The Dark Side of the Moon (with Greg Laurie)

hey everybody thanks for watching our YouTube channel we're constantly updating it with new content and never-seen-before content so if you want to get the latest from harvest hit the subscribe button over in Romans chapter 3 as I said and I have a scale at home how many of you have scales at home okay how many of you get on the scale and check your weight alright okay well I do too and I'm usually pretty disappointed by what I read on that scale I have one of these really high-tech scales that communicates with my smart phone so the other day I get a message from my scale by the way I didn't ask it for any messages but it's sending this message at direct quote it said keep pushing yourself Greg don't be discouraged by last week's results we believe in you I'm like reading this coin who asked you for your opinion and by the way I wasn't discouraged until I read this message and I don't care if I if you believe in me because I'm throwing you in the trash right now but then it would probably talk to me why am I in the trash I believe in you shut up you know so sometimes people try to encourage us and they end up discouraging us has that ever happened to you someone wants our freedom helpful words in here like could you just stop right now it's called a backhanded compliment that someone has come up with a phrase it's a comp Kampala salt a couple salt it's a compliment insult here's an example someone comes up to you and says girls that sets a nice dress it does wonders for your figure what does that mean are you critiquing my figure or complimenting the dress how about this one I actually had fun with you today you actually add fun meaning that other days you don't have as much fun I love this one no matter what anyone says I like you seriously that's your version of a compliment so as we read these first chapters of Romans it sounds not even like accomplice salt it sounds like an insult here's the summary of what Paul is saying you're all sinners there are no exceptions why is he doing this because before he can tell us the truth he has to show us what the problem is we need to know the truth about ourselves it's not unlike a doctor diagnosing your condition you go in with an ache or a pain or a concern and he runs some tests and he checks you out and maybe he prescribes some medication maybe he recommends a surgery but whatever it is that doctor has to tell you the truth about yourself so Paul is systematically eliminating any excuses that people may offer about their lives he says you're all sinners no you may find a creative way to hide it but you're still a sinner there's different kinds of sinners of course in Chapter 1 of Romans we have what I would call garden-variety sinners these are just the basic person who doesn't want God in their life they ultimately turn to other gods and even turn to whim or ality garden-variety senator basically you're unrighteous person you're immoral person but then in chapter 2 we have self-righteous sinners moral sinners but sinners nonetheless who sort of stand behind their morality now as we come to chapter 3 we're coming to a religious Jewish person who's saying well because I'm one of the chosen people I'm the exception to the rule and let me just say a word about the Jewish people we love the Jewish people because they are God's chosen people that's very clear in Scripture and so much has come to us through the Jews the Jews gave us our scripture to the Jewish race at our Messiah Kane and that is why we of course are horrified by this horrible attack in this synagogue where all of those people were shot and killed and our heart goes out to them that's why I often stand up and speak for the nation of Israel because that is the Jewish homeland and the Lord has regathered his people together back there in that land and it is by the way a fulfillment of prophecy I saw someone the other day wrote an article saying that anybody who supports Israel is not a Christian so I sent out a tweet with a link to the article I support Israel I don't care what you say so but these are special people that the Lord selected we who are Gentiles most of us are not Jews we owe them a great debt we've been grafted into the promises of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the problem is among some religious chooses there could be a pride in their part saying well I'm Jewish so I'm good and Paul who was the Jew himself in fact he was a very dedicated Jewish leader and a member of the Sanhedrin and much more as saying hey I'm calling you guys out on this everybody needs Jesus so we come to Romans 3 starting in verse 3 so what advantage is there a being a Jew I'm reading from the New Living Translation is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision yes there are great benefits first of all the Jews were entrusted with the Oracles of God true some of them were unfaithful but just because they were unfaithful does that mean God will be unfaithful of course not even if everyone else is a liar God is true and as the scriptures say about him he will be proved right and what you say and you will win your case in court but some say well our sinfulness serves a great purpose right help some people see how righteous God is is isn't it unfair then for God to punish us this is merely a human point of view of course not Paul says now drop down to verse 8 and some people even slanderous by claiming that we say hey the more we sin the better it is those to say such things deserve to be condemned we'll stop there so if you're taking notes here's point number one reading and knowing God's Word does not save you reading and knowing God's Word does not save you as important and vital as the Bible is you must do more than simply read it now if you are saved you should know it you should read it you should study it but knowing that alone will not save you God chose the Jewish race to deliver the scripture to verse three says first of all the Jews were entrusted with the Oracles of God that's no small thing yes there were benefits to being a Jew that's what Paul is saying God gave to him them his very word this word Oracle's is an interesting word because it means the very words of God you see the Jewish scholars and scribes painstakingly wrote the words of scripture out on scrolls if they made a mistake they didn't edit it in a word doc nor did they use whiteout how many of you remember whiteout right some of you are saying what is whiteout it was somethin many years ago that if you typed a page and you made a mistake you would wide it out with this little brush anyway they didn't use whiteout in fact if they were writing in a very long scroll and it spent days hours even days writing that out and they made a mistake they would go and start over again it had to be perfect it had to be flawless and when they came to the name of the Lord they would stop they would go they would bathe themselves they would change their clothes they would take out a fresh brush and write the Holy Name of God Yahweh so that's how much attention they gave to detail prior to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 the oldest completed Hebrew manuscript of the Old Testament was dated around 900 but the dead see Isaiah scroll is 200 BC and one of us translated there was something to have no major changes from the text we already have God gave the scripture to the Jewish people they preserve that scripture and now we have both the old and the New Testament and we call it the Bible now look there are three ways you can look at the Bible number one you may see that it's a book filled with good ideas moral lessons just a general guide to life number two you might acknowledge the book the Bible is a book from God but it was written by man it may have contradictions but it has a lot of good things to say or thirdly you believe that the Bible is the very word of God which is inspired by God and is indeed given to us by God and it is total truth well that is the position I hope that's a position Paul held that's the position effectively the Bible holds scripture tells us the Word of God is alive and powerful and it's sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword resident of there translation puts it his powerful word is as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel cutting through everything whether doubts or defense laying us open to listen and obey nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word we can't get away from it no matter what and by the way we shouldn't want to get away from it because it's God's Word and most Americans homeless have a Bible today in fact I think it's 9 out of 10 but ironically fewer than half of all adults can name the four Gospels many of the participants in this survey that was done about their knowledge of the Bible can name all four Beatles but could not name one of the Ten Commandments look I don't know what the commandments are but John Paul George Ringo I got that down right wow that's really sad 82% of Americans believe that the statement god helps those who help themselves is in the Bible not only is that not in the Bible it's not biblical to be precise and it gets worse one in ten a people surveyed that Moses was one of jesus' twelve apostles Moses how do you get in there how about this 12 percent of American adults thought Joan of Arc was Noah's wife a survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that 50 percent of them thought Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife now that's a couple they would not want to hang around with hey sana make sure you bring Gomorrah with you for dinner tomorrow night yeah so that just shows the ignorance of the scripture so many own a copy of the Bible they have respect for the Bible but they don't read the Bible and you know the number one reason people give and I would probably call this an excuse as to why they do not read the Bible is well they don't prioritize it let me ask you how many of you know you're in church I want you to be honest first of all how many of you brought a Bible to church let me see your Bible hold your Bible up hold it up I see a few screens we're gonna let that pass today it's okay really but I have to tell you that the sound a Bible pages churning is one of the sweetest sounds I know I love that sound don't you it's um it's not the same when you're swiping a screen is it just not quite the same so now how many of you be honest you're in church read your Bible every day raise your hand if you read your Bible god bless you but not all of you how many of you read your Bible at least a few times a week raise up your again okay so it's great to obviously read the Bible we should read the Bible but honestly some people read the Bible without any comprehension you might be bragging this something I read 10 chapters from Scripture today that's amazing what were they about I have no idea but I read 10 chapters listen you'd be better off reading 10 verses from the Bible with comprehension the Bible uses the word meditate quite often it has nothing to do with the eastern version of meditation which is to clear the mind the biblical meaning of the word meditation is to ponder and consider one way we could put it as sort of like chewing your food so when I meditate on scripture that's something that will help me internalize it more deeply think about it consider it contemplated take your time don't rush through it you know so it's a good thing to read your Bible every day but honestly you could take it to the next level and read your Bible multiple times a day get the Word of God in you many times through the day listen it's not enough to go through the Word of God the Word of God needs to go through you it's not how you mark your Bible it's how your Bible marks you let me say that again cuz you're applauding the earlier statement and I appreciate that and I didn't want to stop you but 2nd 2nd statement it's not how you mark your Bible it's how your Bible marks you so let it impact your life that's so very important and being baptized number 2 or doing other outward things does not save you being baptized or doing other outward things do not save you for the Jews it was the act of circumcision they felt if they had done this they were good to go if you don't know what circumcision is talk to one of our pastors afterwards he'll explain it to you okay so but anyway so this is a very important right to Jewish people commanded by God for the Jewish males to be circumcised so they thought I've been circumcised I'm right with God Paul calls him out in Romans 227 and he says uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God's law but you don't obey it so when he says an uncircumcised Gentiles that's a non-believer effectively who's believed hey if they're doing what the Word of God says they're better off than you that have been circumcised but you're not doing what the word says now in our day we might say well I was baptized or I was raised in the church or my parents were Christians or my father is a preacher like that's supposed to trump everything look if your father was a preacher I'm gonna pray for you because that means you're a piqué and piqué czar among the most notorious sinners out there I'm glad your father was a preacher I'm glad your parents or Christians I'm glad you were raised in the church but that doesn't make you a Christian see the religious Jews were turning to legalism they were thinking because we do these things we are right with God it's never about the things we do that makes us right with God it's the thing he has done for us and that thing is sending his son to die on the cross and our place and make us acceptable to God not to what we've done but through what he did but we can turn to legalism to take something like devotions where did this even come from this word this thing we do devotions did you do your devotions today why didn't you do your devotions today do your devotions did you have a quiet time I said did you have a quiet time you're saying I have five kids I've never had a quiet time in my life what are you talking about well we make this this mandate devotions quiet time now I'm all for devotions I'm all for quiet times but then of course when we are having our devotions we take a picture and post it on Instagram after all what's a purpose of having devotions if no one knows about it right so we have our Bible opened up and a little cup of coffee and our notebook and a pen verses highlighted hashtag blessed right very impressive and another hashtag I'm a Pharisee no seriously think about it didn't Jesus call out the Pharisees for doing spiritual things publicly to receive the applause I've been how many likes did I get on that devotional post you know what go have your devotions and have your quiet time and don't go walking around talking about it in fact the way all know if you had it is hopefully by the way it impacts you but we can make a legalistic thing about that or many other things so let's get our priorities right number three being raised in a Christian home doesn't necessarily mean you are saved the Jewish people were thinking hey I'm one of the chosen people so if I sinned it actually shows God's glory because God will forgive me and then people will see how gracious God is look at verse five some might say our sinfulness serves a good purpose for it helps people see how righteous God is isn't it unfair then for him to punish us it's just merely a human point of view of course not Paul says first of all let me say yes it is true that God forgives sin and thank God for that yes it is true that God gives second chances but that does not mean we should intentionally sin you might say well well I was saved at a Harvest Crusade or I was baptized or I receive Communion recently so now I can do whatever the heck I want to do because I've offered my penance to God I've earned him some credit with God now I can go have some fun do you realize how warped that thinking is but trust me it enters even in to the church we think we've done these things now and now I can do whatever I want some will even say well you know what I believe once saved always saved so I can go out and sin if that's your attitude I have to question the one saved of the always save part because that is not the way a true child of God thinks a true Christian doesn't walk around saying how much can I get and still be a Christian a to follower of Jesus says because I'm a Christian because God has saved me from my sin and done so much for me how much more can I become like him how much closer can I be to him it's a big difference and so they're basically saying oh well it shows God's grace and we sinned and he forgives us Paul saying yeah but that doesn't mean you should go out and keep sinning and now Paul is clearly showing us that religion doesn't save us because we're all guilty garden-variety sinner self-righteous sinner religious center mark twain said quote everyone is a moon and as a dark side which he never shows anybody end quote that's why I called this message the dark side of the Moon it's an expression basically to describe something mysterious and unknown the side of the Moon we can't see so to speak and no one knows better how dark our hearts are than we the only one who knows it better is God but we know to don't wait we know how we can think a godly thought and an ungodly thought in a nano second we know our nature and how we're drawn to the wrong things we know that when we're being bad we're being bad but then sometimes we'll be good and then we'll feel so good about being good we're bad again because we're being prideful it's like an endless cycle that goes around and around bringing me to point four you have to see you're lost in order to be found that's Paul's whole objective to show you that you're lost you're sinful every one immoral people self-righteous people religious people everybody is separated from God and you have to admit this now I have no navigational skills whatsoever I am so dysfunctional when it comes to getting somewhere my friend Franklin Graham he's a pilot so he has amazing navigational skills I I get lost going home right you know I get lost with GPS and that seems hard but sometimes GPS messes with you if you notice that I was coming to LA recently Kathy and I were just driving along all of a sudden GPS says turn right on the next off-ramp no okay GPS told us let's do it I know that place is right up the 405 but GPS just told me to turn right so we turn right turn left on the next Street turn right on the next street okay go in a circle get out of your car and scream get anyone would and then it takes me back on the freeway and I went what was that all about someone hacked my GPS and made no sense frankly I don't know why that happens sometimes you think you're going around something maybe a detour there was nothing to go around and so we follow our GPS but it gets us in trouble on occasion so here's what it comes down to if you don't know how to get somewhere I finally call the person look I can't find your house you have to guide me they say well where are you well I'm at this intersection okay here's what you do this is what God is doing we have to admit where we are without Christ before we can find him because first 10 says no one is righteous not even one you might say well Greg I know some pretty righteous people well understand what the word righteous means when the Bible uses it it means one who is such as he ought to be no one is righteous enough no one is good enough because everyone falls short point number five what you say reveals a lot about who you are what you say reveals a lot about who you are in verses 13 to 17 of Romans 3 Paul gives us x-ray study of the sinner head to foot verse 13 their throat isn't open tomb with their tongues they practice deceit their talk has fell like the stench from an open grave there's a visual their tongues are filled with snake venom drips from their lips their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness they rush to commit murder destruction and misery always follows them Wow tell me what you really think Paul I mean that's so direct but this is speaking of people that continuously deceive and manipulate and lie in order to hurt others and we can update that today because we don't just save these things now we use social media we could say their tweets are filled with lies their posts are cursing in bitterness you know people will engage in what is called cyberbullying today harassing people saying things about people that are not true and sadly many young people have been so affected by this they've taken their own lives and every day you go online you're gonna read lies and you're gonna see venom and vitriol and much more you know Socrates once said to a young student speak friend that I may see you and now today people can be anonymous online and and have a pseudonym or another name that they hide behind and say things that are so harsh and destructive I think political rhetoric has been weaponized of late where we demonize one another can't we learn how to disagree agreeably we need a big giant kumbaya moment in America today you know just stop for a minute remember how America was affected after 9/11 when the twin towers of the World Trade Center were attacked and they collapsed in a heap of rubble and all those lives were lost the whole country was traumatized collectively remember how there would be prayer vigils on street corners some of you aren't old enough to remember this but that's what was happening and I remember one moment when Congress both Republicans and Democrats were there in the steps of the US Congress and they spontaneously broke into a chorus of god bless america we need to dial down the rhetoric and start talking to each other again in America point number six there's no hope apart from Jesus there's no hope apart from Jesus moral living good works even attempting to keep the Ten Commandments because no one really does sometimes people say I live by the Ten Commandments that's all the religion I need really what are the Ten Commandments um John Paul George and Ringo no those are the Beatles the Beatle knowing the names of the Beatles is not gonna help you you need to know those Commandments see see even of those who would know them they don't keep them no one keeps all of them don't tell me you do how could you jesus said you've heard that it has been said you shall not murder but I say to you if you have hatred in your heart toward your brother it's the same thing who of us has not had hatred in our heart at what time or another you've heard that it has been says Jesus says you shall not commit adultery but I say unto you if you look in a woman with lust in your heart it's the same thing who has not broken that commandment but listen the commandments were not given to make you holy the commandments are given to show you that you're not holy the commandments are like a moral mirror I see myself as I am I don't know about you but I don't really love looking in mirrors that much these days some people love mirrors almost as much as they love selfies but you know that you might be walking along and you notice everyone's smiling at you and you're thinking hey I'm looking good today right everyone's smiling I mean then you go and you wash your hands in the bathroom and see yourself in the mirror and realize an entire piece of pizza is encrusted on your shirt you wondered or that piece of pizza went there laughing at you the mirror revealed the truth there wasn't a happy thing but it was a necessary thing that is the law the law of the commandments condemn us but they don't convert us they challenge us but they don't the law was given to open our eyes and to shut our mouths look at verse 19 of chapter 3 whatever the law says it says to those under the law that every mouth may be stopped but all the world may be guilty before God you're saying Greg this is the most depressing message ever okay now I'm getting to the good news are you ready for it this is my last point point number seven God has shown us the way to know him through Jesus look at verse 21 but God but now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping them requirements of the law that was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago we are made right with God by placing our faith in Christ this is true for everyone who believes no matter who they are this is a key word but underline that word but but now God has shown us away I thought of doing this series called the butts of the Bible but I thought people might misunderstand it not those kind of butts but this this kind of butt yeah you're right did you just say that yes I did I said it I even wrote it in my notes that's how bad it is but there's a lot of great moments in the Bible we read the words but God I could talk about this for a long time and let me give just one illustration after Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and thought dead he made this statement you meant evil against me but God meant it for good but God you might be in a situation right now and it's looking bleak but God is gonna step in and so that's a point that Paul is making here he's saying but now God has shown us away and what is that way it's called grace grace verse 23 of Romans 3 all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus I'll talk more next time about demson and especially justification that's a word every Christian needs to understand and I believe understanding it can change your Christian life let me just close with a couple of thoughts about the word grace the word grace means God's unmerited favor there's nothing you will ever do or nothing you have ever done to merit the grace of God but it's by grace the Bible reminds us in Ephesians by grace you've been saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast God has extended his grace toward us let me close with two quotes about the grace of God the first from Max Lucado who says quote grace is God as a heart surgeon cracking open your chest removing your heart poisoned as it is with pride and pain and replacing it with his own end quote quote number two is from actor Denzel Washington who says quote everything that I have is by the grace of God understand that it's a gift I didn't always stick with him but he stuck with me and quote very true and God has extended his grace toward you by sending his son to die on the cross for you in a moment we're gonna receive communion together now this is one of the things I mentioned that we can get hung up on and think because I receive Communion it makes me right with God no it does not but if I'm right with God I should receive Communion as well as be baptized why because jesus said to me do this in remembrance of me in a moment you'll hold a piece of bread that symbolizes the broken body of our Lord and you'll hold also a cup that symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed for you and as you receive these elements it's a way of acknowledging well the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus communion or the Lord's Supper as it's sometimes called it's for Christians only and why is that because it represents our Lord and we should not receive the elements of communion in an insincere way or a frivolous way or in a reverent way an irreverent way but rather we should come in a reverent way not thinking that the elements are holy but the one they represent is holy and the Bible even says if you receive communion without believing in the one that the elements represent you eat and drink judgment to yourself so it's key that you believe in Jesus and I want to close with this thought we've talked about the grace of God we've talked about how sinful we all are everybody needs Jesus Jesus died on that cross for you I love how Paul personalized it when he said he loved me and he gave himself for me in Christ loved you and gave himself for you he died on that cross for you so you could be made right with God and experience His grace his favor and if you've never asked him to forgive you of your sin why don't you do that as we close now in prayer right before we receive Communion let's all pray together everyone bowing your head if you would please now father I pray for every person here every person watching wherever they are Lord I pray if there are any among us that do not know you personally if they've not asked Jesus to come into their life yet may this be their moment to believe now what our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to know that when you die you will go to heaven I want you to pray this prayer after me in fact you can even pray it out loud again as I pray pray this prayer out loud after me right where you are pray these words Lord Jesus I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for me I turn from my sin now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward in Jesus name I pray amen god bless you that prayed that prayer I know some of you did [Applause]

Channel: Pastor Greg Laurie

Views: 23,715

Rating: 4.8647342 out of 5

Keywords: greg, laurie, bible study for me, christ as a sacrifice of atonement, dark side of the moon reaction, greg laurie sermons, harvest, harvest christian fellowship, how to be saved by god, how to earn gods grace, paul the apostle movie, romans 3, romans 3 21-31, romans chapter 3 bible study, romans chapter 3 explained, the book of romans, was jesus on a cross or a tree, was paul the apostle white, who wrote the book of romans

Id: 29hamfHDCNU

Length: 35min 28sec (2128 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 27 2019