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April 6, 2021 6:00 am
You know we've all seen those advertisements about instant weight loss. You know, getting in shape for five minutes a day. The problem is those quick fixes don't last. So what does it take to experience real lasting life change. I mean the kind of life change that helps you become the person you've always longed to be booked today to give you some specific steps from God's word about how that really happens from the inside out. Stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with your favorite mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christian Bible teaching of Scripture. Last time Chip started a series called yes, you really can change before he continues. Let me encourage you to try using Chip's message was included brief outline of all the supporting Scripture reference to download these message notes just go to the broadcast tablet LivingontheEdge.org Listeners tap billing notes.
Okay, let's dive in part two of a changed life really possible.
Christians are transformed in community. The reason many Christians who generally have come to Christ who honestly love God, who have some initial outward changes in a few inward ones and then plateau and never deal with the deep, deep issues of the heart dysfunction, family of origin fears rejection workaholics and all the things they pass on to friends and kids.
The reason those deep issues never change is they are not in community where the real them shows up meeting real needs for the right reason in the right way and where they are vulnerable and someone loves the broken parts of you and loves you enough to encourage you and accept you and at the same time hold you accountable and not let you keep being the same person. See, it's the Jesus inside of their body extending the love of Christ and Jesus love is always soft and tender and sometimes very hard and tough, depending on what we need is his goal is the outcome not just that you feel good and so he says this is how transformation works justification. This is what God has done sanctification. You start on a journey. The journey is first my beliefs and behaviors. It is an oxymoron for a person to come to Christ in their life not change just unheard of in Scripture. Only in America and around the world now could we ever create this world where a Christian is someone who comes to meetings, intellectually acknowledges that Jesus is the Savior that died and rose from the dead and we chip in with a few hours of our day in our week and we live our life completely differently and say this is working. So he calls us like his life live in and through you is that different from trying really hard to act like Jesus.
Isn't that different from I'm going to try and quit cussing and and I'm gonna try and be more generous in frequent treatments to soups was so selfish and and and pretty soon because we know how Christians must act. I think a lot of us, and let me start with me and seasons of my life, I've spent more energy hearing, loving and appearing Christian lady that I really was just so that the other people would think I'm making progress. This is getting way to convicting when we get back to my notes, there is a reason. However, the reason is really critical.
He says there's one body, one spirit, just as you were called in one hope that you recalled one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father every time the word one is used or could you underline that there are seven of them.
So let me give you a minute 1111111, where it says there is where you put a box around there is because I'm again our English Bibles are absolutely fantastic but just now and then, of the Greek texts is there and why this a little bit more in living color there isn't in the original text.
But it makes the sentence make sense because what Paul has done is used a very unusual grammatical device for basically what he's saying is three chapters of all God has done for you. Therefore, walk in a manner worthy.
Let your life and let's tell the same story. Here's how to do it together and deep authentic community and treat each other with humility and gentleness and patience and put up with stuff and what you'll do. That is, drawn his resources and then literally he goes off their seven staccato words Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam. It's like you've got understand how important this is and this is so important is not about your happiness is not. It doesn't work for you. It's not that it improves your life. He's going to do seven staccato 1111 and that you notice theirs for all's all all all all, there's a focus of unity. There's a focus of consistency and then he does something where it's and triads. There's three ones followed by 31, followed by another three ones, and in the Trinity is in this and usually we think of the father the son and the Holy Spirit, but he doesn't go that direction. It's very unusual he's talking about the church you document what Christ is done he's talking to them and to us about this transformation, so we start with will. How does it work the spirit of God is what convicts us the spirit of God is what gives a spiritual birth were born of the Spirit, the spirit of God is our pleasure down payment for heaven and our hope. And so notice what he does. These are I mean were there reading this I can imagine opening the scroll Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam seven times and basically what goes there's one body, the church, one spirit who creates it in one hope the new church.
The spirit deposit he's taking to heaven and then for what is the focus, one Lord Jesus, one faith, one baptism, Jesus is the focus of it all. Each one of you have taken a step of faith in each one of you have graphically publicly told the world and set your past is behind you and what you do as you said my old life behind and I've been resurrected with him and all the privileges and all the persecution think about when this was written, I'm gonna walk with him.
There is one Lord. This was written when there is a God on every corner.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism goes to the father, one God, but is different than the God make everyone afraid notice there's one God. He's the father he's kind he's a dad he's in. He's the father of all in thesovereign.
He's the creator. He's what who is over all and through all and in all and so he gives them this extraordinary high lofty view of who God is and in essence listen carefully. Here's what he saying this is what God is done for you. Chapters 1 through three.
Here's the command let him live his life through you, so that your behavior in your lifestyle match what's true the way to do that is about activity or do's and don'ts are external rules. It happens in community into deep authentic relationships where you give to people what you really don't have to give and so you drawn dependencies you abide in Christ and you love others effectively. Jesus loves people.
He he he gives you a moment with the spirit he speaks to you through his word, but the way Jesus is going to hug most of us, if you're not going to get like you know an angel from heaven at the foot of your bed.
Tomorrow morning will he's got to hug you through me to hug me through you to be the person in your small group. It's good to be that Jesus living in this body, and he says as you do that. Remember what Jesus said, the way the world will know that the father has sent the son is what by the authenticity and the genuineness of our love for one another. Paul says that's what stake networking be on a journey okay so I can't cover most of your thinking you already cover too much your head hurts. But what I want to do before we go on his I want to give you the three reasons as you flip this text around and when you look at people's life experience only give you some practical tools about so what what keeps us from metamorphosis what what are the barriers for all of us and you as I go through this and tell me don't get covered over with a terrible person and I know God brought us here think let's go on a journey. If most Christians understood justification and sanctification and how it works. Most Christians would look a lot more like Jesus. And so, let me give you these three things will give it sort of top level and ready to be unpacking these three reasons we fail to be transformed. Reason number one is spiritual ignorance, not stupidity.
This is that the people were stupid.
We just don't know. Our failure to understand our true identity in Christ destines us to the try hard to good fail syndrome.
The problem is a lack of knowledge.
The solution is discover your new identity coming from.
I didn't know I kinda grew up in a in a church and preach the Bible and became a new Christian and in the spirit came in my life and I got around a group of people to really activity oriented, which is good so I tried hard to good fail. Try hard to good fail.
Try hard to not so good fake it and I quit trying. I member as a Christian, just about a year and 1/2 or two years had this poster was in college and had a poster and have my Bible there and is some poster about God's. When people came in my room. You and I member like okay some things changed and then it just plain basketball and baseball and I was in RA and in my private moments I realized lust had not changed my Eagle really hadn't changed. I was now reading the Bible and I don't want to be a hypocrite. I knew I was. I all I knew was I was trying as hard as I could in my energy to be like Jesus, I thought that's what a Christian was and I got news for you.
You can't do it no one can live the Christian life. Jesus and the way the Christian life is lived is when we abide in relationship in the spirit of God takes the word of God in the context of the cocoon of community and he produces the life of Christ, we have a part make every effort but if you don't know how it works. You can try really hard as we have to discover your identity in Christ. I'll give you one verse to get you going, and maybe a couple resources that Galatians 220 is the apostle Paul in one sentence saying if you don't understand the Christian life and you want to know the identity in Christ. Truth hears in one sentence. If you want the longer version read Ephesians 1, two and three if you like a more tactical version read Romans six, seven, eight, but let me just give it to you. I mean, you know, this is the elevator pitch on your identity in Christ. Paul says I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not but Christ lives within me and this new life that I live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me to.
Paul realizes what he trusted Christ. He died with Christ, his old man died.
He was resurrected with him. He's living out of who he already is. And yet he saying I still live in this world but did not audit it's Christ lives in me and the way you appropriate grace the way you experience the truth of Ephesians 1, two and three. It's a faith walk through Christ. That's why the metaphor of walking so important.
I start to feel like a mold on what you know not really old. I started very young and Tresa started even younger, but I can tell you from when my kids were small and now with all these little grandkids can you remember what it was like when you saw children learn to walk the first time to member to member what it was like you know that you know the kind like this there on the coffee table and you know what walking is walking is moving out of your comfort zone and get ready to fall and catching yourself just before you fall in the ghetto comfort zone and run fall again, and then you do it again and it's amazing. It's an off balance out of where you were from comfort to moment of fearful indecision. Now, with practice manager something it can be done like this. Eventually, but when you're little kids fell down and they took two steps did you do that was so good. That was so good. That was so good. Did you focus on their falling down for the few steps they took.
Can I tell you, the apostle Paul said walk in a manner worthy because he wants you to know that the father and God.
He rejoices at your steps of faith and he's not shocked when you fall down and because we created the pseudo-culture Christianity, the great majority of us spend half our energy trying to hide when we fall down and what we really need to do is realize God is cheering for every step of faith and we need to be in that cocoon of community where we can be love through that journey and process but you have to learn you have to learn how to I call it appropriate grace. You have to learn how do you allow Christ to live his life through you. The second reason we fail to be transformed is spiritual isolation. Our failure to actively notice that the keyword actively participate in deep Christ centered, honest relationships makes transformation impossible. The problem, and please don't feel too bad about this one but it's pride. I don't mean necessarily just the pride were used to cut your chest and you think it's the pride of self dependency. If you don't have deep, authentic relationships, whether that's in a small group with that's around the table and your family with a couple guys are couple gals are two or three couples on the talk not just being in a small group that that's the container I'm talking about really doing life authentically and openly and lovingly, and people who know what's really going on and you get accepted, even when you blow it in and you get kinda kicked lovingly when you know you need to because they really care to. The reason we don't do that is my agenda is I think is more important to God's agenda coming when you tell me we don't have time but will just all I have to do is they will tell me what your schedule looks like. Will I work work work work work when we have you sports and that I have this that have this hobby I work out when I could go to the gym and I okay so all you all you telling me is that matters more than what God says is the very place where he's going to transform you at the end of the day everyone does what matters most. We never have a time problem. All of us have priority issues and for some of you, I mean, here's the application is very, very, very simple solution is due.
Life and community, and for some it's changing how life happens in your home for others. You need to join a small group money.
We are off the charts on that because butterflies get transform the cocoons Christians get transformed in community but there's a second application is not just join a group, it's get real.
In the group. If you can't do with the whole group may there's a couple people or or even one or two you really get close to you for liking what I could really do like at a deeper level with this person I'm pretty comfortable, Sharon. What's going on. I work with great people. My wife is very open, we can share things in but is probably about three or four months ago as I was kinda looking at okay the next year and this next season see what God's doing at the church I see what is doing it. Living on the Edge. I can see these things bubbling up in you know when God starts to prick you and you realize I need to address some things and will. Who would I do that with an I have a friend that I've known for 30 years. We did ministry on me when I was 28 years old and wheat we were partners together in a ministry together in the church about 35 in Texas and we got to work for another 15 years later and he's now a pastor and and we just try to get on each other. Schedule and remember realizing no one knows me on this entire planet better than him. I've got issues that could make or break what God wants to do in my life and through my life and in my self dependency and overscheduled arrogance. I'd not taken advantage of that. About three months ago I asked if we could have breakfast, and it took us you know your schedule three weeks even get breakfast on one morning and I asked would you meet with me every other week and he said like for what I said I need a place of someone who has all my history that I can be as honest with you as I am with Teresa and I know God wants to do some things to take me to a level and I don't know where to go.
I mean I go down to you know like lot deep but there's a lot of these people. Now they they think I'm way smarter than I and they think a more holy than I am. And you know the truth of all rights in 30 years and the only way I could do it is is is on a day that I really want to reserve for other things in every other week we been meeting we got done. The this last week.
Early in the morning. He turned to me and were finishing up a Starbucks. He just looked at me, his eyes wet my eyes leg is man I'm sure glad for me again.
I said me to do you have that is not to be easy. It will cost something but never how we started the message what's that one thing you'd really like to change about you.
It's just read the Bible more come in more services. Scott B.
Community deep level. The third reason we fail to transform is a occult spiritual myopia that that's a word for nearsighted.
In other words, we fail to see the big picture.
The problem is our arc, our culture of consumerism.
The solution is to get a high holy view of God. Here's ALL I want to say and I'll try not to go off on this and trying contain myself. The Christianity of the last 30 or so years in America were 40 that we've sent to the world is a consumer is think God is my cosmic vending machine. Jesus is my personal trainer, self-help group, and the whole goal of the Christian life is am I happy am I fulfilled to have a great marriage collect on the right person for my kids all turn out right. Are we upwardly mobile. You know my healthy, wealthy and everything going my way.
And if not Jesus, you're not coming through for me when did you forget that I this narcissistic consumerist. The Christian have taken your word and made all of it about me and your spouse to make me happy and healthy and wealthy and wise and wonderful and something all my kids around the table so you can buy all and everything turns out right. I never have a problem tragedy never happens. Cancer never happens. If I really believe that everything goes my way and weave and export net stuff around the world. I got news for you to give you a rich deep marriage. He gives you health P prospers your business, your kids grow up to love God. All those are really wonderful, wonderful byproducts, but I will tell you Christians living like Christians are the acid test of whether God sent his son. There is one spirit there is one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father. Overall, 1111111 all and how we live or don't live says to the world.
God is really God.
Jesus is the Savior, and when we don't live like Christians your happiness and my happiness and our fulfillment is very secondary. He's the creator it's about him.
He has an agenda and we signed up to say how can I serve you, oh Lord and Master, and creator who is worthy of glory and honor and power, for you have created all things, and by you. All things have created an in and buy you, they have their being. And we are finite little people in the steamy teeny thing called time and time will go away and will be all eternity and we will worship a living God in a new heaven and new earth.
And what we do now matters for that ever. He calls us to live those locks and like you, I'm inundated. I mean if you thought where you get that rant and rave about.
I've done that with cancer in our house had struggles with my kids.
Things are going wrong, but I find myself starting to winds that we will wait a second. The Bible says that those are all the things and help change me.
I don't like him, but is God good or not is God sovereign or not is God in control or not, is he the said, sobering reminder to good your listing to living on the right back with his application for this message is a changed life really possible from his series. Yes, you really can change if you're feeling burdened by your pastor, find yourself stuck in an unhealthy behavior.
Don't lose hope. A changed life is not only possible, it's God's will for all of us, so we hope you'll keep listening to this series to learn how to experience ongoing life change and were here to help you along the way. Download chips message notes stream our exclusive video content or take a look at ship's newly revised book and as always, the MP3s are free. Learn more about all the resources for yes, you really can change by going to LivingontheEdge.org or calling AAA 333-6003 hapless nurse simply tap special offers ship as I listened to you today you are really talking about how life is hard and sometimes we can't help but feel stuck, would you talk to that person is really struggling with that right now all day.
That's what this whole series is about.
I've spent my last 30+ years as a pastor, watching, helping, coaching, mentoring, in writing, to help people understand.
You don't have to live as a codependent or as a private alcoholic or that you don't have to live with lust and pretend you don't have it or be a workaholic and looking for meaning and purpose through the things that the world offers. And yet the reality is is people have gone to church. They read their Bible little bit and they try really hard and that doesn't produce the joy and the freedom and the connection with the Holy Spirit that God wants him to have the first three chapters of Ephesians are what God has said this is what I've already done. This is who you really are is so this series is this is how you live it out and my experience. Dave is people don't understand that they don't know it is so we put it in the program here. I've written a brand-new book where they can go through it little by little, at their own pace and we have a small group resource. I long for people to experience the joy their freedom and the peace how many Christians know the great promise I've come to give you life and life to the full and yet they rarely experience it. I want them to know.
It's available but we need to understand what Ephesians 4 says and put in practice super helpful. Thanks for that. We were pretty excited about the release of the new revised edition of Chip's book. Yes, you really can change. Let me encourage you go to your website.
LivingontheEdge.org to pick up your copy of yes, you really can change.
Pick one up for yourself.
Maybe get one for a friend and spend some time over coffee, encouraging one another on your new journey of life change. Well here's Chip with a final thought as you think about how big God is and I hope that as we were listening to this together. You thought yourself, you know he is big he is powerful he is all-knowing he can change my life and my marriage and he can turn where my kids around and he can change my attitude, my job, and while God could really change me and then maybe you thought so why is any and you know somebody reminded me of a of interview that I had on a talkshow and that this material that you're studying came out in a book. And usually when a book comes out, you end up on a number of these, live call in radio programs and people call as you discuss the topic and we were on this very topic, and a lady calls in and basically says hey you said in this book that you know God is bigger and he can handle all this stuff and I mean she spent like a long time telling about the marriage that wasn't working and the kid that was working in the finances and her disappointment or depression, and she said basically if God is that big. How come is not helping me either asking to and a member asking her unit as gently as I could, ma'am, would you tell me a little bit about your own personal time in God's word and she does what you and I can read the Bible and sell cable did you spend some time praying she is all man I'm telling God about all this and asking for help in Yunnan think I'm gonna run out of possibilities and so that I sit will excuse me, are you involved in a local church and and if so, is there really a close community of people that really love you, that you doing life together with and there was a long pause at the end she is not a go to church and I did a couple times that I'm not close to anyone, and I thought about the message of today life change happens for butterflies in a cocoon life change happens for Christians in community we learn today.
There are four attitudes and one practice where God changes us and at the core of it is relational authentic community as we close today.
One question, are you an authentic community you have close deep Christlike relationships and if not that will tell you why change is occurring like you wanted to and like God wants it to end the next broadcast on to help you learn how to get there.
If you're not there so don't be discouraged.
Join us next time as we learn how to break through the barriers that keep life change from happening as we wrap up today's program. Just a quick but important thought Living on the Edge depends on listeners like you to help us continue programming right here in your area. Would you consider partnering with us on a monthly basis so people around you can benefit from the ministry of Chip and Living on the Edge to set up a recurring donation, call us at AAA 333-6003.
Drop the donate button or go to LivingontheEdge.org. Thanks in advance for doing whatever God leads you to do what Chip continues his series. Yes, you really can change in our next program. Join us again. In the meantime, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge