Dave: Yeah, that's right. And we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today. It can make a real difference not just for today or this week, but for eternity. So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24/7 phone number 1-800-821-3300 or write A New Beginning box 4000 Riverside, California 92514 or go online to harvest.org. Well, next time Pastor Greg launches a new series called Faith 101, a crash course on the Christian life. He says when we find ourselves falling back into sin, we've lost sight of the basics. Some corrective help is coming.

Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.