True Spirituality - How to Give God What He Wants the Most, Part 2

If I told you that in the next 25 minutes. You can learn something that can change the course of your life, you actually would learn the channel through which God's biggest and best blessings flow to you, would you stick around, that's what were going to do right here today. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching. Thanks for being with her sister picks up where he left off last time series. True spirituality coming a woman's 12 if you missed any of Chip's messages so far are always available on the shipping.

No stewardship part two of this message based in Romans 12 how to give God what he wants. The most I told you it involves a decision before our time is over. Together have a very sober and holy moment were on modeling and explained exactly how to give God what he wants. The most but it revokes higher a big step of faith. Total commitment and surrender and what you have to start asking is, is how I hang onto things. In my view, and what I want versus what he can provide which one of those my going to trust. Reminds me of a story I heard many years ago as a story of a little girl that went on vacation with her family and it was by the seashore and they had one of those colleges you know that's right there in the walk out the door in the sand is there and you can walk on the beach and had little peer and that the end of the pier was a fishing boat with a very old man is in a very small town in New England and little girl half, five or six years old, cute pigtails, the whole bit in how they are at that age, and she would walk down the pier and walked down and there was a old fisherman who just known in the town is the mean one just mean is old he was bitter, his friends and died got a hard life to shut everybody out, but there's something about a little five or six-year-old girl you hi will after day one day to day three day for his heart starts to melt and no one's ever treated them nice and every day she would get shells and giving shelves and she said at the end of the pier with her feet dangling in pretty soon he's given her low fishing line and in their seven day vacation. A bond occurred and he realized no one in the whole world cares about me and I'm gonna die very soon. He was in his late 80s and this little girl does, and unbeknownst to others.

He had little pouches over the years of fishing. He found a number of shells and in pearls and anything that he knows about this little girl she would dangle her feet over but she should always click she had these little plastic beads that you get like at Walmart or target or the CVS pharmacy you know you're on vacation. Kids always want something a dollar 99. You're all set, and the answer he noticed how much she liked and so he took his pearls and stayed up most the night drilled holes in them took a piece of fishing line and made a necklace, he thought. I'm gonna give it to this little six-year-old girl and so the next day she came to say goodbye in the station wagon is all packed and parents or you know hundred yards away and okay honey get ready yes you can go take a box she runs down to say goodbye. He says, can your honey I have a present for you and she walks up to him and they been very close and he says give me this plastic beads off your neck and then he hung out glistening in the sun. Real pearls of the problem of being five or six years old and you're very mature. You don't know what's worth what all you know is what you're comfortable with all you know is what feels right and so he took another step he said here.

I have these. These are real pearls take those off so I can put them on and the little girl stepped back and grabbed her necklace and ran 100 yards, jumped in the station wagon that I want to go that men try to take my pearls and I want to tell you about eight out of every nine Christians that really do sincerely love God cling to plastic pearls and are not receiving anything close in their life experience, the relationships or their eternal impact what God has chosen and destined for you to have because when he says give me you put me first in your time, put me first in your future. Put me first in your decisions, put me first in your family put me first in your work put me first in your money.

I want you to trust me holy because I have pearls not stuff and if you don't believe he's good if you don't know the heart of the father then you just stay around them long enough not to feel too guilty and some I hope you go to heaven. You cling onto the plastic temporal non-treasure that when you meet the people that get more more pearls you realize it just weighs them down. Instead, it gives life total commitment, surrender is the conduit it's the channel through which God's best and biggest blessings flow. So what I want to do in the remainder of our time. I want to define very specifically what total commitment looks like we are not leading up to some emotional moment were leading up to a wise decision where you can away the risk and the logic of saying to God in a few minutes. I surrender all to you.

I would sign a blank check made out to you. I would say to you, from this day forward, I'm all in.

I may be a little fearful but I'm all in, but in order to do that, you know what looked like the answers in Romans chapter 12 verse one 11:10 chapters of treasure of what God is done of how much he loves you of his sovereignty, his goodness is forgiveness, his power, his spirit living within you is gifts. All the plans he has for you. In chapter 12.

Your response to that is, therefore, I urge you, brothers, sisters, fellow family members. The apostle Paul writes in view of God's mercy. Offer your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship noticed the structure.

There is a command there's a motivation and there's a reason I like if you will put a box around the word offer put a box around living sacrifice and put a little box around the word holy men I want to put a squiggly line under spiritual act of worship. The command is to offer your body to God and this is metaphorical and this is like your physical body your eyes your head your hands all that you are in the word offer here is in attendance in the Greek language that's punctually or what that means is on a certain day at a certain time. This passage is not explaining how to have your sins forgiven. This passage is not explaining what it means to be in God's family. Salvation occurs at the end of chapter 3, four, and right in chapter 5 the work of Christ by grace you receive the free gift by faith.

Chapter 12 is saying how do normal Christians followed Jesus out of gratitude. And God says a ready.

This is what I want I want you on a certain day at a certain time to say to me.

All I am all I have is yours. That's what it means to offer. I will tell you the tens of thousands of people in America and around the world do not understand the channel through which God's best and biggest blessings flow. The average Christian somehow thinks I received Jesus, he's my Savior. It's really real. I read the Bible. Some I'm really trying hard to be good Christian, but is not going that well the power for the Christian life comes in this moment of offering where member how your garden hose when you have in the water bottle gets cranked light on crank it is when you say it's the channel it's the conduit Lord. Now, it requires faith requires believing in invisible treasure that you can't see that it's a historical living God's walked upon the earth and died in your place, and Rosen sits at the right hand of God and says to you, there's an unspeakable treasure for joy says to let me give you the best. My first two and half years as a Christian I I didn't know I got to where I was pretty undisciplined so I never read the Bible. I trusted Christ the summer after my high school senior year I went off to college and it took me 3456 months to get where I could read the Bible maybe three or four times a week and but but God spoke to me. It was exciting. Then I went total Bible study, and in them is God's presence and loving people and and neighbors part is just amazing and then you know I one of the basketball team to like me and there were all these girls in so yay for God should ship you know Thursday night experience God's presence in Friday and Saturday night in a wee hours of the morning. Got I'm sorry I'll never do that. I was a schizophrenic. Had all these hidden things in my life and the joy of my salvation was creeping creeping down as I had sort of the salad bar spirituality you know God on my terms.

I obey 8.5 of the commands 85%. Doesn't that pass no chip and a member going to a conference where what I just shared was taught the life of Abraham and the man of just 30 or 40 people and little room at a conference and he walked us through God's school of faith and he got to chapter 22 God says to his son.

His only son, Abraham, take your son, your only son, whom you love and take them on this mountain and sacrifice them to me and Abraham gets up early. He's been with God over 100 years old now and we learn later that it he's learned that when God says something you can bank on it and although it seems so ideological so irrational. He did it and got the knife up and was ready to come down. Got to stop now. I know that you are loyal to me because you gave your son, your only son, whom you love, and prior to that time God had made some promises to Abraham about his descendents and about the future that were about this big and after that moment of surrender read in chapter 22 God expands expands expanses. No, I don't think this is what I'm going to do now is Abraham. I never wanted your boy. I would never want to sacrifice what I wanted was your heart and that boy became an idol in any kind there's anything in front of God's relationship with you and you have an idol you will destroy the idle I don't destroy you and that will destroy your relationship with God, and those are the beads those of the plastic pearls and they can be working. They can be family. They can be relationship can be money can be ego can be your body.

All of us have Isaacs and Alyssa grain of wheat fall into the earth and die it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears forth much fruit. That's Jesus.

So I need to take my idols in my case it was basketball and my girlfriend and it was like God I'll do whatever you want.

Don't mess with basketball. Don't mess with my girlfriend and at the back of that little 30 or 40 people. I remember I made the most transformational decision of my life apart from receiving Christ as my Savior and with fear and trembling. I got on my knees and I said God I am scared to death because I'm afraid that you can either make me single the rest of my life, or worse, all marry some ugly person, I'm just telling you okay 20-year-old what auto and then I said, and I'm God you know I just been playing hoop my whole life and just when I get the ball in the middle on the break I just love this game and but if you your God, please don't take that away, but but it's an idol and I want you know that I'm a Malian. I don't know what it looks like I will do life and I'm sure I'll mess up later, but I will do life your way moving forward. Whatever your word says if it says it on making a pre-decision. I may mess up but come back to this moment. I surrender my heart, my goals, my future, my money, my dreams.

I want to do life your way. That's what it means to offer your body and the notice is not just one big emotional experience. What's the next box. It's a living sacrifice right. Many of you in this room will make that step. Today, many in this room have already taken that step but but it's it's you off your body. How, as a living sacrifice, so the living sacrifice, you know, is a lot like marriage in 1978 I said to Teresa, I surrender to you. Nobody else what you and she said I surrender to you. Let's do this together forever no matter what, but I've had to renew that commitment almost every day with their times.

We needed marriage counseling.

We had hard times of some of our kids.

We had health issues with cancer. We had all kind of problems but no matter what because we said we commit to one another. No matter what it was that commitment has kept us together and it's been the channel of God's biggest and best blessings I can create life in a loyal wife. I get the best friend of ever had. I got it a relationship. I never saw in my family growing up I never drink hasn't been easy.

Now it's been great and and God what to do is get such a sense of humor I give away basketball and you know it took me a while so you knife. I pulled my quad completely out missed most of that year.

Then I got injured again and then they change coaches and finally it was okay. I'm going by my senior.

I'll do your way surrender and God turns around after I graduated, not played in every country in South America and I was just a little NAIA. It's like Division III little school and once I surrender got you know you got me on this team. I'm planning its Olympic teams all over South America and later with an Australian team throughout all the Orient see the issue is not he wants to take something good away. The issue is any good thing that stands between you and him. That's an idol will destroy your relationship with him, and by the way, it'll destroy your relationship with total living sacrifice you make the commitment, but then it's daily renewing and living in his holy that's the last word is holy. You can't, not deal with your staff there. Some of you, you're because you're sitting here at this moment, thinking up, I surrender this relationship with this rotten guy or this girl that I know is it God's will, but I sure lover God would say you know it's not right for some of you you realizing we probably living together is not an option if I surrender for others of you all my gosh, you know, my priorities are so out of whack. I'm a workaholic for my finances are a mess since holy no blemish EP just sent you come as you are, but there's this commitment to say got a I'm not playing games. I'm going to do life your way and then I'm to bring all of me and that's not only the good stuff. But come and think I'm bringing my fears of rejection bring my fears the future I bring my fears what you might do. I trust your tech notice. The motivation, the motivation is not get with the program's the mercy of God the mercy of God.

He's looking back on the last 11 chapters, but he saying God's asking for all of you. But what's he done he's loved you he's forgiving you he's paid for. Your sin is because the spirit to come into your body is taking from the kingdom of darkness and put you in the kingdom of light he's adopted you as a daughter or as a son has a purpose for your life. He's creating a place at this very moment in heaven for you, please lay down his life. He says can't you trust me this is like someone who's who you've given $1 million in the country and they say you you think I could borrow 20 bucks to Lebanon. If you pay back and you would mean I don't have that I gave you million dollars in a while.

Now see, that's your start to get the kingdom logic.

How could you not to a God who is demonstrated while you were his enemy, and I was his enemy lay down his life. How can we not believe these could these compassionate these kind see this is not a get with the program be a superstar Christian Marine. This is a let your father love you. Let's remove the barriers in the final reason is your spiritual act of worship. In other words, what God really wants me. We start out with a question that leads to decision the question is how do you give God what he wants the most. Are you ready for this. It gets real simple. God wants you all of you every aspect of you see you can read the Bible you can pry you come to church and get some money.

You go on a missions trip. You can try to be a good moral person for you all kind of things was a group in the New Testament did all that and more. And Jesus said the harshest thing that ever came out of his mouth about those religious people because their hearts were in his they were in control and they use their religion and I thought they were better than other people. They were tender. They were broken they were loving left to ourselves. We are a people who will create some little grid or model about how were okay with God because were doing this this this this and this has we gain and keep control in your control always is shown by where your money goes where your time goes where your energy goes what you dream about. And when he has your heart in those areas to what those things get transformed and then then be ready. You discover why you're here, you discover what your purposes you discovered that there really is more to life than setting goals and accomplishing them. You experience the treasure, both now and the promise forever. Once you return to the back page. I wanted to just give you two pictures that have been very helpful to me.

One is a blank check and I want to tell you this, please do not hear everything will be easy and wonderful and great contact. Many of you will be tested. Abraham didn't take a rubber knife up there.

It may get worse before it gets better the Holy Spirit with sexual how's it working for you your way in today pay to the order of Jesus Christ.

And there's a date in your right.

Today's date and then you'll sign your name and a be a sense of fear in your heart better be a step of faith and you say I'm all in God you can cash this you can cash this with my future you cash this with my relationships you cash this with my finances you cash with my career you cash with my geography. I will do whatever you want me to do. I believe you're that good and that kind, and I actually believe you could pick out what's better for me that I could pick up for me to see how arrogant is when we say got alive. I want your forgiveness and your salvation but I'll run my life because I'm way smarter than you. I'm in you created universe look at me, so I really want you to think risk reason the decision-making process what it means to fill out the check. I came across the small excerpt about of a prayer by letting the name Ruth Myers just slingback. You can even shut your eyes when you think about what it means for you to sign this check in just a moment think of a prayer that might go something like this. Lord, I'm yours. Whatever the cost may be your will be done in my life.

I realize that I'm not on earth to do my own thing or to seek my own fulfillment in my own glory.

I'm not here to indulge my desires or increase my possessions or to impress people to be popular to prove I'm somebody important or to promote myself. I'm not even here to be relevant and successful by human standards, I am here on this earth to please you and so now I offer myself to you, for you are worthy. All that I am her hope to be I owe to you. I am yours by creation and I'm yours by the purchase price of your son on the cross that paid for my sin. And so right now I give you my body in each of its members. My entire interbeing I give you my mind, my emotional life. My will, my loved ones, my marriage, my hope for marriage. I give you right now my abilities and my gifts my strengths and my weaknesses, my health and my status where the be high or low. I give you my possessions, my past, my present and my future and I even give you when you want to bring me home to be with you. I'm here to love you, and to obey you and to glorify you. You ready to take that step.

It'll be the greatest decision you ever ever make and for some of you that are little bored to play lots of video games, watched a lot of TV have to go to a lot of movies find yourself shopping or eating a lot, you know what this is that symptoms of a life of boredom. That's a symptom of nothing of genuine purpose and focus. That's a symptom of medicating yourself with plastic pearl beads and I will struggle growing up long before I was a Christian I like adventure like excitement. I like risk and so someone early introduced me to cards or play cards. Friday night gambled and then I was fascinated with horseracing so by my senior year Tuesday and Friday nights. I played the horses and I just can't tell you the role that it is to put down two dollars. Your very first that and when $103 Quinn Ella, I thought, what an easy way to make money and so that sent me on a journey where I found myself about a year and 1/2 later literally in the boys bathroom.

I put my feet up on the commode so they couldn't see me and when the three lineman on the football team that I owed a few hundred dollars to were coming to collect in a very inappropriate way to my body, I decided to quit gambling. I wasn't a Christian with anything spiritual to it was like this is nuts and I got a problem, but I have to tell you when to turn on the old TV in the world poker Texas hold 'em is on. I just have to check it out and here's what I love is a great principle. You know the final table. I got all the stacks millions of dollars. The pots worth you know, $14.7 million to local cards.

Those risk. These are good cards. Reason evaluating everything I've seen this guy do in response action faith.

You could probably finish it with me right I am all in and what happens.

Electricity happens the game completely changes many steps up start walking around why here's why.

Because something is going to happen. There is no reward until you get to the point where you say I am all in. He's either going to get a bracelet in multiple ways dollars to lose and I want to tell you that the God of the universe brought you in this room on this day for you to say to him. I'm all in. And when you do, you will begin to experience power and excitement and challenge and purpose like you never know because just like in Texas hold 'em. The game never really gets interesting to your holy. In my mind that observation is the great majority of Christians that I know are just trying to be nice people try to get a little bit better mobility for their family trying to figure out how to balance all the demands below bit more polite than most people read their Bible now and then and come to church and little salve on the guilt of your soul and your heavenly father, I think, with tears in his eyes say why she takes the treasure without faith it is impossible to please God but those that come must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Father as we bow our heads and you are working deeply and powerfully inside the hearts and minds of the people in this room. I pray that you would grant faith encouraged to sign the check not just the perfunctory action of doing it in just a moment, but the signing of the check from their heart. Even with the fear and concern and say God I'm yours.

All I am all I have. All I hope to be you deal Lord I pray for those that know the real hard decisions that need to be made. The given the courage to mentally make that tell you in their heart right now what they're going to do and find a trusted friend that they can share that with Lord for those that this is the first time got. I pray for supernatural grace. For those that have made this commitment before as they sign it. Could you help them reaffirm and be reminded. This is what the Christian life is all about and then finally Lord for those it in their heart of hearts to say in integrity. I couldn't sign that I get a deal with something good to resolve a couple things Lord, would you help him to be honest with themselves and honest with you and get help. We love you help us to want more turnout on last say another today. I will ask you a very life-changing question. Are you ready to take that step.

Are you ready to say in your heart of hearts, Lord, yes, I am afraid, but I want you to know that by faith.

I'm all in. I'm signing the bottom of the check I'm taking all the chips of my life and I'm pushing into the center of the table and I want to say today all that I am all that I have all that I'll ever be there. Yours now lead me guide me all address whatever you show me but I can't do it on my own. Lord, I'm telling you today.

I want you to be the Lord of my life. I want you had the same place at this very moment in my heart and my will that you have in the universe and got I pray that you be gentle. I pray that you give me grace and Lord.

I choose today to say I'm all in. If you do that, would you email me here right here Living on the Edge and then tell the greatest Christian you know what you've done because your life is about to experience a radical change and is probably to get really good and really hard.

Maybe all at the same time some of you have some really big decisions you need to make some hard conversations some steps to take and what I want you to know you are going to experience God's power. He loves you. He's for you but brace yourself because you have now entered a world where power and life occur where the enemy doesn't want you to go. You're all in your child of God. If you just breed with trip.

We love to put a free resource in your hands. It's called starting out right and it's absolutely free. This resource will help you gain a clear biblical understanding of what it means to put your faith in Jesus and that's our whole mission here Living on the Edge helping Christians really live like Christians to lose hope you get started in your faith journey. You can request this resource by calling AAA 83336003 or by visiting LivingontheEdge.org and clicking on the new believers, but that's LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 83336003 will chip you just finished a brand-new daily discipleship based on our current series would you take just a minute and tell us why you're excited about it and what listeners can look forward to when they sign up as I talk and meet with Christians, whether young or old. I actually hear something over and over and over.

I really want to meet with God each day.

I just can't find the time. I'm so busy there's so many demands. You know I want to develop this healthy habit. I know how important it is, will you help me would you meet with me personally and here's what I want you to know there's help on the way. This is another reading plan. This isn't just forming some good habits to get some results. I want to help you personally move from daily devotions to the power of daily discipleship. What I want to tell you is I will meet with you one-on-one all walk you through Romans chapter 12 and not just a Bible study not teaching about it.

We will walk through it together in a way and I'll never speak for more than 10 minutes when I get done, you will be learning how to study the Scriptures and what you'll find is you actually will form a habit.

During that time you learn to hear God's voice, when and how to drill or if it's even right for you but what I can tell you is this. I have done this on video and those people that have done this with me. Tell me is change the course of their life.

They're not hearing from someone else there now learning to hear from God directly day would you tell our listeners how they can get connected with daily discipleship to spirituality, neglect or trip. What were so excited to share with you this new daily discipleship with trip true spirituality based in Romans chapter 12 our heart behind this video series is to really help you dive into God's word and discover how to more intentionally live out your faith for 17 days. You and Chip will walk through were true spirituality looks like and how you can put these truths into practice.

If you're looking for the next step along your faith journey. Let me encourage you to be a part of daily discipleship with chip. True spirituality can sign up for this study right now and when you do will send you our friend Lance Witt's devotional based on Romans 12 called leave ordinary behind at no cost. Sign up now. While this offer lasts by going to LivingontheEdge.org or by calling AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners just up discipleship as we wrap up this 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. Just call us at AAA 83336003. Tap the donate button or go to LivingontheEdge.org.

Thanks in advance for doing whatever God leads you to do will chip continues his series true spirituality in our next program to join us in the meantime, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening. This addition of living on the