Facing The Future with Confidence - How to Face the Future in Times of Confusion, Part 1

Are you concerned about the future. Your future our nations future. Are you confused about how to process all the chaos and all the division and the challenges that were facing will stay with me were going to learn to face the future. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry open Christians live like Christians in this program continues a series facing the future with by asking two questions we've got answers in order to get a handle on devastating after the teaching. He's got a powerful follow some additional step away. Maybe catch them later online or on the chipping roadmap. Now this message to face the future in times of confusion. Psalm 90 Pierce chip with little teaching handout to go ahead and pull that out when a series called facing the future with confidence. And if you have a pen you can pull that out to because we do will work together as we get there, like to try and help you think back to when the first time you felt that emotion of confusion when you got paralyzed when so many things were coming in your mind and you just didn't know what to do. I praying this week and thought about the most vivid time I can remember was late elementary school. Maybe it was junior high am not sure that I really was struggling in math and I worked and worked and worked member this number in school and the teacher. Back then they would come and they would give your papers to you and she graded them in the you big red letters.

The right there and I worked and worked and worked and I got my paper and I thought I really nailed at this time.

I mean I really worked hard and it was placed on my desk and you know anybody see especially mine. D minus. If you ever thought for sure I've really got it down. I know I mean I thought I got either HIA or a low been there and I mean you know I know is old enough, that is not a good time for a boy to cry in school. That's how I felt no and I covered the grade and I just looked everything was marked off wrong and another student. My teacher, I can't remember who it was because I did all the work and I reworked them and I still thought I got them right and then someone came from the outside with the second set of eyes and said watch very carefully on all these problems you have to invert before you multiply.

I was confused because I needed one person to give me one piece of information that would bring perspective to my situation is as I sat I was convinced I was the dumbest kid in the class. I was convinced I would ever never do math again little that I know later in high school we were my favorite subjects. Now that's sort of a light way to start off his I member another time. I was confused because I love my wife very much and she loved me very much and she was making me crazy and I was making her crazy and we were very confused and what we needed was another set of eyes and it was a very humbling thing during seminary to go to a marriage counselor and say you know what I do know what background she came from or what I came from, but I know she loves God I love God I love her. She loves me but we do this all the time we spent about $90 a session for 12 sessions for a second set of eyes to help us get clear and to remove the barriers and what I want to suggest is you need another set of eyes. You need a wise counselor.

You need a mentor.

He needed teacher.

You need a coach to take the confusion that you have in your life whether it's spiritual or emotional or financial or the world situation or God's will or big decision. Working to get to a counselor who will help you see maybe like never before. Perspective in your situation noticed that the problem with being confused. Is it and mobilizes it paralyzes in the D motivates. If you have some of those feelings. It might be because you literally are confused and we confuse means that intellectually or emotionally feel mixed up things are jumbled together. There, in a sense of disorder or chaos and you can't think in an orderly coherent way. In the midst of complex problems in relationships or decisions know what I've learned is the cure for confusion is twofold. Whether you go to consultants of great coaches or counselor to things you have to do to eliminate confusion. Number one, you have to reduce complexity. Reitman when the Falcons quarterback goes down the first thing the coach doesn't do what to the playbook make it 10 because this quarterback doesn't know all the place a few simple plays executed well is the best chance toward success when your life is getting confusing.

You can get your playbook and make it then you get all the extraneous things and gets the old business adage right KISS. Keep it simple stupid that's what you gotta do. The second thing, however, is another acronym that I don't know if I made up but I'll take credit for GPT TV. You won't find that in the business review it.

Harvard but you can reduce complexity and then you gotta increase clarity.

You gotta get clear where am I what's the situation. What I need to do and why.

In this Ackerman stands for get back to the basics. My college coach was a great friend of John wooden, who won the 10 national championships in John wooden started every year the same way with the greatest athletes and he would take a White Sox into the locker room bring the UCLA team take his shoe off, take a White Sox and show them how to put on a White Sox back to the basics.

Vince Lombardi would take a football and say what gentlemen this is a pigskin. This is a football and what John wooden would do. He said look man, if you put your sock on wrong down to the little things.

It might rankle if it wrinkled you might get a blister. If you get a blister you might miss again if you miss a game. We might lose again if we lose one game. We may not win another national chain. His point was you go back to the basics. One of my heroes is a Peter Drucker red most all the stuff the first two questions he asked of any business regardless of what their end of the problems is what business are you in and who are your customers is point get back to the basics. Now turn the page. If you will, because when you get back to the basic spiritual really get one of the greatest counselors. The best teachers a better consultant than anyone else. He lived 120 years. His name is Moses and he comes well-qualified to give us all the information that we need.

He lived for 40 years in the lap of luxury in the greatest wisdom of Egypt in the 40 years in silence and solitude.

Ecclesiastes has great wisdom comes from the house of mourning that group that he led was not real cooperative and so I figure just the math in general.

He did about 1.2 to 1.8 million funerals in 40 years. Last time you were in a funeral he went to the ICU with what your kids are.) Remember how the peripheral stuff didn't make any difference and you got real clear about life. Imagine doing about 1.2 million funerals and what you have in your hand. It's in your Bible in Psalm 90 put the text there what you have in your hand is the only Psalm written by Moses and if we wanted to take the collective wisdom of all that Moses learned and that 120 years. I believe he's giving us the cliff notes right here about how to live to get back to the basics and as I studied it I solved very clearly, there are at least six basics when Moses looks at all of life and complexity. If Moses was here and he could put them in this chair we know is probably pretty old by now anything of we let him sit down and we can do Q&A and give him a microphone. I think Moses would tell us the truth of Psalm 90 and we would table what about the down economy. What about one of my kids is having a struggle and you know my marriage. I'm really struggling and that one right now.

I think Moses would say you know what life can be very complex. You can really get your ball lost in the weeds. So let me put my arm around you. Let's step back together and let me paint the big picture about what life is all about.

Let's get back to the basics and when you see the basics you will be able to come out, your confusion and make wise decisions. Are you ready basic number one comes right out of the first verse of Psalm 90 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Basic number one God is great, we need to remember that God is great, he's greater than the United States is greater than military operations is greater than economies. God is greatly say where you get that look at the text Lord.

The word is an 09 it's a title for God. It's his sovereign creator ship ruler of the universe. He is above and beyond he's transcendent. He's great, but notice also.

He's eminent. You are our dwelling place. If you have that pen.

Jot down above that Deuteronomy 3326 to 29.

I can't develop at the exact same word used for dwelling place. Here is used when God tells the children of Israel.

I will protect you. I will carry you I will be your refuge, my loving arms will be around you in the midst of all the storms I will take care of you. Moses is saying after 120 years on the planet. After living in the lap of luxury. After seeing all the false gods. After being the instrument that crushed the pagan religions. I want you to know number one God is creator and number two he is a close, intimate, loving father, and if that's not enough. It's not just for now it's through all generations before the mountain. The word literally before the mountains were birthed before God brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting. That means all eternity key is the word is out he is God. That doesn't mean a lot to us, but there was a huge God and the promise land.

People believed in the AL in the Canaanite religion believe that there was a God name L somewhere in the sun had a coup or rebellion, and he was stronger and deposed L and what he's saying is there is only one God and he's calling God by this name and saying to the people. There is one God superior to all other gods because he is creator sovereign ruler solely of the entire universe. The very first basic in life is a member who God is. He's big, he's powerful. He's real, he's personal what I'm going to give you a six diagnostic questions to help you work through your confusion.

Number one, MI rightly related to God MI rightly related to God. If God is great. If he is the center or the infinite reference point of all of life in the universe. Here's the question. Stated another way, does God hold the same place in your heart and your life that he holds in the universe. If so, everything else will come in to order if the infinite, all-knowing and all-powerful loving eternal reference point.

Who is revealed himself personally through Christ is at the center and the vortex of your life, then everything else falls into order are not in confusion. If a person if money if a job if a child if the future if anxiety is at the core of your life and your life will be confused to be jump had a chance to hear a fellow but a year ago now, maybe two, and that he works in a ministry and so he keeps it, download because he works with a lot of people at MIT and in the military and had a chance to be invited by the skipper of one our big nuclear subs and he said we had dinner right there in the control room and all the controls were covered except one little area and and the guy let me ask questions about he was sharing the story and said you know that the sub can only stay down 90 days and so the fellow who was sharing this at all.

Could you run out of water.

He said oh no you run out of food. All we can say down what longer why do you have to resurface after 90 days, he said, because on this sub we have missiles that if they were off even a fraction of the degree we shoot out from the sun, they go out and with pinpoint accuracy. They need to land. If we ever needed him right where we want to land but after 90 days underneath the ocean surface.

What we now is the magnetic forces of the earth begin to affect our equipment so we have to surface put up an antenna and we lock onto the Northstar and then we lock onto the satellite system and then we recalibrate all of our equipment based on reality.

You get need recalibrate is God the center point of your heart is here. Northstar is your time and energy and money and decisions all go back and revolve around God's great he is personal. He is powerful. Is he your reference point. All of life. If he's not if you're even off a few degrees, confusion second basic Moses is going to pick up is not only God is great, but is in a say life is short. He says you turn then back to dust quoting Genesis 3. Return to dust those sons of Adam literally wore a Dom men, and then he gives us three quick pictures of why life is short, he says 4000 years in your site are like a day. This just gone by, or like a watch in the night which was four hours you sweet and then away in the sleep of death in the word sweep.

Here's a picture of a torrential flood that it pours downrange and goes right through Valley just wipes everything out instantaneously. There like the new grass of the morning though in the morning. It springs up new. By evening it's dry and whether this places you can go. I've been in Israel and it's interesting that it will grow up green in the morning and then these hot winds will come up, and by the afternoon at different seasons brown what's his point. His point very simply, is the brevity of life. You are mortal. I am mortal life is short. God is great.

Life is short, if you wanted to put a keyword next to number one worm rightly related to God, write the word perspective. When you understand God is great you get perspective instead of perplexity, and if you wanted to put a keyword under number two is here's the question, am I prepared to die, put the word priority see what Moses is saying that all these funerals.

All these funerals. All these Pringles I'm done the deal where I had the money I had the position I had the power I was the king of Egypt. But when I look at it all. I understand it all begins with God.

He's great. And then I'm going to live my life evaluate my relationships and make my priority decisions based on something that I'm going to remember life is short. It's brief.

We are all guilty of what the great P of procrastination. I'm really going to get close to God. Later I'm gonna get my priorities in order. Later you know I'm gonna really serious about those important things later in what Moses would say, produces confusion, you better do what you need to do and you better do it now. Asking one of those provocative questions. Let's just pretend next week exactly at this time.

You knew for sure that your heart would have its last bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb done. Is there anything you would do differently this week than you did last week you knew for sure yet seven days anybody make any phone calls you need to make anybody write a will out and intend to do that. Anybody think maybe go ahead and make the call and apologize to so-and-so he had seven days to live. Would you watch as much TV this coming week as you did last week. See, once you understand life is short you think differently about how to live.

Moses said it will bring on believable clarity to your life and I don't get the I'm not trying to be morbid.

Here's what I've learned until you face death boldly you will never live life powerfully.

Most of us play a game that were not in a die I'm in a summary you're thinking that maybe feel very uncomfortable. I can't believe that guy talk about my heart stopping in seven days. I was being generous. I can guarantee you seven days email. I have seven minutes you might check the mail get hit by the truck. I don't know. I could tell I don't have seven days I got today when I begin to live like God is great and life is short. Not only does it give me perspective. It only rearranges my priorities would be good, just a quick reminder this message to face the future in times of confusion is from his series facing the future with confidence.

This reporter outlines how you can positively face life's most challenging circumstances even in the midst of overwhelming doubt and despair chip discusses the truth that God has a plan just for you to bring good out of evil. You sure so you can have complete trust that God is working out his good plan even when the odds seem against you and how you can begin enjoying life to the full resources for facing the future with confidence are discounted for a limited time, so now's the time to take advantage for complete ordering information, go to LivingontheEdge.org Current offers on the chip and remap or give us a call at AAA 333-6003 will chip in light of all that's happening here. It's important to remember the greatness of God and the brevity of life, but most of us are going to forget that as soon as we turn on the news or look at social media. Is there any suggestion or do you have a tool that will help us hang onto the kind of things you talked about today. Dave absolutely let's just acknowledge these are very challenging times, regardless of where anyone is coming from.

Politically, these are challenging, challenging times and I think it's the truth of Scripture and the presence of God and how do we hang on it and sometimes it's okay to say what we really want to do is we want to make it through this. We want to survive right. We want to survive intact with the kind of hard in the kind of relationships and the kind of attitude that God wants us to have. So were light and when we love and that we care.

But that's a challenge and so we put together a small little book called the art of survival that I wrote in the midst of all the things going on, not just in America but around the world and it is a super short little booklet. Actually, that I think will be a tool to help people keep perspective and then have a path and actually know what to do and how to do it in the midst of these very challenging times. This new book from ship called the art of survival is a timely resource for limited time it's discounted because were hoping you'll read it and be strengthened for the day-to-day challenges but then that you will use it to encourage others were wondering what to do and how to survive. Whether it's one for you, or five to give away the strategies in the art of survival are exactly what Christians need to be reminded of these days of uncertainty, confusion and doubt. For more details and to place your order.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Current offers on the chip and remap or give us a call at AAA 83336003 that's 8883336003.

I hope you'll do that today, as we close today's program I've talked to a lot of people and I want you to know that if you feel fearful, confused, torn, maybe angry and really really frustrated. That's normal and that's human, of all times. I literally wish we could sit down across from one another you your kitchen table or mine you know with a couple coffee and I would love to hear what's really going on what's going on inside. What are your fears how you processing it. How are you taking those things to God and what I would say is what we want to do in the series, and especially in this message is we want to step back and we want to get the big picture likely the thing we need the most. In times like this is perspective and Psalm 90 is my go to place when I feel overwhelmed and confused and I'm not even sure how to process things because as you learn today. This is the only song written by Moses. This is written by a man who was God's great deliverer who saw amazing miracles and who also attended an awful lot of funerals of people who disobeyed and found himself looking it, the depravity of man the greatness and the power of God and and he brings sort of a summary and today we learned that two things he says when he looks at the big picture number one God is great. I can trust him among the mountains might be moved.

Circumstances change.

Rulers can change economies can change the health issues can change. God doesn't change, she's all-knowing.

He's all-powerful and I would remind you peace for you.

You're his child, you're his son years daughter and then second, he reminds us that life is short so I don't know what you're wrestling with.

But I do know at times like this.

It's that sense of urgency that can help us really moving directions may be that we needed to for a long time.

So what I've done. During this time is to say what the top three or four things I've been kind of procrastinating that I need to address in maybe it's a person to forgive maybe it's something to repair. Maybe it's an issue that you've been putting off. Now is the time. Life is short, life is not a rehearsal. This isn't the pregame. This is the right now and our next broadcast, he's going to give us four more basics or questions to help you get really really clear to know what to do and how to do it. I hope you join us just before we close on to say thanks to those of you who are giving regularly to the ministry of Living on the Edge you're making a huge difference helping other Christians live like Christians of your enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but aren't yet on the team would you do that today. You can set up a recurring donation by calling us at AAA 333-6003. Topping the donate button on the app or visiting us online at http://livingontheedge.org.

Thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do for all of us here. This is the same. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge