Unstoppable - Baby Steps that Change the World, Part 1

You long for a life of joy focus actually impact everyone wants to make a difference, but does it really work. What are the baby steps that you can take today it would actually bring joy to your heart and change the world. That's your question stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge shipping and trip survival to daily discipleship program motivating Christians to live what if you've ever seen a baby learn to walk steps or wobble feeder clumsy. They follow over time they become more confident baby steps in the running strip continues a series of unstoppable explains the step process of develop God sized dreams in our hearts is always after the teaching trip will be back in studio to share some additional thoughts about teaching, so be sure to stick around for that with all that said, if you have a Bible ready turn to acts chapter 3 for tips message baby steps change the world with the dream inside your heart. Unlimited resources you could see anything happening entire world that you knew would glorify God and help people and bring about real change. What would what would be the dream inside your heart. You want to see God do in your lifetime. My dreams that God would launch a movement first in this church and around America were Christians would live like Christians sounds, not when it and then I thought about the kind of churches that would produce churches that would be warm, caring, non-legalistic non-self-righteous authentic passionate followers of Christ. The broken the irreligious the people that are different. The people are unlovely would come to church is like that and feel loved and welcome. I'm dreaming of a day when churches would measure success by the depth of the love, not by the size of the church.

The beauty of their buildings. The size of their budgets. I'm dreaming of a day when Christians would stay married when things get tough. That forgiveness would be sought and granted in those predictable struggles that we all have in our marriage would be followed by getting wise counsel heeding God's word getting some help in making it through the struggles I'm dreaming of a day when parents would model holiness and purity and set boundaries for their children to protect them from the seduction of the world that promises him everything and deliver staff. I'm dreaming the day when parents would eat together novel idea with their kids that they laugh.

The tell stories at bedtime. They tickle each other to the point of tears that spilled popcorn on the floor together as a family they pray about everything. It pray about their neighbors.

They pray about tests they pray about friends they pray about sports. Pray about grandpa and grandma and other people don't know the Lord. Yet, in that their house would be the most fun and exciting place on the entire block to be I'm dreaming a day when Christians know their neighbors have hamburgers in the backyard and more people get the idea that these Christian people were just friendly and kind and when you have a crisis there always available.

It seems I'm praying for a day when churches would work together to paint schools and clean parks and build houses in the tough part of town and no one would care who gets the credit. A day when Christians would be known for what were for. Instead, what were against in a day when we would actually believe that prayer is more powerful than politics and people would be valued and treated with dignity, even if how they live and what they believe is the exact opposite of everything that Christ said and stands for. I'm dreaming the day when Christians would cease to be cut so concerned about being in and cool and hip and relevant and just be flat out consistent, caring and committed to be like Jesus and do what he says I have a picture in my mind of a day when 9/10 Christians in this church and around America and around the world with think it abnormal and strange. If they didn't come before God every day. If they didn't do life in community authentically in a small group if they didn't see themselves as on mission 24 seven. Getting up every day in their home in their dorm at work in their neighborhood and say God, what's the assignment you live inside of me. I'm dreaming a day that the world really change. I gotta tell you, I can't shake this hype. I wake up thinking this when I pray deeply. I think it I know it's humanly impossible. I know I don't have the resources, the power in and of myself in any way for this dream to become a reality. But it's the passion of my heart and I will tell you this.

I think it's the passion of my heart because it literally isn't my dream at all. This is Jesus dream for his church is Mrs. his dream for you. This is his dream for me when he said when he caught his early disciples to pray what he said asked the father for his kingdom to come in his will to be done. How on earth the same way gets done in heaven, and to me that's just us Christians living what Christians and when we do that, individually, not that were perfect, but we make progress when we blow it we own it and were authentic and real and were changing everyone in this room. Everyone in this church has the potential to literally transform the world around you and the question I want to talk about it. How does that happen. How does that really work right time. He is, is that just pie-in-the-sky that just rhetoric at all.

What would that be great someday.

Some white how actually does God change the world and I want to suggest that God by the Holy Spirit puts inside of you and inside of me dreams and desires and opportunities and that there isn't some great hero coming someday, some way to make all that happen, that it happens organically and small like a little mustard seed through ordinary people. That's why Jesus chose the disciples that he did you do some hard study of the background of those people you're thinking this is not a good group to change the world with their not educated, they don't have much leverage there have any political power that having money so that everything that happened we could know it's God at work in them. He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of them and in living inside of them. Instead of Jesus walking on the earth and loving and caring and feeding key came inside of every true Christ follower.

So Jesus is living out all those people and so hundred and 20 turn into 3000 devout followers that he planted these dreams and these desires and placement.

All these different backgrounds and they begin to change the world, but I'm a talk today but will house it really work anymore sitting here 2000+ years later.

Billions of people have followed Christ and are making a difference in the world, the world that we go from hundred and 20 scared people in upper room who the Holy Spirit comes upon into what you see today. Acts chapter 3 the answer what you see is just are you ready the answer is baby steps. The answer is not some big thing someday, some way, how many people saying that the movie what about Bob or the classic. If you haven't run it. It's clean it's great but there's this great line in this movie and this is that it's a story of a guy with deep psychological problems. It makes the psychiatrist crazy and in the one thing he gets his baby steps and how might a change, you change has all these issues and and and so just baby steps and innocent, but that's how God works in all you need to do so. You know what, there's a big picture and chipset all those big things all this church is not when you know what you know where it starts.

Baby steps, opened acts chapter 3 and Morgan to see is how God begins with Peter and John and helps them take baby steps is going to give them just a very specific baby step game plan and they change their world just lays it out for us that the chapter is broken into two parts.

The first bowl 14 or 15 verses are a story what working to find is that Peter and John units like Monday morning. Everybody has a Monday morning and they're just doing what you're supposed to go on Monday morning in their case.

It's a prayer meeting to going to and something happens and then the second half is what happens is to create a stir, and thousands of people are to be drawn to this temple open area much like maybe a big park open area like Times Square and thousands of people, pouring, and because of this event and Peter uses it, and that he gives a sermon. His second sermon. So follow along because what I'm gonna do is theirs for baby steps that we learn from the story and there's one or two baby steps will look at in terms of a sermon. One day, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. Now a crippled man from birth was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those who are going to the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter. He asked them for money and Peter looked straight at him, as did John and then Peter said, look at us.

So the man gave him his attention and expected to get something from them. Then Peter said silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have. I will give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk taking them up on his right hand. He helped him up and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong and he jumped to his feet and began to walk and then he went jumping in the temple courts and walking in and leaping and praising God. And what all the people saw him walking and praising God. They recognized him as the same man who used to bag sitting at the temple gate called beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what was happening.

Baby steps. Step number one for us regular people who have desires in our hearts that God wants to use to change the world is simply draw near to God versus wanted to wear our Peter and John going not in Judaism of the time had a prayer time at nine a prayer time at noon in a prayer time at 3 o'clock. Peter and John write the spirit lives in them but it's like it's Monday. They're just doing what they normally do their doing the Monday of life there just doing what they would do on any Monday.

They are faithful and just the little things there just on their way. I got news for you. This guy's been crippled from birth we learn later. He's 40 years old. The disciples most of them were in their late teens or mid-20s at best peters walk by the sky thousand times or more. He's been at the same gate forever and ever and ever and ever. And yet peters just on his way doing what he supposed to do. See, being faithful in a very little thing is the key to being faithful great things we think God does things from like a little seed into some huge tree of fruitfulness and the fact is, here's what you need to remember its faithfulness in the ordinary that prepares us for the extraordinary Luke 1610.

Since he was faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much. And he was unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also much you know these dreams and desires. The way God works is he's gonna change you first.

And you gotta be with him for him to change you, the promise of Scriptures, if you draw near to God, he will draw near to you. Peter doesn't have any more power and John does have any more power than ordinary people like us. The difference is they got near to him and what they were doing as they were just being faithful. We talk a lot about praying or spending time in God's word. That's not so you check a box and don't feel guilty has nothing to do with that. It's about relationship. It's like recalibrating your soul. It's about understanding all you know God has an assignment for me. Today I want to be in tune. I want my intended to be up with the spirit of God the will of God for my life and all I want you know God does extraordinary things through ordinary people, but it always begins with just being faithful in the ordinary things about you, but I get up this mornings and like the last thing I feel like doing is reading the Bible. The last thing at times I feel like doing is praying right that you have some late nights and get kind of worn out and have some pressure over here in a problem over there. You know up this morning. I mean, my mind was a bit in the fog and I went out I got a couple coffee and I read my Bible and I didn't have any legally amazing feelings and I thought what's going on in here and I just said and I wrote down this morning. What I was feeling and what I was thinking and I took the top four or five things I was wrestling with. I said God, these are years and then as I did and I wrote out a couple verses that spoke to me and it's interesting just things started to change, walk with God.

Draw near to him. Step one. It's a baby step second is look through Jesus eyes peters going to the temple. He's been there. He's just doing what he supposed to do, but the Spirit of God lives inside of them. Now that he saw Jesus example, the Christian life is not saying that Jesus was a marvelous person and trying to be like in your own power that is not Christianity. That's not what Jesus taught that the fact is a revolution occurs and the old you dies in the spirit of God comes and literally Jesus lives inside of us by the Holy Spirit, one out. Peter is walking and instead of seeing a beggar who is always there who need some help and maybe he's even given him a little money here and there. All of a sudden he sees them through Jesus eyes.

Jesus sees his deeper need not just physically but spiritually, and Jesus sees into the eyes of this unlimited resource member. The last thing Jesus said to the guys all authority Dumas are word for dynamite all power, all authority has been given to me and I'm to be with you always. So Peter is not going to think and what can Peter do peters walking by this guy who has a desperate need and he realizes Jesus has unlimited resources and he lives in me and then something happens that takes a step of faith. Here's what I want you to remember never assume the way it is, is the way it's gotta be. That's death. Ephesians 320 says now to him who is able to do abundantly beyond anything we could ask or think Jesus he's able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what you and I think pretty soon if you're not careful you start think this marriage is going to be now the way it is and ever shall be.

You not to struggle with one of my kids, my singleness, I'm single I'm discouraged. I'll always be single you know no one really is open at work. I don't think anything's ever to change. It's a dark place. We start living as though the way things are today is the way will always be, and that just eliminates faith. This guy was absolutely helpless but had to carry men and he was absolutely hopeless. God wants to do miracles and you lead who does through ordinary people. Later on were to learn when to get thrown in jail for this. The intellects of the day will look at Peter and John ago. These are untrained and uneducated men, but they recognize them as having been with Jesus. The thing that makes a difference is that your personality or your gifts or what you bring the table all that, under the direction of the Holy Spirit's great but it's Christ in you, don't assume the way it is, is the way it's always gotta be but you need to look you need to start looking at your work through the lies you need to look at people in your family through new eyes. You need to look at needs through new eyes need to start walking around and realizing Jesus to the Spirit of God lives inside of me and if you could just like take these classes we could take a contact but I want to Jesus lands, start looking at people at work at people on the highway. People cut in front of me. People give me a hard time people that in my neighborhood. I want to look at them, the way Jesus would look at them.

If you live inside my body and I want you to just take a quick gulp and said oh he does, he does and is excited to see what happens when you do that the third baby step too hard really. Is it mean, how hard is it to draw near to God and just look to Jesus eyes third is act on your good impulses not want to read too much into this and I don't want you to go tell people chip can read Peter's mind and he know what exactly was happening. I can't but this is a regular guy right he's failed before. I like big time and so okay Jesus lives inside of him now through the spirit and he sees this beggar and I assume that he is thought process changed. Now read a little bit later that this early church was completely Jewish and when the spirit of God came they were expecting the restoration of the kingdom and him to come back very immediately. That's why they pooled their resources very voluntarily. The you know if the nation would've accepted the Messiah, they would see him coming back very, very, very soon learned that the nation rejects the Messiah the nation of Israel does and they did know about this mystery called the church, which they were but in a peters walking by this guy and he has the thought had to come to his mind. You know I don't have anything to give him but I will seem like I used to seem and then this thought had to be recut this unlimited power. I mean, I thought it went through. Finally, grow quickly look.

I think I'm going to tell them walk and be cool. What if I say it and nothing happens. What if I say it in. Maybe this isn't me in me.

I'm kinda new listening to the spirit. Maybe this is just sort of a fabricated thought in my mind CT came to a little point of time where he had an impulse on nudging from the Holy Spirit to take a step of faith outside his comfort zone was really can help someone in a miracles and occur and just like you and me. He's right on the edge of MI can obey this prompting or not you got them having to you like that weird thought like you driving by and see someone walking and theirs is thought like I should turnaround help that person in the next thought is what you really kinda busy and I had to do you turn in all help them later or someone out of the blue like you're praying or driving in your car and someone him. Thought about you.

I call this person and sometimes you do and and and where they say stuff like how the world did you not write the spirit still prompting here's here's the next baby step on your good impulses when you have an impulse that comes to you that love someone that glorifies God that helps them. That takes you out of your comfort zone. That probably cost you something and you little afraid to do it. That's probably not you were right. And recently I was in line somewhere and it was like by these peoples groceries behind you you you know and I and it displays good you know why I don't know I don't have to know and I if this is just last week and and they were checking out the lady. All I'm sorry, I could tell, will struggle with her son and my credit card and cut diamond got louder just buy her groceries just just just be my presence and so okay diff. This will help you. So finally she found her credit card and I couldn't get rid sucks now I'm acting like I'm looking at the tomatoes over here and then you know just like I want to do it. If you think I'm some weirdo this kids over there and son on chicken out. Don't chicken out. No ticket. So finally you know and then I finally okay I'm going to do and I walk up and is very uncomfortable and she gets a credit card are a I blew it.

Oh Lord, I'm sorry. And then he said do you have cash yes will give her so anyway, it's all about what was like in her little boy got in the car and I want to read too much unit, but from body language. The boy, the lack of a wedding band you know if I was gonna make up a story look like a divorced mom going through a hard time was really struggling but how should you can pay for this and I drove around my car. I said excuse my rolldown window.

I assure you I'm not some weird guy stalking you or your son okay but I just got this really weird prompting from God and he wants you to know that he loves you and he was to take care of your groceries today and I just gave her 40 bucks and I said can I give this your son and the light on her face was like it was like oh no, no, I mean it was like thank you. I said I'll see you later God is giving you and me those, promptings all the time. What if we acted on what we acted on illness could promptings.

Notice what it says to remember God daily prepares divine appointments for you to be the answer to someone's prayer. Let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Listening to part one of steps that change the world will be right back with his application for this teaching from a series of unstoppable God's agenda for planet Earth, including you, ships teaching through the first five chapters of the book of acts revealing God's plan to rescue this lost world were learning how God raised up the early church and the apostles to carry out this mission, and more than 2000 years later we're continuing that assignment through the series chip highlights the growing pains and hardships of the first Christians explains what we can learn from them to be better Christ followers and disciple makers today to check out all the resource details for unstoppable go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 app listeners simply tap special offers will chip were at the end of our first week of our midyear match.

There maybe some people out there who don't know what the midyear match is or why we do it. Could you take just a minute and explain that Dave absolutely you know this is something that we've done for a number of years that literally spontaneously happened about eight or nine years ago, and a small group of our ministry partners have this passion to support the ministry, but also to inspire others to support the ministry and actually even beyond our ministry to learn to be generous.

And so this month, dollar for dollar, every dollar a person gives all the way through July 6 will be match so it know one becomes 200 becomes 200 you get the idea. And what a lot of people don't know is that you know, like, 30, 40% of the total giving income comes out of this midyear match and so it supports everything from the daily broadcast to staff to pastoral training and will talk throughout the month about what it does and the impact that it has, but I just want to encourage people as they come to get this broadcast, and whether it's on the Abril podcast or the order something from Living on the Edge at our headquarters.

This match is critical to the mission of Living on the Edge of helping Christians live like Christians and so my prayer is that as the Living on the Edge family listens that they would really become a part of the family and help us help others.

So thanks for asking Dave. Thanks trip so if God is been ministering to you through Living on the Edge you want to get in on supporting the ministry now would be the perfect time to join the team. Every gift will be doubled thanks to the generosity of a group of ministry partners to send a gift. You can either call us a triple late. 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or go online to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners just tap donate. Thanks in advance for asking God what he would have you do and then partnering with us.

However, he leads will now here's chip with his final application for today as we close today's program. I want to go back to the little story that I told you at the very end of the teaching time where God prompted me.

I mean so clearly and I didn't listen. I didn't listen and I got so embarrassed.

I actually found the lady and her son in the parking lot and gave them the money that God showed me to give them and the response just blew me out of the water. You know that it was wasn't all know know know know it was they really needed it and God was prompting me and it's just so amazing that how I felt afterwards which was really great. The look on their face, which was really great but I think the bigger picture is what Peter and John did in acts chapter 3 was they led their light so shine before men, that the people Saul who God really was and glorified him in heaven. What really communicates the reality of Christ, his power and his love is not just what we say what we say is important and how we say it is very important but it's actual acts of service end of the book of Galatians, he says, you know. Don't be misled. You know were going to reap as we so and then he immediately talks about doing good to all men, and then especially the household of the faith brothers and sisters in Christ and what I want to encourage you right now in this current climate is what Peter said let's close the mouth of our critics by just taking multiple baby steps. There's probably a million people are going to listen to me right now. This week, this message are you ready what if each one of us.

I mean, $10, $20, $50 hundred dollars. I don't care what the amount is. But what if every single one of us today or tomorrow. I'll give you 48 hours. All right today or tomorrow you get your antenna up and you say Lord I'm going to love someone, you direct me. I'm going to love someone that takes me out of my comfort zone. I'm going to meet a need you to take the homeless person in and give them a hamburger I'm gonna do something for my neighbors.

I am going to take a step that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable that exercises your concern and your compassion for people and I'm going to do this for you. And Lord, I pray it would open the door and that people could see the light of Christ must stop talking about the world and criticism and and what were not getting in. What's fair and what's not fair. Let's take baby steps today. Every single one of us and then let's watch God work is a great idea chip banks as we wrap up, let me quickly tell you about a great way to listen to our extended teaching podcast here chip any time on your echo or echo.to get started. Ask Alexa to enable the Chip Ingram podcast than just say Alexa play the Chip Ingram podcast. It's that easy will join us again next time as chip continues.

It is serious.

Until then, this is the very thing thanks for listening to this edition of living all the