Share This Episode
Living on the Edge Chip Ingram Logo

Holy Ambition - Experience a Broken Spirit, Part 2

Living on the Edge / Chip Ingram
The Cross Radio
May 5, 2022 6:00 am

Holy Ambition - Experience a Broken Spirit, Part 2

Living on the Edge / Chip Ingram

On-Demand Podcasts NEW!

This broadcaster has 1387 podcast archives available on-demand.

Broadcaster's Links

Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.


May 5, 2022 6:00 am

Did you know that God wants to speak to you? It’s true. In fact He wants to go way beyond speaking to you. He wants to support you, empower you, direct you, and use you to do things beyond your wildest dreams. Chip reveals how God wants to do this in your life.

  • -->
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Charlie Kirk Show
Charlie Kirk
Running to Win
Erwin Lutzer
Running to Win
Erwin Lutzer
Moody Church Hour
Pastor Phillip Miller
Our Daily Bread Ministries
Various Hosts

Did you know that God wants to speak to you is true that he wants to go way beyond speaking to you, wants to support you, empower you direct you and you do things beyond your wildest dream you want to know how that topic today is thanks for listing to this edition of with children Living on the Edges of international discipleship history featuring the daily Bible ever heard the term angel investor. This is a wealthy, well-connected entrepreneur breasts. It's time, finances and expertise start a business of other investors is to continue this series. Holy ambition will reveal how God is our angel investor stirs a dream in our hearts wants to see it succeed and is ready to help us make it a reality.

So let's learn how we can make that happen in your life turning your Bible to Nehemiah chapter 1 continues talking about Nehemiah's calling and the next steps he took to act on. Nehemiah saw a huge problem. He had a dislocated heart, and he had God centered prayers God centered prayers are yours. God centered our mind, God centered. We just whine and complain before the throne of God. What about this. Oh God, what about that you have done this, you know this and this. Keep that in what sometimes we just worry out loud and call it prayer and we don't think you're talking to when Nehemiah prayed, he said, I am speaking to the I am that I am I'm speaking to the one who spoke in the galaxies came into existence. I'm speaking the one that has all power and all resources I'm I'm speaking to one who keeps his covenant of loyal love and starts by beginning to get a high view of God view with Majesty's powers. Wisdom is love, his justice and his holiness love what Koser says I've read probably at a chapter of this book. The first 15 years I was a Christian, probably every day and then I cut a cut back to maybe a chapter once a week because it's just about this is the tiny book called the knowledge of the holy and just about God.

What's godlike toes rights.

Modern Christianity is simply not producing the kind of Christian who can appropriate appreciate or experience the life in the spirit.

The words in Scripture.

Be still and know that I'm God mean next to nothing to the self-confident, bustling worshiper in the middle. Of the century. But the alarming thing is is that our games are mostly external, and our losses are wholly internal and since it is the quality of our religion that is affected by internal conditions. It may be that our supposed gains are built.

Losses spread over a wide wider field. We've never had more TV nevermore video nevermore mega churches. Nevermore presents Christianity has never had quote the external affluence and influence, but all the while the quality of the kind of Christians we been producing over the last 50 to 70 years or less and less and less like Jesus there less holy and there less loving and they have less faith in the name of Jesus, we sought personal peace and prosperity, and the average gospel going out in many parts of the world is Jesus as your self-help buddy and life is really about you now what make my life work out and if I ever get cancer or my marriage is in trouble or my kids have a problem or have a financial dip.

Hey God, what's the deal you think you are. Don't you understand on the center of the universe and then we get mad we get mad and we get disillusioned with the God of the Bible because we don't understand who he is because he goes on to say what comes into our minds we think about God is the most important thing about us. If someone could register banged the word God comes to your mind.

What's he like who you really pray to that my friend is the most important thing about your entire being a low view of God will produce an anxious striving frustrating wife and a high view of God will produce a life that has issues and problems, but will see them in view of his wisdom and his power and his sovereignty and the responses to trust. I put a little passage there is Isaiah chapter 6 because the way you get a high view of God is becoming a worshiper. I will tell you this. Having done this, you can become a Bible student and read the Bible a lot which is very important. You can go to a small group how you can say you know I listen to Christian music and all those things are helpful, but if you are not a person that takes the word of God as your prayer book and begin to worship God for who he is. The connection of all this intellectual stuff you're putting in your brain will never go into your heart so that you can really trust the once difficult.

That happens by worshiping. That's when you sit quietly in a room and you sing to God. That's when you adore him and praise him and thank him and honor him and you're not trying to get anything done and you're not looking at your watch and you open your eyes you look at things that are beautiful and you thank God for what he's made and who he is and you cry out, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty heaven and earth is full of your glory and you begin to rapture in the presence of the power in the Majesty in the love of God worshipers and in worship we get a high view of God. And when that happens, you'll notice as you read in that Isaiah passage. There's worship and his angels, and the train of of the robe.

It was about his majesty and his power fills this temple in Isaiah. This profit has is amazing experience, and when he sees God high and lifted up, and holy. Then he says woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips among the people of unclean lips, and I would suggest that the average Christian thinks your lips are pretty clean were doing okay and God.

I just need little help to get through the day so that you can help me fulfill my agenda, my world, my family, my singleness, my job, and here's all I could do for me today and therefore you don't have deep experiences of repentance, you don't have times of realizing well, how if I drifted how to become so critical.

Where did. How did my motive slip and being so performance oriented. Why am I so short with my kids. Why is it that what I really care about and I'm so upset because the stock went from here to here I thought I had eternal perspective, why are certain things eat me up inside. I can't control him. Those are evidences, God says in Isaiah responds. Woe is me, see when you get a high view of God, you get a recalibrated view of yourself. Notice it's not just Isaiah's Nehemiah's every character I can find in the older New Testament so notices response.

He says I confess the sins we Israelites notices per first-person. Yeah, I thought if I was the sky am not. I hope I would do better but I was Nehemiah I be looking at this bad situation and I pray for a while I see you what all this people messed up why they mess up their worshiping idols made on this and they've done that if they would shape up in, but he doesn't. He realizes he's a part of a wee wee. I confess the sins we Israelites including myself and my father's house have committed against you. We've acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the command's decrees and laws that you gave your servant Moses. No excuses, no ducking, no blame shifting no well you know Lord I came from a very difficult family circumstances been really rough on me. You just don't understand what I've been through.

He just owns it and not only owns it for himself.

He owns it for his father's house he owns up in the nation, and he repents the mark of a high view of God, our prayers that are God centered in the mark of prayers that have genuine repentance and confession are gut wrenchingly honest prayers, my personal struggle.

We don't want to do therapy for me, but I just give you quick highlight my personal struggle in prayer goes something like this when I draw near to God. I see stuff about me. I don't like okay so when I see subs about me. I don't like I have to face that or I have to run and so the difficulty in praying for significant quiet in-depth times is the reality that if I really get honest, I'm going to see some things about my motives. I'm gonna see some things about me that aren't that pleasant. And what that does is all everything in the event will all pray later all pray deeper later in what I find is when I'm having my most intimate times with God. There's a practice of not only worship but a practice of asking him to search my heart and sitting quietly and letting him bring not general feelings like you're a terrible bad your terrible pastor yourself is no good. That's the enemy it's called condemnation notes more like you know what would even think about for the first four hours today when you were in that conversation, you know your voice got kind of this way and that way could you just frustrated you can really care about when that person came up afterwards when you retire you are kinda looking out of it. You just glazed over unit even care items are or Ingram your priorities are lack you're trying to do too much into many different directions and you know what this is what you needed and you know the only avenue to try harder to repent and ask forgiveness it's quote get right you don't how to do that I've given you passage to work and it's James for 7 to 10 is that it's the clearest best repentance passage I know of all Scripture and he gives you a very clear model it says submit therefore to God.

When you repent. The first thing you need to do is realize you quit trying to run everything is back to the all in his back to the surrender, submit therefore to God. And then once you do that you get a lot of opposition ministers resist the devil and he will flee from you.

When you take a positive step draw near to God promise he will draw near to you as you draw near to God. Maybe that's getting back in the Bible maybe getting back connected to a small group. Babies have an honest conversation. Draw near to God.

Maybe you go, ask for forgiveness for someone but you draw near to God, he'll draw near to you and has he does then he'll show you stuff. Cleanse your hand, you sinners, purify your heart, you double minded.

Seek peace and help. He'll tell you about some actions and about some attitudes and he talks about morning and turn your laughter and the idea it's not that we should be happy and laugh with the words in the New Testament have to do with the sort of self-sufficient living for my pleasure and not really owning at the level in the depth that you know I'm really living a self-centered life you forgive me and you Moran and you grieve just like when you hurt someone's feelings and you really tell them you're sorry and you really mean it. That's what he's talking about saw an accurate view of a broken spirit happens with the restored view of God that leads to an accurate view of myself restored view of God requires me to become a worshiper on a regular basis and accurate view myself demands repentance and confession and notice what happens when you really clean when you not love us pray like this. Oh God, please do this. Okay please do this wonderfully will, oh God, please do this maybe maybe maybe I doubt it. I doubt I doubt please please please yeah yeah get if this would happen, this would happen. I promise were different none in the when you see God for who he is and you watch this all through Scripture.

When Iran people to God uses greatly to find this in their life they get accurate view themselves and when they repent and they know their clean.

They kind of come in the presence of God with boldness and clarity like the Hebrews passage therefore come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy in your time of need for you. Have a great high priest whose blaze the trail in the Pioneer it says you come in. What you need and you listen to this man, pray broken spirit results in a renewed commitment to fulfill God's agenda and so he's now he's a new man. He's cleansed. He knows he's blown it.

He sees God's on the throne there is a big problem and he can't solve it, but he's gonna ask is get a quote parts of a Deuteronomy 30 annexes 32 is to say God I'm gonna remind you of some promises you made. He says remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, if you are in faithful I will scatter you among the nations, remember God memory said that while we were unfaithful and were scattered that was been fulfilled, but member the second half of it. But if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are on the farthest horizons.

I will gather them from there, and I'll bring them to this place in Jerusalem. The place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name, see when you start to have a broken spirit. You pray God centered prayers got wrenchingly honest prayers and then they're not hopeful prayers. Their promises centered prayers, you begin to realize you know God has some promises about your finances God has some promises about your marriage. God has some promises about when you're stuck in your depressed God has some promises and you take his word and you say I actually believe it's true. I don't feel it, but I believe it's true. And I'm gonna pray and claim the promises of God. That's faith and so notices prayer and notice the focus. He reminds God it turns to intercession, he says he looks at this bad situation and is not like well you know I'm I'm pretty wealthy and I'm affluent now get a good position.

I guess I'll really rub it up and make something happen.

That's not what price. So he let God work in a before work through these are your servants and your people whom you redeem by your great strength and your mighty hand. Where's the focus your your your your your old Lord let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants notice a small group who delight in revering your name and then over this three months of praying. Nehemiah went from someone who prayed and was asking got. I don't know my part in your plan. I don't know my divine design I don't know my gifts and I don't know. In this time of history exactly what you want to do, but at the end of three months he realized God showed them that have the gift of leadership in the God wanted him to take his leadership skills and go back and head up the rebuilding project, and so he's going to go kill, take a radical step of faith. He's going to get in front of this king and his good act like he is really sad and what he knew was in that culture. If you act like you said in front of the king.

You have two options.

Option one. Hey, what you said about how can I help you out. Option two. That's illegal killing get rid of him another. So he realize he was willing to put his life on the line, and so he intercedes. James 516 God says very, very, very clearly. He says that the prayer of a righteous man, and I have learned the prayer of a righteous woman will accomplish much will have to get serious. I'm a little embarrassed to be honest that we gather as a people and we have as many needs, and we sing here.

We teach how little we actually stop how little our relationships with one another. We go to each other's house we talk we have foundry coffee. We do stuff when the last time to dinner before you leave.

I know. As part let's ask godless belief. I believe that's God's agenda three summary principles that I think will give us some handles to move forward one. We must let God will work deeply in us before he will work significantly through us wife you ask him and really meant what he said oh God what you want to do in the what you want to correct what you want to restore what you want to heal second until we make prayer of a priority progress and power will never be a reality.

Here's what I can tell you because I've been down this road before.

Not only my personal life that church Living on the Edge is will tell you to have months from now will put checkmarks next of these little blow your mind. You want God's agenda is not like big for him to answer these prayers he wants to teach us that he actually listens one of the things I do every year as II think the biggest top 10 things that are most overwhelming or the things I believe God wants to happen and I write them down. I have my top 10 eminent coming there but I don't know is a big in their specific and I pray over and I just can't tell you how many Decembers it's like wow eight. I never dreamed I just all I just it was like God. How could I not believe the Lord, the God, the Creator, the great and awesome God third difference makers are not necessarily those with a lot to give.

You don't need to develop leaders at HP.

You don't have to have a big house you have to be rich you have to be super inlet back. Actually when you when you read this book. It's like God goes to great lengths to pick people. The don't have much of anything.

The Arnott's of the world read first Corinthians in all these sorta dysfunctional difficult sinful people. The defense you all this terrible stuff and it has an and such were some of you.

God uses the foolish us regular people with our baggage in our hurts in our past and their sins to confound the wise. Every great movement of God starts with the little handful of people who ridiculously and mostly the ridicule of others actually believe God would do exactly what he says. Grace always flows downhill requires this application.

This message experience a broken spirit from a series only ambition during God -shaped dreams into reality. Do you long for your life to make a difference is God's doing something in your soul but you don't know how to get started will through this series trip explains how those deep-seated convictions and promptings can become God -shaped realities stay with her sister plays out a six step process for ordinary people like you and me to follow God's calling and impact our world in unbelievable ways. For more information about holy ambition or are series resources go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA to 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org app listeners Special offers one joint know by our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram and ship you said something right at the end of today's message that really resonated with me said every great movement of God starts with a little handful of people who believe God will do exactly what he says and you don't those types of people or how we survive financially. Living on the Edge.

Anything you want to add to that for our listeners out there. I just want to remind you that you're listening to this because some very caring and loving individuals have sacrificially given to the ministry so that we can pay for the airtime, so we can create the programs, and so we can minister you and you know in those early times as you listen to the program. We are delighted to just make it available and we are thrilled of the team. The gods put together but I'd like to talk to some of you that have become regular listeners than you've never considered. I wonder how this gets paid for. Would you consider making a gift today. The Bible is very clear that when we receive spiritual ministry to us. We have a responsibility to help financially fund those who teach in minister to us and what I want you know is we use all the resources to go right back into the ministry we want to help Christians live like Christians and so if you been benefiting from the ministry and you've never given or you've given now and then and realize maybe God wants you to be a part of the team. Would you consider today partnering with us you can do it anyway. God lead you, but would you take that next step and be a part of getting Living on the Edge and what God's doing through it to the lives of many more people think strip will as you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry I would remind you that every gift is significant when you partner with Living on the Edge you multiply our efforts and resources in ways that only God can do is send the gift call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org that's AAA 333-6003 or LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap donate less we wrap up your strip to share some final thoughts from today's message.

I don't know about you but down deep in my heart and the inner recesses of my being. I really long for my life to make a difference in the temptation of my life is been to get active and get busy to get involved and to try and do a lot and stir up a lot of dust and often I get very fatigued, very tired and maybe like you overextended what God would teach us today is that making a real difference doesn't begin with external activity. It begins internally, we learned already that you have to care. You have to have a dislocated heart. But step number two is a broken spirit and I like to end today's program where I think God would have us go. I'd like to pray and I like even if you're driving in your car.

You're listening at work at join me, at least in spirit Almighty God, we would tell you that you are high and lifted up, that you were great that you are holy you are powerful and you love us and we ask that you please forgive us for a small and puny. If you if you how in our worst days. We actually try and use you and get you to fulfill our agenda rather than being broken before you and say, oh God, we want to be a part of what ever level of your agenda. Lord we repent today of our small views of you and we ask you to give us an accurate, clear, high view of you and we pray to for the courage today as we listen to your word. To be honest about who we are, our sin, our selfishness, our motives like Nehemiah, we want to we want to own it. We want to confess that we want to come broken and then Lord Jesus we pray by the still small voice of the Spirit by your word and then through your people that you will realign our life goals are time and our agenda with years you placed us each one in a neighborhood in a relational network in the church in a jobsite where you long for us to make a difference. We tell you of ourselves go bankrupt.

If you would empower us if you will show us what it looks like to walk with you will follow Jesus name, amen. As we close, I want you to know that as a staff we ask the Lord to help you take whatever your next faith step is and would love to hear how it's going. Would you take a minute and send us a note or give us a call either one is easy. Email us at ship@livingontheedge.org or give us a call at AAA 333-6003. While we appreciate you joining us. Until next time. This is saying thanks for listening to this edition living on the