Jesus Unfiltered - Love - Love... Gives!, Part 1

It's been said that you can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. So what does that look like, especially when were talking about loving God.

When we say we love God.

Have you ever considered what is it you really wants us to give. That's today welcome to this Thursday edition of living on the shipping from Living on the Edges of international teaching and discipleship ministry during the Bible teaching of David earlier today Chip continues his series on filter is a process of teaching through the gospel of John in this program returns to John chapter 12, you don't get to hear all of this message, you can always catch up later and remap along with all the previous messages in this series, let's get going.

Shall we enjoy Chip for his message. Love gives were in a series called love. But it's out of the larger series called Jesus and filtered and were going about who is Jesus really not what people of said not a book you've read, and that the apostle John wrote this from Ephesus and I want you to just remember that a real man at a real time was an eyewitness of everything wrote this then verified by over 500 other eyewitnesses were kind of on this journey where we want you to explore and say what does this really say and do I really believe this I want. I will begin by asking you a question that to me is one of those really really neat questions. The question is do you know what the three most important words in all of life any three words. These are the three most important ones can't. When a child hears these three words, it means I'm safe I'm valuable. I really matter to you why when you're dating someone and they hear these three words in a manger moving to the next level of commitment means exclusivity. You're just the only one for me when a friend hears these three words, it means I'm here for you. I got your back. It's a statement of loyalty and resolve. I'm guessing you figured out three words I love you right I'm going to go on record and say when a parent hears those three words makes your heart melt and the Joyce urges as little children were grown ones say I really see what you do for me and I really appreciate you, mom and dad four-year-old say that differently than 24-year-olds. When Jesus says those three words to you when the God created all there is in the second person of the Trinity has you on the forefront of his mind and says I love you too. You what it means is that you're wanted your valuable that your precious that you just as you are sitting here today are accepted and then as you come into a personal relationship. He says I will never ever leave you or forsake you know.

The second question I come want to ask is that you know when you're praying and you might say to Jesus, I love you or I love you, father, what attitudes or what actions or what behaviors both of the heart in your behavior would if Jesus was receiving and I love you from you that he would say all he or she really means that that really resonates. Yes, I feel very loved because of those attitudes and actions and behavior guessing with every I love you.

You can just say I love you write what we've all said it sometimes you I love you I love you I love you I love pizza.

I don't think that's were talking right were talking about when you say I love you to someone and I mean it. It is still the depth of their heart. When you say that to Jesus. You can learn three specific things that when these are happening from your heart and in your life and in your relationship. He feels love by you so open up your notes because the answer that question is in John chapter 12 the context of John chapter 12 is that were chronicling were beginning last week of Jesus life on earth right before his crucified it six days before the big Passover thousands and thousands of people have you heard have you heard have you heard what that Lazarus guy. I mean it was in a coma. It was like soul sleep.

I mean, he was in this grave for four days he spoke he came out, the Messiah is here and so you had this movement of people around Bethany in Jerusalem at the same time.

It's the Passover and so literally 2 to 2.7 million people from all over are descending on Jerusalem.

We have actual records that in one Passover, they sacrificed 256,000 lambs and if you didn't even say maybe there's at least 10 people for every land you got to do to half-million people and so you have this bustling place and then on top of that you have religious leaders who realize now Jesus in this movement is out of control and we need to take him out in this Lazarus is a big problem to take him out to. That's the context of what is happening. And now I would like you to just look at the very last line says there are three specific events middle teach us what it means to love God with all of our heart. All of our soul. All of our mind and our strength. I'm going to introduce you to a private dinner and Jesus on or before this happens, I'm going to introduce you to a public parade.

It usually called the triumphant entry that I'll get a picture of that that you realized how and third will be a prophetic moment this some things cannot happen. Request will come to Jesus, but will literally come to start the prophetic clock before that week is over.

He will be crucified, and by the end of that week he will be risen from the dead, six days before the Passover Jesus arrived at Bethany were Lazarus lived Jesus raised from the dead here at dinner was given a Jesus honor. Martha served well. Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took a pint of pure nard and expensive perfume and she poured on Jesus feet and then wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot was later to betray him objected.

Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor. It was worth an entire year's wages.

He didn't say this because he cared about the poor, but because it was a thief. He was a keeper of the moneybag and used to help himself to what was put in it.

Leave her alone.

Jesus replied it was meant that she should say this perfume for the day of my burial. You always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. Meanwhile, a large crowd of Jews found out that Lazarus was there and they came not only because of him, but also because of Lazarus was raised from the dead commentary so the chief priest made plans to kill Lazarus as well.

For an account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him we have this outrageous act funny pictures for you.

First of all, it was perfume that was made of roots and mixtures imported from India. It would be in a little bass or alabaster, it would be extraordinarily expensive. One of the other gospel writers tells us she didn't start pouring it she broke it other words, it's completely she's giving it all and in all likelihood for Mary. This is her entire life savings, but something's happened. Her brother has been restored. She has seen eyeball to eyeball and Jesus say I'm the resurrection and the life and she has a sense of what's going to happen and so she wants to with just know Shane shouldn't care what anybody thinks it would be an honor in the Old Testament or in the culture you would anoint someone's head. When the king was anointed when a prophet was anointed in or even Psalm 23 God says he he anoint your head with oil. She doesn't feel worthy even in would be her role. 26 so she anoints his feet. If a woman would go out in public with her hair down at this time, it meant she was an immoral woman, if you were married your hair would be pulled up in an in front of people she calms and she lets down her hair. She breaks it all and then she wipes his feet. She doesn't care what anybody thinks and she is overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude in the application is that love gives extravagant gifts to God. This is extravagant love gives extravagant gifts to God even when harshly criticized.

She gave this gift not to meet a critical need of a poor person or someone that had been an accident. She can give this to you to propel the cause or to encourage a movement she can give this because she had a sense of obligation or duty.

I notes important to give you know people who really love God, give that she didn't give wondering I wonder what the ROI is on this kingdom investment knowing to what is in it… And you know longer invest my money is really gotta she didn't get this thinking. I wonder if I'm going to be rewarded on the gross or the net of this gift she gave to him just gave to him.

She gave to a person.

She gave the best, the most extravagant thing she had in all of her life and worship and adoration to person and when you say I love you to Jesus he would expect there would be times where you would give him extravagant gifts. Sometimes it will be your time sometimes will your talent. Sometimes it would be your money or possession and there was someone in another city and he called Living on the Edge and said I got a prompting from God.

I have five classic cars and we want to give them to Living on the Edge to help you, and I mean five classic cars is clearly an over six-figure gift is pretty amazing and I try you know now and then to try just call people you know like when I get a letter from a 16-year-old girl that gives like $7.43 out of her babysitting. To me that's a like a really big gift of sacrifice or something like this.

I just called to say thank you and could you tell me anytime there's an extravagant gift. What I know. There's a story behind it.

Someone's heart got moved in so I called Lanny and citizen slanting of the ice. It was the Chip Ingram and I just heard dinner last week you gave this extravagant gift. There's gotta be a story behind it together really is.

And I said, would you mind sharing and he says why don't think too much of your time is of no I don't think I'm got maybe 1015 minutes he's going to tell a story and slight idea.

I sit down to not letting it go ahead will an hour later he says no I'm romantic and I said would you keep talking I'm getting way more out of this than you are. Lanny is what he would call himself maybe a blue-collar entrepreneur.

He says I'm writing about tax or investments of this that I just cannot start businesses may make money and he had this business. That business is business. That business had died six of them going and he said you know I love God I read the Bible go to church on a real Christian. He said, and I was praying. One day I realizes cars are in idle. I don't even try them anymore. But there's just something that I had some cars that no one else in America had God's as you know you get rid of that idle as a boy where you want to give it.

He told me, living on insula. He said that was just the tip of the iceberg that started a revolution in my life and the revolution was he just showed me that was a really proud person and you know one of my businesses.

It's with my brother and we argue a lot.

There's a lot of tension in one of business was. I don't know exactly what they're called but are usually put in low income areas where people don't have money they can get credit and you offer them alone and then you they pay exorbitant interest. I don't know what that's called you guys do you got it.

So that's the business and so he said that I'm praying because I took that first step. The next step was, you know what you're exploiting a lot of people out. I want you to want to help those people because you start talking, why, why choose what you think and you know my kids you know where inheritance was with you so he said I decided that I was going to give the business to my brother clean my hands. He can have it all. But before I do, I'm going to take some of these people that I know we need to help and I'm going to go down there and when they come then I'm just gonna forgive and give mother money back and I decided if it had a long loan. This is how much they get. If it's a medium long to get most of it back in and enough so he's telling the story and so you know what he sort of mystical growth but II you I felt like I needed a sign as I said I praying us a God. You gotta show me a sign of this is the right thing is this is kinda big so he said there is a big thunderstorm. It's a pretty good drive from his house where this businesses and he said the thunderstorm lightning hit the building and lightning hit the building and they had a sign for their business with 60 hit the sign here. The sign was burned and it hit the building so that the computers didn't work so I couldn't go look a bunch of stuff will the first lady comes in and I wrote up some things my hand. I forgave her, gave her money back for people came in all that I did it all dead three days and I gave my brother the business. I think there was a lot more to it than an and he just said I get all in a grocery store. Some lady wake up and you hug me and do you understand my husband was was in prison now were back together and you for gave me is the stories of theirs over 100 stories. Decency is on site. I have no idea what it meant to give and I've never experienced such joy. That's an unusual story, but I will tell you this love gives extravagant gifts to God to questions. What's the most extravagant gift you've given to another human being might might've been as one person told me early this morning out of a horrendous family background. They have love a parent that is been harsh and angry and abusive and continue to visit and love them for over its extravagant love for others it's a big financial gift. But what what's most extravagant thing you done with another human being. Got now tell me your relationship why that person why that person and I'm gonna bet it's like because they matter more than anybody second question, what's the most extravagant gift you've ever given to God talent time financial gift of possession to most extravagant gift you've ever given to God. I think all of us fall into all I write a check. I give so much amount them or don't do anything and we divorce our giving from our loving. I want you to get reconnected and ask yourself what does what I have in my giving have to do with my love for Jesus. The second scene is a multitude are praising Jesus and you notice in your notes. There's a couple different groups and they begin to worship him as the Messiah. He fulfills a prophecy in Zachariah and I want to just give you sort of the picture before I read the passage because sometimes it's hard to imagine what was going on. Imagine a couple million people descending on a city in the coming to worship and they've done it. It's the Passover and they're celebrating that great moment when God delivered to Israel from Egypt and that you have all kind of people there and as they get to the city. There's this, but if you are hurt if you hurt them at times when there's this guy that was dead and Jesus is been preaching and we heard he's coming up. He's been in Bethany today little bit later.

Think he is coming up to Jerusalem, the guide that they have the contract on his life in the trunk. Yeah, he's gonna come publicly. Anyway yeah and some of thousands of people there's another group and they're down in Bethany and they're down here and there was a dinner last night and so they're going to he's coming up to Jerusalem, and in so I mean the condemned palm branches and this is the Messiah needs fulfilled everything in it, so they are following behind and as he comes up, and as they come down these multitudinous mesh and as they mesh Jesus you can as he has requested to ride on a donkey or an ass, and for us. That's like you know guys you know low level animal. This was an animal of honor in those days when the Old Testament talks about David's sons were all princes. They all rode on donkeys when a profit often would come, he would ride on the donkey when a king was on a mission of peace to another city he would write on a donkey if he came on a mission of war. He wrote on a stallion or horse with his army.

Think of this, Jesus first coming on the donkey Jesus coming back book of Revelation on horse justice.

Let's pick up the story and find out what happens. We pick it up in verse 12. The next day the great crowd that have come to the feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, but took palm branches and went out to meet him shouting hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Blessed is the king of Israel. Jesus found a donkey and sat upon it as it is written, Zachariah 99. Do not be afraid of daughter of Zion see your King is coming. Seated on a donkey's colt at first his disciples did not understand all this only after Jesus was glorified. Did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. Speaking of him riding on a cold now. The crowd that was with him. It continued to spread the word that he called Lazarus from the tomb rising from the dead, and many people that they heard this, and they saw the miraculous signs they went out to medium and so the Pharisees said to one another. See, this is getting us nowhere.

Look the whole world is going after him. Here's a couple points Jesus is publicly declaring himself as Messiah. The word hosanna in Hebrew literally means save now we sing songs hosanna hosanna it is praise their reaching back into Psalm 118 versus 25, 26, and in the Passover, they would sing messianic Psalms.

Sometimes one group would sing and the other group would answer there there declaring you the king save us now intervene another expectation he's coming and he's Messiah. He takes down Rome, Jews were in control. He reigns fixes everything that's wrong that's their picture to be disappointed. He is the Messiah, but not exactly the way they want. But here's the interesting thing for me. Here's the application.

Loving Jesus means you give public profession. Love gives public acknowledgment even when it's unpopular and even when it's illegal, will be right back. You're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips message today. Love gives is from his series, Jesus unfiltered volume 3, no one ever demonstrated love better, or more fully than Jesus beloved people perfectly giving each person exactly what they needed the most. In this series. Chip reminds us that that's what Jesus wants to do for us to sometimes it helps to listen again for these truths to really sink in an easy way to do that is with the chip and remap if you prefer CDs or if you'd like to send this out to a friend, you'll find all of the Jesus unfiltered volumes on our website LivingontheEdge.org to check out the discounts on our current volume number three.

Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will chip Scripture clearly teaches that God can cause good things to happen directly out of terrible circumstances as you think about the difficulty so many people are experiencing these days. Have you seen any good come out of it well Dave I have to tell you, there's a lot of good things you know I Living on the Edge you know we we said God what he wants to do. I mean things are happening.

People are stuck at home.

How do we help them in our team got together and prayed and so Lord, we will do what ever we, if you will show us just show us what to do and it was really both an exciting time and we had really no idea and out of that conversation. I remember thinking if there's one thing that people have always asked me chip would you disciple me or would you mentor me and I thought about that bricklayer who met with me when I was a brand-new Christian you every Tuesday morning and he showed me how to read the Bible and how to memorize a verse or how to Journal and he didn't teach me like how to have devotions. He taught me how to meet God and I literally brought a couple coffee. I never talk for more than 10 minutes and I said I'm gonna do with you in real time. You know what I that bricklayer did for me and I thought you know who knows if anyone will do this and it was amazing.

You know the end of the day. My heart beat is that people would know God and experience him and not just be religious or moral bit you to be transformed from the heart from the inside out, and that only happens when they hear God speak Dave when they hear God speak from his word personally and I just had no idea how many people had never had the experience of someone walking them through it and so I thought if we could get them to do it for about three weeks and they built the habit and then it just exploded. I mean that the things we got from people.

These are the best 10 minutes I've ever spent getting close to God. One person wrote thank you for helping me walk step-by-step to hear God's voice.

This is crazy. I learned more in the past two weeks about studying God's word. Being a disciple of Christ that I did in the last 15 years of attending church Bible studies in small groups met by the way, that's not because I'm special.

But people begin to learn to pause into it to meditate and to get into God's word where he spoke to them personally and powerfully, and that's what changes lives.

Anyway, I have to tell you Dave 30,000 people started meeting with me one on one it back to got so crazy that we did another three weeks and talked about mentoring all to say people's lives are changing because in the midst of a crisis God's promises draw near to me and I'll draw near to you and lives are changing and we were only able to turn on a dime and film things because people had been so generous and so faithful in the past and what I want to say is if you're one of those people who have given thank you so much.

If you haven't given in a while or if you've ever considered even in this crunch time to like give monthly. You could not imagine how helpful it would be doesn't have to be a lot but if thousands and thousands of people would give monthly. We would have a much better idea in this time of uncertainty of where were going to be and what we can do and if you happen to be one of those people that say you know I started listening, or I did that daily discipleship will chip in it was so helpful and you've never given.

Now would be a great time because every gift given this month is double, you heard me right, dollar for dollar anything that you give during this month working a double thanks to some very generous ministry partners hey God can bring some great stuff out of this, but it takes all of us to step in together. Thanks so much for praying and doing exactly what God chose you to do were so grateful to see what your partnership has positioned us to do now is to just mention this is the time of our June match.

That means every gift we received during the next two weeks will be doubled.

So now's a great time to join the team with the donation or to become a monthly partner. We understand that money is tight but we also know that getting in on this kind of ministry is a great way to invest to do that. Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org as we wrap up today's program and we try to visualize and are mine. I mean really grass this extravagant gift that Mary gave Jesus, I'm wondering, have you ever done that and what's the most extravagant thing you've ever done for a friend or a family member may be there when a really tough spot.

Or maybe it was your church something really big or there was a crisis around the world. Or maybe there was a need in your in your neighborhood and you stepped up and maybe donated a week of your time or wrote a check that you looked at and thought I'd never given this much away maybe is like some friends that I know where we had a chance to have a car that we thought you know something you know were headed to seminarian. We can't even afford to drive two cars working to give a card to a missionary. We did that. It was like wow is the biggest gift we ever gave to anyone at the time. Or maybe it just donated your time and your skills and your efforts and you did in such a way that people shook their head and ask you how could you do that and that was so big, well if you've done it. What I know is this.

Everyone thought that they receive the blessing who were on the end of that gift, but I can tell you from personal experience and so many testimonies, you know like I know that the blessing was really ours. I know Patrice and myself very recently. We were challenged to give a very extravagant gift that was well beyond anything we had ever dreamed and it required some risk and sort of renegotiating our retirement and you know I was nervous but was very clearly led by God, and I just have to tell you it. It's been one of the greatest things we've ever gotten to do.

Here's my question. When's the last time you gave an extravagant gift and what would happen today.

If you just said Lord is there someone or something that you want me to make an extravagant gift to and then listen for his whisper and remember the words of the Lord Jesus. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Imagine what would happen if just a mere hundred thousand of the million people listening right now. Each did that in some way God's kingdom would go forth and people would be loved. Do you wish you could hear Living on the Edge what it fits into your schedule while you can. For those of you who want to listen to Living on the Edge, whatever you want. Just download the free shipping remap will I hope you will be with us again tomorrow for part two of Jeff's blessed love gifts saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge