Breakthrough - Courage - The Catalyst to Breakthrough, Part 1

What is it that gives you the will to stay in the fight when every fiber in your body.

Once what gives you the strength to keep on keeping on.

When you just want to lay it all down. What is gives you what you need when you're scared to death. And yet you step out and do exactly what God wants you to do well, it's one word, courage. Courage is doing what needs to be done even in the face of your peers. How do you get it that's today welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with survival featuring this international discipleship program and courage is tough. I really hope you practice there's lots of things the way so this message to fix a look at some of the things the is a lot of scripture you have a Bible just before we get started, let me encourage you to try message notes while he was giving was outline scripture references.

Lots of filling will help you remember what your learning trips, notes or click download@livingontheedge.org under the broadcast Listeners just Notes okay your strip now with this message. Courage the catalyst to break Mark chapter 6, 5000 people were fed.

Notice what Jesus does. He sends the disciples off immediately. Jesus had his disciples get into the boat to go ahead of him while he dismissed the crowd and after they left, he went up on the mountain to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake and he was alone on land in us, by the way when you're ready to take some steps for God. Any notice, the disciples get on the journey and there is a stiff wind in their straining at the oars what it's like when you start taking steps for God is about the fourth watch of the night he went out to them and this is trying to increase the face of his walking on the water and as he comes by and it decided to pass by. They see him and think he's a ghost, and they're terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and knows what he says to them access to them. He says to us you taking a step you want to do a God want you to do in your thinking yes okay were to go to counseling or okay will my land I you know I'm gonna really go public in the situation I'm gonna share my faith with this person or you know what I'm to confront this issue with one of my kids. I'm scared to death because maybe she's gonna endlessly say to them, take courage, is I don't be afraid that were in Mark's gospel and Matthew Mark and Luke are what's called the Synoptics and their speaking to different audiences and so Mark is written to the Roman audience Luke to the Greek audience in Matthew to the Jewish audience and so they all tell the same story, but they they add all correctly the full picture. But in ways that help their audience understand and so Matthew during this exact same time he add something and he lets us know that right.

When Jesus was walking on the waters in the past by Peter you know I love Peter he did he know he's like impulsive give the world what the heck you know you only live once. If it's you tell me to come in. So Jesus has come to Peter's takes you know like this is amazing he will come water I walk on water and then his courage evaporates and he sees the wind and the ways in their sphere. He starts to sink in literally quick prayer, save me and Jesus reaches out pulls him up.

They get into the boat. They worship him in that metaphor that picture of stepping out into uncertainty which if God doesn't show up. You're paralyzed by your fear and you don't do it.

His courage and Jesus is going to use this little picture and then the authors can take us through a series of barriers to breakthrough because in your life. I can tell you this, God wants you to get out of the boat and I don't know what the boat is for you. Once you get out of the boat of your fear and take a step of courage and that's the catalyst for the power of God. The issue is not does God have power. The issue is not is he willing to help you.

He wants to, but the issue is, do you have the courage rooted in faith to take the step, even when you can't see what's can happen to obey and then watch them work. What keeps us from taking that sort of dynamic step that causes the chain reaction of God's power to come into her life.

Now I want you know that sometimes you know when would teach the Bible or when I read it all gets one passage in just a paragraph and often all of our time there, but what we miss often is that the author has put some time. Story after story and miracle and he'll let you know it all fits together and he wants you to see the structure what's happening. So that's what I'm going to do.

My prayer is that you read chapter 6 through chapter 9 little bit later today and you put your feet up, get a last iced tea. I'll give you the highlights and on their rated because what I want you to catch is the big picture barrier number one courageous steps that overcome this barrier. Our first barrier is our traditions, we open it up in Mark chapter 7. The context is they get out of the boat and now you need to know that things are swarming look at the very end of chapter 6. If you have your Bible, or iPad. Whatever using look at the very end of chapter 6 Peter's walk on the water. He's now falling in there in the boat. They get to shore and when they get the short notice is very carefully people are running to villages and places all over, and every single person who brings into the marketplace is anyone who touches Jesus and says all of them are healed. Jesus is communicating. I am the good shepherd he's doing these miracles let people know I want to help you in physical healing is a white ghetto. He lets you know I'm here on the healer. I love you. I'm for people and so his popularity is mushrooming and now the religious leaders are threatened, and so we pick up that story in chapter 7 the Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and isolate some of his disciples were eating with hands that were not washed the Pharisees and the Jews always wash their hands ceremonially when they came back from the market before they ate in a special time so this is not like wash your hands for germs. This was a spiritual issue. There was a tradition that you know when you went out into the marketing around those Gentiles and all the evil in the world, you should clean yourself that you can scan the passage but I'm to tell you what's in it seven times the word tradition is there, the tradition of the elders, the tradition of the elders, the tradition of men tradition.

Tradition. Tradition. Tradition basically what they say is you know, are you not playing by the rules and for years and years and years we've been told we have these rules made by man in Jesus as your traditions nullify the truth of the word of God and Isaiah was right.

Look in the text. What you say.

Isaiah was right. Your lips say one thing but your hearts are far from me and he said you have your traditions and then he points out that you actually the barrier of your tradition keeps you from obeying what God actually says. And so by that time the Pharisees who were very greedy by the way, and very religious. A lot of things have changed.

People who were to support their parents in their old age like were supposed to and with the Pharisees did as they came up with a new tradition is just say the money is core bond or dedicated to God and said he would keep the money and you would have to support your parents and Jesus just rips him and this is your traditions made by men your rules made by men nullify the word of God and he says you know anything.

No food is unclean.

If you're thankful for that goes in you because everything you put in your mouth, it comes out of you eventually pretty graphic here. He says if you want to know what makes you unclean is what comes out of your mouth because that's what fills your heart, greed, malice, and the sexual morality using people corruption he he said it's a things in your heart. That's what separates you from God and what all of us have is we have some baggage in traditions and rules that we have equated with Scripture. Over time, and it's a barrier that keeps you and keeps me from stepping out and being courageous.

The fear of man because people tell us what you have to do it this way all the time I was getting interested in Teresa as she many of you know she was not a Christian who was married before she would find out later that her husband was having an affair with another woman about a year that she was unaware of. She got pregnant with twin boys and when he found out that he left with another state with another woman she was. You know absolutely just devastated her boss a few weeks later letter to Christ and after multiple attempts to contact him and bring restoration a couple years later, there is nothing and so she got a divorce and had two little boys and I met her when the boys were just she came in a Bible study. So to have three years later and so you know I certainly was attracted to her but a young woman with two kids was not on my radar.

So I begin to pray that God would give her husband pray for two years at just didn't have any idea that I would be, you know, like the answer and it was really hard because I that point, was a basketball coach and I was a teacher and I we were doing this college ministry and then I got I got this like oh my gosh got you kidding you want me to be like a pastor or missionary or something and little by little I Teresa became a most godly woman I'd ever met. I got to know this kids in God said okay I want you to.

This is my plan. What you and I checked with my parents and had their support, but in that day, as is important in a divorce is not like for any reason any time. Anyway God hates divorce. He wants us to be together but when you're abandoned by nonbeliever were on grounds of infidelity. God provides measures for people who are the victim, but I had a spiritual leader that we have now reconciled all this but he told me I don't believe in divorce.

He said if my wife died of it. Still not remarried. You get one shot one person and I been around my spiritual leader in this group for about seven years and the tradition of this group was that's the way it is. And I remember agonizingly fasted and prayed and prayed and fasted and oh God, I read every book on the subject.

I looked at every verse is real clear what the Bible said is you know she's an unbeliever.

She's abandoned by an unbeliever. It was immorality. Here's what the Bible says with this groups tradition and so I this man's wife went out for coffee with my wife and said if you marry Chip will destroy his life. God has his hand on Chip's life and he'll never use Chip's life if you will get married. It's a lot of pressure and I agonize that I just realize one day you know I'm going to give an account for my life before the judgment seat of Christ, and it was a real breakthrough for me because that was the beginning of a series of decisions that said what other people think.

Can't dictate what I do. The fear of man is a sneer, but blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 29, 25, and you know there's some of you that you know exactly what you ought to do and you don't do it because of your tradition. You have a history as of talk with one guy recently give a history that you know your great-great-grandfather grandfather grandfather there Buddhist or their Hindu or their moderate Muslims or you know you got is been speaking to you and you know that you're walking with him now and you need to go public with your faith and you really haven't. But you know I don't do that because you know my family or my parents. You know they think that you know I got baptized as a kid, even though I wasn't a Christian God speaking to me that I just don't want the hassle, my mom, my dad did to offend them in for others is just you know the tradition you know my faith is really private and you know I don't want to go to public with that I don't be fanatical and that's were part of the tradition in our family. We really love God but were not Republic about it in God's is going all the world share the gospel. I love people and you're my agent in the tradition hold you back Jesus that you encourage, you want to believe. Then look at some of the man-made rules. The second one he says is a barrier of our unworthiness right after this. It's interesting the issue is whether your unclean and right after this, Jesus is trying to get a little R&R. If you will. I mean, he's been bombarded by all these people all the way one is time they want is energy and so he gets away. Verse 24. Jesus left that place went to the vicinity of Tyre.

He entered a house and didn't want anyone to know it yet.

He could not keep his present secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him. A woman whose little girl was possessed by an evil spirit came fell on her face and she begged him to heal his little girl is so this is a woman. The author wants to note she's a Gentile Greek origin. She's a woman. She breaks in.

She's uninvited. She does everything wrong, but she's passionate and and the conversation goes.

As you read a little bit later and he said look I came for the house of Israel, the Jewish nation and the Gentiles were called dogs, and that day in a slang term, and in Jesus.

I think testing are says you I I came for the children and not for the dogs and her answer of faith was even the dogs after the children eat get to come in to get the crumbles under the table and basically what she's saying is you know what I believe in you have any hope. But II don't care what anyone says I don't care I'm common and I need your hand and then the text says daughter go home you answered well, your faith, your daughters, well you know if I was one of those disciples I would say that woman is unworthy. I mean number want to be culturally and she's not a Jew to me whose she rolls her self on the floor and she legs and any others for some of us you had this little lie. Yeah, I think this is probably true for Chip. Her maybe a pastor, missionary or you know you know some Christian he thinks really hot stuff and really live the life God that God does that, but not for me and so you know what you don't take any step that you like your fear of disappointment. I'm afraid if I take a step out in on unworthy God he wouldn't do for me what he does for some other people. And so Jesus very clearly says you know something I love impartially on for you.

Do you believe the third barrier is the barrier of our deafness right after this we read that group of people, may have a friend who is deaf and mute and they bring him to Jesus. Look at your text. They make him notice the pattern. The people at the end of chapter 6 they brought their friends and they begged Jesus to heal the woman comes and she begs for her and her daughter and now they come in they made for their friend. He can't hear anything mute and so Jesus takes him aside out from the crowd. He heals him some of us you can hear from God.

You think you know I would take a step of faith or out of a breakthrough, but you know what I'm afraid because God doesn't speak to me the way he speaks to other people.

I don't want to go public with what I really believe and why. Because people asked me questions and I don't how to answer them. You think your death you think there's some special thing that other people know about this book and every single day.

This book that God speaks to ordinary people is available in the great majority Christians never open it.

They depend on people like me to you.

30 or 40 or 50 minutes of a little bit of truth, and then you're on this journey of trying hard to be a good person totally missed the point of the living God who created the world says this word is alive and I'll speak to you about you and about me and I will give you promises and I'll give you direction and I'll show you what to do with one of his kids and work and what to do when you're single what to do when you're depressed what you do when you're struggling what to do at work and when and how to do what you've got to listen to me to see faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and he saying to his disciples because the goal of all these things as the author writes this the real goal is not just to help these people, these disciples are going to get the ball and the mission to take it to the world and they did. Or we wouldn't be here. He wants them to learn. He wants them to learn. You know what, no one is unworthy no matter what you think he wants them to learn all speak all speak and all open people so they can then after hearing they can speak and then we get the fourth barrier is not just our deafness but it's our lack of resources. How many for setting I would really do that. I'd like to go on a missions trip. But you know if I take the time off. I don't have the money or you. I see that that's a really big need and I would love to help people, but you know I don't have that kind of money and so we sold the feeding of the 5000 in the Jewish arena. Now we have the feeding of the 4000 but it's a Gentile audience. It opens up in chapter 8.

During those days, another large crowd gathered, and since they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples to him and said I have the compassion. The word is blocked. It comes from down deep in your gut. It's visceral.

Jesus sees the needs of people. Gentile Jew hurting moral and moral Jesus sees the needs and something deep inside of him because of who he is as God, he just cares and compassion is not sympathy, it's not like I feel for them. Compassion in Scripture 100% of the time, leads to action that actually helps people's choices. Have compassion for them.

They been with me three days. It's like a rock concert except different select three full days and there hearing him teach, but there's no porta potty's there's no food and he says the three day seminar is over, I'm gonna send him home and they many of them haven't eaten dirt in a faint. Along the way. Notice he doesn't say to the disciples as you feed him. He just presents the issue is present. You know what here's people that have a need we ought to do something and you knock it is here Peter to John and he didn't want you thinking do again what would you do and they go back to the same old thing and they don't know what are they going to do in course they bring what they do have. That's what God wants. The breakthrough comes not when you have it all figured out, not what if I do this this and this. Not when everything gets lined out then I'm gonna do it. You bring what you do have, to the supernatural power of the living God who lives inside of you is a follower of Christ and you say I'm to courageously step out because I believe you provide, and so 4000 people get fed and in the disciples get cleanup duty again. I guess what happens there seven baskets this time is for the Gentile were the Greek world.

The word seven is a perfect number and they pick it up and is not lost on the disciples and the realizing he's not just the Messiah for the nation of Israel. He's a light to the Gentiles.

Jesus came to save, and forgive all people, and he'll provide. I wonder how many times those of us, God shows us and need needed a local school need with an unwed mother and needless sex trafficking. Needless in people to can't make the house payment and needless in people and we say no God, I would. I would really help out, but I don't have the resources what's God saying courage is the catalyst to breakthrough.

Take what you do have taken a step and start meeting. Some need and then what you see, God will show up to draw other people I meet all those great stories we have of miraculous things happen they don't happen to people that are waiting for God to line everything up. They happen to people who step out and often don't know how to work. In fact, that's part of making room I meet with golden and young people and get talking and after a while, for whatever reason, people sorta get honest with me, which I really like.

I met a lot of older people who are living together are not married and basically tell me things like you know we know this really is right, we can't believe that you know this is how are living, but if we get married we only get one Social Security check. And so you know it's just a sheet of paper.

God understands really what they're really saying the God who created the universe and has the power to raise the dead and take care of everything for them, teach us the power to provide for what they need each month talk to another guy recently was tell me about.

He works in in in a tough area and the only way that from his mind.

You can make it in this tough area in this tough economy is any pay some people check sent some people cash so he doesn't have report and he casually turns me and were good buddies. Not like him a lot and I think you sorta maybe looking for a pass on this day that I don't awaken to governments ripping us off or all those not have to pay this this this and this and no so I got to pay in cash because the workers comp alone would be XX dollars. Now do I agree with necessarily how much you have to pay as a business owner all risk is not the point. But you can trust God you telling me I can trust God to forgive my sins rise from the dead, created heaven and create the world but if I'm honest about my taxes. There's no way he could give me more business and take care that unit you understand God is on the edge of his throne and he wants a breakthrough to happen for you and your basically saying I'm not taken a step because I don't think you provide in your financial worldview has you living in a situation where you don't experience God's power unit experience answers to what God doesn't play games he doesn't provide breakthroughs over here when he says now this is true and right and this is what I want to do and you say will thanks I take that as a really good opinion and consider doing that's not how it works.

Obedience is the channel through which blessing flows the listing department's message courage. The catalyst to breakthrough from a series breakthrough publishing God's power into a possible situation when you need a supernatural intervention series is a powerful resource that will help you find the direction you're looking for from the first step to a new normal breakthrough is a life-changing series. Not to be missed to get all the messages and really dig in.

There are both audio and video options for you including online streaming with the study guide for previews and ordering details, check out breakthrough@livingontheedge.org special offers on the shipping remap or give us a call at AAA 83336003, which we've been talking a lot for the last several days about monthly partners and you I think a lot of people probably feel like you guys are doing great things and I'd love to help but I can't afford much and I don't see how my little bit would make much difference in mean what would 10 or $20 really do Dave. You know a lot of people think that the fact of the matter is not just a person giving say $10 or 25 or 30 or 50 or whatever they think seems to be insignificant with the huge needs that there are to help people here and around the world. It's the combined efforts. I mean think right at this moment I meet over a million people are going to list on a radio broadcast the podcast or on the app I mean a million people if just a few thousand.

Say if 10,000 gave $10 a month. Can you imagine what we could do here and around the world.

So I just want to encourage some of you who just don't feel like you have enough to give her it wouldn't make much of a difference would you pray and say Lord I will just give whatever you would leave me to give and could you know when you do that. It's a lot like the widows might God will honor it and we be very grateful.

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The donate button on the app or donate online at http://livingontheedge.org, let me thank you in advance for whatever the Lord leads you to do as we wrap up today.

I think to boil it all down may be the easiest way to say it is this a lot of things get in the way of breakthrough.

So it's understanding those barriers. It is realizing that we have to overcome them.

There breakthroughs mean that you have to get out of you have to get through certain things in and of course that's where it requires courage and you know we talk spiritually, often, but you know coming to the end of yourself. I do want you to know that is where it's at. I mean, when Jesus said, take up your cross and follow me. I mean, we sorta spiritualize that now those words were like you mean die. You mean let go. You mean no matter what. And that was exactly what he was saying and let me give you a picture of how breakthrough works. It was in my lowest moment of the Coban virus. All of us have had probably a couple days or a lot more where I thought boy my mental health is bad. I'm thinking not good thoughts. I'm discouraged I'm pessimistic I'm negative. I'm angry inside. I'm resentful and in the midst of all that it was okay got. I just can't do this anymore the Lord said will what you think of some people that have a more difficult situation. Get your focus off yourself and help them and you know I was praying for a breakthrough. I was praying for all God help me, and so to make a very long story short, I I knew that things were really challenging in the Middle East.

I scheduled a zoom call with the head of all the churches in Egypt who is become a friend. I asked him how he's doing and he just said ship. It's we feel like the government is doing a great job, but the pastors are barely surviving and in the course of the conversation I said you know I've actually been sorta pondering a little series on the art of survival will send it to me as an and I'm just pondering it. I haven't even written it yet.

I haven't filmed it yet because will when can you get it done and I out of sheer obedience when I didn't feel like I call someone to encourage him and as he said that it was like a light went on inside of me. I got an empty room. I looked into a camera and I did all three messages.

We put a webinar together with all those people from all those churches it got translated and we put it in Britain gave it to them and I thought all my lands. What a breakthrough and then the head of international said no chip. You don't get. That's the beginning and then it was 300 cities in India that it was a crossed Africa. Then it was Latin America not because I was smart, not because I had a great vision is because I got to the very end of myself and in my desperation.

God took my weakness and he displayed his power and that's what he wants to do and you may not be quite that dramatic, but it might be more dramatic can I encourage you just right now unless you're driving, shut your eyes and open your hands with empty palms and say, God, I'm at the end of me. I can't make this marriage work. I can't straighten these kids out.

I can't find a job I can get this church back on its feet. God I'm desperate. Desperate. Desperate, I can't pay my bills got I can't break this addiction and you and open palms cry out to God and with the positioning that I will do what ever you say and you sit quietly and as you listen to the spirit of God. Just obey. That's where you'll find breakthrough in power by his grace go do it. It all. A great way to stay engaged and connected to chip and Living on the Edge is with the chipping remap will get free access to all of Chip's recent messages as message notes and much more. Not only that, but it could be easier to call or email directly from the yeah will be with us again next winter continues a series breakthrough. Until then, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge