"So What"

Notes: "So What?" How the return of Christ should affect us in day-to-day living.
Pastor Greg Laurie
Essentials series
Harvest OC. 
November 6, 2014

So what are we suppose to do, what are we suppose to think in the light of Jesus Christ's return.

Greg is telling a joke about a talking dog. How the dog told all kinds of stories that were lies. The owner of the dog wants to get rid of him because the dog is liar. The owner clearly misses the point of how special the dog is.

Greg says many church goers are like that. He says they are just like people going to movies, missing the point of church.

The glorification of God, the edification of the saints, and he evangelization of the world.

Or we are here for upward, inward and outward. Worshiping, helping at the church, help build up each other and the evangelism of the world.

Pastor's job is to help us do our job. 

Hebrews 10:22-25 NKJV
[22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, [25] not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

We need to try and go rescue each other.

Galatians 6:1 NKJV
[1] Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

We must confront and restore. We are not to hunt down and destroy.

We must confront each other, help one another, build up one another.

What if every Christian was just like you?

Would pews be empty or full? Would they evangelize? Would they help others? Etc.

In the church we are all a brick in the wall of the church, we should not be spectators, we should be participants.

Roosevelt said its not the critic who counts... It's the man in the arena....

The credit goes to the believer that is active in the arena.

Some Christians are setting the world on fire, while others are still looking for a match.

Since 2009 the Harvest OC has seen about 4500 professions of faith here. We are just getting started. We are seeing lives change in time and for eternity.

Greg is talking about how it drives him nuts when people say they are over the church. He says at the church so many people come for help, marriage, death, crisis. 

The church is the organization that Jesus Christ ever started.

Yes the church is filled with hypocrites because everyone is a hypocrite at some point in their lives.

Join a church because you need consistency in theology, a pastor, and accountability. 

Matthew 25:14-29 NLT
[14] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. [15] He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last-dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. [16] "The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. [17] The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. [18] But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money. [19] "After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. [20] The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, 'Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.' [21] "The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' [22] "The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.' [23] "The master said, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' [24] "Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, 'Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. [25] I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.' [26] "But the master replied, 'You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn't plant and gathered crops I didn't cultivate, [27] why didn't you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.' [28] "Then he ordered, 'Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. [29] To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

In this parable each person is given a different amount to invest.

It's not what you have that matters to God, it matters what you do with what you have that counts.

Everyone of us is given a God given opportunity to play well with the cards we are dealt.

Matthew 25:20 NLT
[20] The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, 'Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.'

The one servant actually blamed the master. Many people like to blame God that way.

Benjamin Franklin said that he found that the people who are best at making excuses aren't very good at anything else.

Greg is talking how we can take the gifts God gives us in bury it.

We all have time, talent and treasure.

Matthew 25:28-29 NLT
[28] "Then he ordered, 'Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. [29] To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

The redistribution of wealth has a different meaning in the Bible doesn't it?

Romans 12:6-8 NLT
[6] In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. [7] If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. [8] If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Through grace God has given us all different gifts to use. We must use those gifts. We must develop them and use them to the best of our ability. Gifts are different then talents, but both require practice.

Greg is telling a story of when he was kid and someone told him he had a magical pencil. He says there is no magical pencil, he needed to practice.

Greg is talking about all the different kinds of gifts people have. Helping, details, providing, tongues are all gifts. He says all these are gifts of the Spirit and we need to find ours.

Greg is talking about how it was said that it was always harder to find the 2nd Violinist then the first. People don't like to be second.

God doesn't compare you to anyone else, he compares you to you.

God does not expect the same results, but He does expect the same effort.

It can be a sin to not use the gifts that God has given. It can be the sin of omission. It is a bless to be a blessing.

We want to faithfully serve the Lord until Jesus Christ returns again.

We all want to find our place in the church. We all need skin in the game.

Jesus Christ was God with skin on.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. It is not perfect, we all have faults, but Jesus Christ loves his Bride anyhow!

We are not a museum of saints we are a hospital for sinners! God's church is the only hospital that raises the dead.

God can take that guilt you have away. That guilt is sin and God will forgive your sin.