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May 9, 2022 6:00 am
Do you ever wish you had more faith there times we save yourself not. I just wish I could believe that.
I wish I could believe you.
Take care. I wish I could believe you're in control. I wish I could believe it.
You have my best in my help me in my unbelief. If you struggle with state and want to learn how to get more state with us today. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edges of interracial discipleship start helping Christians like Christians just a minute to fix up a series of part two of his message practice part of the series a long way to catch up anytime on the edge.org chipping begins today where you left off last time by connecting the truth. Jesus taught his disciples to the lessons were learned via my stipend, we now get to the exciting part were Jesus teaches us very specifically about how to have faith in us.
Like I know this in my head but sort of went. While this is this is your agenda this this is the goal. This is everything you're trying to do in my life. You want me to learn to believe and to trust Jesus taught his followers about a radical faith. It was his primary goal. The only time I can find him rebuking the disciples as for their lack of faith and in all four Gospels. Here's the one phrase someone asked Jesus what is the work of God. We what's it mean to be right with God and what does God really want what is the work of God. Jesus response. This is the work of God, that you believe believe what believe everything believe Jesus is who he said he is believe this book is God's word. Believe what it says about what's coming and what's happened in the past, believe and trust that your mate for eternity and you're in this tiny little thing called time believe that God can meet your needs believe that God is sovereign believe that is good believe that he's a reporter that he loves you these for you.
God's arms are crossed, you know, like, you know, if you really obey me then you never get married if you really take a big step both send you to Africa got sent to someplace like you'll never ever be fulfilled. We've got this warped view of God, I love toasters chapter in the knowledge of the holy on the goodness of God, and he said if God's children could not believe that they live under a friendly sky that God though being exalted in majesty and holiness is eager to be friends with us for he finds holy pleasure in the happiness of his people that that's the kind I got you trusting where do you think we as parents get this desire of seeing our kids blessed and filled with joy.
That's your heavenly father.
Some of you get this idea that God is just, you know, he just waiting for you to mess up the comedown and if you would ever take a step of faith. He's untrustworthy and Jesus is going to break that are you look nine scope this is the good part. How in the world that I need to remember what faith is and isn't this nonemotional. It's trusting his characters promises God deeply values it always involves risk. Jesus taught his disciples about a radical faith in the notice he's going to call them to this this is it just to the private disciples.
This is to all of his followers.
Then he said to them if anyone would come after me, you must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
What good is it for man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his very self. If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of the father of the holy angels I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God. So, do you understand what Jesus is calling Mrs. the baseline for followers. If anyone will come after me. The word says he must. This is normal Christianity. This is what it means to follow him.
This is what it means to be a Christian. This is the Romans 12 one equivalent. I must deny myself. That means my life is not about me, my agenda, my future everything I can do I need to take up my cross is the instrument of death that was on to say, God, I'm going to die to my agenda and believe that whatever yours is, for me is best and then it's going up play out there but am going to follow you today I'm gonna listen to you talk to you being the community of God's people and I'm going to obey unlocking to learn about you unluckily hear what other people say about you. I'm gonna listen to you and make this faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God.
I've never met a person with faith that doesn't love this book and there in it when they feel like it and they're in it when they don't feel like it and it's not some religious check off a box, but it's God I want to get to know you, you'll never trust his character or knows promises unless this book. His word is a part of your daily habit and so there's the calling to radical faith. Now when you get there. Some people think you know what I could. I could never do that mean that it's too hard that's too big I don't have. I've heard people say you don't I see these Christians. God really uses.
And now that I have this little flicker like to go there. I don't have enough faith to be that kind of person is very interesting. Jesus now will teach his disciples. You don't need much faith that we are. You don't need a whole lot faith.
What member what he said if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say that mountain be cast into the sea.
What is going to teach them as you don't need a lot of faith, what you need is to clarify the objective of your faith if you could ever see Jesus for who he is, how good, how kind how powerful, how trustworthy, loving how much he wants for you if you get ever seen God for who he really is.
You need hardly any faith it be easy to do whatever he says so what were you to see if he's gonna take his three disciples who will have the primary leadership roles in the church after he leaves anything to give them a private moment with him to clarify the object of their faith who he really is and they can have a public moment were all the other disciples see and those who had this experience. And then I that illustration will bring it home to get up with me in verse 28. Notice it says about eight days after after what after he said some are going to do what they're going to see the kingdom of God before they die, will guess what it's can happen right now about eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and he went up into a mountain to pray and as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning, two men, Moses and Elijah appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.
They spoke about his departure which he was about to bring to fulfillment of Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him as the men were leaning Jesus, Peter said to him master it's good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
He didn't know what he was saying. I can identify with that what he was speaking a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, this is my son, whom I've chosen, listen to him what happened near the end of his ministry. Why Jesus knows they can have to believe is not about how much faith is the object of their faith. So Jesus we will learn from flipping stew. He fails his glory what all that means is he came in the form of a servant, and by the way what his clothes were bright and lightning. It wasn't like light came from heaven. Literally what he did in this moment as he pulled back his humanity and literally polite its metamorphic site. It is from the inside out. Light came out of Jesus, Emmett, and I mean it was brighter than the sun, and then after that, then here's Elijah and Moses, what did they do the two characters that brought revelation of truth Moses the 10 Commandments. Elijah the restoring Israel but to most important witnesses. If my little Jewish boy growing up in that day, Peter, John and James there. The two heroes of our faith. So now I see the light coming out of Jesus that I get the testimony that this isn't just some experiences Moses and here's Elijah and in a cloud and bells. I'm scared to death and you hear the very voice of God. This is my son leaving generous Democrats soon. He's let these three guys see who Jesus is and when you see who he really is and what will watch later is doing what he says it all that hard. He's got is all-powerful, he's faithful will never let you down will after they had this experience or to go down the mountain as they go down the mountain. I want you to notice how specific and why the authors letting us know these are connected when the voice had spoken, they found Jesus alone disciples kept this to themselves and told no one at the time what they'd seen and noticed the time marker again the next day the next day. All this goes together when it came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him in a man in the crowd, cloud teacher, I beg you look at my son for. He's my only child. The spirit seizes him and suddenly he screams and throws them into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and it's destroying him I'm paying you disciples to drive it out but they could not, why what's Jesus say what the text say look in your Bible.
Oh, on believing and perverse generation, Jesus replied, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you. Bring your son to me, even while the boy was coming, the demon thrown into through into the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father and they were all amazed at what the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling what Jesus did. He said to his disciples listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you the setting him up, look to be challenges the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, but they didn't understand what this meant was hidden from them so they didn't grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. He's preparing them for his leaving and he's giving them promises and how did he heal the boy did he touch and what he did spoke, you can trust my word, there's power in my word, some of the other gospel writers give this account and say this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting. It's not that there's some little magical thing that happens when you fast when people fast.
They say that spiritual food and attention with God is more important than my physical food and as they fast as they meet and spend extended time with God, it gets clarified who God really is and that's how you trust. You don't need a lot of faith, you need a crystal clear object of your faith when you give an example. Okay let's pretend this is a bridge okay and from here over there is a is a span.
Let's make it 100 feet. Since its then look that scary from here and then you pretend for you guys pretend with me on this one.
Looking down, it's a thousand feet, and there's alligators and their and Parada you probably die from the fall.
But if you don't little you get your right.
Here's how we tend to think about faith we think about faith is okay. There's a bridge that crosses it and it's God's known will for you cross the bridge and we think there's only a few people like a spiritual Indiana Jones who can do it and we visualize this as sort of one of those rickety you know bridge is likely seen in the Indiana Jones and it's made with vines and you know about every third board is broken or looks old but there is some there's a few there's a proud there's people have more faith in us to bump up to know they almost fall through their the awesome Christians. We that I could never be like that and that's how we think about coming.
It's Hudson Taylor and Charles Spurgeon and you know you and you name your spiritual hero. Nothing could be farther from what the Bible teaches what the Bible teaches is your right here there's a thousand feet drop. There's alligators and there's real danger in Israel cost and therefore Anna and there's a bridge look at the bridge sitters of well buzzer 3 feet steel girders. Not only that but there's this thing spans and it's not concrete 4 feet wide 12 feet wide has railings on both sides now is it a thousand foot drop. You are the real alligators. Yeah, with this bridge told me my lenses bridge would hold a truck not a big deal walk across his thing, a member a guy I share this illustration. He said I was taken a group of kids to camp and was up in Maine and you know they want to play some ice hockey and we wanted to go from one side in Maine to the other and there was us like I said I got out there and I had to stick like a boy put a rope around me and I'm out there like this like a zombie and I get these kids avoid five is one of them would not be goodas I'm gingerly going like this to get across in his is a mixture illustration of a better than it bridge illustration made up. I said okay and he said then I heard this, the sound wound. No long long long long long as a lacrosse. I looked up and there was a logging truck in the logging truck just went and drove right by me and I so what are you doing, he is all by this time year at 16 feet thick. God is good to ask some of you on this day to take a radical step faith. Some of your relationships that you know are ungodly because of your security. You're free to break them off. Some of you have addictions that are holding you up and people don't know about it or the people you love. Do and you're unwilling to come clean some of you been holding onto your future.
A great many of you statistically are holding onto your money. Some of you have had a dream in your heart about what God could really do through you, but I mean the implications. The moment you get to that you think all that might mean, and you withdraw and I want you to know the ice is 16 feet thick. Now I'm not telling you, there aren't real alligators.
I'm not telling you it might not be very fearful and I'll probably guarantee it'll get more difficult, before it gets better, but you can keep live in the try hard come to church be religious. Ask God to make your life work out frustration life. That is, the average Christian experience. All across America. Or you can join an army of rural Christ followers who have dislocated hearts broken spirits take radical steps of faith, and when God sees faith, super natural power occurs and what we have in the church today is primarily what people who believe personally in Jesus, the great majority that I assume whose sins are actually forgiven and his spirit actually lives in them. What we see is what they can do with their energy, their time playing it safe as long as God doesn't ask anything too big or too scary in my experiences is that Microsoft and HP and eBay take greater steps of faith to build something for profit than the average church that has a bridge over troubled water name Jesus who raised from the dead and dwells in you and God called us together to become not a group of people to be measured by how many people show up, but by what kind of people leave with what kind of faith that are impacting our homes and our lives and it's a journey and it's difficult but is an outlet pain and struggle and difficulty that you experience God not here about them not try hard experience things that you can explain now as the text goes on, you'll you'll notice that these disciples. You know, Peter, John, James, this near the end of the ministry that left homes there. Being ridiculed a Jesus is a marked man. There's assassination plot.
This is not a safe person to hang around and follow and so I mean they're in so three things occur. One is an argument among them about who's the greatest second is they find out of some other group that using Jesus name and doing ministry and basically they said master.
You know you have you heard about this these other people are not even on our superduper little teen that you don't want them around and then the third thing that happens is there on their way to Jerusalem and then go through Samaria and the Samaritans and Jews had real conflict and so John and James who really now believe they've experienced great power they say Lord you want to call our down from the sky. Take care. This village coming there experiencing real supernatural power and the dangers when you get very very committed to the Lord Jesus are 31 is comparison and is the misuse of position at the heart of all. Walking with God is humility. You need to compare yourself with anyone what they're doing what God made them to do what is called to do or how is using them. The second danger is exclusivity. That's the misuse of privilege in other not in our group were not in our denomination on our campus ministry.
They don't look at everything. Just the way you know were the ones the gods can use you would be surprised to God uses the don't fit some your categories who really love God and truth of his word and the third is seals the misuse of power is, I just say that to some of you that you're sitting here today and you're thinking I'm just wondering when someone's going to say this in this churchman. You know what if people gave like I gave it they serve like I served as a share. Like I shared one of these other people get on board a means of private thoughts to judge mental thought, and it produces an experience that when we meet you if it bubbles up to the surface. That's not all that attractive and is that kind of conversation where you criticize other churches or other ministries is that kind were God does some things in do not care if we get carried away with the experience instead of with the Lord and then I want to just let you read follow along because he says there is a cost and we need to look at this before we close in the cost he says is threefold as their verse 57 as they were walking along the road. A man said to him, I'll follow you member Jesus said we start out with. Follow me and I yourself pick up across the sky raises and all follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied the foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. Translation.
You can hang on to stuff you in a follow me we travel light.
You can hang on to stuff materialism locations. I am your security. There is no other security but me anything I give you along the way. Hold it loosely enjoy it deeply. Share it lovingly next man comes up in the Jesus said to him, follow me. But the man replied, Lord, first let me go bury my father. Jesus said, let the dead bury their own dead.
But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God at the interesting cultural issue. I can't develop. It wasn't that he was being harsh with this man but what he was really saying is you can't hang on the people there can't be any higher relationship than your relationship with Jesus can't be your wife can't be your husband can't be your kids Your grandparents. God is gracious will provide for those things but we can't say to God all do whatever you want inside this box and experienced the situation with someone that had great gifts and great opportunity, and that his wife said to me what I can't live more than 30 minutes my kids while at the rural little box. I just wonder if being in the center of God's will with him radically transform your life might have a better impact in a deeper relationship on your kids and telling God what he can and can't do and how far or how close you got beat. The third test as we pick it up is Jesus. Still another set. I'll follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family. Jesus had no man puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God and the cost here is you can't hang on to the past.
I remember vividly when we stepped out and said okay God were going to take Living on the Edge to do teaching and discipleship, not the organizational side of life. Not all the various other things. But that's can be the focus and it was like well but but when second and what renews in the first 30 days of God didn't radically show up. We have hundred $50,000 debt because of some circumstances a bit beyond her control and we were committed not to go into debt.
So what we knew was in 30 days Living on the Edge be over with and got have the right mean he starts things can stop things.
Now guess what didn't have any backers no plan B. No deep pockets radical step of faith. We focused on what God called us and made us to do and a fellow said to another fellow said to another fellow to other people. I did meet and I came up with about $500,000 to take the listening audience who matched it by over 600,000, and God was our venture capitalists that relaunch the ministry God can do whatever he wants. He can start if you can stop but it's one thing to say a ministry as his. It's one thing to say, your family says it's one thing say, oh God my money is yours. What when he taps on the shoulder and says, I like to I like to have it right now for what and then forget Teresa said you know what ever God ever chooses to do. We will know it had nothing to do with us.
It's his radical step of faith. Now what was I afraid absolutely/terrified and I'm thinking in on the new job here not only meet not have any money for ministry. Gone is when I stepped out you nice to have this job in the present of the thing.
It paid pretty good global platform and it wasn't like it was a lousy thing to do out really privilege, but it's obeying to the end of the day. This faith is a coin and you flip the coin over it says obey and is just trusting him to the point where you just do what he says and there's a supernatural life awaiting you the final point is that you can't walk on water unless you get out of the boat as you continue to read in chapter 10.
What you'll find is Jesus after this message. The crowd is bigger than the 12 any sense 72 people 2 x 2 out to do what he asked them to do and he gives them power to do it and they says don't take it extra bag don't take an extra person. In fact, he says I want you to go with nothing. Why with what you teach them how to trust me I want you trust me, you go to a town and if there responsive God will have someone there and you stay with that one group don't don't do any you know Jackson around him. People compare and you don't I'll take care of you don't even take a purse. Don't take any money. And in verse 17 of chapter 10, you might even scan down there and there God does things beyond their wildest dreams in the last verses.
This picture of what happens. The 72 returned with joins the Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name and listen to this.
This is my picture.
What I would love Jesus to look down on us in the bay area, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven would be great to see the intricacies and the evil of the bay area and Jesus look down on our little time together with other churches and Christians here and say I see Satan falling like lightning from heaven. I've given you authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice at the spirit submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. And then I love this. To me this is where it's all at at that time Jesus, full of joy to the Holy Spirit, said I praise you father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes father. This was your good pleasure. Jesus is really happy and he did it through very ordinary people like us. What's it look like for you to take a radical step of faith is becoming the manager how spiritually is it given God the first 20 or 30 minutes and saying and I'm gonna we went to that Romans 12 thing I did it for a while, but I'm gonna meet with you is launching a ministry. Is it going public and saying you not never been baptized and I'm sort of a secret agent Christian or maybe some to give the first portion of my money. I need to get in the game and trust God with my finances. Maybe some gonna break up the relationship or an addiction. I don't know what it is but I'll tell you there's a thick bridge that will hold you and love you and restore you because the eyes of the Lord are going to and fro trouble for any search for a man or woman pursued with stand in the gap before. So how about what's it look like right now in your life to step out of the boat and began walking on water. You know what I mean.
What area of your life. Do you know in your heart of hearts. God want you to step out is in your marriage is in going public with your faith at work is an impersonal area that you heard are we talked about in the message today.
You may be an addiction may be an area of discipline that you know God wants you. He's been nudging he's been encouraging.
What's it look like in your life to step out and walk by faith. If you got your mind. See the goal of our time together isn't that you learn about faith is that you take one step a specific step of trust and then God can show up in your life. Now let me ask you second question what's the biggest barrier to you taking that step. What person what fear, what financial issue what's looming out there that keeps you from doing what you know God wants you to do. Remember the words of Jesus.
You can hang on to people you can hang on the things you can hang on to your past, the safest best place in all the world is to walk by faith we you covenant with me right now to take a baby step of radical faith and then say, oh God, don't let me sink and then watch you work that's a great word shipped. Thanks.
Well, you're listening to Living on the Edge and the message you heard today practice a radical phrase is from chip series.
Holy ambition in the study of Nehemiah chip uncovers six crucial conditions every day. People need to grasp in order to accomplish incredible things for God and as were learning this process is not for the faint of heart. It requires determination, faith, courage, and an unwavering commitment.
Discover how with God's help, you can harness those qualities and make an eternal impact with your life. For complete details on all of our resources for holy ambition go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse Special offers one joined once again by our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram and chip.
You certainly packed a lot into this message about developing a radical phrase. Now I remember hearing you say that one great indicator of our faith is how we handle our money was set look like in the context of the series will debut now. I think we all we all long to believe that what we say and what we think really is who we are and and Jesus in his day talk so much and taught so much about money not because he ever became rich was trying to get people's money, but our money is the mirror of our heart or maybe think about it this way. It's the MRI of your heart to know what's really in there. What do I really worship what are my values. What are my true motives and what I would say is Jesus teaching says your lips, declare what you think matters what your values are and what you worship.
That's what your lips declare your money reveals where they really are. And so that's why he talks so much about that because really it's love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul your mind your strength and the competition for our heart is money, it's, it's the things that we think that can fill us up that money can buy security significance impact impressing others, and so you know it really has a impact here Living on the Edge when I think of the people who give to Living on the Edge. It's not just that they're giving us their money. We are so grateful we are good stewards we are using it in ways that really honor God and lives are being changed, but to help people understand who God really is and create resources around Badin and reach the next generation and and to say that we really want to make a difference to help Christians live like Christians in a crazy world were living in