Jesus Unfiltered - Follow - What's it Mean to Follow Jesus?, Part 2

What is it really me to follow Jesus you need to think about poverty doesn't mean a life following a rigid set of rules and regulations. Is it about doing this not doing that work could be a catalyst for the most fulfilling peace filled life could ever imagine. Could following Jesus be about the relationship that transforms how you think. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge shipping room serves as our Bible daily discipleship industry continues to follow volume 2, series Jesus unfiltered is picking up where he left off in our last program answering the question, what does it mean to follow Jesus first John chapter 1 verse five. God is light in him there is no darkness at all in the notice. The premise if we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son, purifies us literally. It's keep on cleansing us from all sin.

So what's it mean it means that you have the light of life means that you never have to walk in darkness means you have been very light in the presence like sometimes you know we read the bottom think would be great if if you know there was a light like over our house are like over my car. Or maybe over my head that I could only see you know when it whenever it moved.

I would move in your this decision go here and you will be great, Jesus saying I'm that it's not over your head and is not over tabernacle. It's inside the temple in your it and I will come and I will not just forgive you but I will live in you and I'll direct your life as you walk in the light as you would read all the first Johnny's essay walking in light has two primary one is a vertical relationship and others horizontal walking in the light is walking in holiness before God, walking in the light horizontally is walking in love and he'll give you five or six test throughout the first first John is if I say love God, hate my brother Emmaline, the true synonymy if I say I love God and habitually continue to send.

I'm a liar and the truth, not any when I was growing up I was a typical American family, both mom and dad of schoolteachers with advanced degrees both good smart people both from good homes. Dad was a veteran and on the outside. We look good.

We got good grades. We played sports, I got a scholarship, we lived in unit little cul-de-sac communities, but we were walking in darkness. We actually went to church regularly me. No one believe the Bible and no one believed it was really true, but we went to church went through the motions that Neil Stan you say this I say that repeat after me glad we got that done. That's what good people do we walk in darkness is as my dad would say later says even when I was drunk and went to church. But my dad was. It was just absolute alcoholic three and half packs a day of cigarettes he had wounds and pain so deep in his life. My mom was like in the dictionary where it says codependent. She she was like the enabler of all enablers who explain my father and work all of life, so that everything Looking good on the outside when we were grown children. Every conversation with my mom we can triangulate week quintuple related and when she died that I mean that the strings were gone.

My older sister in typical fashion with a deeply disturbed man with unresolved pain and anger issues in a loving and caring than enabling. She rebelled and then she she went off the deep end for a season. My middle sister had a eating disorder because she could never measure up when she got lost in the fray, so she thought she could be more more more beautiful. I remember when to defeat these wheat puffs all the time she got where she was just skin and bones and then the young son became the performance workaholic you get good grades get a scholarship be good in sports, try, try, try, try, try to be my light was success somehow get approval but no matter how much you got the bar always raised and we were this dysfunctional family. But we look good parents had advanced degrees in the did a nice house all went to college were religious. If you asked me if you believe Jesus will sure I'm an American, you know right where the Bible is see the light of your life know I had a formula that was the light of my life I the fear of failure that was a lot of my life thousand absolute communion. I learned to be different people to different groups all the time. See you walking darkness you is bump bump bump bump bump and your use chains on you.

So how do you walk in the light. I'll tell you because I've experienced it. I seen it happen to thousands and thousands of people the command he gives us, tells us how to walk in the light. He says if you hold to my teaching, or literally, if you abide in my word, you are really my disciples, acid test is a condition you might you might not hear as though if you do if you abide in my word, then you will know circle the word no. It's not intellectual knowledge thirst boy day intellectual knowledge, factual and Greek other word UNESCO you hear the word Gnostic and that UNESCO is knowing by experience, then you'll know by experience the truth and the word for truth here is very interesting the truth.

It's something that was sealed gets unsealed and then is open it's it's something that you don't really get to gets unsealed and then it's open and then literally it will set you free in the word free here means you can do what you want, but to do what you want isn't just crazy stuff to do what you want, you can actually do what's right for I couldn't do what I wanted. I was living to fulfill. Who knows, trying to please my father trying to impress people I didn't know my my my sister wasn't doing what she wanted. She was starving herself to try and look pretty brother sister wasn't doing what she wanted. She became a slave to her since she rebelled. My mother later in her life.

She always wanted to travel.

She always wanted to do this you always wanted to do this. She never did any of that because her whole life was consumed making everybody else's life worked out. I felt so sad for her and my dad.

He was a prisoner of his alcoholism. Prisoner of his fear prisoner of his anger and then my sister with the eating disorder met a friend named Tammy and Tammy said there was a person named Jesus, and in punk he said heard about him know know know he's real. He brings light to your life.

He wants to forgive your sins. He thinks you're beautiful just the way you are. He wants to come and live in your life, and he wants to give you what light does perspective and direction in perception and awareness and life and he promises that as you walk in the light even as he is a like you have fellowship with people you have relationships like never before.

And he'll cleanse you, and he'll forgive you and Mike and my sister took that offer up and member watching her like I do what it was.

She was so different. Little by little, she whispered to me, and I know went to a couple meetings I heard the gospel. I didn't respond but was planted then toward the end of my senior year I heard the gospel with a group of athletes in the light entered my life. I can't get a lot of people that came from drugs they came from alcohol that came out of prostitution. They came out of this and came out of that you and I came out of I came out of being like a multi-personality chameleon who had no idea who I was. I didn't even like me, let alone even though I remember the freedom of feeling like I'm have to pretend any anymore. This is who I too got made me have the strength to have these weaknesses. I'm desperately insecure.

I struggle with this and loved it. All I need to do this and little by little follow in the my older sister and my dad my mom and I watched a revolution. It wasn't just some experience was heard about Jesus all you get BP yeah yeah okay it was it was stepping into the light and know what to say if you hold to my teaching. If you abide in my word, so I never read this I had no idea what this book was about. And because my philosophical background I'm a skeptic and I had to study all these religions and all this apologetic side to go through all.

I was not through my brains in the trash to be a follower of Christ, and so I studied and I dug and I tell you I didn't throw my brains in the trash and I follow Jesus because of the most intellectually feasible best answers to all the big questions of life on the planet and the only one that is died verifiably risen from the dead 500 witnesses and all of life in all of history revolves around him. You can abet your life and everyone's in a bet your life on some philosophy, some light, some system some formula, some spiritual leader something or something, but I'm to bet mine. On the one who died came back and put together supernatural book that has promises in it that I've trusted and is transform my life and millions of people that's God's desire for all of us. But notice he says, then you'll know the truth and the truth will set you free. He says if you continue if you abide in my word will how you do that you listen you listen to God's word in the car you listen to God word you know as you listen to messages you listen to God's word as you get in it every single day just like you eat food, and you don't just read it and said oh well I'm glad I got to chaptered a double wide who it's I read it to say all living God who loves me. Take your written word and make it alive as the living word and speak to my heart and to my mind into my soul and come speak to me relationally and intimately.

I want to abide in you can see I want to follow if I follow him. It doesn't say reading the Bible makes you never walking in darkness, the Jews were reading the Bible I crazy it's following Jesus don't follow the Jesus of the Bible.

So what's his light say about relationships.

What's his light say about pride. What does light say about sex. What does light say about priorities. What's his light say no that what's it mean to walk in the light just live my life the way Jesus lived his life. How did he independence upon the father, he would get up a great while before Don not because he had to. He wanted to talk to his father. He wanted to get instructions for the day. He wanted to clear his mind and what what was his goal in life to please the father was his aim in life to fulfill God's agenda see that was his light and neither we nor the word follow means. It means to proceed behind it means to do as a person in front of you a means to passionately pursue SVE since if you abide in my word, you hear it, you read it you think on it. But here's the acid test. You will bang it you obey it seat you don't think your way to life. You obey your way to get light. Jesus said if you respond to the truth or the light that I give you give you more if you don't respond to the truth or the light that I give you they can come a day will he'll take the light away seek loving God is not about illegally feeling or a great worship time and put my hands up in the air. I'm in all this is wonderful. I'm glad I can do all that and be cheating people at business I can do all that I be sleeping around. I can do all that the addicted to sex or food or shopping or whatever and I have emotional wonderful quote experiences that I think I'm having with God. Jesus said, here's the acid test. He that has my commandments and keeps them cute as a loves me.

Obedience is the organ of spiritual growth, not intellect. Now our intellect is used and then as I obey and by the way, the hardest obedience is when you don't feel like it if I waited till I felt like obeying. I'm not much unabated but 10% I get some to sweet smoke noon not very smart. And so it's a choice. Jesus did not want to go to the cross emotional. Have you ever thought about that you know he wasn't there in agony, going all father. This was a plan to be great I'm to be completely rejected, offering you the baby to a pulp, but was a member's prayer.

If there's any other way. Let's choose that one. Nevertheless, not my so you don't have to like what he says about money, you have to like what he says about sex you don't like what he says about priorities you have to like it but you can just do your light and watch the consequences.

Or you can actually do it his way and then you'll you'll know by experience the truth and you experience God's love and then you be free and so one by one, that dysfunctional crazy family punky than me and mom and dad and Jeannie very imperfectly over a span of about 15 years started walking the light instead of walking darkness and and you know just it changes the whole trajectory of your work. There's an example to follow, and he quoted Abraham. He said if you are Abraham's children, you would do the things Abraham did and I think to myself, like what did Abraham do Romans chapter 4 versus 20 and 21 hi I memorize that verse is a very very young Christian I think it's in the old King James. He staggered not at the promises of God. I love that he didn't trip over. He staggered not the promise of God was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform. So God says to Abraham leave this comfort go where I will show you and for some of us that's what faith looks like you're in a relationship you're in a situation you need to leave need to step out for some need to step out and do what God called you.

I don't know about this.

I don't know how it all but follow the example of Abraham, the second big thing he did his he waited.

He waited imperfectly, which gives me a lot of hope. But God makes a big promises that a decade goes by. Nothing happens.

Another decade goes by. Nothing happens, but he waited on God and God gave him what he promised.

What you trust in God for what he really trusting God for what promises you claim God wants to come through and so many others we want to help God make his promises come true, and that usually is a very bad way to go ask Hagar ask Ishmael that was Abraham trying to do God's will his way is produced a lot of problems. Finally, he surrenders member.

He finally believed to the point you want to follow Abraham's example of God. This little boy you gave me your telling me you want me to come up on this mountain and sacrifice him and I believe because that little boy became an item on his heart and what idols do is to really bad things.

Number one, it separates us from God. Number two. We put our hope in him and they can never deliver an out of mercy God says give up your idol, whether it's education or success or your kids or your business going public or your body or whatever it is surrender that to me and walk in the light will bless those things, but they can't be the object of your life.

So what you need to surrender a great example what you need to trust God with miniature money miniature marriage miniature singleness.

Maybe someone your kids write this on on your notes where you here's a question.

What does it look like to trust God in this situation, what does it look like to trust God in this situation that's different than what you fix my marriage would you change my kid would you make this business go would you get me.

What does it look like the Truscott because it's faith is what brings the father joy and he is a rewarder of faith. He little he loves you. He's for you. He wants to bless you as you turn to the very back page. I gave you a little assignment in the title this message is so what is it really mean to follow Jesus. It means are you ready for this. He's your light. He's your source seizure direction. He's your priority. His will is number one pleasing him becomes your number one desire and the reason that he healed that blind man is your assignment is to read John chapter 9 is because all these religious leaders with all the religion were completely blind to who he really was. So Tron nine opens up as we've already heard, and as he was going by. There was a man born blind an issue as well. What's the source of it. He heals him and if you know the story, then no one can believe it was really him will to get his parents to come in. He gives his testimony and finally he talks with the religious leaders and they say it will and can't be any says Jesus did it, and then the are you sure you know what really happened because like I told you twice and then the blind beggar says we know that only God can do a miracle like this.

The Pharisee said he's a sinner and Jesus ends. Afterwards he finds the man he says you know who I am goes, I don't know but I want to know what he tells them who he really is and he man believes and the Pharisees come to him and say so you think were blind and Jesus ends chapter 9 with this big question.

He says if you were blind, your sin would be held against you because you think you see in your blind dying your sins most dangerous place to be in all the world is really thinking where you're at in your life is gone.

Okay, and you're really blind and I just see this compassionate Jesus taking a beggar and letting them see and because he stepped into the light and simply trusted God said the future for you my love for you. That's what goblins from chip to be right back with the application but if you're just joining us your listing to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips message today is from his series, Jesus, unfiltered, volume 2. Follow Jesus unfiltered is a study through the gospel of John exploring topics like what does it mean to believe in Jesus and what does it mean to follow Jesus.

Those phrases mean different things to different people so chip goes right to the source to find out what Jesus would say if you were asked to check out all four volumes of Jesus unfiltered. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or tap special offers on the app now here's chip as we close today's program. I had to tie a love that story about the blind man and I am convicted and challenged by the content of Jesus teaching that you most dangerous place in the world is when you think you can see in your really blind and what I would tell you is I think the greatest thing that God is doing in the life of Living on the Edge through our partnership together is often helping people who think they see that there actually blind you know were living in a world where what is it seven or 8/10 people claim to be followers of Jesus and yet their priorities their sexuality, their money, their parenting, those things don't even come close to lining up with what the teaching of Jesus isn't back that's what I'm teaching right to the gospel of John, and what I have to tell you is that when people hear the truth great things happen.

People I believe want to respond to the truth but often they don't even know what Jesus taught and so Living on the Edge worsening people's eyes open and and there's no pun intended there, but I just wish you could read the emails of people who write us and say I just never got it before I did that small group with you all and I had no idea that I had resentment toward my husband nor I had no idea that we need to be in the Bible as a family or I had no idea I had a spiritual gift and that God could use me and so what I want you know that as we partner together as we create these resources. God is really using them to transform lives that bring about major change and on about you but when I look at the world around us now is a time for that like never before. And so here is my request. In view of God working through Living on the Edge we need you to pray and we need people to partner with us financially so that we can continue to do what is called us to do less than 1% of all the people who listen to Living on the Edge or benefit from Living on the Edge become financial partners, some because they can't.

A great majority, as I think we don't do a good job of telling you what we do. The results of it and then how God is using it and so I'm taking today to let you know a lot of people that are spiritually blind are seeing the light coming to Christ growing their leading small groups pastors take our sermons and modify them and use them it's going all around the world and what I would ask you to do.

Would you help us.

Would you pray seriously. Right now, today, and then would you give financially and help us do what God called us to do to give a gift today. Just tap the donate button or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. If you prefer to give online you can donate securely by going to LivingontheEdge.org want you to know that what were working together. No gift is too small on behalf of chip and the team here. Thank you in advance for doing whatever God shows you to do will next time I'm Living on the Edge chip continues our current series. So I hope you make plans to join us for chip and the team here this is Steve saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge