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Watch Video & Full Sermon Transcript » Greg Laurie » Greg Laurie - A Second Chance for America

Greg Laurie - A Second Chance for America (12/07/2018)


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TOPICS: Second Chance, America

Pastor Greg Laurie shares the story of Jonah, a man who ran from God’s call to preach to Nineveh, yet God gave him—and an entire wicked nation—a second chance through a storm, a great fish, and repentance. He urges us not to flee from God’s love, forgiveness, and purpose, but to turn to Jesus for salvation before it’s too late.


Introduction


Hi everyone. I am Greg Laurie and I am in central park here in beautiful New York city. I read an article in the paper the other day that pointed out the three things that people search for on Google late at night. Three things. Top three topics. What do you think they are? Number one. Porn. That was predictable. Number two. Lonely. And number three suicide.

That is interesting. I think there is a connection. What does that say? Late at night people are empty, they are lonely, they are out looking at porn. What a waste of time. And they are just feeling this void in their life. And some are even contemplating suicide. I think everybody out there is searching for answers. And you know what? God has answers and he gives them to us in the Bible. If you are a Christian he has commanded you and me and all of us together to go into all of the world and preach the Gospel. Jesus did not say that the whole world should go to church but he did say that the church should go to the whole world. We need to look for opportunities to share our faith as followers of Christ.

But here is something I find interesting also. I know that some of you watching this program right now are not Christians. Actually studies have shown that a surprisingly large number of those that watch Christian television and listen to Christian radio are not Christians at all. They are sort of eavesdropping on our conversation. You might be surprised to know that is how I came to become a Christian myself. I was not raised in a Christian home. In fact I was raised in a crazy alcoholic home. My mom was married and divorced seven times. I lived an insane life for a young kid. I saw things no little boy should ever see. But it got me on a search early in life. A search for the meaning and purpose of my life. And the way I ended up hearing the Gospel was there was a little Bible study on the front lawn of the high school I was attending.

Obviously this was a long time ago. I sat down close enough where I could sort of eavesdrop on the conversation but not so close that people would think I was joining up with the Jesus Freaks because that would be like social suicide. Right. Well sitting there listening I began to hear for the first time the message of who Jesus was in a way that I understood it. I hope that in this program you, some of you who are watching who are not yet believers will hear for the first time the message of Jesus in a way you can understand it.

We are going to take you to a stadium right now where I am presenting the Gospel to thousands of people and this is the same message I would share with you if were sitting down having a cup of coffee together. It is the Gospel. It is good news. At the end of the program I want to talk to you about how you can personally make a commitment to Jesus Christ so you won't have to be Googling empty and lonely anymore. You will have the answer. So watch now as we go to one of our events. We call them harvest crusades.


The Story of the Inherited Fortune


I heard about a man that was being approached by an attorney because the attorney wanted to give to this man a very important paper. And so this guy decided to avoid the attorney because he was certain it was some kind of a subpoena. So he managed to evade this attorney for years. For 14 years the attorney was never able to serve those papers to this man. But one day the man got sick and had cancer and was in the hospital. While he was in the hospital room, who gets wheeled in next to him? But the attorney. The guy looked at him and said, oh fine, go ahead. Serve me your subpoena. I have cancer. I don't even care anymore. And the attorney said, subpoena. I was trying to give you a document that proved you had inherited $45 million.

See, this is us with God. God's saying, I want to show you my love. I want to give you the hope of heaven. I want to give you the meaning and purpose of life. And like idiots, we're running from God.

Jonah: A Real Man Who Ran from God


I want to tell you the story of a man who ran from God. His name was Jonah. Jonah. Now a lot of people, when you say the name Jonah, immediately dismiss it like it's some kind of a child story. And it never happened. But it's a real story in the Bible. It happened to a real guy. And it was authenticated by no one less than Jesus Christ himself.

But Jonah, you know the story. He was a guy who was called to go and share a message of hope with the people of Nineveh. And he didn't want to do it. He ran in the opposite direction. So basically, God said to Jonah, go. Jonah said, no. And God said, oh. Listen, God will always have the last word.

So Jonah was running from God. And I wonder if there's some of you here tonight that are running from God. You're trying to get away from God. And here he is just wanting to give you a second chance.

God’s Attention-Getting Methods


Well, God got the attention of Jonah through a storm and a whale. Or maybe a big fish. We don't know for sure which it was. And the result was an entire nation was spared from being judged by God. And it's probably the largest spiritual awakening in human history. Because Jonah did what God told him to do.

See, before God could give to Nineveh a second chance, Jonah had to have a second chance. Because Jonah was a racist. You see, God told Jonah to go to a group of people he didn't want to go to. The Ninevites. They were the avowed enemies of Israel. Nineveh was the capital of their enemies, the Assyrians.

So Jonah figured this. If he went to them and preached to them, God is so loving he would spare them. But if he didn't go and preach to them, God would destroy them. And that seemed like a good idea to Jonah. Because he was filled with hatred.

No Place for Racism in Christ


You know, our country is divided tonight. What just happened in Charlottesville. There's a tension in the air. And I want to say for the follower of Jesus Christ, there is no place for racial bigotry or racism or prejudice of any kind. When I see these people carrying these crosses and wearing swastikas and talking about white supremacy, there is no race that's superior to another race. We're all part of the human race. And we're all part of a sinful race. And we all need God.

So Jonah was a racist. But you know what? God even loves racists. God loves sinners. God loves people who mess up. And God was going to give him a second chance.

But here's the cool thing. When you become a Christian, those barriers come down. Racial barriers come down. A prejudice comes down. And we become a new family in Jesus Christ. And that's shown by all the folks that are here in this stadium. Here's our answer to the racial tension of America. Look around. We're the family of God. We're the same blood. We're brothers and sisters. We're brothers and sisters. And we're of the same blood. The blood of Jesus Christ. That has broken down the wall. That separated us from God. And separated us from one another.

So we need to love one another in America. And we need to forgive one another. That's what Jonah did. And it saved a nation.

America’s Need for a Second Chance


Listen, America needs a second chance right now. Our country is not only having tension among its own people, but we're under threat from others. Terrorists want to destroy us. North Korea wants to nuke us. Iran's thinking about that eventually too, by the way. There's a lot of threats in the air right now. And America needs to turn to God.

You know, I've lived long enough to remember the 60s. Yes, I was alive in the 60s. They say if you remember the 60s, you weren't there. But I remember them. And I was there. And actually, the only time I can think of when there was as much conflict in our nation was then. In fact, it was actually worse then than it is now, believe it or not. And there was a lot of talk of revolution. People were saying, we need a revolution. And you know what? God sent a revolution. It was called the Jesus Revolution. It's called the Jesus Movement. And it changed the course of America. Thousands of young people that were strung out on drugs and filled with hatred and anger were transformed by Jesus Christ. And I happen to be one of those young people.

And I pray we have another spiritual awakening. I pray we have another Jesus revolution in America.

Seasons of Waiting and Hopelessness


Seasons pass. And my prayers seem to get lost in the waiting. I feel so alone. What are my tears and prayers worth? How am I to cope when I'm overwhelmed and feel hopeless? Who can I turn to? Who can I trust?

Welcome back. Here again is Pastor Greg.

So let me read to you a few verses from the book of Jonah. Here's what it says. Jonah 1. It says, The Lord gave this message to Jonah. Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh and announce my judgment against him because I've seen how wicked its people are. But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa. He found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

He got up and went in the opposite direction to get away. From the Lord.

Running from God’s Call


Have you ever tried to run from God and His will for your life? Why do we think that God's plans are not good? God loves you. His plans for you are better than your plans for yourself. The Bible tells us that God is good. God loves you. The Bible says, taste and see that the Lord is good. And the Bible also tells us that God is love.

But for some of us, when we hear about a father in heaven, it may freak us out a little bit. Because our father on earth is someone we are scared of. Maybe you come from an abusive home. Maybe you were abandoned by your father. Maybe there's some other conflict you've had at home. For me, I never knew my biological father. And my mom married and divorced many times. And I had a lot of stepfathers. So there was just this big blank when it came to the idea of a father. And now we read about a father in heaven. So we sort of transfer our view of our earthly father to the heavenly father.

I don't know what your earthly dad is like. But I know that your heavenly father is full of love for you. And full of forgiveness for you. And you shouldn't run from him.

Nineveh’s Wickedness and God’s Awareness


But God said, the wickedness of Nineveh is great. Actually, the phrase that is used there means that it was sort of stinking to high heaven. Nineveh was sort of like an immoral septic tank that was overflowing. And it shows that God is aware of sin. He knows when sin takes place. And these people were known for their cruelty. See, the Ninevites would not just conquer people, but they would torture them before they would execute them. And take their heads off and stack their skulls up as monuments to their cruelty. In many ways, the Ninevites remind one of Isis or an organization like that.

And yet God said to Jonah, go preach to these people. He thought, why would I want to preach to them? I don't want them to believe. I want them to be judged. But God loves sinners, no matter what sins they've committed, and will forgive them if they'll turn from that sin. And that's good news for you, because you're a sinner too. And so am I. And every one of us needs the forgiveness of God.

Because listen, one sin is enough to keep you out of heaven. The Bible says, if we offend in one point of the law, we're guilty of all of it. Now granted, some people are worse sinners in some ways than others. But as I said, one sin is enough to separate you from God.

Jonah’s Rebellion and the Storm


God said, go to Nineveh. Jonah said, no way. And he got in a boat going 2,000 miles in the opposite direction. And then God sent a big storm to sort of get Jonah's attention. And the storm was so radical that boat was pitching back and forth. And even the seasoned sailors on board were starting to freak out. You know it's bad if they were afraid.

And sometimes God will allow a crisis or something dramatic to get our attention. Maybe you're going through a crisis right now. Maybe something that's happened that was a big wake-up call for you. C.S. Lewis said, and I quote, God whispers to us on our pleasures. He speaks to us in our conscience. But he shouts to us on our pain. Pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world. End quote.

So these sailors are trying to figure out, why is this storm coming? And they figured out that the culprit, the one who brought the storm, was this stranger. And they brought him up a deck and said, dude, what's your name? He says, well, my name is Jonah. And I'm a prophet of the Lord God of Israel. And I'm running from God. And they're like, what is wrong with you? Why would you run from a God this powerful?

Jonah’s Confession to the Sailors


Jonah says, well, I'll tell you what, guys. If you throw me over the side of the boat, the storm will stop. They said, really? Okay. Bye. Over the side he went. And the Bible says the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.

Now we always say Jonah and the whale. The Bible never says it was a whale. The actual word can be translated sea monster. It may have been a custom designed fish just for Jonah. That only existed one time. Whatever it was, it swallowed Jonah. And that's where he was waiting.

But, you know, here's what's interesting to me. These guys are calling out Jonah. And they're not even believers. They're saying, look, if you know God, why would you run from God?

You know, nothing is more worthless or pathetic than a Christian who won't stand up for what they believe. You know, nothing is more worthless or pathetic than a Christian who won't stand up for what they believe. That's Jonah. He was busted. Busted for his sins by these sailors.

Three Days in the Fish and Repentance


They threw him over the side. He's swallowed by a great fish. And while he's inside of the belly of the fish, he sees Pinocchio. No, wrong story. When he's in the belly, he's in the belly of the fish, he says, I'm not going to do it. He's stubborn. He's wrapped in seaweed. A figure of fish are slapping him in the face of their tail. I'm not going to do what God wants me to do.

Finally, after three days, inside of the belly of the beast, Jonah says, all right. All right. I'll go. And so that big old fish or whale goes cruising up to the shore of Nineveh and it opened up his mouth and it vomited Jonah. Boy, talk about a dramatic entrance. So Jonah was righteous and ralphed. He was blessed and he was barfed right on the shore of Nineveh.

Jonah’s Message and Nineveh’s Response


And he went out and he said to them, according to Jonah, chapter three, 40 days and God will destroy Nineveh. And it says that the people were sorry for their sins and from the greatest to the least, they covered their head with sackcloth and they didn't eat food to show their sorrow.

See, God gave to Jonah a second chance and God gave a nation a second chance. See, by saying 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown, God was effectively saying, you can get out of this. You can still turn from your sin.

You know, when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, there was no warning. There was no Jonah. Judgment just came. But in the case of Nineveh, God gave them an opportunity. I guess Sodom and Gomorrah had gone beyond the point of no return.

The Danger of a Hardened Heart


Has that happened to some of you? Have you gone beyond the point of no return? Oh, by the way, that can happen. Well, your heart can get so hard. You can become so resistant to God that you're not responsive in any way. Maybe as you're listening to me, you've got your arms folded and you're saying, you know what? I don't believe a word you say. And I don't care about God. And I don't care about the afterlife. That scares me for you because you and me have gone too far. Don't let that happen.

See, God's speaking to some of you deep down inside. Sodom and Gomorrah was too far gone. But God was giving Nineveh another chance. And I think there's still hope for America.

Jesus’ Death and Our Rescue


You say, well, what does the death of Jesus have to do with me? I mean, that happened 2,000 years ago. I'm sorry they killed him, but it has no effect on me. No, it has a lot of effect on you. Because you see, Jesus was coming to rescue you. Because we're all separated from God by our sin. But Jesus was uniquely qualified to stand in the gap in our place because Jesus was fully God and He was fully man. There's never been another man like Him that walked this earth. Jesus was not man becoming a God. That's impossible. He was God becoming man.

So when He died on that cross and they nailed His hands to it, with one hand, in effect, He took hold of a holy God we're separated from. With the other hand, He took hold of sinful people like you and me. And He died in our place. He paid the price for my sin. And so all the wrongs that I've done have been put on Jesus who died for me.

So if I'll say, "Jesus, I'm sorry for my sin", He will forgive me. And all of my sin will be forgiven. And all of my sin will be forgotten.

Do you need your sin forgiven? Listen to this. Help has a name. And it's Jesus Christ. And He's here for you right now.

Reflection & Discussion Questions