Yes! You Really CAN Change - The Power of Spiritual Training in the Transformation Process, Part 2

It's a fact one of the leading causes of mental illness is forgiveness. The power of forgiveness is undeniable. It restores and sues the results of unforgiveness are unmistakable bitterness and wrath a life enough by anger and pain will today I want to give you some very practical tools that can help you begin the habit of giving and receiving forgiveness. I hope you stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with the mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians Bible says that the heaviest thing a person can carry his program. She wraps up a series.

Yes, you really can change talking about why forgiveness is so important. Without luster one last time to Ephesians chapter part two of chips message the power of spiritual training in the transformation process when you going to training for your speech and what you're doing your building probably the most important muscle in your body most important muscle in your body. Your heart and there's few things that you can go to training for will let you know how your heart is doing like saying to yourself, you know, Lord I'm going to use my speech is a is a mirror in fact your word is a mirror and to me I'm going to use my speech is a mere so that rather than just some sort of external mice morality Christian. I want to be someone who's pure in heart, because according to Jesus, the pure in heart see God and experience God and I'm going to go to training to be positive and be positive in my words, my home with my roommate with my friends to be positive when people around me positive my tone of voice when you going to training on this one. It will be very painful at first because most of us don't think much about her words. How do you do that. Let me give you little training apparatus practice silence and solitude under silence. Would you just jot the verse Proverbs 1019 says many when there are many words transgression is unavoidable. This is if this is a funny application talk less for somebody that's not a problem for others. I will mention any names.

The big problem, especially if your verbal processor. Sometimes you think out loud and as my wife lovingly says to me Chip. It's okay if you think out loud, but could you do with your tongue not moving because sometimes your processing out loud.

It's very helpful unhelpful for other people sometimes in a meeting, what would happen if you actually look smarter and more I mean profound. If you just didn't say as much, that you might even try.

If you have a problem with speaking you want to get control you might do the five or 10 second rule, something comes your mind 1000 2003 1000 4005 1000 before you speak for some of us need to go 10 but silence the second of solitude. What I mean by solitude, as I don't have a picture of you, although probably wouldn't hurt. Most of us to get to three days away in some retreat center and not speak to anyone for two or three days. Many of us that would maybe be too much too soon would probably go insane white jacket and you know but I will tell you what if you would say, God, I'm going to spend solitude with you 1/2 hour 45 minutes or an hour every day and since this is the mirror of your word and it is truth. What I'm going to do God as I want you to know that I want my heart to be pure and I will deceive myself, and so on to systematically read through your word and there's lots of good programs and you read and then you close your Bible you say Lord which you help me respond what you want to say to me then you sit quietly for some of you just sit quietly. You don't need to do this for some of us that are very, very verbal, then I get out my journal I began to write, or would you speak to me would you bring to my mind anybody or anything in the last day or so work things of come out of my mouth and sit quietly and I will tell you if you struggle with like God never answers my prayers. You get some answers prayers and hurry to bring vivid pictures to your mind of what you said or how you said it, and this will be difficult at first, but you'll start experiencing God. We when you go to training on your speech and and you begin to open his word. You'll start to experience God because he longs for your words to give life. He longs for you to be a conduit of life and hope in building up an education in your home and at work in your family in your neighborhood, but most of us don't think much about what we say.

Let me encourage going to training the positive don't move with your words station number five we go to training to be forgiving. Be forgiving. Be the first to say I'm sorry verse 31.

He says let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other will how just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Would you put a line under this keywords bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander and skip down to all malice. Then put a circle around kind circle around tenderhearted circle around forgiving. In fact, grammatically what he's got essays stop being bitter and grammatically it's show yourself or demonstrate yourself to be a kind tenderhearted, compassionate, forgiving person. The training command is to be kind to training objective is relational harmony and that's really what is talk about his great relationships with the training command is to be kind tenderhearted and forgiving. The negative is stop hateful attitudes and behaviors start showing demonstrating loving attitudes and behaviors so the training actions are put off paint put off paint. I did a word study on each of these in since we tend to use words loosely let me just go through and and tell you what bitterness and anger and I think he's very particular about these bitterness is the long-standing resentment that we have. It's a spirit inside of us that refuses to be reconciled with someone about what you do understand that this is a command in light of someone's hurt you but trade you abused you wounded. You gossiped about you slandered you.

Did you eat right your heart and that's why you get better and that's why you get angry right it's nursing anger to keep it warm and brooding over insults and injuries have anger fantasies about these people wrath. Here is an outbreak of passion.

It's a picture of you know, like a piece of newspaper that you lights. This is this is rage. These are the outbursts that people have the clamor or anger here is that habitual righteous anger. The sun goes down on and so although it's righteous and it's just in your angry.

Pretty soon everything in you is critical about everything and everyone because it doesn't measure up. The clamor is loud, talking, brawling, shouting this is that you know screaming at one another, shouting at one another injuries names calling people names. It's the kind of stuff that some of you remember was a part of your first marriage and an evening counseling.

He said all will bring it back and I'm sorry I didn't mean it. But see, words have the power of life and death. People blew up scars were there slander we get our word blasphemy from its evil speaking it's it's trying to injure someone with your speech and making up untrue statements or shading them or spinning them in a way that when other people here it puts another person in a bad light and then finally malice just has the idea of flowing from a heart that desires for the other person to pay.

It's just this sort of joy in the demise of another person and what he says is you are not a spiritual green caterpillar in the more you have come to know the living Savior. You've been in the cocoon of the supernatural community of God's church and off that behavior is off-limits for the children of God, and you are now a super natural by his grace. Butterfly and Vincent want you to put on kindness and sweetness. Gentleness has the idea of generosity. It has that has the focus of thinking of others. It's an outward focus. Then he says put on kindness and tenderhearted Mr. litter.

The word is compassion an interesting word used of Jesus blocking in the ancient world. They didn't use the heart of the center of affections with the liver and and the bowels picked up at the deepest thinking came from here. And so that's this word for this is the idea. It's more than empathy. But this is this is someone even who has hurt you, but you think about where is that they came from. And there's something where you see the hurt and the damage and every time this word comes up with Jesus. He sees a great multitude, and a Caesar like downcast sheep know anything about downcast sheep is once they roll over too far on their own, they cannot rollback without help. They will die, and says that's how he saw people in their dysfunction in their sin and their hurt and their patterns and he had compassion on them. Compassion always leads to action to help associate put away those things, but instead, be tenderhearted, not hardhearted, not harsh, compassionate and then forgiving. It literally means to put it away to to release it just the way God took here soon and my sin. Any put it away and he placed it on Christ, so that when Jesus was hanging on the cross.

Your sin and my sin and the sins of the whole world were placed on him and the just wrath of God for your sin and mine was placed on him and he paid for it and so he had told her his blood covered our sin and whosoever would believe in turn in faith and receive that gift your sins good. His account and his righteousness comes your account because he is merciful to you, and that's what he say, but your thinking has to change my thinking has to change. We put off hate the renewing of our mind as we remember that right relationships take precedent over my rights. See when I'm hurt when you're hurt you. Thinking don't be better.

I may be kind don't blow up, be tenderhearted, I mean after what she did after what he did he save as a Christian is my business partner he rip me off after she talk behind my back are you kidding me I will never know what all the Thanksgiving until hell freezes over.

I'll never be in the same room with a group of people nobody had any of those paying people back so that's not how spiritual butterflies live when you give other people what they don't deserve. Granted, there may be situations where you have to set boundaries, but this starts in real attitude of the heart, you will never be more like Jesus you've heard it said love your friends and hate your enemies but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you for what value is. If you do good to them. Looking to get back to you. Be merciful like your heavenly Father is merciful. Who causes it to rain on the just and on the unjust, so the training command.

Here is what I call the Matthew 524 principal Matthew 524 principal.

This is the one that reminds me that my rights.

This isn't fair is not as important as right relationships. Matthew 5/24 this picture of an Old Testament saints in the time of Jesus coming to the altar is present is offering he may have a pigeon or you may have a calf or a goat and is making an offering cases if you come there before God with your offering and there remember your brother has something against you. Now notice it's not you have something against him know that I could buy bright. I got this against him. I got a bad attitude. I ripped them off. I'm really mad I'm really angry. I relocate when I get it all go apologists.

That's not what it says it says if when you're bringing your offering and you know they have something against you and your mind on something against me. Are you kidding me. It was 92% their fault when they come in apologize will get this right what to say when you know they have something against you, leave your offering at the altar. Go and be reconciled with your brother go. Only 8% make every effort as far as it depends on you to be at peace with all men do whatever it takes because the relationship to God is more important than who is right, the relationship in your family and some of you been there during strange from family members. There's been these breakdowns and pains and hurts and struggles in their real and it takes someone with maturity.

Who says being fair is not the issue and and just because you do. This doesn't mean there's reconciliation. It doesn't mean people hog doesn't mean Thanksgiving is wonderful but what it means is you have been a child of God, you're walking in a manner worthy you are living the way Jesus is his life through you and so you go to them and you make every effort and you be surprised, coupled you be surprised how healing can occur.

This in so many relationships among Christians. As this happens, there's a divide in their over here you're over here when their name comes up your stomach right you know how to get slow like like this when you see them at a grocery store someplace or heaven forbid like at the airport when you're traveling and just realized all my lands you trying to act like you don't CM it is too late in minutes and it's like a scapula walk is not dealt with you going to training going to training to make the relationships what God wants him to be because when I sin and blow it like I do and you do I come to Ghana's old Lord I can't believe I said that I can't believe I did that I know I should've done this, but I did that and with the potential consequences of this and this and this and this of Jesus you please forgive me.

Would you please forgive me please be merciful. Please don't hold me accountable to this. Would you please forgive me, what do I want mercy and yet someone violates me and what I want justice. What Jesus says is I gave you mercy.

Now you need to extend say this is like this training station and it's the one that many of us don't appreciate all the abs. The abs hold everything together but if there's bitterness in your heart.

Relationships out of sync. Note the principled entire book of first John is if your relationship with God vertically is right, then your relationships with people horizontally have to be right so you do the ab work. You know you do all this kind of stuff and ride a bicycle and for some of a few member member junior high sports you put your feet up like this. The coaches okay give them up and you pooh-pooh but I give them up right it's really hard but the core connects everything else. What relationship do you realize you need to forgive someone. I mean, it's hard to have integrity when you know there's this thing out there need to be cleansed of who is coming to your mind right now that you realize I need to make a phone call or have a breakfast to grab a couple coffee or at least write a letter and as far as it depends on me leave my offering at alderman, a member of about five years ago I tore a disc in my back L4 L5 and I mean I couldn't sit down, I couldn't. When I wrote on planes. It was just mean excruciating.

It took three had built a pain pill I did injections.

I did everything. Nothing worked and the guy said well I can I confuse your back, but then you can't do anything.

I said if you can endure the pain in a couple years. The bodies can start healing but you got endure it. I tried everything and then this doctor from the back doctor had my same problem. He gave her the card of his personal trainer said what I did is I went nuts. I said I got my course of strong that it began to take all the pressure off my back and I to go to his trainer, but I tried everything and so ladies, please don't laugh.

I learned the Pilates really culture core and I found myself in a room with all women and my wife was gracious to go with me and all the sudden okay the plank you know and here's all these ladies :-) I will you have done anything to years.

What I had to learn was to be diligent and I did Pilates in a Pilates fusion type deal. And after three for five months. My back pain was gone because what happened here.

What happened here with the rest of it together for some of you need to go to training some with your heart being positive with your words. Some write those back exercises for others it's kind of cardio work. I want to wrap up our time and wrap up our series by really asking you to do a little thinking and work God is a provider trends information is always by grace you number one cheerleader is living inside you. It's the Holy Spirit, but we learned is that you greet him and I greet him when words come out of our mouth hurt other people. This is in a formula. These are principles.

These are not self-help.

This isn't going to training to all these things will be a better person be more successful.

All those things may happen, but is completely not the point. This is a relationship. This is about the living God living inside of you, and there's a part of the transformation that no one's going to do for you. You've got everything you need his spirit, his word is people and is part of that's hard to be honest and be angry. Be diligent and be positive to be forgiving.

That's your part.

You can do it, but he's working in is creating some of you right now he's creating the will and the desire to do some things that you don't want to do and so here's here's the application number one. I want you look at your notes underneath there, where are you doing well. I mean, some of your personality go terrible on turbo. The black apparel tobacco spiritual abs.

I did have a terrible person that is not God.

That's not his word to you. You need to rejoice and sell you something. Where was I year ago or three years ago I made progress China down. I'm a lot better with my words I used to have an anger problem.

While I remember I forgave so-and-so a couple years ago after what she or he did write that down. Be encouraged then second, what one area do you need to address. Don't look at all five of those ago.

Yes, you don't try to do all five. What's the critical one, what's the Keystone habit spiritually that when you make progress on this. The others will fall in place and then finally you can't do this by yourself, not of us can do this. And so the last question is who who's can help you.

I just had another injury, and I went to physical therapist on the on Friday and I have been doing exercises by myself.

I felt very proud of myself and then I went to his physical therapist and he had me do exercises. I mean tears, but this fall between your knees. Do this on the back but you don't give me 10 more. Okay, here's this machine reset. He took me through something. It was amazing the difference you need someone in your life help you push to the levels by the grace of God to become the person God died for you to become so that you can demonstrate his love and his light is holiness is a natural response to the life he's done his part now workout your salvation right's application for this message. The power of training of the transformation process. You're listening to Living on the Edge wrapping up chip series. Yes, you really can change you know there's so much practical insight in the series based in Ephesians chapter 4.

Four people desperate for something in the life to change.

If you're looking to mend a broken relationship overcome a recurring personal struggle, genuine life changes absolutely possible, but it takes a lot of work. Maybe a good way to get some help would be to share this message with a friend than meet over coffee or jump on zoom to talk about accountability and community are essential in becoming what God's called us to be to find all the resources for yes, you really can change including chips book study guides and small group videos just go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA to 333-6003.

Again that's LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA to 333-6003 ship as I listen to you today. You're really reminding people that going into training is key to life change old you say that person who's still not convinced they have the power to actually do that 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 what were pretty excited about the release of the new revised edition of chips 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 will now here's chip with a final thought as we close today's program and wrap up the entire series a going into training is the key to lasting change. The apostle Paul. After teaching us who we are in Christ how to renew our mind. He says that personal integrity, emotional control, financial stewardship, positive speech, and private attitudes are the key to change from the inside out that now here's the deal you can just feel absolutely overwhelmed like most of us do when you look at that list.

God never dumps the truck when you feel condemned, that's the enemy. The spirit of God convicts that means he'll be very specific and he'll say you know something for you. I want you to talk about going into training on integrity.

You tell white lies for others is not integrity may be an issue that you blow up with your anger, your passive aggressive or for some, you know, I went into training on not being sarcastic. You know out of your mouth. Those little quips, so don't feel like you need to do everything, stop right now and say Lord you live within me by your Holy Spirit. What's the first step you want me to take in terms of transformation and he'll show you. Sit quietly and don't try and get it all done but go into training coming when I taught this I literally set up the gym in our worship center and I went from the unit. The benchpress to the curls and if you've ever worked out. I mean if you go and try do everything all you do is get sore and you quit. You need to go into training on one thing and here's what it requires truth in your mind. Trust in your heart teammates in your life. Okay somehow get the truth in your mind. Whatever you do what you listen, read, memorize and then trust in your heart. You gotta verbalize and talk with people and someone to hold you accountable and then you need a team of people like we all do to go into training. God wants and will change your life.

Just before we close. I want to thank each of you who's making this program possible through your generous giving 100% of your gifts are going directly to the ministry to help Christians really live like Christians know if you found chips teaching helpful, but you're not yet on the team. Would you consider doing that today to donate. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate on the app or give us a call at triple late.

333-6003, let me thank you in advance for whatever the Lord leads you to do well.

Until next time for everyone.

This is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening. this Edition of Living on the Edge