Balancing Life's Demands - How To Keep First Things First, Part 2

You know someone has an addiction alcohol, drugs, eating disorder, and they were doing so well and then they fell off the wagon, how to keep from falling. How do we keep from falling into the very thing know we don't want to do find yourself in answer to that is today for joining us for this edition of living only with shipping chips are vital to this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christian currently in the little chip series balancing life challenge just to refocus your life on what matters most impacted by chips teaching to take a minute after the message ensure friend, you can do that to the chipping roadmap or by downloading the free MP3 is living on the shuttle sure to include what you've been learning that lets torture for part two of his message. How to keep first things first.

Hebrews chapter 12 how can some of the most committed, gifted people and all the body of Christ, both in Bible times in our times in the world can get off track and hope in your heart of purchasing. I don't ever want to get off track and I don't know how I can get off track, but if Paul thinks he can get off track and all this people nation of Israel got off track and some people were my heroes got off track. I guess I could what happens. You and I underestimate the power of our own sinful passions.

Paul will pick up the story after reaching in and giving us his Spirit spiritual view of those children of Israel. Then he in verse six through 11. He explains now these things happened as examples or a type for us those things he does talk about that we should not crave evil things as they craved and do not be idolaters as some of them were as it is written, people sat down to eat and drink and set up the play, nor let us act immorally as some of them did and 23,000 fell in one day, nor let us try the Lord or test the Lord of some of them did and were destroyed by the serpents nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happen to them as notice the repetition and example and they are written for our instruction upon which the ends of the ages have come want you to circle the word example 1st line and the last I want to realize his point is I'm making example that if we had a lot more time and for some of you that really love to do Bible study did you notice a lot of these phrases he is. I mean, he's pulling out the whole big stores of the Old Testament right and so let me let me do some quick Bible study with you just okay on should put a line under crave evil things.

It was what he saying is at. There are passions in fact it's an intensive form. There's a word for cravings or luster passions.

This has a prefix it's an intensified form so he saying they had supercharge loss, passions and drives that they fulfilled outside of God's plan and then he goes on to say put a box around the word idolaters at the heart always at the heart of us falling away from the living God is we make someone or something the idle or the God in his place. And guess what, it can be your mate. Are you ready it can be your ministry.

Yes, it can be your money can be a car you can be another woman, another man, but anything or anyone that takes the rightful place of your loyalty and allegiance is an idol. He saying we have passions we have drives were tempted in the world to satisfy the different ways is what he said. He says they come out as idolaters of some of them did then notice he's going to ask you to put up guys have we done lines with guns, boxes three more boxes go to L circles or boxes, but when he says, nor let us act immorally would put a box around act immorally.

That's the lust of the flesh, skip down and put it's hard to put a box around try or test the Lord is talk about the story of the envy of Moses. That's the lust of the eyes and put a box around the word grumble. That's the pride of life we want that power and all I'm telling you is this is just so basic and he's given us this picture. He says you constantly underestimate the power of your own sinful passions. I do care how much Bible how long you been a Christian on certain days at a certain time you have these desires in different windows in different seasons and it can be difficulty or loneliness or travel or pain or sickness or some unresolved anger and injustice. And in that window of time.

You know, maybe only 1/100,000 times you would act on that lustful sinful passion, but he says you better you better understand that you, David and everybody else you can fall off and make mistakes that you regret the rest your life but is an amazing thing is when we know there's going to be my behaviors going to be brought into the light.

It really helps me not going to the darkness and when you know there's there's an engine knocking for Tanana can affect affect I made a note to myself. Did you ever wonder why so much sin occurs late at night and away from people so much sin occurs in very dim dark rooms so much sin occurs out of town often among people don't know one another well when people are all alone and when people are under great stress. Every one of those things has you in a place where there's not accountability is not the sense that the lie is you won't be found out the truth is, your sin will always find you out and my sin will always find the it's all all I'm saying is I'm you know what I'm trying to persuade you. Are you starting to get persuaded. I'm trying to tell you that you can't live without this. What I don't care what new lines do you say you know what I have put first things first on to develop that discipline as can be in this area in that area and honor God, I implore you to say who is going to go there with me. What group of guys, do this with what group of women as a woman cannot do this with in his cases. What set of couples can we dream some dreams together in inappropriate ways. Be very honest. The fourth reason is because we constantly overestimate our ability to handle temptation. We underestimate the power of our passions or sinful passions and we overestimate our ability to handle temptation, meet some of you, and you don't mean it like this, but just in your subconscious. You to think I would never do that. I would mean that that I'm past that those things don't affect me me were just friends.

It's platonic those kind of movies. I know some people struggle with them but but not me.

There little bit racy in places but you know or this is. It could appear this way, but were both very mature Christians and I'm sure nothing would ever come of this relationship what's up what's Paul say he applies this passage, therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

You might jot down Hebrews 313 is for my favorite passages it says encourage one another, day after day, least any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. You know the word deceitful means it's you don't know you don't get it at and notice it's about your heart always starts, there your heart gets hardened. In fact, Jesus said, that is the core reason for divorce, he says, minced men's heart women's hearts.

They get hardened and that's why were to be tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also is forgiveness, but I encourage you get that but encourage one another and encouragement isn't like high-fiving all your wonderful I'm wonderful.

Isn't life happy that this word is that para Colette oh is translated in some places as the word for the Holy Spirit. It's one of comes alongside encouragement is is you come alongside another person and sometimes it means you tell a really hard stuff. Sometimes it just means you listen and support.

And sometimes you to Sam so proud of you, but it's doing life together is caring.

I just I just want in my heart and mine to just sort of say to myself, chip on any given day in the exact right circumstances, you are capable of sin be on your wildest imagination, so you need to make pre-decisions about where you'll go and what you'll do and who you hang with and you need to have a group of people that you can surround yourself with that love you, that you invite into your life and say you know what, here's my heart here's my life. Here's my motives. Here's my struggles. This is what I'm going through my life were you and if you don't have that, you'll start faking and you have these temptations and you have thoughts and you'll feel like why can't box at least the very next unless reason. The fifth reason that we need biblical accountabilities. We naïvely believe our struggles and temptations are unique so I need it because I think I'm in well whether I like it or not I I've been a pass for like 25 years and now I people view me as a Christian leader. So I guess I'm a Christian leader and that I have this profile.

Christian leaders I but they never struggle with this and I guess now a Christian leader survivor struggle with that some must be wrong with me wrong I'm a man in your man or woman student and no temptation is ever taken me or ever taken you but it's what is common to man, but God will with the temptation to provide a way of escape, that you might be able to endure it. One time someone said you know I don't know how you do it chip because sometimes when you talk. I feel like you're just talking to me like you're reading my mind. This verse is my preaching verse.

Now this may sound crazy, but any area I've ever struggle with in my life. I make this assumption so the rails and and then it's like I'm not you, not told John insecure just like anybody else in this room and I'm not overly vulnerable. I'm just thinking myself to see if ever.

Every guy I've ever met. Apart from the comet to sky struggle with lust at some level, every woman I've ever met at some level struggles with self-image. Okay, everyone has gets overextended mean everyone has unresolved anger issues in your marriage. Everyone has some some seasoning marriage. You have problems with communication, sex, in-laws and kids right so I don't think what is not like all you start talk about a few of the singular will go forth was wrong with him.

But you know what I get is he's one of us. You know it and that's what you need.

You need people that you don't have to pretense with you not I wrote down a couple things and and and I've been some good men's group and some good brothers and you need to be able to say to someone you know what I know it may not sound very spiritual, especially in our church, our denomination, but I think I'm clinically depressed and a much could you could you come help me know. I haven't kinda gone through, when and how and why is medication good or not good and how long and who did you talk to and there's there's there's people are clinically depressed and they don't have anyone to talk to because it's like the unpardonable sin in their little group or guy says you know what this is really like really weird and it just only happen once it just flashed my mind discriminate up.

I had a homosexual urge you not that it I don't know what that is. You probably just drive in one day and as I was driving down the road.

I'm just feeling kinda low. I just thought you sick all the pressure and I was just I was driving real fast and there was a curve, and I just I don't know what came out of the blue I just thought myself. I think about straight.

I think I just floor. I got some insurance. I'm not down. I'm not depressed on this. I'm just sick of life, and as you're going these thoughts want to your mind and what never do that, but it's come to get closer and then you you know good godly amazing committed Bible study teacher leaders moms grandparents men women you have some of the spots well welcome to the human race may not. I have a member of teaching series on spiritual warfare and as I was studying that it was a lot of that in California and I remember praying and I mean one of the things that God took away early and miraculously. Some things I really had to work through. I just remember like three weeks after is a Christian God just went thing and you quit cussing and I tried before I had a bad mouthing your locker room and all that jazz and I just quit. I'm cuss like in 20 years and I was praying before the throne of God and stuff was going to my mind is like what you know because she's just like God saying you not a very good pastor anymore and into my initial thought was, I'm going insane. What's happened to me in the when you second hold it temptation is not the same thing as sin, temptation means there's an opportunity to be lured away in some way you looking at a very attractive woman and gone while very attractive is not the same as lusting for her opinion as a mature believer, I can say Lord man I sunsets are beautiful trees are beautiful. She's beautiful and that's looked number one now on I want to thank you for what you may beautiful for matrix but I'm not to beat myself up all day because while I mean I'm a man, God, God gave me eyes in there attracted to certain things when a woman is beautiful or what and lady something you don't have to feel bad. Every time you see a beautiful room decorated in your first thought is that we look so good here, but we have to remodel we do that four years ago and this sin is when you start planning and and figuring out how you can get your husband into doing that deal right but the point I want to make is because we naïvely believe our struggles and temptations are unique, we start to hide the ones that we think were to mature, we shouldn't have, and I just want to go back to secrecy is where the enemy will bombard you with doubts and struggles and condemnation. You know what when you have a struggle and let me tell you what the spirit does its specific it's sin, righteousness, judgment, repent, as I love you.

Condemnation is vague. Your terrible person you know your lousy this you're lousy that you know why God put you on this. Its general it's vague condemnation makes you not like you not like God and not want to pray. Conviction is a light shining on something that needs to be addressed and you lifted into the light. And just like bacteria out of the darkness, when the light hits the bacteria and so that the fellowship can be restored if you confess agree with God about your sins he's faithful and just to what forgive release you of all your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. What to say about this biblical accountability.

He says what's a summary.

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry see at the heart of it at the heart of it all is it I end up me, worshiping me it's really not about the sex. It's about the Eagle. It's really not about the food. It's about the ego is not about the business and the work it's about the ego. At the end of the day. The core of sin and come back to in any and all of these is God gets taken off the throne my way my control, my agenda, a world system, lust of the flesh.

Leslie eyes, pride of life, promising me security significance value and worth. Apart from God I bike on the date I make an idol and then Paul says, and if I happen that I get disqualified disqualified for my relationship of eternal life. No disqualified is a useful vessel of honor and disqualified not only of use by God bringing incredible incredible pain in the lives of others there.

There is no such thing as private cents. Every cent I commit every sin you commit has ripples. Some of them you may never see but they have ripples, even the ones that no one else is found out about. They have ripples. So I've given you five reasons to say. Dear God, I not only want, I am committed to having biblical accountability in my life. I mean, Paul needed it. I needed first Corinthians 10 outlines. Clearly we all needed so how do you get it. How does it work.

Let me give you some practical. I guess I: spiritual tips on getting there number one. It begins at home. We talk about accountability. Too often we we jump into places outside start with the people that you live with I think is appropriate things as men better off to share with men and women with women, I'm very super open with my wife and but there are certain things that you know what my wife is not a man she didn't really understand and I need some guys that I can share that with her vice versa. But I think you get a start in your home. Your marriage partner or your roommates mean they see you see in his accountability group she can do what you can smoke and mirrors all yeah you know yeah yeah what all is like you left the dishes here and you didn't clean up this year you said that every here and you know it you're saying all the spiritual jazz I'm living with. It's not matching so you started home. Second, it's an atmosphere of love and tender compassion. Someone who's rooting for you. You don't need to become and you don't need a spiritual Gestapo is low so you didn't read zero Bible today. You belittle, I don't need that many will be will be straightforward, but just I want someone who really loves me will be tough when they need to be tough, but even when they're tough I want I want to see a little tear with her eyes getting watery when they mustered up the courage to confront me about something they know could split our relationship and their view of really tough but I can feel behind the toughest man they love me.

Third, it must be voluntary and by permission. There is no need for another junior Holy Spirit in your life you have one who has the job and so people who come to you and I would like to be your accountability partner and I can help you grow. Thank you.

Know about the way I think this is when you need to really negotiate. It is really hard. Some of you are in the sort of semi-imbalanced kind of relationships in your the wife and you're in the Bible and you love God and you're going to church and your husband's sort of you know, that's close and and you know is like as he gets up. Here's a Bible passage opened and here's a CD by so-and-so and by the way, honey, I'll go pick up your favorite movies, go to church with us and get just forget that. Let God work you let your chaste behavior and how you live, say today. What if this love in Jesus makes you love me the way you love me that honey you just keep going to church and I might and check it out.

Let God and vice versa so you know you need, it's gotta be by permission.

We don't go out and hold other people accountable for it must be specific, not generic. I mean, this sort of hay.

Want to meet me. I have coffee and so how you doing in general. I'm doing pretty good in general, how you doing general I'm doing pretty good in general so I would think this Falcons that in our place actually want to gain a man or anything. The Cardinals are no good, very good this year that quarterback change in horror. I don't know yet you seen the last of Southern living magazine. I thought it was so cute the way that you know and indicated he and his accountability groups just make me feel warm all over. And then we wait we can arch sells thinking that something's happening needs to be specific. You might even put some things in writing and say you know what, as we meet together. These are the things we want to cover.

I have a fellow he's that dad figure and I'll never forget I was in Dallas and he has permission and we talk on a regular basis and he's real funny, has a flat top, looking like this and he said okay why we winter food. Are you ready and he is like a game show or something.

I said I see what you doing are you ready again takes his wallet and his is the laminated thing real small print is questions. Question number one. Have you any time since we last met. Then on the Internet and watch anything inappropriate.

Question number two and I mean he goes through my thought life. My time, my money, my ego and then the last question after like five basic areas. He goes question number six. Have you lied to me on questions and you know what he's he's kind of he knows mean is kinda goofy. He knew would be uncomfortable. He knew would be the kind of thing that you know it's it's always awkward because guess what, I get a safe place to go. Anybody asking us questions you ask questions. According to this passage until the day you take your last breath and I take my last breath will be struggles with varies right so needs to be specific and by the way it every time.

It doesn't need to be like hard-core all right, but you know what you know you you build relationship and you build trust, but it's working.

To be specific about some things.

My rule of thumb is no more than four people. Unless there's unique relationships of closeness allow for more and I think too is not great because it we start getting blind spots for one another. It's okay. I think mentoring relationships are great but for accountability to something healthy about having someone listen to stuff and say is because what you do is you are vulnerable when you're really been open and you only have one set of eyes looking at what's going on. A couple set of eyes so I have kind of relationships with a handful of people like this to conclusion, making sincere commitments is tough keeping them is next to impossible alone there's hope.

Many start well if you finish well you can be the exception. You can be the exception.

There is no temptation taken you. There is no trial tag such as calm, the man and with that temptation.

God will provide a way of escape. I'm telling you the way to escape is of a cord of three is not easily broken from a series balancing life's domains does it feel like life is pulling you in thousand different directions. Are you exhausted trying to juggle your job kids marriage and everything else you're responsible for.

Do you wish there was a way to relieve that stress and tension on your shoulders.

Live life with a little more joy with a series trip reveals what a balanced life really looks like and how you can rearrange your priorities around what matters most. Here how you can experience the joy filled and satisfying life. God desires for you to have. For more information about this series go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us a triple late.

333-6003. Additionally, all the resources for balancing life's demands are discounted and the MP3s are always free. Again, go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 for all the details help listeners tap special offers which are before we wrap up you want to say something about the year and match that we talk so much about throughout the month of December will Dave I just wanted to pause me to really pause and tell you from the bottom my heart. Thank you. You know every time a person makes a financial gift a spiritual transaction occurs.

In other words, something actually happens in a person's heart and and I speak to those of you who gave you gave you responded you invested in Living on the Edge. I want you to know that as you've invested were going to invest in the lives of people here and all around the world. It really matters and we are super grateful. Thank you. Each one of you who prayed and said, Lord, what do you want me to do and then you follow his lead. The final numbers will be on our website as soon as we get all the mail that comes in but I just want to say thank you, thank you so very much for hearing from God responding to God and for being so generous and let me add my thanks to that as well. All the information about our end-of-the-year match will be on our website LivingontheEdge.org soon so if you're interested. Keep an eye out for their and again, please note were celebrating every gift and the impact it will have on what were doing in 2022. Thank you so much, as we close today's program I want to take the lands and pull it back a little bit. We talked about the five specific reasons in the last two broadcasts of why we need accountable relationships and that we have defined and I think this definition is really important. Accountability is not other people playing the Holy Spirit and nagging my life. Accountability is me inviting trusted people into my life to help me keep my commitments to God hears everything there's there's a lot of court accountability groups, small groups, but I will tell you my experience has been that there's a big problem in these groups is called lying. Okay I'm dead serious is I have been in accountability groups that have good friends in accountability groups that people who walked off with someone else's mate. People who have been involved in fraud it significant levels were in the accountability group. I think it's so important that we create an atmosphere where we really accept one another for who we are in the struggles that we have, but it's also an atmosphere where there's some tough love that goes on in the so often, I think, in the name of caring for one another loving one another.

I've been groups where someone shows up, seven, eight weeks in a row doesn't do the lesson doesn't memorize the passage doesn't be very authentic and everyone just keeps giving them a pass like well you know were Christians.

We want to be too hard on them. Guess what, sometimes you need to be hard on people that you love all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, yet those who been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. I can look back at four or five major times in my life where people said things to me that I want to get up and hit him. I mean I can't believe they said that and the reason I wanted to get up and hit him was because they were absolutely right. When you find people defensive and rationalizing. I will tell you underneath that is unknown. Unresolved patterns of sin that need to be addressed.

Let's really love each other and stop playing games. Let's be Romans 12 Christians from the inside out. As we close, I want you to know that as a staff we ask the Lord to help you take whatever your next step is and would love to hear how it's going.

Would you take just a minute to send us a note or give us a call either one is easy.

Just send a quick note to chip@livingontheedge.org or give us a call at AAA 333-6003 that email again is Chip LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003. We look forward to hearing from you.

I'm glad you've been with us and until next time you saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge