Real Discipleship - The Radical Road to Greatness, Part 2

Did you ever wonder why Jesus made such a big deal about how we treat children and wanted actually repeals about us. You can hear some will shock children stay with. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edge as an international discipleship ministry daily Bible and I hope you been encouraged by our series will discipleship if you have taken minute after this message in shirt with a friend shipping remap by sending them free MP3 living on the before we begin, I would remind you that this is the series chip taught many years ago was going to sound a little different than what you're used to, or that let's dive in.

As Chip continues sharing the profound lessons we all can learn from children observation about kids is they rarely understand how much sacrifice it takes to do for them what you do when you advocate was last time the kids to walk in some bad mom or dad or whatever. I'm thinking you guys get up early.

My clothes are clean. There's food on the table. I read an article. It cost 250 $200,000 to get me from 0 to 18 alone. There's been sacrifice interrupted your relationship.

I just want to know that you two are incredible and your smile thanks think is after you get. They say this to write down now as were laughing now listen very carefully why Jesus illustrated with the child he saying here's the test.

The acid test of our servant hood. The acid test of our servant hood is our motives to see if you're willing to serve a little child. If you're willing to serve people who can't pay you back can't take out the lunch who can affirm you who can't give you a visible position can't do something to let everyone know what a great servant. You are then you must be doing it for one reason the phone as an act of worship for go go go back and look at nurseries and four and five-year-olds in elementary rooms and I want you find people that were carrying something, those kids you know can imagine one's want to.

Can't say I just want to tell you make a significant eternal impact my life. I really appreciate what they say and they learn and the people who work with children. You know what you what the motivation is the recognition and visibility. I guess they're doing father now just kind if you have a spiritual seatbelt fastened it mildly because I think the scalpel of God's word.

I'm going to just writing between some of your ribs and your heart. I wonder why there's always a great need for people to minister from the Crim through sixth grade, junior high, and often even mostly the early great you know why there are no strokes to be found. There's little visibility mostly in gratitude and what requires ours a heart for God. It requires sacrifice requires taking off the me first mindset in the hassle and saying to the least of these. I do it not for them only. But for you and the father welcomed the Lord now shifts gears and after giving us acid test of what makes a great person and embed. Basically, the question is why we do what we do is was getting down to the mode of the heart and as we get there. He reminds us were not in competition with one another great comparison is always the root of carnality when trying to figure out whether you read more, give more or serve more and do more innocent than just carnal because I know God's agenda for you guys really doesn't want me to know is Jennifer you, but he wants me than a father.

First, others before me mindset and come to him and do what he wants me to do.

You know the only reason it keeps us from sacrificial giving of time and talent and treasure what is a me first mindset my schedule my stuff. My bills and often many of our bills are things that an impulse when you're feeling down, went out and bought that we didn't need and can't afford the payments up to her eyeballs sued for one and the Lord is cutting through this and saying there's a road to greatness, a radical road. Not a lot of people traveled let you get on this road and take off that he first mindset and put a father first others before you mindset. You will be great. The second thing I was gonna say is that this isn't just for the elite for the insiders. This is just for people been to seminary or Bible college or an insider leadership or close to Christ in some way I redefine that this is for everybody noticed how John verse 38. Not sure whether this is a confession or whether a diversion conviction has occurred and he's got a spiritual dagger in his heart being gently twisted. I think in and and is either confessing teacher all gosh forced us to teach little children like this I can tell you can't believe what we did the other day we met some people and they work in our group and they were actually casting out demons in your name and doing ministry in your name successfully. Unlike us, and not and so we told him the stop because they're not part of our group will run around us in our church are not in our denomination or our nondenominational and so you know equally. Jesus now is going to teach that this jealousy of others. This exclusive attitude in competition with other people is to also be forbidden because it is rooted in a me first mindset, verse 38 teacher said John we saw man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop because he's not one of us answered. Do not stop and Jesus said, no one does a miracle in my name, and can in the next moment say anything bad about me. For whoever is not against us is for us. In fact, I tell you the truth I tell you the truth, not only people are doing ministry and bank on things like casting out demons, but I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, a small teeny bitty bit of father. First, others first sacrifice. Anybody who does a tiny little thing in my name and gives it because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose their reward.

We are not in competition with other people and were not in competition with other works sometimes. I'm absolutely astounded and semi-amazed as I didn't grow up in a Bible tradition that the church is not here church people talking about other churches and parachurch ministries when they do well like something's wrong. Help me think this through, because maybe I got it painted view growing up somewhere maybe had head injury or something but it seems to me that if there preaching the same Christ and they may vary on this. They may be very serious in expressing it, or they may be little you rowdy or than we are over here, but if there preaching Christ believes Scripture and are introducing people to him and helping them mature, shouldn't we be happy when things are going well for them and shouldn't grieve our heart when they're struggling and showing the things that come out of our lips be encouraging and positive instead of critical detrimental to help me if I don't have that right. But I got this picture this big, bold, and different kind of people in the boat in a struggle and work hailing water and these other people appealing to say wait a second you're using the wrong size pail, and it just somehow seems to me that were on the same team. The Lord is saying to John hey John, there's no exclusivism hey John, they may not do it our way. In our little band, but you know what you guys are not the only guys I can be great. And this is not the only group that can be great people doing lots of things everywhere they have in common with you if there great.

They have exchanged near me first mindset, selfishness, and they have put on father first mindset and others before me mindset and they're serving in my name there serving my power my blessings upon them and they'll be great. So John shut up.

What I like to notice here to Jesus. He says you don't have to be big time. It's the small gift it's parking in such a way that someone older in rain could have a closer spot is picking up after yourself pulling stuff out of the laundry thing and putting the laundry and going ahead and folding it for the person who does it is finding dishes that you dirty and cleaning them in the name of Christ for them as doing your own. So someone else doesn't have to do that. It's little things. It's a smile is a kind word, no phone call.

It's not to get credit not to gain attention is to put the needs of other people in tiny little ways everywhere there's makes you crank crating God's eyes and held that's what he's talking about and I'll tell you what it is and has drastic implications and impact.

At one point to those of you that know the story of Tresa nitrous was very godly. I was very slow in our relationship, and after year she know we were going to get married and I I kept checking out for another year and 1/2 after that, and I struggled and struggled and struggled in. I was in a conference here in California and as I was at this conference a long story but basically was a conference where they brought in the meal.

It was solid so like five or six long tables and about 150 people. So if you're in the last third. Basically you came through and got lettuce with nothing and so after the first day of ready got smart, this good Christian conference with a me first mindset and make sure you got up there close in early got all the good stuff and being subtly open to the Holy Spirit outside my quiet time Veal servant hood read that was convicted by God said tomorrow I'm going to be last of the light just a small little you know.

No big deal and the other thing I've been praying is amended to kill us was the president of Osier, overseas crusades cannot admit two or three times, and for some reason I got my mind I could talk to him about trees not usually have some answers on it where I got that I things from God. And so I wait and people going to this line. What I didn't realize because I've been pretty selfish. The first two days, is it not only when you're at the end of the line you get the lousy food but there's no place to sit either. So now were down to three or four people at the very end, and this guy travels all over the world. And guess who walks in the door to kill us and he comes hey Chip how you doing great. Good to see you, Mr. Ellis and the so we get our salad with little else and the he looks around and says hey look pretty crowded here when we go in conference room and I spend the next 45 minutes with the kill us share my story and he doesn't ask penetrating questions. He looks at me and says marry her. My son with his jokes with his eyes open. He starts pray God I pray that you put your hand on this guy and you don't and he's not even charismatic. You know I was actually so conservative at that point my life after God did that and you know I gave him 45 other test that he fulfilled. I said Lord Dante went down to wait 24 hours in case you want to tell me anything differently and to call Teresa long distance and asked her to marry me so I to the hour. I waited went into her room and called her and but here's the point. Good story.

I love to tell it what I need to kill us. I made a tiny little application to take off my Christian knee first mindset in a tiny way said, Lord, you know I would have a father first others before me mindset and got exulted my life God gave me an answer to prayer. You do that in your home you do that in your office, you begin to do that with your dollars you do that with your time and you will experience joy power like you've never tasted in your life right after that Jesus told us that if you would be great. You can't, here's the road. Being a servant, he said, is not just for some it's for everyone and then now get a breeze through the next the eight verses because Wunder theologically packed with problems and I don't spend too much time on but what's clear and it is.

There's a warning sign on this road.

You know the those big, they're not triangular their diamond-shaped in any morning in the bright yellow and flashing lights. Jesus is saying you want to be great, Craig. 20 servant, great, great, but now he says look out because there's two things you be careful off in your pursuit of greatness you be very careful to be sensitive and genuine Sedo because other people stumble and secondly you better make sure that your own life is pure and clean before me because of their sin in your life it's impossible to have a father first mindset sees sin deceives you.

And if there's anything that you do anything that you see any problem that you have you got deal with that before you can be a servant. Let me walk through this we close. If anyone causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. The people that were causing people stumble was a Pharisees largely what was their problem. Legalism and hypocrisy when we in our walk with God begin to add layers of what people have to do to be spiritual and we begin to talk one way and live another way some people have confidence in us and then we let them down and they see gross things in our lives. I get disillusioned in the stumble. I can't tell you what all the TV evangelist went down to my office was filled with people who said I just wonder this is really real.

Those of you that have been through pastor falling that's close to you is losing his and the young see the mature say hey just a man struggled is the problem that was sin was tempted on and on you. But see the neophyte the new believer really says new believers as it was like he didn't like the rest. And Jesus says when you emerge as a great person and a godly person and you live in hypocrisy will you be careful because of you whole lot better if you took this donkey sized millstone put around your neck and they threw you in the ocean because I care a lot about those new believers. Secondly he says a second warning is you need to make sure that your heart has the right condition to be a servant. It means ridding it of sin strong words as I read these remember he speaking to a mixed group, these disciples are not all believers June is obvious.

A nonbeliever we know from later that Thomas is not a believer yet, so he's talking to Mexico that haven't totally made up their mind with the following the Savior and Lord.

So there is the possibility of what he shares here, even among the disciples if your hand causes you to sin, here's a warning cut off anything that you do. If you cause you to sin, cut off is better for you to enter life maimed, and with two hands and go into hell were fire never goes out. If your foot causes you to sin places you go things that you do, cut it off is better for you to enter life crippled and have 2 feet and be thrown into hell. And if you causes you to sin, the things that you must, after the things that you look at the things he wants. Been reading your heart if it because he doesn't want after I it's better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye and to be cast into hell and obviously this is hyperbole because where Jesus teaches is the root of sin is not in our members is in your heart. He's saying, in essence, be as old as you need to be to deal with the known sin in your life because until you deal with the known sin in your life. The idea of being a servant is a joke. You can't have a double life and be living with someone here and be watching trash over here and be cheating people over here and be dishonest over here and have anything other than a me first mindset all you be as a faker and he saying they don't mix some restatement. Everyone will be salted with fire salt season things he saying what's fired. If it's an imperishable godly quality you put it in fire gold, silver and precious stones. It comes out pure but if it's pony gets burned.

I do to impress people. But I do out of the flesh, the stuff that I did. It looks Christian on the outside is my wicked heart when I come before him is to be burned up and stuff but I do because I put on a father first others before me.

Mindset as an act of worship whether anybody knows whether anybody cares whether it's visible with her ever get any credit where we get a pat on the back to it unto God.

He says it silver, gold and precious stones reward summary conclusion Yourselves What to Say. Be Distinctive Servant Be Sure, Personally, and Then Be at Peace with One Another, but Was the Problem When the Started Arguing. What's His Remedy. Follow the Radical Road of Servant Hood Be Peace Radical Road to Break This Series Real Discipleship.

You May Be Asking Yourself What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple Is Trip Walks through Mark Chapter 6 through 10 Impacts. This Complex Idea of Discipleship by Using the Simple Lessons Jesus Taught His Followers Stay with Us As We Learn How Commitment, Evangelism, Humility and Trust Paint an Accurate Picture of What a Genuine Disciple of Jesus. Looks like to Learn More about the Six Part Series Real Discipleship or to Catch up on past Programs Resist LivingontheEdge.org or Bible Teacher Chip Ingram Is with Me No and Chip. It's Been Incredible to See How God Is Working Both Here and across the World.

So As We near the End of This Midyear Match Season. What Final Thoughts. Do You Will. David's Been Absolutely Amazing When I Think of What God Is Done to the Daily Discipleship. This Global Pastor's Expansion Is Something That We Never Saw Coming, but in the Midst of What Are the World Is. I Feel like God Is Moving like Never before. So As We Come to the End of This Midyear Match.

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Thank You for Praying and Doing Whatever God Leads You to Do Fixture. Let Me Just Add That by Partnering with Living on the Edge, You'd Be Helping Us Take the Truth of God's Word across America Literally around the World. There's Never Been a Better Time to Join the Team Because between Now and Midnight Tomorrow. Every Gift We Received Will Be Matched Dollar for Dollar, Regular Mail Needs to Be Postmarked before Then to Make a Donation. Just Visit LivingontheEdge.org or Call Us at AAA 333-6003 That's AAA 333-6003 Hapless Nurse. Don't Think You Advance for Your Generosity Trip As We Wrap up This Message on the Radical Road to Greatness Remind Us of Those Warnings You Do a Review of the Program Will Day. There Are Two Clear Warnings from This Passage in the First One Is to Be Sensitive and Genuine. Not to Cause Other People to Stumble As I Think It Starts with What Behaviors That I Might Feel like You're Okay with Me or What Behaviors That You Know Were Wrong That You Realize This Isn't Just about Me. It's Not My Way, My Rights, and Who Cares What Someone Thinks. According to Jesus, Our Behaviors or Actions or Words Even Some Things That We Might Have the Freedom to Do. We Have To Be Very Discerning Because Love Considers What Others Think and How They Feel by Our Actions and Doesn't Mean That Were Restricted by Those but It Really Does Mean That We Go to Great Lengths Not to Cause Other People to Stumble the Second Morning Is the One That Sounds Kinda Crazy Where He Says You Know If Your Eye Causes You to Sin, Pluck It out.

If Your Hand Causes You Sin Shop but Often You Know the Edits, Hyperbole, Etc. Etc. but Here's What He's Really Saying He's Really Saying That in Areas of Sin in Our Life We Actually Have To Be As Radical As Necessary. Let Me Give You Some Examples That I've Had over the Years. One Is a Guy Called Me and Got Involved in an Emotional Affair.

He Had Not Committed Adultery at This Point, but Every Day He Thought about This Woman and It Was Mutual and He Knew Where He Was Going to End up. And He Called Me on the Phone and Said What Can I Do and I Ask A Few Questions and Then I Said If You Need to Quit Your Job. Your Job Is All Man You Have No Idea Mean and They Told Me All the Implications. I Said Five Years from Now. 10 Years from Now, 20 Years from Now.

Even If You Have To Start over in Your Vocation. You Could Have a Great Job and Have Three Kids Are for Kids Who Think You Betrayed Them and Ruin Your Future Ruin Your Marriage. I Will Tell You What That Career Means Nothing Compared to the Long-Term Impact of Your Marriage and Your Kids Will Tell You What He Did Some Radical Member. Another Guy Who Had a Porn Addiction and No Matter What He Tried. I Said Are You Ready If You've Tried Everything Get a Flip Phone.

He Said What I Said Get a Flip Phone That He Was a Young Guy, I Said Do You Want to Break the Habit or Not There's A Lot Of Issues and There's Counseling at All the Rest, but Be As Drastic As You Need to Be for Other People for Maybe Some of You It You Need to Find a Good Christian 12 Step Program.

Admit, Do You Have a Problem with Alcohol or Some Addiction and Confess It and Say I'm Going to Go Get Counseling and Help Be As Radical As You Need to Be to Get Your Life in Line with God's Will. There Will Be Short-Term Pain, but There Will Be Long-Term Eternal Game You Know Who You Are. This Isn't Something to Think about A Lot Do It and Do It Today Great Challenge Trip.

Thanks. Just before We Close. I Want to Thank Those of You Who Financially Support Living on the Edge. Amazing Things Are Happening All around the Globe. You Help Us Do That. So If You Want to Be Part of What the Lord's Doing through This Ministry. Let Me Encourage You to Partner with Us Financially and Right Now Every Gift We Received up until Midnight on July 7 Will Be Doubled for Even Greater Impact.

So Today Is a Great Day to Join Us. To Donate, Go to LivingontheEdge.org or Give Us a Call at AAA 333-6003 That's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org Hapless Nurse Top Donate. Thank You for Praying and Giving Whatever the Lord Leads You to Give One Selects Time. This Is Dave, Thank You for Joining Us for this Edition of Living on the Edge