Tag Archives: Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – “What Are You Doing Here?”

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So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

—1 Kings 19:13

It was a glorious day of victory for Israel and the Lord. Elijah had faced off with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, where God sent a stream of fire from Heaven and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice. At God’s command, Baal’s prophets had been slain, and Jezebel, the wife of wicked King Ahab, wanted Elijah dead.

So inexplicably, the courageous Elijah, having just faced all those prophets, ran in terror and hid himself in a cave. Then the Bible tells us there was a mighty, rushing wind, followed by an earthquake and a big fire. After that, God asked Elijah a question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13).

I wonder if the Lord would say that to some of us sometimes. Maybe it’s when you’re in a group of people and things are happening that you shouldn’t be around. Maybe people are doing drugs or getting drunk. And the Lord says, “What are you doing here?” Or maybe you’re in a movie and a scene comes on that is not the kind of scene you should be watching. Everyone is enjoying it, and you are feeling a little uncomfortable. The Lord whispers, “What are you doing here?”

When Judas came to betray Jesus, He said, “Friend, why have you come?” (Matthew 26:50). Did Jesus know why Judas came to the garden with a bunch of soldiers and the temple guard? Of course Jesus knew. However, Jesus wanted Judas to say he was there because he had been planning to betray Him, but he wanted to repent. But Judas didn’t repent.

God knows everything that we have done, and He wants us to admit our sins, to confess them. Sometimes God will ask us a question designed to do that. So what question is God asking you today?

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Where Are You?

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Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” —Genesis 3:9

When I play hide-and-seek with my granddaughters, I will show them a new hiding place. Then, when it is my turn to find them, they will go to the place I just showed them.

That is what it’s like when we try to hide from God. In the Garden of Eden, God called out to Adam, “Where are you?” But God knew exactly where Adam was. And He knew exactly what Adam had done. God wasn’t asking Adam this question because He was clueless and looking for information.

By asking “Where are you?” God was saying, in effect, “Well, Adam, how is it going? How did that work out for you—the whole sin thing? Was I right on this, or was I wrong? How are you feeling about it? Is this good? Did I tell you the truth, or did the Devil lie to you?”

God wanted Adam and Eve to confess what they had done so He could set it right, because God cannot forgive a sin that has not been confessed.

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What does it mean to confess our sin? The word confess used in this verse means “to agree with.”

And what is God’s opinion of sin? He hates it. What else does God think of sin? It offends Him. So we have to see sin that way, stop rationalizing it and justifying it, and start saying, “God, Your opinion of sin is right. I agree with You. I hate it. It was wrong for me to do. I am sorry for it.” Until we come to this conclusion about our sin, it will separate us from God.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – What Will You Be Remembered For?

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“‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.'” —Revelation 14:13

What is heaven like? What will we do when we get there? The Bible has answers to all of that.

1. Heaven is a place of rejoicing.

“Blessed are the dead . . .”

As much as we may miss our loved ones who have gone before us to heaven, we need to know that they are in pure bliss. The apostle Paul died and went to heaven and was brought back to life. Paul said he longed to go there—because it is “far better” (Philippians 1:23).

Adrian Rogers, who is now in heaven, once wrote, “Consider the artistry that God has put into Heaven.” In his commentary on Revelation he wrote these words, “The God who sculpted the wings of the butterfly, blended the hues of the rainbow, and painted the meadows with daffodils is the same who made Heaven.”

2. Heaven is a place of rest.

“That they may rest from their labors . . .”

We will have a permanent rest from our labors in heaven. The curse will be gone, and we will no longer have to work “by the sweat of our brow” (Genesis 3:19), but we will still be busy for the Lord! Our work is not over when we leave this earth; it continues in heaven and on the new earth.

3. Heaven is a place of reward.

“And their works follow them.”

You cannot work your way into heaven, for it is a gift of God to each of us. However, the Bible teaches that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).

Your “works will follow you.” One day, in your memorial service, no one will care about how successful you were in business or how much money you had. People will talk about your character, your merciful acts, and love for others. Make sure you have some “good works” to follow you to that day.

So let’s press forward—continuing to serve the Lord during our short time here on earth, knowing that eternity will be a time of rejoicing, rest, and reward!

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Opened to Earth, Closed to Heaven

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And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

—Genesis 3:8

If you happen to hear a dirty joke and don’t get it, way to go. All too often, we know more about this wicked world than we need to know. And we know far too less about God’s Word, which we need to grow. Writing to the believers in Rome, the apostle Paul said, “I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19).

When Adam and Eve sinned, their eyes were opened to Earth and closed to Heaven. Then God showed up. It appears from the way it is stated in the text that this was a daily occurrence. And normally it would have been a welcomed visit. But this time Adam wasn’t waiting for the Lord’s arrival. Rather, he was hiding.

It’s interesting to note when God came to Adam. It wasn’t in the heat of the day, lest Adam would think God was coming to him in the heat of His passion. Nor did God come to Adam in the early morning, lest Adam would think God couldn’t wait to punish him for his sin. No, God came to Adam in the cool of the day, loving and patient, yet hurt and demanding confession.

Sometimes when we sin, we will find a way to rationalize it. We might even assume that maybe God is okay with it because the consequences aren’t yet evident. But God is never okay with sin. And know this: The Bible says, “Your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). If you were to translate that from the original language, it ultimately would read like this: Your sin will find you out. It will come out—maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe a month from now, or maybe ten years from now. But it will find you out.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Distorting God’s Word

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Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” —Genesis 3:1

A story is told of the comedian W. C. Fields and how, shortly before he died, he was flipping through the pages of a Bible. When asked what he was doing, Fields replied, “Looking for loopholes.”

In the same way, I think the Devil has been reading the Bible for a long time, looking for loopholes. In the Garden of Eden, he twisted the Scriptures. He took God’s words to Adam, which invited him to eat from every tree in the Garden (with one exception), and he twisted them into a prohibition designed to cast doubt on God’s goodness.

He said to Eve, in effect, “If God really loved you, He would let you eat from any tree you want. But because He is saying that you can’t eat from that tree, He clearly doesn’t love you.”

The Devil’s first words to Eve ended in a question mark, designed to cast doubt on God’s love: Has God indeed said . . . ? He was quoting God, yet he completely twisted what God said.

The same was true of Satan’s temptation of Jesus, where he said, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down [from the temple]. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’ ” (Matthew 4:6). How interesting. The Devil was quoting the Scriptures, though he left out part of the original text.

Notice that with Eve, he questioned God’s Word. He didn’t deny that God had spoken; he simply questioned whether God had really said what Eve thought He had said. That is what the Devil will do with God’s Word. He will misquote it. He will mischaracterize it. And he will distort it.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – A Subtle Snare

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And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14

When I was a kid, I collected snakes. I am not really sure why, but I used to be fascinated by them. I had all kinds. I would read books about snakes. I would go out looking for them and bring them home. And I was bitten by snakes many times. I discovered that you never really know what a snake is thinking. Snakes aren’t expressive creatures; they are cold-blooded reptiles.

Snakes are nothing like dogs. You know where you are with a dog at any given moment. When a dog looks at you with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging, you know he is a friendly dog. But if the dog shows his teeth and the hair on his back is standing up, then you know he isn’t happy. You always know where you stand with a dog.

But you never know with a snake. A snake has the same expression all the time. A snake will suddenly bite you, and you won’t even see it coming.

In Genesis we’re told that “the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made” (3:1). Notice that he didn’t show up and say, “Hi, I’m the Devil. Maybe you have heard of me? I hate God, I hate you, and I want to destroy you. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. I have some ideas.”

The Bible does say that Satan was a serpent, but it doesn’t say that he slithered. He slithered after he was cursed (see Genesis 3:14). We don’t know what he looked like, but there was something fascinating, interesting, and appealing about him. He was somehow attractive, and sin is always attractive.

The Devil may be wicked, but he isn’t stupid. He comes with subtlety.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Expect Opposition

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Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. —1 Peter 5:8

We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden before temptation came. The Devil had heard God’s warning to Adam: “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (Genesis 2:16–17). The way the text in Genesis unfolds, it almost appears as though Satan came immediately with his temptation.

It reminds me of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, where Jesus talked about a sower who went out and scattered seed, and some seed fell on the roadside, where the birds came and quickly ate it.

We all know what that is like. Have you ever dropped a French fry outside McDonald’s? Birds suddenly appear out of nowhere. Then there are the seagulls at the beach that fly off with your lunch or your children or your very small dog.

Jesus said, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (verse 19). That is why we need to pray for people who have just come to Christ, because the Devil will be there with temptation, with doubt, and with an onslaught of other things.

This reminds us that whenever God is blessing, expect the Devil to be opposing—immediately. He isn’t going to wait for a year. He isn’t going to wait for a month. He may not even wait for an hour.

You can be walking out of church when temptation suddenly comes. You think, What is with that? The fact is that Satan wants to undermine what just happened in your life. He opposes immediately. He always will.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Greatest Stories Ever Told

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All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.—2 Timothy 3:16

Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”

The Bible is the most amazing book ever written. It is literally God’s message to us. Technically speaking, the Bible is not one book, but it is actually sixty-six books, written over a 1,500-year span by forty different authors. From kings to peasants, from philosophers to fisherman, from poets to statesmen, each of them were inspired to write down its words.

In fact, the apostle Peter wrote, “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20–21). And 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” A better translation of “inspired by God” would be “breathed by God.”

In the pages of the Scriptures, we find the greatest stories ever told. I don’t mean the once-upon-a-time variety, and I don’t mean fairy tales or fables or myths. These stories in the Scriptures are documented historical events. However, the Bible is not merely a historical book, although it is that. The Bible is not just history; it is His story. And you know what? It is your story, too. Because as you look at some of the Bible’s stories, you will find yourself in them.

We read the Bible to know God, and we also read it to get a better understanding of God’s plan for our lives.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The cry of the heathen

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“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over unto Macedonia, and help us.” Acts 16:9

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

There is no fear of any one becoming improvidently liberal. You need not be frightened that anyone here will give a thousand pounds this morning. We provide ample accommodation for those who feel inclined to do so. If anyone should be overtaken with such an enormous fit of generosity, we will register and remember it. But I fear there are no people like Barnabas now. Barnabas brought all he had, and put it into the treasury. “My dear friend, do not do that; do not be so rash.” Ah! he will not do that; there is no necessity for you to advise him. But I do say again, if Christianity were truly in our hearts; if we were what we professed to be; the men of generosity whom we meet with now and hold up as very paragons and patterns would cease to be wonders, for they would be as plentiful as leaves upon the trees. We demand of no man that he should beggar himself; but we do demand of every man who makes a profession that he is a Christian, that he should give his fair proportion, and not be content with giving as much to the cause of God as his own servant. We must have it that the man who is rich must give richly. We know the widow’s mite is precious, but the widow’s mite has been an enormously great loss to us. That widow’s mite has lost Jesus Christ many a thousand pounds. It is a very good thing in itself; but people with thousands a year talk of giving a widow’s mite. What a wicked application of what never can apply to them. No; in our proportion we must serve our God.

For meditation: We are instructed to give in proportion (2 Corinthians 8:12), in pleasure (2 Corinthians 9:7) and in privacy (Matthew 6:2-4). How do you calculate how much you should be giving to God’s work each week? In prayer?

Sermon no. 189
25 April (1858)

Presidential Prayer Team

Greg Laurie – The Surprises of Life

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“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”—1 Corinthians 9:24

One thing I have found in life is that it is full of surprises. Many of them are unexpected pleasures and blessings that come our way. Others are tragic and sad. I have been greatly surprised by the way some people’s lives have turned out.

I can think of individuals I have met that seemed to have no potential whatsoever. They were never expected to amount to much of anything. In school, people made fun of them, calling them “geeks” and “nerds.” Now those same people are calling them “boss.”

Then there are those that had so much promise—so much raw potential. You just knew they would make their mark in life because they just had that special something: talent, giftedness, great natural ability.

It might have been someone who was unusually gifted spiritually. And sure enough, their star began to rise and you could say “you knew them when.” But then suddenly, seemingly without warning, their life came tumbling down.

Or they were slowly but surely sidetracked by foolish decisions and living. I have seen many talented, super-gifted people crash and burn.

This is sad, because God has a unique, custom-designed plan for each of our lives. As time passes, I find myself more impressed with character than charisma—with personal integrity than talent.

I am more impressed with someone who has, for instance, stayed with their spouse than someone who may have some huge ministry (not that you can’t have both). But the key is to finish what we have started, and to finish it well, because if you run first place in a race for every lap except the last, it doesn’t matter.

You have to cross that finish line and play by the rules. So run your race with all of your strength. Guard your life so that you don’t get sidetracked or disqualified. And keep your eyes on the finish line.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Count the Cost

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“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” —Luke 14:28

It isn’t easy to be a Christian—that is, a committed, growing Christian. It costs to follow Jesus. But it costs a lot more not to.

Jesus said to His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (Luke 15:18–19).

This is hard to accept if you have been a popular person throughout your life and then become a Christian. You try to be loving and compassionate and helpful, and then people find out that you’re a Christian. So they give you a difficult time or make fun of you or spread lies about you. You think, This isn’t fair. I am so sweet and nice. Maybe you are. But the fact is that now you are a representative of Jesus. And effectively you will be treated as He was treated. The Bible says, “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

You don’t want to decide to follow Jesus on a whim, like making an impulse purchase at the store. Retailers count on you to think, Look at all this stuff! I don’t even know what this is, but I’m buying it.

When you decide to follow Christ, however, you need to count the cost. Jesus counted the cost when He went to the cross for you. He gave His life so you can be forgiven of your sin, so you can know that you will go to heaven when you die.

He counted the cost for you. Will you count the cost and follow Him?

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Be a Friend

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So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. —Colossians 1:28

Somewhere along the line, we have separated evangelism from discipleship. We preach the gospel, but we don’t disciple. We don’t get people on their feet spiritually. But the two go together.

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus, one of the most notorious nonbelievers ever, was so unexpected that a lot of people didn’t think it was true. So God spoke to a Christian named Ananias and told him to visit Saul. After some initial resistance, Ananias obeyed and found Saul (who later changed his name to Paul), prayed for him, and took the time to encourage him. Then God brought another man into Paul’s life, and his name was Barnabas. He introduced Paul to the apostles and vouched for his conversion.

A lot of people want to be an apostle Paul, but would someone please be an Ananias or a Barnabas—a person who works behind the scenes? You may not be the next Billy Graham, but you may the best person who helps to nurture the next Billy Graham.

You can show that person what a Christian family, a Christian man, or a Christian woman looks like. You can befriend that individual who has no friends and bring him or her into your group. You don’t know what God can do in the life of that person.

Discipling someone is not just talking to that person about Jesus; it is also being a friend. And that is what a lot of people need: a friend. That is what I needed as a brand-new believer. Thankfully, someone named Mark saw that I came to Christ and very persistently said, “You’re going to church with me.” I was resistant at first. But he won me over and ended up helping me get grounded in the faith. That is what discipling is.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Great Commission or Great Omission?

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Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.—James 4:17

If someone on his deathbed was giving his final words, would you pay attention? I hope so. If someone wrote down her last wishes in a will, would you take the time to read it? I think you would.

In Matthew 28 we have Jesus’ final will and testament, so to speak, which is known as the Great Commission. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20).

This is the message of Christ to each of us. But how many of us are actually doing it? Some might find the following statement a bit controversial, but I think it is true: if you are not seeking to fulfill the Great Commission, it actually can be a sin.

There are different kinds of sin identified in the Bible: the sins of commission and the sins of omission. A sin of commission is doing what you should not do. A sin of omission is not doing what you should do.

The Bible tells us in James 4:17, “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Yet for many, the Great Commission has become the Great Omission. Research has shown that 95 percent of Christians have never led another person to Christ.

The full concept of going into the world and making disciples is to share your faith, lead people to Christ, and then, to the best of your ability, help them mature spiritually.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – How to Get a Life

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Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

—Luke 9:23–24

Some may think the Christian life is restrictive, but actually it is the very opposite. Out there in the world where there are no restrictions, people will start reaping the consequences of their foolish actions. But those who are following Christ will find life at its fullest. Yes, there are boundaries and parameters, but they are there for our own protection.

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).

Nowadays we don’t fully grasp the idea of taking up a cross. But people living in the first century did. The sight of someone carrying a cross down the street in Jerusalem meant that person was about to die. So when Jesus said, “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,” people got it. Jesus was saying that if we want to follow Him, then we must die to our own desires and put God’s will above our own.

Jesus also said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9: 24). We have to lose our lives to find them.

People today like to say, “I need to find myself.” But Jesus said that if you want to find life, purpose, and happiness, then you need to lose yourself. You come to God and say, “Here is my life. Here are my plans. Here are my dreams. Here are my hopes. Here are my aspirations. I present them to You. I want Your will more than my own.”

If you really want to find life, then lose your life. If you want to get a life, then present it to the Lord, and watch what He will do.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Make a Stand

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“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison–your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.”

—Luke 14:26

When I became a Christian, all of my friends were no longer my friends. They quickly turned on me, mocked me, and made a joke out of what I had just done.

Sometimes relationships hold people back from following Christ. They think, If I become a Christian, what will my boyfriend say? Or, What will my girlfriend say? If you have a boyfriend who would not want you to become a Christian, then you need a new boyfriend. And guys, the same is true of a girlfriend. If you have friends who would oppose your being a follower of Jesus Christ, then you need some new friends. You need to make a stand.

In Luke 9 we find the story of a man whom Jesus called to follow Him. But the man said to Jesus, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father” (verse 59).

Jesus responded by saying, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God” (verse 60). We may read that and think, Wow. Jesus was a little heartless, wasn’t He? But the man was using an expression of the time that meant “wait until my father and mother die.” It didn’t mean that his father was dead. The man was effectively saying, “Give me a little time. Later, when my parents pass away, then I will follow You.”

But Jesus was saying, “No, do it right now. I called you. If you want to do it, then do it. Or don’t do it. It is your choice. But do it now.”

The disciple must love Jesus more than anyone or anything else. Or to put it another way, your love for God should be so strong, so intense, that all other loves would be like hatred in comparison.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Who’s Your Daddy?

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“Having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.”—Revelation 14:1

My mom was married and divorced seven times.

Thus, there were quite a few last names I could have chosen to take. But there was only one of those men who treated me as a father should treat a son: Oscar Felix Laurie. So I chose that name. When looking at the other options, it was the “name above all other names.” Though he was not my biological father, he was in every other way my dad.

You’ve heard the expression “Who’s your daddy?” Well, the Bible says you have a choice of who your father will be. You can either be “of your father the devil” (John 8:44) or you can choose the Heavenly Father.

If we are wise, we will choose the “name above all names,” Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:19 tells us, “The Lord knows those who are His.” God sees what others may not. He knows those who bear His mark. It’s like those TSA Agents who use that little light on your driver’s license at the airport. It’s a black light that picks up a hologram on your license to help them authenticate it.

When we trust in Christ, He gives us His seal—His ID tag. Why? Because we belong to Him! We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “You are not your own. For you were bought at a price.”

In old days, if something belonged to a king, it carried his seal. In the same way, we carry God’s seal: the Holy Spirit. “He has identified us as His own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything He has promised us” (2 Corinthians 1:22 NLT).

I read a story about an old gentleman who was known for his godly life. Someone asked him one day, “What do you do when you are tempted, Old Man?” He replied, “I just look up to heaven and say, ‘Lord, Your property is in danger.'”

If you are a Christian, then you are His. You bear His seal, His mark, and His name.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – It Takes One to Make One

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And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.—Matthew 28:18–20

To be growing Christians, we must be disciples of Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus told us to go into all the world and make disciples. It takes one to make one. So first we have to know what a disciple is so that we can then go and make other disciples.

In Matthew 28 we find what is known as the Great Commission, where Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (verses 19–20).

What has Jesus told us to do? Go. Go where? Into all the world. And do what? Make disciples of all the nations.

There are two things in the original language of the Great Commission that we need to understand. First, it is a command. Jesus wasn’t saying, “If you can work it into your busy schedules, would you mind—as a personal favor to Me—to please go. . . .” Rather, Jesus was saying, “You have submitted your life to Me. I am ordering you now to go into all the world.”

Second, these words are given to every follower of Jesus—young and old, men and women, new believers and older believers.

It is not the Great Suggestion; it is the Great Commission. The commission of the church is not to wait for the world to show up. Rather, the commission of the church is to go to the world. Every follower of Jesus should be doing this.

So here is my question for you: Are you doing this? If we are not making disciples of others, then we are not really being the disciples that Jesus wants us to be.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Time to Grow Up

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So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. —Hebrews 6:1

With five grandchildren, I have discovered that it is actually enjoyable to go out and shop for babies. Today products for infants are so much cooler and high-tech than when Cathe and I had our boys. It is fun to get all of the little things for children that help them along in their growth process.

At first babies don’t do a whole lot because they are completely dependent on their mothers. But then they get a little bit older and start eating baby food. After a while, they can start eating food that has been chopped up in very small pieces for them. But you still have to keep them interested in what they’re eating by making airplane noises with the spoon.

That is all fine. But it is not fine when a child is thirteen years old and you still have to do airplane noises. You want to teach a child to grow up. You want to teach a child to eat adult food. Eventually you want to teach a child to be a young adult and ultimately to take care of himself or herself. That is part of growing up.

There are believers today who have known the Lord for ten, fifteen, or twenty years, and they are still like infants. They need their spiritual food in small pieces. Everything needs to be entertaining. Everything needs to be fun.

But the Bible says, “So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding” (Hebrews 6:1).

I think it is time for all of us to grow up and be mature men and women of God, because the Christian life is following Jesus not only as our Savior but also as our Lord.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – How’s Your Service?

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“I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” —Acts 20:35

Some believers have known the Lord for years, yet they think it is all about everyone catering to them. But my question is this: When are they going to grow up and start serving other people?

Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive (see Acts 20:35). In fact, a sign of spiritual growth is that you want to serve—not be served.

I will let you in on a little secret: I have found that as I give, God blesses and replenishes me. As I give, He gives to me. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. . . . For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

If we go through life thinking, I need this or I want that, we will never quite have enough. That is why we need to learn the joy of giving and the joy of serving. The church isn’t a place where we simply have our needs met; it’s a place where we help to meet the needs of others.

The church is also a place where we discover our spiritual gifts. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men’ ” (verses 7–8). God wants to give you (or has given you) spiritual gifts—gifts to use for His glory.

I think we need to start saying, “How can I help? What can I do? I want to be serving the Lord in some way, shape, or form.” That is a mark of spiritual maturity.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Why Fellowship?

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Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.  —Malachi 3:16

Have you ever been somewhere and someone mentioned your name? You noticed, didn’t you? When my grandchildren say to me, “Papa,” I will turn to look. And when I hear a little child say “Papa,” I will turn around instinctively. I am in tune to that word.

In the same way, God listens and hears when we talk about Him. We are told in Malachi 3:16, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them.” That phrase listened and heard means to bend down so as not to miss a single word.

The Lord likes to listen in on our conversations. He likes it when we gather together for fellowship. In the book of Acts, we read that the early church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (2:42). In this verse the word fellowship comes from the Greek word koinonia. It is an interesting word that also can be translated “partnership,” “communion,” or “commune.” There are many different facets of this word, but the idea being communicated here is that these first-century believers loved to gather together.

When you are walking with God, you will want to be with God’s people too. And when you are not walking with God, you won’t want to be with God’s people. It’s actually a pretty good gauge of where you are spiritually. If you want to hang around godly people, then I would almost guarantee that you are living a godly life. And if you don’t want to be around godly people, then it would be an indication that something is wrong spiritually.

If you find yourself out of fellowship with God, then you will find yourself out of fellowship with other believers as well.