A New Beginning

Greg Laurie: The hope of Christ's coming should give us courage.

Guest (Male): When we belong to the Lord, we long for the Lord. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie shows us how that longing can propel us through the times of trial that we face.

Greg Laurie: Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. That's what we need to keep our eyes on as we go through the adversities and hardships and challenges of life. Keep your eyes on Jesus, keep your eyes on heaven, keep your eyes on eternity.

Guest (Male): Almost everyone faces challenges on the job, problems, pressures, personalities. But if you know that tomorrow you're leaving on vacation, today's problems are a little easier to handle, aren't they? Just hang on a little longer and then sweet relief. Well, when we think of the trials of life, we need to remember Jesus is coming soon. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how that reminder can shape the way we go about our lives. Good insight from our study in James.

Greg Laurie: You know, it's really important for us as Christians to understand Bible prophecy. Bible prophecy is basically what the Bible says about the end times. Why? Because we need to understand these things and what they mean to us today, and it should impact us in the way that we live. When we study Bible prophecy, it's not there to tentalize or entertain us. It should motivate us to personal godliness and bold evangelism. 1 John 3:2 says, Beloved, now we're the children of God. It's not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we will see him as he is.

But then it goes on to say this, and everyone that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure. So if I understand Bible prophecy as I ought to, it will have a spiritually purifying effect on me. Okay, so here we have James now telling us how we should be impacted by end times events, how we should live as we wait for the return of the Lord. James 5:7 Dear brothers and sisters, writes James, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring.

They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to reap. You too must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look, the judge is standing at the door. For examples of patience and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him in the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

Stop there. How should we live as we await the Lord's return? Point number one, be patient. Be patient. Verse seven, dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. By the way, the word used here for patience is not speaking of a passive resignation, but rather an expectancy as one waits on the Lord. Paul in Romans 13:11 says, Understanding the present time, the hour has come to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over. The day is almost here. Point number two, as much as possible, stand in unity with fellow Christians.

As much as it's possible, as we await the Lord's return, stand in unity with fellow Christians. Look at verse nine. Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. Look, the judge is standing at the door. Listen, never tear others down to lift yourself up. Never make yourself look better at the expense of someone else. Although they don't do this, but I I do it and you know, don't do that. The Bible actually says you should not engage in that. Why? Point number three, be aware of the afterlife. Meaning you're going to be judged.

Verse nine. For look, the judge is standing at the door. And Paul writing about it in 2 Corinthians 5 says, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. So this is not Are you going to get to heaven? You're in heaven. But this is about rewards. You see, rewards are going to be given in heaven. Uh you know, the Bible says, Your father who sees you in secret will one day reward you openly.

And the Bible talks about different crowns that are given. There's a crown of life, there's a crown of rejoicing, and other crowns listed in scripture that God will give out. So you're receiving an award for what you did on earth. So live the way you ought to be living and make your life count. Point number four. Be courageous. Be courageous. Verse two, take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. The hope of Christ's coming should give us courage. Another translation puts it this way, Put iron into your soul. I like that. Even another translation says be resolute.

Be resolute. And by the way, that's the same word used to describe Jesus going to the cross. We're in Luke 9:51 we read as the time approached for him to be taken to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. What kept Jesus going on that day? Is it carried the cross for us? After his back had been ripped open with a Roman cat of nine tails most likely. You know, the people were crying, Crucify him. Let his blood be upon us and upon our children. His disciples largely were in hiding. He's carrying that cross, but yet he pressed on resolutely.

What kept him going? The answer is found in Hebrews 12 when it says, For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and now is set down on the right hand of God. The joy. So something motivated Jesus. It was the joy set before him. What was the joy? It was the knowledge that you and me and all of us would believe one day he was dying for our sins and that made it worth it for Christ. He had his eyes on the prize. He was headed toward the goal.

And that's what we need to keep our eyes on as we go through the adversities and hardships and challenges of life. Keep your eyes on Jesus, keep your eyes on heaven, keep your eyes on eternity. Think about the first martyr of the church. A young, courageous man named Steven. He was called before the Sanhedrin, which was sort of like the uh supreme court of the day. And and they were going to rule on what he said. And if he was, you know, a clever young man, he might have just said a few words and gone home for dinner, but he sought it as a great opportunity to preach the gospel.

And the Bible says as as he stood before them, his face was like that of an angel. His face was radiating. You wonder, what does that look like? I remember years ago, Kathy and I were with Billy and Ruth Graham and Dennis Agajanian. And uh Ruth was not long for this world. She was very ill. She preceded Billy to heaven by a few years. She was in a wheelchair. And they were sitting there and Billy asked Dennis to play a song. So Dennis pulled out his guitar and started playing uh what we call the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.

And and I watched them as he was playing this song and they were kind of gazing into each other's eyes. They were having a special moment. It was so sweet really. And and Ruth was like glowing. And and I thought it was so amazing cuz she was very ill, but it's almost like she was radiating light or something. I was looking, wow. And then after the song was done, Billy turned to Ruth and said, That was the song they played on our first date. Cuz Billy took her to see Handel's Messiah. And I thought that was so beautiful, but when I think of someone's face shining like an angel, I remember Ruth, you know.

And that Steven, his face is shining like an angel. And then we read in Acts 7:55 Steven, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. And he said, Hey, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. All that just ticked them off. They started screaming. They put their hands over their ears. And as they stoned him You have to understand how horrible it is to die from stoning.

Cuz it's not immediate. It's a long, painful, horrific process. As they stoned him, Steven prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he fell to his knees. Lord, don't charge him with this sin. And with that, he fell asleep. He died a violent death, but he fell asleep. That phrase falling asleep is often used in the Bible to describe death. It's another way of saying someone died. But that is only used of the death of the Christian. The phrase they fell asleep is never used of the death of a nonbeliever, only of the believer. So think about this.

You know, falling asleep is not the worst thing that can happen, is it? In fact, you kind of look forward to it, especially as you get a little older. You know, when you're young, I don't want to sleep. Take a nap. No, nap. Hate naps. When you're older, it's like, go take a nap. Yes, nap. So that's a beautiful picture of what happens to the believer who keeps his eyes on the Lord, giving us the courage.

Guest (Male): Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his 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 6th to 15 20 27.

You can find out more at israel harvest dot org.

Guest (Male): Step right into biblical history. Join Pastor Greg for a tour of the Holy Land April 6th through 15th 2027. Get details at israel harvest dot org. Well, you've joined us for Pastor Greg's series in the book of James called Walk This Way. Today we're learning what the Lord's return means to you.

Greg Laurie: Number five, be trusting. Be trusting. And think of the example of Job verse 11. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him in the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. Job's story begins in heaven as God is bragging on his faithful servant. It is believed by many that Job is the oldest book of the Bible, meaning it was the first book of the Bible written even before Genesis. So here's the Lord and the angels are appearing before him and Satan is among them because Satan is a fallen angel, also known as Lucifer.

And God starts bragging on his servant Job. Have you considered my servant Job? says the Lord. A perfect and upright man, one that fears God and shuns evil. The devil says, Oh, loose paraphrase, give me a break. Give me a little time with Job. You know, remove that wall you've put around him and we'll see what he's really made of. I'm telling you right now, he'll curse you to your face. And the Lord said, All right, go ahead. So here's Job back on planet earth. He's living a godly life. He 's doing everything he should do.

So much so God's bragging on him. By the way, I've thought when I read that verse, Lord, if you for a fleeting moment are feeling proud of me and Satan's around, don't say anything. Here's Job, the righteous man living the godly life. And all of a sudden, one tragedy after another comes on him in rapid succession. Starting with the loss of his employment, the loss of his property, his livestock. And then worst of all, his own children died. So did Job curse God as Satan said he would? No. The Bible says Job came to the Lord and said, Naked came I into this world, naked will I leave.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. Wow. That backfired. So Satan said, I'm not done. And boils came on Job. He was covered in boils. Have you ever had a boil? You ever lanced a boil? He's covered in boils, so much so he's scraping them with little bits of broken pottery. And and his wife comes to him and to add insult to injury says, Why don't you just curse God and die? Job said, You didn't say that when you were driving the Mercedes. You didn't say that. But I mean, seriously? Thank you Mrs. Job for those encouraging words.

See, the problem with Job is he had never read the book of Job. If he read it, he would know there's all these heavenly happenings affecting him on earth. And in the same way, we don't know what's going on in heaven when things happen in life that don't make sense, but Job passed the test with flying colors. Well, in the end God gave him everything back. He had double everything he had before, except his children. He was not given the children that died back, but he hoped and believed he would see them again. Job had an amazing insight into the future when he writes in Job 19, As for me, I know my redeemer lives, and he will stand on the earth at last.

And after my body is decayed, in my body I will see God. Wow. Job knew Messiah was coming. I know my redeemer lives and he 'll stand on the earth and I know in my flesh I will see God. Let me go back to 1 Thessalonians 4. The Bible teaches something that we call a bodily resurrection. What does that mean? That means when your body is buried, it's going to come out of the grave again one day. Going back to 1 Thessalonians 4, It says, The Lord There'll be a shout from heaven, the voice of the archangel.

The dead in Christ will rise first. Those are our loved ones that are in the grave. And we'll be caught up together with them in the clouds, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. So when you have a loved one who has died Let me take a quick poll. How many of you have a loved one in heaven? Raise your hand. Okay, they're in heaven right now. But they don't have their new glorified body yet. And they're going to receive their glorified body when? At the rapture of the church. They'll be caught up to meet the Lord.

The new body is given to them. Then we're reunited in heaven. And that is why Paul goes on to say, Therefore comfort one another with these words. Back to Job. I know in my flesh I 'll see God. You're going to see your loved ones again. And you'll recognize them because the new body's connected to the old body. I think sometimes we think in heaven we'll be a different person with no memories. Not at all. You'll remember things from earth and you'll recognize one another. Because I've been asked the question, Will we recognize one another in heaven?

And my response is, Do you think you'll be more stupid in heaven than you are on earth? You won't be. You'll know more, not less. Yes, you'll recognize one another, but you're going to see the glorified version of Greg with lots of hair or maybe no hair. What if the glorified state is the absence of hair? Ever thought about that? These are the thoughts of a bald man. Anyway, Whatever it is, it'll be awesome. It 'll be great. I'm not really concerned about it. So what are we to do as we await the coming of the Lord?

Number one, be patient. Verse seven. Number two, as much as possible, stand in unity with fellow Christians. Verse nine. Don't grumble, don't complain, tear others down. Number three, be aware of the afterlife. Keep your eyes on heaven. Verse nine. Number four, be courageous. Verse two. Number five, be trusting. Remember the example of Job. Now let me close with this serious note about eternity. We've talked about how to live. Now let's talk about how not to live. Go back to James 5 verse one. Look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of the terrible troubles ahead of you.

Your wealth is rotting away and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded and the very wealth you are counting on will eat away your faith like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded in the last days. Isn't that interesting? In the last days. Now this is not a blanket condemnation of people who have wealth because there's actually many people in scripture who were wealthy, including Job that we already talked about, David, Joseph of Arimathea, Solomon, Lydia, all people of means. The difference is they used it for God's glory. Who is this addressed to?

This is speaking to nonbelievers even in the church who were exploiting other people. And they were trusting in this wealth. And God is saying through James, Hey, you're going to be in for a shock because you're going to leave everything behind. James is talking about people who hoard wealth and exploit others. That's a huge mistake. I did a message recently called Things Jesus Never Said. And uh I could have added this one. The Bible says money is the root of all evil. How many times have you heard that? Did you know the Bible does not say that?

No, it does. No, it doesn't. Here's what the Bible says, The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. While some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. The love of it. It's possible to not have any money and be in love with money. Did you know that? Oh, well that rich person, they're in love with money. Are they? Or are you for envying them? If you're constantly thinking about how you can be rich and all the latest get rich quick schemes and you're playing the lottery or you're going to Vegas, you're looking for that big payoff, it's all about getting there and being a rich person, you could be as in love with money as anyone, maybe even more than others.

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, while some have coveted after they've erred from the faith. So money's neutral. It's not good, it's not bad. It all depends on how you use it. If you use it for God 's glory, recognizing everything you have comes from him and you invest in this kingdom and you're generous, that's fantastic. You're using your money well. But if you're obsessed with it and all you care about is acquiring more of it and that's all you live for when you get to that final day, none of that money is going with you.

As I've said before, you've never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer. So that's what James is saying here. And it's interesting that he says in these last days. So one last thing before we close. I'm going to lead a prayer, a prayer that any person could pray with me wherever you are to ask Christ to come into your life and forgive you of your sin. If you need Jesus in your life, if you're not sure if you'll go to heaven when you die, if you're not confident that you're ready for the Lord's return, I want you to pray this prayer with me right now.

In fact, why don't we all just pray this prayer to encourage those that will be praying it for the first time. Let's all bow our heads. Just repeat this prayer. Lord Jesus,

Guest (Male): Lord Jesus,

Greg Laurie: I know that I'm a sinner,

Guest (Male): I'm a sinner,

Greg Laurie: but I know that you are the savior

Guest (Male): I know that you are the savior

Greg Laurie: who died on the cross for my sin

Guest (Male): who died on the cross for my sin

Greg Laurie: and rose again from the dead.

Guest (Male): and rose again from the dead.

Greg Laurie: I repent of my sin

Guest (Male): I repent of my sin

Greg Laurie: and I choose to follow you

Guest (Male): and I choose to follow you

Greg Laurie: from this moment forward

Guest (Male): from this moment forward

Greg Laurie: as my savior and Lord

Guest (Male): as my savior and Lord

Greg Laurie: as my God and friend. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Guest (Male): Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie praying an important prayer with those who made a decision for the Lord today. If you prayed that prayer and you've meant it sincerely, we want to welcome you into the family of God. And we want to help you begin walking with the Lord each day. Let us send you Pastor Greg's New Believer's Bible. It'll help you lay a good foundation for your spiritual growth and development. It's free of charge. Just ask for the New Believer's Bible when you call 1 800 821 3300. That's a 24/7 phone number, 1 800 821 3300.

Or go online to harvest dot org and click the words Know God. Well, Pastor Greg, we have so many people who help us. They they help by praying for us. They help by investing, by being partners with us. In fact, we've got a group called Harvest Partners who help on a regular basis.

Greg Laurie: Yeah.

Guest (Male): When they give Let me ask you an insider question. When they give, how is that money used?

Greg Laurie: That's a great question. So the answer is, It goes into our ministry, which is quite diverse. It goes into our crusade ministry. And by the way, we just wrapped up a crusade in July at Angel Stadium. And we saw the Lord work. We saw people committing their life to Christ as they have for 35 years. It's absolutely amazing. It goes to our radio broadcast. It goes to reaching people through our television ministry and other opportunities that come our way. I have to tell you, we have some amazing opportunities uh in this coming year. And I'll tell you more about them as we get closer to it.

But what a great time to be bringing the gospel. I'm so thankful as we have just celebrated our 250th birthday as a nation that we have the freedom in the United States of America to preach the gospel and to teach the word of God. Never take that freedom for granted. It it really is a privilege. That's why so many people want to come to our country, the land of the free and the home of the brave. We truly are blessed by God. And we want to continue to take advantage of that freedom that we have in America and declare the ultimate freedom that people can have in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Freedom from the power of sin, freedom to live a new life glorifying God. So stand with us if you would and invest in our ministry so you can share in the fruit of what we're doing in the months and years to come. And in advance, let me say thank you. And one way you can do that is by becoming a Harvest Partner. Harvest Partner is someone that just stands with us on a monthly basis and gives to our ministry. Man, that makes such a difference. So thank you if you're a Harvest Partner. And for those of you that have not become one yet, would you prayerfully consider it?

It would really make all the difference, honestly. So thanks again and God bless you all.

Guest (Male): And you can get started by calling us at 1 800 821 3300. Call anytime, 1 800 821 3300. Or go online to harvest dot org. Well, next time some very practical insight on prayer and how that privilege can be a lifeline when we're facing trials and troubles. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.