Hope of Nations - Where Will This Lead?, Part 1

In the midst of the chaotic world that were living in talk to pastors and parents and grandparents. What I see on their face is one word panic life is changing and fearful for the future. What do I do how do I prepare love you want the answer to that statement yesterday welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping which is a daily discipleship program motivating Christians to live like Christian in the middle of our new series called ovations on fire sharp young pastor named John Dickerson in these uncertain times chip and Living on the Edge of the commitment to occasionally turn to new teachers, fresh perspective challenges facing list any part of this series, go back and listen either of LivingontheEdge.org under the broadcast tab or via the chip and ferment this program. John explains how we can find peace and hope midst of troubling circumstances concept we all need to hear. So let's listen now to his message. Where will this lead. Let's start by just talk about our normal realize I don't have any of you have a recurring dream that's kind like a nightmare where you show up and you're unprepared.

So for my wife mall because she used to be in theater its being on stage for a player not knowing her lines for me.

I used to have this dream thankful I don't have it anymore. But when I first became a pastor and had left journalism. I had this recurring nightmare where I all the sudden I woke up late on Sunday I rush and I get to the church and everyone's looking at me and I looked down and got nothing.

No Bible no and I don't know what to say which, if you know me is funny. The thought of me not having anything to say is not very realistic but in my dream.

It always felt really real.

You know the feeling I'm talking about can you relate to that feeling of that kind of panic or that sense of I don't have what I need. Maybe you've shown up to a birthday party at some point in your life you got there in your eyes I don't have a gift.

Or maybe you've shown up at the airport and rise. I don't have my ID. It's this feeling of you're in a situation and all the sudden you is I don't have what I will today were talking about that feeling not just in our dreams or birthday parties, but when that feeling meets us in really more serious situations in the question. Rest is this how can I know my needs will be met when the future is uncertain. How can I know my needs will be met when the future is uncertain how can you know when you look out into the future and you wonder financially you get that feeling of I hide I don't have enough or you look at where your kids are headed or you get a report from the doctor and physically you guys. I don't have what I need for the future and that that feeling of kind of panic and lack of provision crashes down on you for some of you maybe it's some of the things we been talk about in this series of you look at the changing of world religions around the world or changes that are happening within the culture that we call home and you think I I don't know how will I be able to live in that kind of world and be strong.

Well the feeling that were talking about is a feeling that God knows we have and he's very compassionate toward us when we do have it. Not only is he compassionate but it's actually a feeling he spoke directly about in his word and he gives us a solution to this very common human dilemma or problem and want to give you Jesus answer to this question.

It's found in Matthew chapter 6 verse 11 and this is actually in the middle of a little prayer Jesus is saying here's how you pray every day. Jesus says this little phrase. He says that every day you can go to God and you can say God today give me my daily bread.

That is what I need for today is really interesting in this short prayer. Jesus uses the idea that God is our father and we can approach him like a good dad you when I woke up this morning there were two children in bed between my wife and me to an NIF times. I'm kind of a private individual. I think what are these people doing in my bed, but because they're my kids. They have all the confidence in the world. They know that I love them and they know that if there you have a bad dream or whatever that you know I I want to meet their needs and the ideas that every day you can go to God as a father, knowing he wants to meet your needs. He wants to keep you safe. He wants to help you. And so this word give is almost like a command but it's like a command from a child to a parent knowing you're in charge.

But I know you want to meet my needs and you can live life knowing your father who wants to meet your needs. And what's interesting is Jesus says give us today our daily bread.

Now you maybe you've heard of Wonder Bread or wheat bread Rye bread what the world is daily bread will daily bread Jesus audience would have known exactly what this term meant and I'll explain it to you here, but the idea is that daily bread is having enough for today so it's going to God, saying God. Here's what I need today. It's not saying here's what I need tomorrow or 30 years from now. That's where we tend to panic right what could happen tomorrow. What can happen five years or not 10 years, not 30 years from now, or sometimes we dredge up things from the past but Jesus says go to the father every day to see dad father. Here's what I need today and then have the faith to trust that he's already in tomorrow providing for you again tomorrow know Jesus initial audience they would've known that this term daily bread came from a true story about their ancestors. The Jewish people, when Israel was enslaved in Egypt. God sent them a profit leader Moses who led them out of their slavery, but their journey out of slavery and to a rich land that God called the promised land led through a desert and for 40 years they had to travel through a desert. Could you imagine 40 years and is the is God's people start moving through this desert real people, real families, no porta potty's and no food and they start to get hungry and they start to complain and so God speaks to Moses and he says I'm gonna start to provide food for the people I'm good actually rain down this kind of supernatural bread that's going to come from the heavens.

It's called manna. But here's the thing. Moses tell the people every day. It'll be there when you wake up and only take enough for today only take enough for today. If you if you get a whole wheelbarrow and take a bunch back to your tense it will spoil overnight only take enough for today here's the thing God was giving them a faith exercise because what God was teaching them was. You don't have to stockpile for tomorrow because I'm already in tomorrow providing for you again.

So instead of putting your faith in your stockpile.

Put your faith in your father who's in tomorrow. So when Jesus says every day say father. Dad give me my daily bread.

This is what he means. God give me enough for today because I know that tomorrow you're already in tomorrow and you give me enough again the idea Jesus makes in using daily bread is this idea that just like the Israelites journeyed for 40 years through the desert. We placed our faith in Christ.

We are also journeying through an uncomfortable world that is not our home.

As we make our way to the promised land. You could put it this way the world this world that we live in right now equals a desert now, not always in other beautiful moments their sunsets and sunrises and wedding days and anniversary their beautiful moments, but we know from Scripture. This world broken by sin and it's not our ultimate home and so were journeying through this world to a promised land, which we sometimes call heaven or Jesus called the kingdom of God. It's a place where we will have glorified bodies that never get sick or never get acne or anything else of place where there will be no crime. A place where there will be no injustice there will be no murder or war or divorce. All of the consequences of sin that exists in the desert in this world will be gone when we get to the promised land of heaven and what Jesus is teaching through the Lord's prayer is these two very simple ideas want God will provide what I need today and you can know this when you have that feeling that I described in my dream of showing up and not having enough or maybe you feeling it in real life in a really big way around your finances around your house or on the future God will give you what you need today, and secondly, God is taking you, it's a journey through a desert, but he's taking you somewhere far better. Does this make sense. This make sense. This is important for us because what were talking about today as we continue and hope of nations is the ways that this world were in may change some of those ways may be uncomfortable for us in the future we can't predict the future but God has allowed us to be born at a time were we know more about world events than Christians did in the time of the Bible. What is Christians.

They didn't know what the Atlantic Ocean was of the Pacific Ocean. They didn't know what people on the other side of the world believe today we can look and we can see their 7 billion people in the world.

Here's what they all believe here's where things are headed in the realm of ideas so as we consider that, here's the most important thing for us to know Earth's tragedies are temporary. Christ, victory is eternal. Jesus said in this world you will have trouble.

But take heart, have overcome the world.

In life we will have some tragedies whether it's an oncologist telling us we have cancer or whether it's another financial recession like we saw in 2008. We don't know what the troubles will be but we know there there will be some some dry, hard days in the desert as we make our way to the promised land. And so our hope is twofold. One, we know God will always sustain us he'll give us what we need today. But secondly we know this world is not our home. Christ, victory ensures that we will spend eternity in a good kingdom, a rich kingdom, a garden of Eden typesetting were all of our needs are met. So those are my two things that I hope you know today that I want you to leave here with is to know that in this world you will be sustained and that Christ is taking you to a better world. Now in the series we been talking about those times in world history when the world shakes times like September 11 when the terrorists flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center and into the Pentagon, thousands of Americans died times like the day that JFK was assassinated in the world shook times like the financial recession of 2008 when the world shook overseeing is that as these trends play out that were looking at.

They look almost academic as I've got them on charts and their graphs and their kind and nerdy but there real belief systems that real people around the world hold to and act out and and eventually they'll bump into our little lives. Eventually, that the kind of cocoon of insulated suburban American life were were really pretty insulated from a lot of the trouble that other people out in the world feel eventually as the world keeps changing our little bubble might get burst in some ways, here's some ways that I've seen changes around the world affect normal people like us. I knew of family and press get Arizona when I served as a pastor there they had a daughter named Kayla Mueller. Kayla went over to Syria as a follower of Christ to do humanitarian work and she was in Syria and she got kidnapped by the Islamic state.

They ended up holding Kayla for ransom. They ended up killing her. Eventually something her family never thought how could that happen to to suburban American. What will the world out there. Things are happening. Things are are changing.

I have friends who were vacationing in Nice, France on the day when a terrorist in France got into a moving truck and drove into a crowded mode over about 100 people in 80 some of them died they were just like you are on vacation then and there. They were also there is the world shaking around them. You might remember the time in Dallas Texas. When a sniper set out against the police department and in one day killed a number of police officers, while those police officers was a guy who worked on the security team as a volunteer at a church almost just like our church in Dallas Texas. People like us, people who are afraid to to drive in certain areas because of the color of their skin. And that's just a reality that they face in the world they live in today. What we do when the world shakes while if we understand that God will give us our daily bread, and he's taking us somewhere better. We can feel the emotion of it and the injustice of it without being overwhelmed by it.

We can acknowledge the pain of it, but we can have a faith that is unshaken within it. You see, Jesus said in this world you will have trouble.

And so when these things happen. It doesn't shake our faith. It actually affirms our faith that our greatest hope is for Christ to return and that this is that the really mature if you will.

Christian hope is knowing not just praying that my circumstances will get better. That's it. That's a good place to start, but that that the really muscular Christian faith is this belief that Christ is going to return and he's gonna set everything right. As you read through the New Testament from the Gospels all the way to the end.

This is the recurring theme Christ will return. He will set things right and sometimes because we have been born into a time when were the wealthiest, most comfortable, most free Christians in all of history, we can accidentally place our hope in just our circumstances always being good. While the big idea of this series is very simply, this crisis can return is good to make everything better Christ to return to make everything better.

Alana tell you sir about my daughter Avie every many of you know we adopted and she lived about the first three years of her life in orphanage and in the orphanage. They did not brush her teeth are take care of her teeth at all in. And so we been taken Avie to the dentist.

He said there's about eight teeth that they need to do major major work on and so Avie doesn't like them poking around in there and so the doctor suggested that we actually need have Avie have an anesthesiologist take her to a hospital and have them you know putter put her to sleep for surgery and then she'll wake up in the surgery will be done so Mel and I been thinking through how do we explain this to a four-year-old, not how do we explain pretty much the doctors going to give you some medicine will fall asleep your gonna wake up and have eight new teeth and yet in your mouth real sore and you get a bunch ice cream that's pretty that's pretty much the kid version of it right now as grown-ups we know there's a lot more to it. There are needles there are other you know devices and tools we don't. We want to think about that that will lead to a better place it it'll go through a hard time and it will get better in the end. And really, with a childlike faith. All she needs to know is the doctors give me medicine that makes you fall sleep. I wake up real sore and then I get ice cream. And here's the thing about the Christian faith in this series were looking at world events and things that may happen really all you need to know is Jesus is going to return keep believing in him. Everything will be okay. And eventually, your gonna wake up in a place where there is unlimited ice cream okay that's that's really all you need to know okay that's all you need to know so bear with me because here's one of my heart for you as a shepherd, I want you to have a childlike faith. But I also want to be part of a movement where we have a growing faith and where where we can grow in and Scripture uses this metaphor of that you start with the milk of God's word, just like a newborn. You know can't eat steak because they don't have teeth yet but then as you grow in your faith. Eventually your your more and more able to read God's word for yourself and eventually Scripture talks about the meat of God's word. The sicker things of God's word and and you you kinda have to slowly grow in those it, here's my heart for you. My desire for you is that the next time some world calamity happens it were a church that is not shaken by that.

But a church that says oh yeah Mormon John was freaking me out with all that stuff and he said, place your faith in Christ, be prepared and you can have an unshaken faith when the world shakes around you.

In other words, all we need to know is the basics but it doesn't hurt to know a little more.

It's actually good and healthy thing to grow a little more, so I want to answer this question today where will this lead so far in this series we look at what's happening in the world.

Why is it happening and today were asking and answering the question. Where will all of these things lead we we've seen you of the rise of Western civilization as it pursued truth and in the rejection of truth we seen globally that the economies are going to shift and within the United States. Beliefs are changing dramatically. Where will these things lead and what I'm going to adjust very quickly give you my opinion not God's word but my opinion is a researcher again believing that God allowed us to be born at a time where we have this data and information I get to my opinion, really fast because then we'll get to much more important opinion, what is God say God actually speaks directly about where all these things will lead so let me give you my opinion really quick them just to mention three things are not on your outline. The first is that I believe will continue to see social division within the United States were received on social media.

You see it in downtown cities you see it in the occasional riots.

There's there's a major social division that's happening in the United States and when you look at the data it breaks down largely along generational lines and also little bit geographically. Most of the people who live on the coasts believe significantly different than people who live in the heartland or the Midwest. A most the people who live in really urban areas believe a little differently than people who live in rural areas, and most of the people who are older than 45 view the world very differently than people who are younger than 45 the changes so dramatic among younger Americans my age millennial's and younger and were gonna start to see these things that have been discussions around thanks giving dinner tables were gonna start to see them reshape who gets elected into office and what the laws are and what the policies are.

I'm not to say, saying it's good or bad.

But I'm saying that we will see will continue to see it in my assessment as a researcher dramatic social change. I don't use the word revolution per se, but there's gonna be a major major shift within the United States will continue to see that most likely is not just going to go away again. We know no matter what happens were okay. We got our daily bread. We know where were going okay but let me tell you to other things and just summary of all the research I've done is the reshuffling of the global order. We could call this the post-World War II order. In other words, after World War II, because the United States and England UK one, they set up essentially a new world order in all all the manufacturing and industry all the industrial powerhouses around the world had been destroyed in the war except for the US and the UK, so they owned manufacturing they own the economies and they took these two defeated nations under their arms that we will rehabilitate you and and for really most of our lifetimes. These four nations, Germany, Japan, the US and the UK have more or less led a world order that lived out not not necessarily a theologically Christian view of the world, but a lot of Christian principles in society because the US and the UK in the 1940s.

World War II ended, both 90% or more Christians. The individuals within the societies so as this started to reshape literally the planet. When countries like Sudan or Saudi Arabia would say we want to sell you our oil. The Western world could say will than you have to outlaw slavery and so much of the world change.

There is a lot of societal global norms.

Because of this that we take for granted the this is according to accountants at Price Waterhouse Coopers. So bear bear with me if you're an accountant that excites you for the rest of us.

We will just get through this okay.

But here's the thing, according to according their projections of how economies are changing right now at today's rate of change you project that out 30 years by the time my kids are my age, China will have overtaken the US to be the number one economy.

India will have overtaken the US to be the number two economy. The US will be in 3rd Pl. in Indonesia will be in fourth place.

Now we talked about ideologies.

Bear with me and ideology is a lands a set of ideas through which you see reality and when a whole group of people or a nation adopts an ideology. They marched together in the same direction, and each of these other three other than the US of the top four emerging economies have what I call a rigid or muscular ideology, China's communist, India's Hindu Indonesia's Muslim in all of those nations today. There are Christians who are jailed because of their faith in all of those nations right now. This year there are Christian churches that have been burned down or torn down by bulldozers and cranes is Christianity's are not nations that are friendly to Christianity. But here's the thing. The world we live in. All we've ever known. Is this world where the dollar is the leading currency where we have stability because were the number one player economically and as a military force in the world that's going to change. We don't know what the implications are going to be per se, but we know that that's a major reshuffling eventually that'll affect some of our jobs. Eventually that may affect our economy. Eventually we don't know exactly how that will affect us. But if we I we can understand where things are going and say okay right now my faith is in Christ will provide for me my daily bread, and he's gonna lead me through to a promised land.

Listening to the first part of John Dickerson's message. Where will this lead for this series hope of nations will join us here in studio with some additional thoughts in his application just a minute John subtitle for these messages is standing strong in a post-truth post-Christian world and sadly were living in a time when God is being disregarded right and wrong are considered subjective and followers of Jesus are persecuted, but it didn't used to be this way. So what happened, how did we get here and what can be done if anything to right the ship through the series. John will reflect on the impact of the Christian faith throughout history and where the society and America in particular is headed will also highlight opportunities we could take advantage of to engage the culture around us.

For complete information for hope of nations. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org helpless nurse Special offers ship the message we just heard from your friend John shed light on some pretty alarming anti-Christian friends, and often times when that pressure builds the church responds with hostility and anger.

But there are options. Take a moment to talk about other ways Christians could respond to a changing world. What do I think it's true that very concerned people with the best of intentions. I believe as they see literally our country changing our world changing values changing laws changing media changing. I think there's a normal and human reaction and response and I think anger that drives us to do good is not a bad thing. Anger can really motivate us. But I think as you look at the life of Jesus and the teaching, especially the apostle Paul. Toward the end of Romans 12 I think what John is teaching us in this series is is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness we have an opportunity to live faithful lives to not respond in kind to give good for evil to to begin with grace to try and build a bridge and understand where people are coming from fighting a fire with gasoline does nothing more than create a bigger fire. Our agenda is not that we get what we want. Or that even America can become what it was. That would certainly be a nice byproduct. Our agenda is the kingdom of God, that in the midst of what's happening in our world that what Jesus is called us to do to love him with all of our heart or mind or soul and strength, and for us to love our neighbor as yourself would be a reality in John's book, the hope of nations gives us a manifesto, a track to follow a a game plan that we can live in such a way with truth and grace balanced to bring about change and to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the goal. I cannot encourage people enough to get this book to read it to listen to the series. Download the notes. Let us help you be Christians who live like Christians at a time when it gets more challenging. It seems every single day fixture will get your hands on this insightful book from John Dickerson called hope of nations visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA to 333-6003. This is a well researched commentary on the challenging times were living in John looks at the decay of society's morality and how Christians are called to engage this lost world again to order your copy of hope of nations by John Dickerson.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 83336003 well it's good to trips application. If you're like me and you heard the last few paragraphs of John's teaching today with his just actual logical projections that I know he hopes and I hope don't happen. It could just send chills down your spine about what the world will look like, 20, 30 years from now if the Lord does return and I remember reading John's first book and I thought well all the statistics and you know he was saying things about where the church would be headed and what could happen in the erosion of truth in an finances and culture and I'm thinking you know I think this guy probably got a couple good thoughts, but I think he's exaggerating a bit, and as I sit here today, the things that John wrote then. Not that he's prophetic not not in the sense of God speaking something to him.

He's perfect again.

He actually has done the research looks at the trends and says basically if you just play this out for 10, 20, 30 years. This is where will be historically there are two responses when we hear information that is deeply disturbing.

One denial put your head in the sand and say oh that's terrible that'll never happen and you hope it doesn't.

The other is a sober self-assessment to say what do I need to do to prepare me and the people I love. For a world that's going that direction and that is exactly what Jesus did and were much more like the first century. Right now as Christians in the last century and Jesus words that you don't have to be afraid Jesus words that I am with you always. Jesus words about the Holy Spirit being with us. Jesus words about abiding in him and we can ask what we wish Jesus words about you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. Now is the time to prepare to walk with God to live. Truth, no truth, love, truth, past that truth on and then to love our world not attack those who think differently to do what Jesus did father forgive them. They know not what they do to enter into a relationship to extend hospitality to people who think differently.

They need to see the love of God and the grace of God before they ever hear the truth of God. That's our mission that's our passion.

Let's do it together as we wrap up I want to say thanks to those who make this program possible for your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs. Purchaser time and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge.

Would you consider sending a gift today. You can call us at AAA 83336003. Tap the donate button or donate online at http://livingontheedge.org. Your support is greatly appreciated will be sure to join us next time as our guest teacher John Dickerson continues a series hope of nations to live a stable drilling saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge