What Now? What Next? - Healing Not Hostility, Part 1

What is it that you fear most right now do you understand here is normal but it can also become. If you need to deal with your fear. That's today. Thanks for joining us for this addition of Living on the Edge with chips are vital to international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians like Christian, after hearing chips set up for this program be asking yourself might talk describe ourselves and others in the potential threat is exactly what now what next. If you're looking for deeper insight into this important topic. Listening after this message to hear some practical advice from your not going to visit with that said, here's trip for a stock healing not hostility. I'd like you to pause for a second and I want you to answer this question what your greatest fear about the future.

Is it – is it job losses at the anxiety and depression.

The issues that happen. The kids visit the economy is the shift in morality.

The injustice, the sex trade. What is it I want you to really pause for a second and think about you personally when you think of the future and you have fears maybe for some of either older, it's like, wow, what about my grandkids. What kind of world is it just maybe even this whole moral shift to right the wrong gender confusion.

We we are living in a completely different world than we were not very long ago and it's critical get really clear on what you're fearful of his fear paralyzes even if you don't recognize it. It blames it. It causes your mind to go to those people or the government or its that group or it's so and so some of the concerns might be about the church, why don't they do this they should stop doing that. What's wrong with everybody. Fear will cause you to lose perspective and not think clearly. The reality is is that were living in a very different world and I actually wrote on your notes and I think you got them there in front of you. Here's the object or objective of this series is to help followers of Jesus determine God's will and priorities for their life and ministry. In this rapidly changing and challenging world, the reality is, the days of clearly defined right and wrong. Marriage is a forever commitment the integrity of one's word gender defined by one's birth anatomy in the nuclear family is the bedrock of society are gone, at least in America we live in a new day with new rules and new values allow those values are antithetical to the clear teaching of Scripture.

And we as believers and followers of Christ are living in a culture that's a lot more like the first century than the last century.

For many of us for the first time in our at least adult lives were on the outside looking in to world this rapidly changing that no longer supports your values and your beliefs and I would suggest that, therefore, were at a crossroads and I'm no blame here because of done it myself. But we can whine and complain and argue and lament this radical shift, or we can be like the min of S, a car who understood the times and realize what they must do in this series really is about that. Our focus, we've really got a focus and get our focus back on Jesus himself the world looking for hope the world looking for a Messiah. He has come in. We have all that we need your his hands or his feet year, his eyes here as agents of change. Your salt, your light, your love, the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us notice on your notes, the good and the bad of major disruptions of the good is it causes us to reevaluate me when there's a huge shift you have to pause and say wait a minute, what am I doing with my life. Where is the world going about you to the temptation is to hope it gets better. And all of that has this very subtle my personal peace. My prosperity our future if everything's okay with our little part of the world than in that's not God's agenda.

There is the reevaluation. That's good and the bad is the anger in our souls.

People were mad. Really mad mad injustice that racism mad at political division church division mad it were following the science, but it says this one. Diana says something else and it's just been a mass in the problem with being angry is it will poison your soul.

You don't think clearly you don't speak wisely. Relationships don't go well and some want to do a little thing to help you about these major disruptions. These new areas are that talks is that major disruptions always bring conflict and change even positive disruptions, I want you to see. Rather than looking at all the negative and getting angry inside reevaluation is important but also every great movement of God is happened when there's been this hugely wall. This big problem when people realize lights not working relationships are working philosophies or breaking down economies, political structures, and so I've given you little Bible study. I like to go through in depth.

Instead, I've given you sort of the some passages but let me give you the overview the greatest disruption. I mean the greatest shift of that block in all of world history is Galatians 44 it says when the world literally was pregnant, God sent forth his son, I mean, God the son entered human history and you talk about something that smart time. From the moment that he came he lived died for our sins and rose from the dead, currently sitting at the right hand of the father we have BC and A.D. Everything's changed.

It was the most disruptive thing that's ever happened. And then when that happens, a result the conflict within, and conflict without and I give you some passages there and Luke, but it's interesting.

I mean, Jesus came.

We think he's the Savior.

Things can be great. He goes to Nazareth and his very first message member that given the scroll he opens it up. He talks about the Messiah, and then he says in your hearing. It's been fulfilled. Basically, I'm him and then the text says, and they were all in all of his wonderful words and then he went on and told the story about a leper from Syria into about a widow who was Kiki begin to mess with the culture started talking about how God delivered non-Jews at a time when the Jews were hurting and it says they took it out to the edge of the hill and they were curious and they wanted to push him off of it and it says that he passed through them. If you keep reading the text. Then he heals a leper and then been heal someone else that heals mother-in-law's and then he teaches the multitudes and huge crowds are following him and then then the external again. Hey what about fasting and what about the Sabbath and he begins to give the spirit in the heart behind the law, instead of just all the rules so he messes with their culture.

Then he starts messing with their traditions and just before he gives the sermon on the mount. There, or that Luke's version of it.

It says that his enemies came together and they were livid and filled with rage and sought to kill him.

I just want to know that when there's a major shift. It always brings change and it brings conflict, conflict without conflict within. It wasn't just conflict unit with the external unit of the disciples did you understand that yes, there were the fishermen, but he had. He had a zealot and then he had a tax collector. Here's a guy one of his disciples who is absolutely committed to overthrowing Rome by violent insurrection and assassination. And here's a guy who's compromised and bought into the system and betrayed everyone and both of them are one of the 12. Did you notice all the way through the Gospels that there's this little conversation that happens the night the same night where he washes their feet. Does anybody remember what they were arguing about for the went in and got the feet washed. They were arguing about who's the greatest what's I called conflict, then the church is boring. Everything can be great where this idealistic view in this conflict.

Acts chapter 6 acts chapter 7 in the inside the church. He got the Greek speaking widows and the Jewish widows asked 15 another conflict. Here's what I want you to get conflict and change are always a part disruption. The issue is how do you respond notice. Jesus responded by saying new wine needs new wineskins when he was being attacked what he basically said was, there's a new paradigm.

There's a different kingdom. It's an upside down kingdom and when he gave the sermon on the Mount. Basically what he was saying was, there's a new way to do it.

It's not tit-for-tat it's not a knife or nine, a tooth for tooth, there is a new game plan, God the son is come. It's following me and then he began to talk to them about those that are more those who be comforted and those in sorrow and then we kinda skip over it because it hasn't had much to do in our country. Until maybe more now. Blessed are you when men persecute you. Blessed are you, for my namesake when they speak evil of you give is giving them a new paradigm for a disrupted world about how to live in a different way and that he'll actually gonna talk about treating our enemies in ways that are so radical and so crazy I've taught this passages around the world in places like China in the middle of the Middle East that unbelievers and Muslims shake their head and what you do this to your enemy.

It's a radical counter intuitive super natural love of God manifested through us and in that first century started very small, like a grain of wheat buried in the ground and then little by little by little it bore much fruit. Finally, his method I call it life. The whole history of the Scripture.

Have you ever notice this man in God's presence. Sin in the fall and then as as Scripture rolls out what it is.

It's God continually wanting to bring mankind back into his presence. The tabernacle was what a place were God would come and meet with his people were heaven and earth would come together and then there was the temple where heaven and earth would come together and the pinnacle of heaven and earth coming together for God's presence. Return is what the incarnation is Jesus himself. And then what's the mission. Where's the temple now. First Corinthians 3 says the temp was us gathered in first Corinthians 6 says it's us individually.

Your human body is the temple. It's where the presence of God is manifested now by the spirit of God to manifest the power and the personality in the presence of Jesus. So how you talk and how you act and how you respond is the way Jesus would if you lived inside your body. If you've trusted Christ. He lives inside your body and so notice I give you my little acronym because I think so often we think it's about going to church or activities. Jesus says in Luke 640 when a student is fully trained to be just like his teacher that was his method that you would recognize and live out the presence of God. Many said that the disciples in John 1334 and 35 a new commandment. I'm giving you all that you love each other the way I loved you radically sacrificially what by this the world will know that God sent forth his son and then he told them.

I want you to be on mission 24 seven. Not at church, not on a mission trip when you wake up you go to bed. You are the salt you the light. Let your light so shine before men, by your good works that they would glorify your Father who is in heaven. My little acronym is the I/O for bio because what we need to be in the world today are responses his life and the B is for living before the presence of God coming before God daily the eyes for doing life in community, not just a group in community loving each other and the O is for on mission 24 seven that. With that in mind, let's get some perspective because the problem is that we have expectations living in America's American Christians and it's very subtle and we all have it.

The expectation goes like this.

I love God on following God.

I'm obeying God I'm doing what I believe you want me to do. And as far as I know there's not any big sin in my life so when I do. Good Lord, life will go well and we experience that for me decades and decades and decades and so we unconsciously think that when something bad happens are difficult or were criticized or circumstances change. Either God you let me down, or what's wrong. Notice your next outline point is that hostility to the gospel. The church in Christians is normal. Would you underline normal. I go to China. They know that when you go to Yemen. They know that I'm been all around the world. They know that we don't know that, according to Jesus on his last 90's as I've told you this, John 16 so that you may have peace in me here on earth. You have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I've overcome the world.

Paul would say yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus.

This is a promise by the way, will suffer persecution. The apostle Peter would say to your friends.

Don't be surprised at the fiery trials are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. What were experiencing now is what Christians for the last couple millennia and mostly around the world have always experienced. So here's my question for you.

How are you responding to hostility. I mean it's it's it's pretty mild. In general, what you just in your thoughts.

First we went what kind of thoughts are in your mind as you see a lot of stuff happening then second, what about your attitudes and then thirdly, what about your action.

I don't think it would be a big research project to look at your newsfeed or maybe click develop people that you know are Christians and look back over the last six months or so and listen to the anger and bitterness the resentment the fear that anxiety the blaming that the throwing of grenades to different groups both inside the church and outside the church. Here's what you we need understand fear will paralyze us and bitterness will destroy our soul to harden your heart. The lens is what about me and my way and are thinking. Don't you understand that's exactly what the Pharisees did. That's exactly what the cell instead.

That's exactly what the early disciples did mean for all Peter's great qualities and always got faith in Florida for Juno tell me and I'll go walk out on the water. When push came to shove, and Jesus said the pathway to changing the course of world history and saving people and revealing the father in bringing God's presence to its culmination is me dying I'm going to the cross in three days I'll be raised again for a bit. Lord Peter said member talk about conflict. Can you imagine the son of God, locking eyes with you and saying get behind me Satan, why explain you don't have the things of God. You don't have God's agenda is number one Peter you've got your agenda. You want a Savior. You want a Messiah on your terms to overturn Rome you know if you want a better life you want peace and prosperity. I didn't come to give peace. I came to bring a member the sword Jesus is the most radical person is ever walked fully man and fully God think the writer of Proverbs with all his wisdom in Proverbs 423. You might jot it down.

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the issues of life. Your words, your attitudes, your lover, your anger, your bitterness, your resentment it all flows from your heart and in big disruptions like this if fear or anxiety or hostility. Even suddenly becomes the lens through which you look at life and circumstances and people that there's not can be any unity we will not respond correctly. In fact is you look at page 2 I like to suggest that as we enter into a life that's far more like the first century than the last, that we are called to bring healing not hostility. Listen to this is the command of Jesus. The first couple verses are a context because he's going to deal with some incorrect perceptions of Old Testament law who misses the spirit and it is gonna talk about Roman abuse and if you are living in the first century and you read the first two or three verses you decide. Like dude, are you kidding me, you can't really expect this don't you understand what they're doing test. Don't you understand how unjust this is.

Don't understand how fair and Jesus was that I fully understand and I'm to ask you to follow me to the cross.

I'm gonna ask you to die the same way that I died because after I died. I rose from the dead and if you will die with me you will have that same kind of power because my agenda is nothing more or nothing less, than absolutely changing the whole course of world history in bringing people to the saving knowledge to restore the presence of God people's lives is healing, not hostility right back with his application for this teaching from a series know what next, making disciples in the disrupted world. If you were to conduct a general survey asking participants to describe what a Christian is, you'd probably be disappointed or frankly embarrassed by the results judge mental close minded, pretentious, or just a few of the adjectives you likely hear so where are believers going wrong and how can we actually become authentic images of Christ throughout this new teaching series trip answers those tough questions by describing six radical attitudes. Jesus calls us to follow. These truths will not only renew your mind, but utterly transform the way you engage with people. If you miss any part of this new series. What know what next catch up any time on the chipping remap, which if I know one of your favorite quotes is you can impart what you don't already possess a could you take just a minute and help us understand how that relates to Wichita today absolutely day.

You know it's so easy. During this time to feel hostile and to be angry and to respond in ways what I've learned sometimes is yes, it's the external things. But if we have unresolved issues in our own heart.

When we feel like you don't really like you. It's just really hard to give love and healing to others and I remember early in our marriage my my wife really had a hard time communicating her love and as we went and got some counseling.

It became obvious that not only did she have a very low self-image. She didn't really like herself. She'd been through some very painful experiences and I remember we started reviewing these cards they were called affirmation cards and then over the years, she added more and more and I watched her bloom and what I saw was as she begin to see herself as loved and valued an important and unique in God's eyes and that she was safe and secure. Then what I saw that overflow in her ability to share that with others and you know I think one of the great things for our listeners right now is if you find yourself spewing or you know someone that struggling we had these affirmation cards, the very ones that my wife and I reviewed every morning for two years as we were trying to learn how to accept and receive God's love, so we can give it to one another. These affirmation cards have been just something God is used in thousands and thousands of people's lives so Dave wanted to take a minute and tell people how they can get them and how we can get loved so we can give it will strip just said the only way we can be agents of healing in this hostile world is to first understand God's love for us in these affirmation cards will help you do that will expose the lies you believe about yourself and instead fill your mind with powerful truths about who you are and Jesus. Let me encourage you get a set of these affirmation cards today and if you like to give them as a Christmas gift. You only have a few days left to place your order so your gift will arrive before December 25 for more great Christmas gift ideas go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us a triple late. 333-6003 app listeners tap special offers.

As we wrap up today's teaching. I wish I mean I really wish I could sit across the table from you and ask you how. How have you dealt with the fear and anxiety. Or maybe just downright anger I when we get afraid and we see things that are happening out there. Jesus words feel so radical and yet that's exactly how this apostles felt his early followers were in this crucible of being attacked and there was injustice on every side, and it was his attitude. It was this never backing down from the truth but communicating the truth with life and and with healing in and actually having the grace of times not to say anything, and I've been with the a number of pastors recently and the hostility not just out there, but inside the church is crushing them. I actually have a young pastor that I been mentoring about the last 10 years and he shared something that shocked me. He said in the last 18 months for of my fellow church planters have committed suicide, and I begin to ask him what's going on. He said the anger inside the church over vaccine or not vaccine over mask or no mask or opening the church are not opening the church that they came to the point of no return and that's so tragic. I don't know what your convictions are on those things and you have a right to all those convictions, but that's not the moral high ground. Those are not the most important issues of our day.

And if we can't disagree agreeably if we can't say maintaining the unity of the body and the bond of peace.

That's Ephesians chapter 4133 is more important than those secondary issues then may God help us. Can I encourage you to pause to ask God to help you to be an agent of healing, not agent hostility and if you need to repent, repent, but let's be agents of light and love and truth. But let's do it with calmness with kindness and with compassion as we close, if Living on the Edges making a difference in your life and would like others to receive the same blessing we love to have you partner with us.

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Thank you in advance for your support will for all of the services Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening. this Edition of Living on the Edge