Holy Ambition - Develop a Dislocated Heart, Part 2

Have you ever wondered why God uses some people more than others, and then you look at their life and you scratch your head and he said God why would you use them either not overly smarter even especially only a religious why does God use some people more than others that talk about today. Thanks for joining us for this edition of living only with trips are vital to discipleship focused on helping Christians. Christians we've all had questions because we all want our lives to this program is no if you're looking for some deeper insight is important topic listening after this message here some practical advice from not going to miss what you say. Okay, let's join Chip down for the second half of his message. Develop a dislocated heart begins by reviewing the figure will follow for the rest of the series and the wisdom we can learn from his life, God shaped dreams into a reality for model can be a man that had a holy ambition. What I like about him is not a prophet is not priest is a business guy.

He's a guy with a 9-to-5 job. His job and that day was to be the cupbearer and you would taste the wine taste the food so that if it's poison you die before the king does. It was a great job with the food was good but he also became a confidant.

He became friends with the king you're the inside man. David's always chosen someone outside the royal line. So in this case he wants a Jewish cupbearer because he's the Persian king because a lot of Persians one job and the way you get to be the king as you kill the present King and when you look at history, sometimes even your own sons or whoever does answer me a man named Nehemiah. And God has judged his children because they worshiped idols because of their worship of idols. They been dispersed and after they been dispersed.

He promised he would regather them and there is been a partial return in the ruble was one of God's man, a prophet, he went back and say people you know God promise let's get with the program and it wasn't very successful in the Ezra headed back and he's a teacher and a scribe in unity teaches God's word and still wouldn't get any traction. So we pick up the story. Nehemiah 1. This is the words of Nehemiah, the son of hack Alliance in the month of Kislev, which is our November December 20 year in the references the 20th. You year of King Xerxes is the king of Persia while I was in the Citadel, Susa, Hannah and I one of my brothers came from Judah with some other men and I questioned them about the Jewish people. The Jewish remnant and and that survived exile and also about Jerusalem and by the way, it's interesting that people that get a holy ambition. It's from God. As questions Nehemiah gets a report in the ask about the people and he asked about the place, and now we get the report they said to me, those who survive the exile are back in the province and are in great trouble and disgrace the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire, so the wall would be protection. It would be a functioning city. The gates are where the elders would meet. It's how you could close things off you have security, it would be a functioning city that was growing in making progress.

We know that the temple has been rebuilt, but the walls are crumbled and the gates are burned. Basically, you look at Jerusalem and this is the city that God promised would be the hope of the world and you if you could go back in a time machine and look at that city. At this moment you would just say God's agenda is dead. It ain't gone happen all those promises he made in a coming Messiah, and all men. It is, it's done.

The place is a shambles. And there's people today that when you look at the world situation. You look at the economy look at the violence in the murder. When you look at the terrorism. When you look at people have the ability to actually blow up whole cities before sending where it wears God in all this answer is he lives inside his children and they have an agenda today. Just like there was an agenda that and the issue will happen that will really make the big difference is how you respond to the news that you see today. Coming near Mike could've said well you know that's really tough. I got a full-time job. I mean, someone has to eat the king steak and drink the best wine in the world and meet him is just my job. Don't blame me if I have a Rolex on Diana Armani toga and that that Lexus chariot I have is pretty hot back. I get six horses nouns. Therefore, they really zipped when I go through town. You know you and you know I'm called by God and doing what God wants me to do. It's working for me right and you II can create that mass. I'm just a regular guy on the many Bible school didn't look, business guy okay okay yeah okay I'm a wealthy business guy okay yes I have affluence yes I have influence yes on position in the strategic place in world history, but any God can use someone like me. Look at his response. When I heard these words, I sat down and wept in for some days I mourned.

I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, we put a circle around the word sat would you put a circle around the word wept. Would you put a circle around the word mourned. Would you put a circle around the phrase fasted and prayed. When you see God's agenda going down the tubes. When you see what's happening in America when you see that only 1/10 or 1/12 people who are self identified as followers of Jesus living like Jesus you think of Gandhi's words.

Who said I think very highly of your Jesus, but I can't recommend them to my people because his followers are so unlike him, his response, he stopped stopped sat down running when you when you sit down you stop it inside and is not like you know, watching TV and there's a world vision, commercial or compassion you see little kid with the belly and and you oh boy you flipping notes back to sports or news or something that makes you comfortable selling going to the mall and looking at the eyes are talking to someone that's got a pregnancy and she does know what to do with it. Or someone who's got an addiction is just absolutely strung out and asked for help is like you just want to come up which the remote button will someone else to take care of the makes uncomfortable. He stopped and then he let it get under his skin.

He deeply demoted. He whacked, he cried, and here's the deal. His life is working great. He lives in a gated community in God's agenda is just slipping downhill and his heart response to God's agenda is.

He stop he deeply emotes, and then to Moran has to do with grief ever lost a child ever lost a best friend ever lost a job commitment, grief that will increase his is it shouldn't be this way and by the way, this is a gut level knee-jerk response you defined as we later read to the first part of this chapter is that it's interesting. The author tells us it's November December in the beginning of chapter 2 to give us another structural marker in order to learn.

There's three months of this guy dealing with this issue of my life works. I'm comfortable. God's agenda is going down the tubes got what I do. God what I do. First you stop and by God's grace.

She let it sink in and get in comfortable and I think you actually weep and then you mourn and then you act as you realize you could hear God's voice and you can't do something stupid and you don't really know what God wants you to do and you're only one person right and so you fast. All that means is you stop eating for a period of time to take that time to give spiritual attention to hear the voice of God about what he wants you to do with your life right now and you pray I was talking this fellow on the plane and we are talking about these church planting movements and you had all these questions and what about this and what about that and and I said what if you learn he said. We did some research we had.

I we took our top 100 church planters and it's a multiplying reproducing model and and so there their lowest guy planted 50 churches in that year, and their highest guy planted 500. Long story but amazing and accurate and true. And so we brought an outside consultant and we had them interview and examine all of our top hundred church planters as we thought mean, obviously, these are our best guys. Yeah, I guess if you had a salesforce and 100 of them were producing 80% the result.

You do the study and find out what are they saying over the phone or how they greet people how they close and learn from them. He said, so we look they said we can only find one thing they have in common, different personalities, different countries India salvation all over. They'll have one thing in common. You ready for this.

On average they pray 2 to 3 hours a day. They each fast one day a week and a fast one weekend a month maybe didn't get that I'll go over that again. The only common denominator of the super natural movements of God is they pray 2 to 3 hours a day. They fast. One day a week. They fast. One weekend a month that please don't hear there's a formula and that if you start doing just this, that the God will automatically you know what hit me.

I cannot meet God. I pray I don't pray like that you and I realize it's because they care a lot more than I did.

I want God to do some really great and I'm willing to make a mild to significant sacrifice for him to do something great, but I don't care enough to pray for people to hours a day, but I bet most of us, me included. I bet most of us figure out how to slip in an hour and 1/2 to 2 hours of TV because we need right that a wind down big day pressure to catch the news not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying your behavior in my behavior tell me tell you what matters. I just got this thought is I been flying and thinking what would happen if I prayed the way they prayed and fasted the way they fasted so that I could hear like never before. What God wants me to do and then what is some kind of wild is a lot of you decided that limit let's get in on it. Wonder what God would do what I call this is a dislocated heart see he's living in the lap of luxury. He's affluent and influential, but his heart is dislocated its in Jerusalem, a dislocated heart is a God-given concern for others that propels us out of our comfort zone.

It's a passionate concern for God's agenda that supersedes our own desires for personal peace and prosperity. You want a little exercise that will move you little by little, is I would write that definition on a card and then under and under it I would write out second Chronicles 16 nine and read it over in the morning and read over it night and see if God doesn't do something inside your heart. A God-given but what you don't work this up. This is an artificial this is. And I want to be holy I want to be spiritual. It is a God given concern for others that propel you.

I don't think BMI was going to what I want to go. I want to go. I want to go. I think he's like us. I don't want to go anywhere.

I like this job. I like my son.Rolex enough. I like and God did something that propelled him out of his comfort zone. Passionate concern. What's it look like when they give you couple pictures on what you think I make up the stuff like dislocated heart of her to the dislocated shoulder affect my rotator cuff known than in the okay Jesus had dislocated heart and he says that this attitude that was in him should be in us being in very nature God didn't consider equality with God. Philippians 2 something to be grasped and made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient.

That's the key word to death, even death on the cross. The rest of the passage says how God did in Jesus modeling the same thing that's happening with these church plants. Therefore, he was highly exalted, he was lifted up. He was supported he was exalted Jesus was living in comfort receiving the adoration of angels, Jesus saw the need of mankind. He left his comfort zone to be a missionary and he says were to have that attitude of crossing a culture. It means you cross some barriers to connect with people that don't know that God loves the week.

We've got this whole thing backwards like we gotta be perfect. And I don't know what the say don't say anything just to what you to start loving people like crazy and being generous with your time and your money and your energy and invite people over asking questions and listen to them, love them and then you come back and tell me what happens. A couple months we most popular person your company remove popular person neighborhood and I'll tell you what. Pretty soon you get jammed up because I can say why were you doing this.

No one treats me like this, you have to come up with something like actually it's not me. It's this Jesus who lives in me and he gave me a dislocated heart that compels me out of my comfort zone to build a bridge with people that are always like me to tell them that he loves you and he's already forgiven you and want you to receive any can work this thing out your marriage. It can work this thing out with your kid can work this thing out with his addiction. He loves you Scott. He's 40. The second example, the apostle Paul says I speak the truth, I'm not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for I wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers those of my race didn't mean to. You get what he saying here mean that you understand what he just said I wish I could lose my salvation and be separated from God forever if all of my Jewish brothers could understand Jesus as the Messiah. Forgiveness is available and they could all spend it and not eat some possibility so you know what dislocated heart is you know what answers the question is do you care to high care. Okay no not this is little more and that it's do you really care. Do you care enough to get out of your comfort you care enough to rearrange your life you care enough to deal with whatever need to deal with inside so that you say what you not I can't really help anybody else could debate basic I got some this double life stuff going on okay. God understands it will go to him asking to forgive you get some help get rid of the double life to start living life. Do you care enough to make a radical sacrifice of your time and your energy just as once who's the last person you lead Christ. Personally, I mean yeah you pray for someone they received this last person this last person you invited over to your house. It doesn't know Christ from your neighborhood or work.

This last person just give me a name in your head whose last person you took the lunch at work just for the purpose of encouraging them.

Could you pray for at work. You pray for in your neighborhood limit. I'm not trying to induce guilt.

I'm just saying if we don't really care. We don't have a dislocated heart.

If we don't have a dislocated heart. God will not strongly support us and he wants to. He longs to support you. The last dislocated heart as you see there is you. Do you have a dislocated heart just an honest evaluation, and rather than you know trouble. Maybe I do you know what just just be honest with God.

Do you really care, not by your thoughts, but does your behavior indicated second just genuine repentance and repentance just means a change of mind at least a change of action.

It's just like being on the freeway realizing all I'm going the wrong direction. You get on the exit ramp and start going back this direction, and repentance is God when you forgive me.

I don't really care about people. I'm pretty consumed with me in my world and my stuff in my comfort and you know what he'll just lift that off because guess what he loves you. Third is a careful consideration of this message is not designed for knee-jerk reactions of people coming up afterward. I'm selling my business tomorrow and I'm going to mission fields, timeout God leads you there great but you know what this is a think through. Pray through get wise counsel and then finally, this may sound really crazy but I had a really significant time with the Lord just because of the travel and I headed little window and did this for me I just ask God for one I'm in Ascot every day for a while.

Not sure how long this mascot would you give me a dislocated heart when I get in lines on planes when I in lines here when I see my neighbor when I pull and we you give me a dislocated heart which you supernaturally. I want to muster it up.

I want to fake it. I don't be a phony.

I want to care. Show me what it looks in my mind my job in my home. Love others as this message dislocated heart is series only ambition during God -shaped dreams into reality. Now you may be asking yourself what does it mean to have a holy ambition. Those two words seem to be contradictory as well understand through chips teaching God's called us to be both holy and ambitious through the biblical story of Nehemiah ship on Paxil. God develops unique passions and desires in us so that he can then work through us. Discover how you can be used by God to accomplish the extraordinary know if you missed any part of our series, holy ambition, the chipping roadmap is a great way to catch up anytime one joint in studio now by our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram and ship before we go any further. You had something you wanted to share with our listeners. Thanks Dave. I know a lot of people pray and support the ministry because you hear of exciting new things were doing, whether it's in China or the Middle East are working with pastors but I like you to consider something else. The Bible is very clear that where you are spiritually ministered to. There is a moral responsibility to financially support that's not me that's the apostle Paul and you know there's about a million people every week that are hearing God's word and God is using the teaching ministry of Living on the Edge to help Christians grow in Christ likeness and that changes families and communities. If you're one of those people would you pray about getting back if indeed Living on the Edge is ministering to you and helping you grow spiritually just a principle that thinks very important. Would you pray about it and do whatever God chose you to do fixture was you heard God's called this ministry to help Christians really live like Christians both here in the US and all over the world.

So if you'd like to help us fulfill that mission. We'd love to have you join the team by becoming a monthly partner to set up a recurring donation, call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org app listeners top donate. Thanks in advance for doing whatever God leads you to do. Will Chip us gets about application. We promised today we learned that the first prerequisite for making a difference for God is a dislocated heart as you heard Nehemiah story and then saw the example of Jesus and Paul and let me ask you give a dislocated heart. Do you have an God given concern that is propelled you out of your comfort zone. Do you find that you are willing to give up personal peace and prosperity to really care about people make a difference or do you have to admit like I do and many of us very often that somehow everyday stuff of life is crowded out really caring for other people so I went through the end of today's broadcast I talked about how to develop a dislocated heart. Would you like one would you like to care for others deeply, passionately, will begins with honest evaluation.

I can't do that for you, even as you heard my voice under the spirit of God's work. Ask yourself do you really care about people or have you unconsciously been squeezed into the mold of really living a Christian life with the premise God.

What can you do for me. God, how can you work my life out after an honest evaluation where you see that you don't have a dislocated heart. I invite you right now. Honestly, repent I mean honestly repent.

Get before God telling me you're sorry. Honestly look in your own life and heart and repent and then carefully consider the price tag of following him and just today I mean right now is you hear my voice asking for one there's a few prayers that God is willing to answer as immediately and as powerfully as hearing your voice honestly say, oh God, we you give me a dislocated heart.

Will you help me look at people and care about people the way that you do pray today and you can see God work great worship. Thanks Leslie close you know a great way to get plugged in with our resources here, Living on the Edge is through the chipping roadmap. There you can listen to past series sign up for daily discipleship and much more. Let us help you experience God in a new personal way. Starting today with the Chip Ingram will join us next time a student continues to series holy ambition to live us saying thanks for listening this addition will be a