Don't Do That

Notes: Don't Do That

Pastor Steve Wilburn - Core Church in Los Angeles - Pastor Greg introduced him as the "Force of Nature"

August 10, 2014

Pastor Steve said there is no better motivator to spread the word of God then a prayer.

Speaking of the Harvest Crusade, he said over 5 million people have attended over the last 25 years and over 400,000 had stood up to make a commitment to Christ.

He said that God uses us to make that happen. Our purpose and time is now!

He is going to use the example of Jonah to emphasis his message today of "don't do that". Other figures in the bible May be less relatable to us because unlike Moses, we never parted the Red Sea.

We are reviewing four points today.

1. Don't be rebellious

Jonah 1:1-3 NKJV

[1] Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." [3] But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

God told Jonah to go one way and Jonah went the opposite way, like many of us do.

There will always be consequences for resisting the call of God.

1. There is a cost to resist God

2. Jonah paid the fare

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

[9] But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Luke 19:10 NKJV

[10] for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

We are here to be the representative of God.

Today we are not suffering from a lack of knowledge, we are suffering from a passion filled heart.

Jonah did not want the Ninevites to be saved, he wanted them to burn. Is there anyone in your life that you feel that way about?

Ezekiel 18:32 NKJV

[32] For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"

Ecclesiastes 12:14 NKJV

[14] For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

When you are in front of God everything will be exposed.

Where is your course today? Are you serving God.

How many people are in your sphere of life that need to be saved? People that you think "look good"

2. Don't be asleep

Jonah 1:5-6 NKJV

[5] Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. [6] So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish."

Don't think for a second that the people around you aren't worried about what is going on around them. Don't be asleep like Jonah.

56% of people in a study said they would consider going to church if someone invited them.

Steve said that after reading that, he invited someone to church and the guy was there at church on Sunday. If he didn't invite he wouldn't of come.

Steve said he asked the guy originally "When is the last time someone told you that there is a God in Heaven that loves you?"

Take advantage of the opportunities to invite people! The Crusade is an even bigger opportunity.

What is the cost to ask people? It cost nothing to you, but can mean everything to a person that is saved!

Reach out to those in your sphere of life.

Jonah 1:15 NKJV

[15] So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.

3. Don't be Stubborn

It can always get worse!

Jonah 1:17 NKJV

[17] Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jesus referenced Jonah:

Matthew 12:39-41 NKJV

[39] But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [41] The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Jonah 2:5-7 NKJV

[5] The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. [6] I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God. [7] "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.

Jonah 2:10 NKJV

[10] So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah's attitude was extremely bad and got worse.

Jonah 3:1-6 NKJV

[1] Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, [2] "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." [3] So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. [4] And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" [5] So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. [6] Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.

Jonah's message was precise, nothing but wrath. It changed the people to repent, even though Jonah was bitter.

Romans 2:4 NKJV

[4] Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

We need to deliver God's message with a smile and happiness!

God has forgiven you and will forgive everyone.

4. Don't be upset.

Jonah 4:1-3 NKJV

[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. [2] So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, One who relents from doing harm. [3] Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!"

Don't do what Jonah did when your family and friends are saved.

The book of Jonah is a message to people with a hardened heart.

Jonah 4:4-8 NKJV

[4] Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" [5] So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. [6] And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. [7] But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. [8] And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."

Jonah was hoping that God would change his mind and destroy the people.

The plant and worm was a lesson to Jonah. There was so many people being saved and Jonah was still upset, even more concerned about a plant and worm then the saving grace that God gave 120,000 people.

The bible never says if Jonah ever repented for his hardened heart towards the people of Nineveh. We do know 120,000 Ninevites were saved.

We don't know what will happen tomorrow. We all need The Lord today.

Are you going to help others find Jesus?

Seizing Spiritual Opportunities

Notes: Seizing SpiritualOpportunities

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Harvest OC

Lee Strobel

SPECIAL GUEST INTERVIEW:

Frank Sontag was a New Age Spiritualist leader on the radio- he came to Christ in his fifties.

He used to be on the Mark and Brian Morning Show.

Ozzy Osbourne was someone he interviewed. He actually told him that he was a follower of Christ; Ozzy told him that he did believe there was a God and he wore crosses because of that, but he knew he did bad things. He didn't get a chance to share his faith with Ozzy.

Frank told Greg he couldn't believe he was actually a spiritualist at some point, that it really is the doctrine of yourself.

He came to Christ after he watched his friend’s life change over a three-year period. It was a huge change that he witnessed in his friends life.

That friend questioned his beliefs and it changed him when his friend asked, "if you died today, are you right with God?"

He had a quick response saying that he was, but that was a lie and he knew it. Then he felt God asking him "are you ready to submit to me?" His life has been changed forever!

This verse is his life passage:

Luke 9:23 NKJV

[23] 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.

Nelson's study bible says Luke 9:23 take up his cross daily: Although Jesus offered salvation as a free gift (John 1:12; 3:16–18; see Eph. 2:8, 9), He also warned that following Him would entail suffering and hardship (Matt. 5:10–12; see also Rom. 8:17; 2 Thess. 1:5).

Lee Strobel Notes: Seizing Spiritual Opportunities

He is talking about how he kept things together when he was slammed at work as a new believer and how his boss asked how this Christian thing is going. He noticed he was different since his conversion.

Lee was very happy to speak to his beliefs with him and it changed him forever.

Colossians 4:5-6 NLT

[5] Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. [6] Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Lee wants to talk about three people that walked in his life as a believer and helped change him.

1. Faith Regardless of Consequence:

First is Ron, who always lived his faith regardless of consequence. Ron was a second in command in a violent Chicago street gang.

Ron was a guy who plotted killing a rival gang member and the guy’s brother.

Ron pulled the trigger point blank on the guy twice and it didn't fire. But, it went off every other time. He fled from the police.

Later he came to Christ, and then he went and turned himself in, because as a believer he was convicted.

Even though he could of gotten away with it, he didn't. He didn't take the easy way out.

We need to live out our faith even when we have to pay a price as a result.

It can be a monetary price, sacrificing your pride, giving up a possession you love, forgoing a larger income, what ever it means you need to do it!

It cost Ron two decades of time in prison! Lee wrote an article about it. The judge read Lee's article and let Ron go. Ron told Lee, that judge showed him grace. It left a mark on Lee.

2. Live out Compassionate Christianity:

Doctors told Lee that there was something wrong with his baby when she was born. They told him that he needed to prepare for the worst.

He was an atheist at the time,

David was a devout follower of Christ that called Lee to let him know that he would do anything for him while they were going through this time of hardship.

David has affected Lee ever since, he can remember David saying that too him all those years ago because Lee always mocked David's faith prior to that.

Mark 10:45 NKJV

[45] For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Lee knows that David marked his heart and was an event that helped lead him to God.

3. Live out a Courageous Christianity:

Romans 10:13-14 NKJV

[13] For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." [14] How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

We have to take risk to reach people with the gospel.

Luke 19:7 NKJV

[7] But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

Jesus was falsely accused of being a drunkard and a glutton because if how closely he interacted with people that were.

Leslie, Lee's wife, told him she had become a Christian.

Lee was mad, that he was a drunk, self-serving narcissist at the time. He had kicked a hole in the wall when she invited him to church once.

When he was hung over, she prayed, and then invited him to church. He said he would go, just so that he could get her out of that cult he felt she was in.

That day he heard a simple presentation of the gospel. So after that he spent two years trying to prove that Christian was a fake.

What he discovered instead was that it is real. After examining all the evidence, Lee fell to his knees and professed his faith.

We need to be like Leslie and just invite people.

We can invite them to the Harvest Crusade!

What's the worst that can happen, they say no. If they say yes they could find Jesus and be saved!

When God opens the opportunity we need to say a quick prayer and seize the opportunity.

He says do not wait to decide if we are going to share our faith.

We need to decide right now to take the opportunity to share our faith whenever we get the opportunity!

Hell is for Real

Hell is for Real

Pastor Jeff Lasseigne

July 31, 2014

Matthew 25

Genesis 12:3 NIV

[3] I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. ”

The good news is heaven is for real, the bad news is that hell is for real.

10 Realities About Hell:

Matthew 25:31-34,41,46 NIV

[31] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. [32] All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. [34] “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. [41] “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [46] “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. ”

1. He'll is not a myth.

People deny that hell exist so that they can live without feeling accountable to it.

Jesus referred to hell several times.

We live in a society where it is wrong to say anything is wrong.

Many people today say they believe in Heaven but not in hell.

That is not what Jesus says in the Bible.

2. Hell was created by God.

It was a place if punishment.

Matthew 10:28 NIV

[28] Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

3. Hell was not created for people.

We hear people say, how can a living God create hell?

Matthew 25:41 NIV

[41] “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Revelation 12:4 NIV

[4] Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

In Genesis 3, the devil was already a fallen angel.

God sent His Son to die for our sin, if we reject that remedy then we are a sending ourselves to hell.

Heaven reminds us that God is living and kind; hell reminds us that God is holy and just.

Luke 16:23-31 NIV

[23] In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. [24] So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ [25] “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ [27] “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, [28] for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ [29] “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ [30] “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ [31] “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

4. Hell is a place of awareness and torment.

Lazarus was aware of his own torment.

Better to beg bread on earth, then water in hell.

When people are suffering in hell, they are thinking about their family in friends that will join them. That is one of the torments of hell.

There is no such thing as soul sleep.

There are no more chances after death.

5. Hell's location is unknown

Many say it is in the center of the earth.

Revelation 9:1-3 NKJV

[1] Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. [2] And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. [3] Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Others say, maybe it is in a black hole in the universe.

But the Bible does not say for certain where it is.

It does say it is a place of flames and torment.

In hell there is no hope, not even the hope of dying.

6. Hell has degrees of punishment.

Matthew 11:21-24 NKJV

[21] "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22] But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. [23] And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. [24] But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

Revelation 20:12 NKJV

[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

There is a comfort in knowing that someone evil like Hitler will suffer more than the person that rejects God and does not do other bad things. But there will be torment.

7. Hell gladly accepts anyone.

They will all have in common, rejection of God.

8. Satan is not the ruler of hell.

The day will come where he is the prisoner of hell. Right now Satan is roaming free in earth.

Revelation 1:18 NKJV

[18] I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

9. Hell is eternal.

We hear a lot of non-biblical things that say hell does not exist. There are people who call themselves Christians that deny an eternal hell.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 NKJV

[9] These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

Revelation 20:10 NKJV

[10] The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

We should be moved to pray for people who are lost. We should want to share our faith. We should give thanks to God for saving us.

We do not deserve this love of God.

10. Hell is one of two destinies.

There is no third option.

We can be on a road to destruction and not even realize it.

Ezekiel 33:11 NKJV

[11] Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'

The Lord does not want to see us go to hell. That is why He sent His Son.

John 3:16 NKJV

[16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

People will go to hell unsaved, but they will not go unloved.