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June 6, 2022 6:00 am
You know what has the power to change your world to me. The world around you where you actually live in your neighborhood, your apartment, your community where you work. Actually being transformed. If you want to know what actually works according to God. Stay with us. That's today welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disable Christians, the Bible, thanks for joining us as we near the end of our series. What happens when Christians live like Christians, as many of you know, we say that phrase a lot as we know it's what actually makes a difference.
We believe the followers of Jesus radically change their families and communities, but this isn't a new idea is we've been learning through trip studying the book of Titus, doing good, has been the quality of believers for centuries. So how can you be a Christian, you really live like a Christian for that answer. Turn in your Bibles to Titus chapter 3 story chip stock when people do good.
They change their world and when we do good.
We can change our world. When Christians act like Christians. People get love homes get healed, communities and neighborhoods get changed in the Scripture says that when God's people do good your world can actually be changed when the apostle Paul wanted to sum up, the very reason why Jesus came to earth.
First Timothy 115 he said this. This is a trustworthy statement. It's a statement that deserves full agreement that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and I love his last line of which I am the worst. The word to save there literally means to be delivered. Jesus Christ came to earth to deliver us in all men and all women all children out of bondage in sin and slavery and all the bad stuff. It creates and to deliver us into a new life in a new relationship.
So what has the power let's get it down to where we live. What has the power to change your world, your neighborhood where you work well on the front of your notes.
I like to suggest that there's three things there in the form of questions. Question number one is what is the power to convince your neighbors and friends and coworkers that God's word is true, I would say it's safe to say in our day that by and large in our culture. The Bible is no longer respected by many second question is what has the power to restore your credibility and influence. As a follower of Christ were viewed as judgmental, hypocritical, anti-intellectual has the power to change that. Third, what has the power to make your neighbors and your friends and your coworkers actually come to you and want to explore a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of the zoning believe that's possible.
But the answer to all three of those questions are very simple and it's the exact same issue that was happening when the apostle Paul spoke of his young pastor Titus said there's these Christians on this island concrete and because of the immorality there because of the weakness of the Christians and false teaching. They only like Christians and Titus. Here's what you gotta tell him you tell them when they do good at home when they do good at work and when they do good in their communities. God's word will be honored.
They will be respected and their neighbors will see the difference in their life and they will flock to them and want to know how their lives can change and so open your notes if you will.
The question I want to ask and answer is what is it look like for Christians to live like Christians for specifically.
What's it look like for me and you to live like Christians in our community. Open your Bible. If you would, to Titus chapter 3 if you skim up to chapter 2. You realize he's told older men how to live like Christians. He's told older women how to live like Christians. He said to younger men. This is how you need to live like a Christian, younger women, and now he says in chapter 3 reminded people. So this is for everyone to be subject to rulers and authorities to be obedient to be ready to do whatever is good to slander no one to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility toward all men. So basically, chapter 1. Here's how leaders need to live chapter 2.
Here's how individuals need to live now. Chapter 3 he says to all people in unison are six specific things that will demonstrate that Jesus is alive but is truth that he loves people and there's hope in so noticing your notes. Here's what I did. I just made a quick point from each one of those you want to change your community.
You want your neighbors to think about Christ differently.
Number one. Obey the law.
So what he says when he says be subject to rulers and authorities and then he repeats it. Be obedient. The context is we need to obey the law. We need to obey the laws that we agree with.
We need to pay the laws that we disagree with me every tax time that you to sit down and thinking, especially those of us that itemize you know this is sort of right on the gray area and I could I couldn't in and with a way so much my money and in some of you that have businesses where you have to decide whether to declare war that cash that you receive or for there's a lot of areas of obedience to the law and God says here's the command. Romans 13.
Seven. Render to all, what is due them. Speaking of the government tax doing taxes due custom to new customers do fear to whom fear is due an honor to whom honor is due. I don't know about you but I my heart breaks when I hear of people live a very strong Christian testimony and then it's revealed some time later that they break the law and the completely discredited. One of my favorite coaches is Jim Tressel hi State University and I had the opportunity because we were to event together and he was speaking. I was speaking and so I got to know him in the back room and had a very strong Christian testimony wonderful guy and if some of these sports fans know the story a couple of his players were selling their jerseys and some things memorabilia for a few hundred dollars here and there and NCAA rule the rules. If a coach becomes aware of that he has to report and he was on the national championship run and it came to be known that he was aware of it and he didn't report it and I'm sure there were parts of him that thought in other young kids are 20 years old. It's a crazy rule but he's not the coach of Ohio State University anymore and a member later are reading an article by some commentators and other coaches you Tressel. All he talked about was Christ in honor and for 10 kids and raising up young men seek he's a liar like all the rest. See, we can afford that we can afford it went. When I do my taxes when I have these moments, here's what I have to think about is a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars or getting away with a little something.
Is that worth God's reputation and forfeiting the blessing of God. We want to change the world.
Number one, we have to obey the law. Number two that little phrase be ready to do whatever is good. Serve your community. God expects his followers to make wherever they live in your neighborhood, your community, wherever we live. He says you need to serve your community. The word means. Be prepared and acted to serve the welfare of your community.
Galatians chapter 6 verse 10 says so, then why we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, let us do good to all people, and especially those who are the household of the faith because we gotta transform the world. When we transform the world is not by arguing with people. It's by obeying the law.
It's by doing good and serving our community and third were to guard our tongue. Notice the phrase here slander no one basically refused to be negative. Guard your words about other people. Critical views untested information you may have strong political views. You may disagree with people you may think the world is going to hell in a handbasket but be very careful what you put on your Facebook. Be very careful what emails you pass on the people should be very careful in coffee shops.
How you speak about other people because your name isn't simply in my case, Chip Ingram, it's Chip Ingram, son of the living God, and is not just your reputation.
It's his reputation we have been known for being so negative and so harsh and we pass on untested truth and we attack and and I got news for you no one. No one's heart is one that way. He says to this group in Crete and says to us obey the law serve your community. Guard your tongue effect if you want to contest a great verse to memorize all my children would say they had to memorize this.
Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word is as good for edification or building up according to the need of moment that it may give grace to those who hear no putrid, no corrupt word comes out of your mouth because they identify you not just with your job or your family, but as a follower of Christ and your words have the power for good and for evil. Fourth, he says refused to fight it says be peaceable is how it's translated literally the word is be a non-fighter yes were to take a stand on the truth but were take a stand with grace were not in a cultural war, but here that one more time were not trying to win a cultural war were trying to win people's hearts were trying to care about individual people.
If you win people's hearts, and you love them and you take a stand for truth, but you do it with a winsome and grace and concern and and you treat people with dignity, even if you disagree with them. That's how the early church change the world that their culture was completely anti-God.
But people just couldn't get over the fact that they were the people that help the poor. They were the people would help the lepers. They were the people that gave good for evil Romans 1217, 18, says never is not a lot of room here. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone respect what is right in the sight of all men. Literally that word. Respect is consider take into account you have to agree with people but they grew up, and they've had experiences and they've been through some things and this is how they look at life respect what is right in the side of moment. If possible, and is not always possible, but it's possible.
So part depends on you, be at peace with all men. People who thinks so radically different than us need to meet someone like you, but as a thinking, loving, kind Christian that actually believes in the Bible that is bold about your spiritual experience.
Your lights been transformed. Your commitment in your relationships and you come to work and you do excellent work and you can articulate your faith and what they realizes you're not weird you're not crazy, not angry, not harsh you don't talk negatively, and they need to have a friend people that strongly believe in abortion need.
Have a great Christian friend homosexuals in our community to have a strong Christian friend. People just absolutely on the opposite end of the continuum aware of your politically neatest drama Christian friend, that's when the walls break down. This is what Jesus says this is what Paul says to this young pastor. This is how you turn around this immoral place called Crete for three with a 50 winsome and forbearing.
The word means to be considerate, gentle, willing to yield one's rights. The opposite is don't be stubborn and insisting on your own way.
It has the idea of not clinging to your rights, we got this idea that these are my rights and this is how I view it and you want a great example job in your notes.
First Peter 218 to 25 if anyone had the right to cling to the rights it was Jesus, but Jesus understood it wasn't about changing the Roman Empire. It wasn't about him having his rights. It says he set an example for us and he says to those Christians through Peter, what credit is there if you suffer for doing what's wrong. In other words, if you cheat if you live you steal when you suffer, what credits that but if when you do what is right and suffer for it. Are you ready this finds favor with God. For Christ suffered and set for you an example that you might follow in his steps. And although he was reviled.
He reviled not, but instead entrusted his soul to a faithful Creator so we don't we don't get to have our rights.
It was his power. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength under control the strength not to spew back the strength not to retaliate. The strength not to say have got to have my rights. That's the spirit of God living inside believers were following Christ. He says in James 317 if you're wondering what's coming out of your mouth to your actions.
If this is God's wisdom of the spirits wisdom hears and here's a picture of the spirits wisdom. James 317 but the wisdom from above is first pure than peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
That's the litmus test for my attitudes when I quote forbear or put up with or am considerate in a very godless world.
Finally, he says treat everyone like an M VIP very important person. He says show yourself humble to all men. Would you circle the word all means you realize how crazy this was in the Roman Empire to the slave treat everyone all people, I mean that Roman guard your ear master who hasn't beat you a cake. Treat all men with humility and the reason I put like a VIP like a very important person is. I remembered a story I was number of years ago we were flying into Jakarta do some ministry and if you ever traveled internationally and go to a really big city. Here we are in is like getting through immigration that had me like 400 some people and I thought it's gonna take as long to get through this lines it did to fly here and is like and then there was this line and had a VIP you know no one's going in it. You know couple apparently important people and I'm in the back with her team like this.
Something really be here forever and ever and ever and I saw the sky walking and he had a sign with two things it rarely go together VIP in the name Ingram holding it up and I'm thinking – I wonder what other Ingram was on this plane and I realized it was me and our hosts in Indonesia was a retired general general man. He was involved in the ministry and he was hosting us well I guess retired generals have a lot of cool and I mean I went through here in this man came to give me your passport please. I gave him his passport.
Don't worry about your luggage to care this. He flashed. I mean, and we got the car and in the traffic there is like you know Mexico City or Manila climbing like three days to get from one side of the city were in his car with his little flags we start driving in everyone from the Red Sea parts not listen carefully. I was treated like a very important person because I was a friend of the general and God says to me, and he says to you, I want you to treat these people that I have created and I want you treat these people that whether they receive the gift or not. I believe that every person on the face of the earth was worthy of the price tag of the blood of my son Jesus. And so, regardless of their color, regardless of their education regardless if they're dirty, regardless of their smelly regardless the rich regardless of the report. I want you to treat every person 24 seven like a very important person, whether they have the penthouse or whether the elevator operator. Whether the person in front of McDonald's of the people owns McDonald's chain. I want you to treat everyone regardless of their political views regardless of their lifestyles. Regards of how they lived throughout the county, tattoos or piercings they have for how many Rolex watches they wear. I want you to treat them as a very important person in the apostle Paul said when we do that, you change a community that's what we do. Christians who live like Christians in our community.
Obey the law serve their community guard their tongue refused to fight her winsome and forbearing and they treat everyone like of you listening to part one of trips message of doing good will change your world will be right back with his application for this teaching series doing good. What happens when Christians live like Christians, the Bible teaches that were saved by God's grace and by your faith in. So where does that leave doing good works.
I mean, why does it matter how we interact with one another through chips teaching in the book of Titus will learn how our decision to do good for another person is more than just a simple gesture.
It's an opportunity to impact their life. Don't miss the easy ways you can practice doing good. Every day, and that we can dramatically change our world for the better. For more information about our resources for this series go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 or go to the tripping roadmap chips.
Join me in studio now and shipped today. You explain how doing good can really impact our entire society as we look around our world were in some desperate need for a whole lot a good way.
Absolutely Dave were ever you go. These days it seems like you're either hearing bad news or conversations about bad news. The volume of information coming at us today is incredible. Unfortunately, a lot of that information is incorrect or it's drawing us away from the truth. As Christians we know we have a cause we have a hope in Christ that we know that our lives are meant to reflect Jesus in our world. Each and every day.
Yet even as Christians were not immune to the impact the discouraging messaging and anger and negativity that's coming at us day in and day out, and here's the deal. If you are not fueling your heart and your mind with good things. If you not studying biblical truth. Do not connecting in community with other believers. If you're not learning what the Bible says about how to live as a Christian in every circumstance. The hopelessness of this world is going to seep into your soul will steal your joy, your peace and your witness. So what should we do can I give you a couple suggestions number one consumed good true biblical content daily. Get up, meet with the Lord. Renew your mind with this word.
Second, Living on the Edge is committed to teaching and discipleship you find teaching on the radio, podcast, ab daily Bible studies small-group resources tools about family identity, spiritual warfare, the character of God. We are absolutely committed to helping Christians would like Christians and a big part of that is helping you renew your mind, so let me ask you if the ministry of Living on the Edge has guided you helped you deepen your walk with God. Would you consider prayerfully partnering with us. God is doing a great work in the midst of really challenging days, but we need your help in right now is a great time because from today through July 7. Every gift you give will be double dollar for dollar. Thanks for praying about it and then doing whatever God shows you. Thanks, Chip will of God is ministered to you through Living on the Edge and you want to get in on supporting us now is the perfect time to join the team. Thanks to the generosity of a group of ministry partners. Every gift we received between now and July 7 will be doubled to send a gift. You can either call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org Listeners just Donate will hear again is chip with some final thoughts from today's program as we close today's program. You might be interested to know that what is taught in Titus had enormous impact in the first century and in the centuries to follow, and was just a word to everyday people that you know treat everyone like a VIP. It was a word to say. Don't judge anyone on the exterior. It was a word that just cut through Roman culture and the world's values and you know that was these early Christians they they heard this, and to them it was all this is God's will is a know what they did. They went out to the dump sites and when babies were abandoned.
They rescued them out when the great plagues came instead of running to the mountains like everyone else did, at the cost of their life. They would nurse people back to health. They were the people that would walk again. And even when martyred, say father forgive them. They know not what they do in only 300 years.
The Roman empire went from 12 followers of Jesus to 33 million out of the 60 million people in the Roman Empire by the time of Constantine.
It was ordinary regular goodness to change the world. We can change our world.
One good deed at a time. Great wardship facts will just before we close our mission at Living on the Edge as you've been hearing in this series is to help Christians really live like Christians and one of the best ways we can continue to do that is through programs like this one. So when you hear a message. That's especially helpful.
We hope will pass it on to others. You can easily do that through the tripping roadmap or by forwarding the free MP3s from LivingontheEdge.org. Don't forget to include a note about how it made a difference in your life well for Chip and everyone here.
This is the same.
Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge