Pathways to Intimacy with God - Getting Hugs from an Invisible God, Part 2

Let me ask you, are you tired of superficial relationships.

You long as a believer to be really deeply connected with other Christians, I mean that inflames your heart, soul authenticity and life.

But you just don't know how women stick a and welcome to this Wednesday. Addition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible, debris, and public safety kind of relationship strip just described far between your heart start when it comes to loving God and loving others. This message is after the teaching trips because article application on stewardship for part two of his message from acts chapter 2. Two major themes emerge in the two major themes are very very simple. Number one. As you read this verse as you read the book of acts in church history. You understand, we express our love for Christ by expressing her love for his people, you might write that down now. Forget write down just live it we express our love for Christ by expressing our love for people, his people, they belong they matter. There his sons, his daughters there are brothers and our sisters the way I say to God, I love you is I give my time and my energy and my resources and my emotions as directed by the Holy Spirit living in me to those of you that God has me rub up against so that the Christ in me could express his love to you. That's how I love you and that's how I love Christ, we express our love for Jesus, not in some ethereal I love God, I raise my hands when I sing I write a check now and then. It's about real live relationships. All those things are fine but first John said if I say I love God and have no love for my brother.

I am a liar and the truth is an enemy. These notes I left her.

I thought I left down at the office and was like late afternoon Saturday and who wants to go anywhere by yourself on Saturday and so I kinda said Haywood would anyone ride with me, you know, please, please, pretty please all buy dinner on the way home with your coming I just I will go down that dark building by myself and you have, you know, and and the and so we got down there and it been a pretty interesting day anyway.

When I pulled up there's a lady sitting on the steps and thinking you know unit with the toboggan and kind of a funky looking long coat. I got out of the car and I'm thinking I need to get my notes and I said excuse me, she goes.

Are you a manager here you work here as well. I work here and she was in. If it's okay. Is it okay if I stay here tonight. I said why no. In general, the kind of frown on that and this is not exactly the safest neighborhood but all all I want is that little alcove. It's getting really really cold and I believe in God not been talking to, and I'm thinking to myself, you know it's been it's been a pretty wild day and what I need is a homeless lady right now because my honest-to-goodness from the heart thoughts. Not proud of them. But those were the thoughts and I said will tell you what, could you could you to stay right here about fixing stuff up in the office and can all get right with you when I get back and so you I open the keys at all.

Do set off the alarm turned off by my office and of course I can't find my notes and so I'm coming back and as I'm shuffling things around now and I'm thinking to myself like you would want to do this homeless lady and I've memorized a few verses that something really memorizes one and the thought came to my mind when you've done it to the least of these, you've done it unto me. As said Lord what what you want me to do just lover. Okay, so I'm thinking I'm not sure how I'm going to love her, but she's not been asleep here. One is this way way: she's got a thin coat, number one, number two, I'm afraid. What might happen. And number three you know the people that keep all the insurance and forms think it is big liability here to better make sure you know about the and so I don't know what to do and I came out I collected Teresa in her hand signs okay yeah what what he think we don't think we ought to do it out and so I said to her I said you know you can't stay here but you know I let me figure out a way to put you up in a hotel and will will get some straightened out what your name are you ready for this Gloria. And so we got in the car and she had a couple bags, and she was proud inside channels a new sleeping bag and we put them in the trunk and she sat in the back with Annie and was very articulate very articulate.

As we went down. I said Gloria are you hungry, she goes well and I couldn't accept anything in this and that and long in the story you never sit in a little Mexican restaurant. The four of us in. We had dinner with a homeless lady and you not meant I had one of those days where you know your emotions were all over the map.

I gotta tell you, dinner with the homeless lady and dropping her off.

Look went sharing our testimony about what God is doing in our life and you know you that passage where it says now and then you entertains you know angels unaware. I don't know if Gloria was an angel but she was an angel from God for me. I think my attitude did the biggest 180 and a 24 hour period and I thought, oh Jesus what a privilege to express my love to you by just being your hands.

Nothing big, you know, wasn't motivated to do it is not like you know I was big super Christian and I just finally got to where I would obey and that lady was a delight in you and we figured out this place and the lady look went to could figure out was going on and you know gave her the special deal for two nights and we went and took her stuff up to her room and into the three of us drove home and you and you know what I learned I learned we express our love for Christ by expressing our love for his people and if they would he mean his people. She said I'm a Christian and she said you know, I know it's gonna get real cold and I called down to the shoulders and they've just give me the runaround. She said just before you came up. I just said God, would you please take care of me today can be really cold tonight. Would you help me and I thought you know what this lady got hugged and she she got hugged. She got a hug from an invisible God, and you know God orchestrates the stuff because I had looked through my briefcase about four times where's my notes where's my notes where's my notes to anxiety and restart On my note so I left on the office like a news for you once we went through all this, I went back up and they were just right there. My briefcase, you know they were right there so I guess God has a way of making you see what he wants you to see the second observation out of this passage that is absolutely critical is not only do we express our love for Christ whom express her love for his people.

We receive the love from Christ.

When we receive love from God's people do sometimes we think God you love me God you love me God you love me and someone comes up says can I give you hander how's everything on you would you quit it didn't bother me right now God you love me God you love me and you know then someone calls and says you know you are working to go do this you want to know. I'm too depressed. You all go ahead God.

How come you don't love me and you away.

God loves you he's not going to call you on the phone probably okay the way God loves you is he's going to bring one of his children into your life. Maybe in a way that you like and maybe in a way that you don't like to express his love to you and by the way, when we talk about love. You can get real sentimental and really emotional love is not illegally feelings high-fiving armor on one another and having warm emotions. That's nice. I love that love is giving other people what they don't deserve caring for them when they don't deserve it out of obedience to Christ it's given people what they need the most when they deserve it the least at great personal cost yourself. That's love. Now I like it when it's filled with good emotions and high fives in the warm feelings in that sense of Kumbaya holding hands in the room. I mean, I love that is much as the next guy, but let's not confuse sentimentality and emotions with love. We receive love from God when his children or believers do and act in ways that are consistent with the spirits leading you know I've been convinced now for many many years that the way God teaches me to preach is that he usually takes me through the message before I get to give it. Someone asked me you know pastor say were to get all those illustrations and I got a book with 5000 illustrations. I don't have any books of illustrations and a look at any books of illustrations. I found I just keep my eyes open.

God gives me more each week that I know what to do with I got love this week. I didn't get really good. We love deeply loved. I sat in one of arts, Starbucks with a guy in the church year who four different times admonished me about one area hey hey are you loving are you loving are you loving your chip. I want you know you know you got that intensity. The balance between heat and light. I sense is a little more heat at times and there is like, you know, do you really understand, and you like the fourth time is that you and I got okay me this message from God unless he wants you to say that one more time. I got and I thought about it deeply.

And I mean I went home and did three or four things in response to that you know it when I walked out I felt closer to that man that I felt to him anytime of Evan with you what I've learned.

Only the people that really love you, tell you the truth. Only the people that really love you are willing to risk the relationship and put everything on the line to help you see something that God wants you to see and there are humans and their fallible, so maybe it's only 82% writer, 67% right. You know what even sometimes the people were down on it may be only 12% right, but that 12% from the Lord, you need to listen. God loves you and God loves me and he expresses it through his people to you and to me and sometimes it's an arm around the shoulder.

That's a hug and sometimes it's a a gentle, caring, from the heart, rebuke that you need. And sometimes it's a meal, and sometimes it's getting help the learner spiritual gift and sometimes it's helping someone move and sometimes it's a dinner and sometimes the phone call and sometimes, like this week I got a number of notes that I just right and I just thought affirmation dear Chip, thanks… That and God use that. I just thought that's not just stuff God leads people to write notes God leads people to make calls God leads people to take money that is his is on loan to them to give it to love and care for others, we express our love for Christ by loving each other and God expresses his love for us by using people in our lives. Let me give you the meaning of biblical fellowship or corn in the and I and I alluded to it, but you know those of you taking notes going and he went too fast. It's to share's to have in common. It's to partner. It's an association it's a communion of togetherness and a bond of the heart that grows out of our bond with Christ. In fact, by way of word picture is a group of people so filled and so in love with Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit that they with reckless abandon. Love one another out of every aspect of their lives. See cornea fellowship is not a good feeling with a nice pot of coffee and a small group cornea can happen there, but there's a lot of small groups cornea doesn't happen, but that's a good environment it's people who so filled with the love of God that it spills out into love for one another so that the heart of God to the spirit of God to the normal hands and arms and shoulders and feet and eyes, and time and talent and treasure gets transmitted from one believer to another believer, not because the other person deserves it, but because we belong to one another because we belong to him, cornea, or the fellowship is a union with Christ that goes so deep that we recognize our union with one another.

So we began imperfectly, of course, but to treat one another, exactly the way Jesus would treat us if you happen to be living in our body, and he happens to destiny as cornea. Three characteristics of this passage of coin and in terms of by way of application. First, it was for all believers.

Verse 46 no distinctions were made, no race, no color, no socioeconomic differences no different ethnic backgrounds. All the believers I had the privilege of preaching at an all black church was a three hour service after I get done preaching use. I'm kinda tired and if I know I have another one that night. It's like boy I need to come to rest in how I drove home.

That warship was so rich.

The fellowship was so rich.

The time was so great with God, and I saw how different parts of the body of Christ and the differences in the way they did it, and to be candid, just with my background I just really fit in. It was a lot freer and no one was in a hurry any of the people just lined up for prayer and the deacons were annoying people toil and I felt prompted eyes when I got down my knees. About 20 minutes and had a great time with God and and just a time with God's people. They come from a different culture that was so rich and I dream and long for this passage getting lived out, you know all believers was for all in the second characteristic, it held the believers together. It promoted unity in the midst of extreme diversity and notice in this passage the health of the group was more important than anyone's individual agenda. They had all things in common and every one who had need their needs are met.

And finally, it met the needs of the believers wasn't just a gathering coin and he is not getting together either in small groups or large groups or medium-size groups or in a church is not just gathering together in the name of Christ. Real needs have to get met if you ever been someplace where if there is not needs met.

There's not love given her love received it.

It's real. I mean that's the spirit of God working in your spirit in your life to move you to think outside yourself to want to do something for someone else who doesn't have that's coin in the it's for all believers. It holds us together, and it meets needs, why is it so important is this just important because no I have needs and you have needs and is this just important because you know Jesus is not here anymore and I need a hug and you need a hug, and people need a hug I'm gonna suggest that the importance is far beyond my needs and your needs is important, as is our Heine suggests that the impact of cornea can't be underestimated. Of the two stories I want to read. I put them in your notes, but you can open your Bible if you want, and I have very little comment, but I want you to think what you think of the what's the power of the fellowship. The meeting of the needs the caring belonging to one another in an right after this text, the spirit of God places at the end of chapter 4 of acts.

This positive story about a man named Barnabas that exemplifies the PowerPoint anemia, and then immediately afterwards he gives another story that's negative about people who fake cornea and the huge implications that it has.

Listen as I read you a little story.

All the believers were with one heart and one mind.

No one claim that any of his possessions was his own can imagine that place but they shared everything that they had with great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and much grace was upon them all. There was no needy persons, among them from time to time. Those who own lands or houses sold them, and I brought the money from the sales in the that put at the apostles feet and it was distributed as anyone had need to get the picture. What's going on here minutes is radical.

This is radical, radical, radical, the spirit of God is doing something and selfish hearts. They been transformed and then in case you want a specific picture. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, the apostles called Barnabas was which means son of encouragement sold a field that he owned and brought the money and put it the apostles feet, and we do a little research on Barnabas. You learn that he was from Cyprus and Cyprus was like downtown Manhattan in terms of real estate and so he sold a pretty sweet piece of real estate because he thought, you know what I've got a lot of physical material resources and were birthing this church and things are really happening and I think I'm gonna exchange some of those financial resources to meet the needs a lot of people and he did positive example of cornea. The text goes on negative example Ananias and Sapphire. Knowing the text says now put a line through that that that that's it's okay translation it's but it's but that's important because the author wants us to know what you just heard is one thing, here's the contrast but a man named Ananias was together with his wife, Sapphire, and they also sold a piece of property numbers like exhibit a.

Here's exhibit B with his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but he brought the rest and put it the apostles feet.

Then Peter said Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some of the money received from the land and the notice worries corners. He said it was yours. No one said you had to give it all didn't belong to you before it was sold. Answer yes and after his soul wasn't the money at your disposal. Another you can give 8% 32%, 85%. Half of it and I sent your stuff no one says you gotta give this but notice, and after it was sold.

My was at your disposal. What made you think of doing such a thing. You haven't lied to men but to God. You understand what he did. He said I sold it for $10,000. He really sold it for 15 Back five so that everyone would think he'd given all to Jesus. The sin is not about giving the sin is not about money. The sin is about hypocrisy.

The sin is about acting like you love people and making people think you care more than you really care. The first sin recorded in the New Testament church and you thinking yourself well you and everyone has a few downfall. The mean hypocrisy like how serious could that be were all old hypocrite right read on. You haven't lied to men but to God. When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died in great fear seized all who heard what happened than the young men came forward they wrapped up his body and carried him out and buried him in about three hours later. You know, here we go. The scene changes the camera changes the zoom lens go back Ananias, they watch the guys walking him out and you know I'm if you are going. Whoa for just lying for being a hypocrite.

I mean it. Bang heart attack three hours later, Safari comes in is my hobby been by as a matter fact so notice the interrogation here.

So here we go about three hours later his wife came in not knowing what happened. Peter asked her. He gives her chance, tell me, is this the price that you and Ananias got the land yes were so committed were so loving we care so much, you know Barnabas.

All the strokes he got and how he became a real hero in the church.

We would like to be just like him. Having people think that were wonderful, loving, caring and sacrificial. Yes, that's exactly the price.

I think I'm reading into this just a shade.

Peter asked her how could you agree. Another words you are in cahoots. How could you agree to test the spirit of the Lord and it gets very sober look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out also.

At that moment she fell down at his feet and died in the young men came in and finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband, and great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. You ever wonder why the spirit of God would place this in the annals of the early church is the first sin recorded. You see coin in the and hypocrisy can go together. We are all were human were fleshly. We spend probably more energy trying to convince ourselves some and other people a lot more that were loving and caring them were really loving and caring our image and what people think and how we come off in our flesh just become so paramount in C that can't be real. Coin and ear. If the real care doesn't come from a real heart that's really sincere. And so you notice the extent of our impact is directly proportional to the unity and the authenticity of our fellowship zero cornea is about real unity, not phony unity. Not were all together. We all agree on everything, everything's peachy real unity is forged out of authentic conflict in real unity is forced out of a commitment to the truth in real unity happens when you just flat out care for people when it cost and the extent of our impact as a body will be directly proportional to the genuine unity and the authenticity of our fellowship. Jesus said it best, a new commandment he gave to his disciples that you love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. I think God wants to birth a group of people that say we want genuine coin in the and it begins with me. I want to express my love for God by loving you.

I want to receive love from God by having people not only tell me the truth. The put their arm around in the extent of our impact will be the genuine unity that we have in the authenticity that we have both before God be back in a minute just doing your listening to Living on the Edge with shipping chips message today. It's not about rules, rituals, or religion is from his series pathways to intimacy with God in the series.

You're going to be challenged to move beyond routine to the richness of relationships we all long for with God and with others. But here's the thing though we rarely catch the important points. Just hearing a message once, so if chips teaching was helpful for you.

Let me encourage you to listen again.

If you're thinking about making some changes pathways to intimacy with God. What you've been missing that will take your relationships to a whole new level. Check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org or place your order over the phone by calling us at 1-888-333-6003.

I'll be right back in just a minute to talk about the specific pathway we address today, but there is a very important reason why this series follows our series on the invisible war. 90% of spiritual warfare is defensive. In other words, it's about putting on the belt of truth, it's about having your mind renewed. It's about not having doubts the way that you put on the armor of God is the disciplines the Christian life. It's being in the words it's learning to pray it's renewing your mind. This entire series on pathways is to help you fight the invisible war and win. But what we know is there's so many people that don't make the connection between the spiritual disciplines and the battle that you're in every day so we have available for absolutely free if you will commit to do the small group the invisible war.

We will send you up to 10 copies for your group absolutely free. There is an insert where you can watch the video. The study guides are there for you and we here's what I know God will open your eyes and help you to win and went over strongholds in difficulties and issues in your life when you begin to make the connection between. It's not about just reading the Bible or praying or being in community it's doing those things in light of the spiritual warfare that you encounter each and every day.

Dave will give you all the information about how you can get your copies will were very excited about this offer. If you commit to doing this study with at least one other person in the next 60 days. We will give you the study guides free will even pay the shipping and here's why. Is your making plans for the new year.

You have an adversary was determined to deceive and discourage you into inaction. So the timing of this free offer is perfect. Give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or go online to LivingontheEdge.org to order your free Bible study of the invisible war and don't forget the free leader coaching that's available to just click more and coaching for leaders get the free resources, do the training and then get your group going without here's trip with a final thought about today's talk. As we close today's program I want to remind you that an invisible God makes physical impressions by your hands and your feet mean the way God loves people is through ordinary people like you and whom his spirit dwells and I just got a tell you that we are absolutely convinced that life change occurs best when people are connected from the heart when Jesus wanted to change the world.

He drew a small band of men who did life together. They didn't just study the truth they did life together.

They met one another's needs. They cared for one another and so when I ask you today, just as application are you connected not just you go to church. I mean, not even do you just quote go to a Bible study because you know you can go to a Bible study and not really let people in your life are you connected from the heart. Do you have one or two or three people that you are really doing life with. They know what's going on and if not, let me encourage you take the step.

I mean take that step.

We of the been involved in a church squirt small groups in this kind of connection was not a big part of its history and I've had people in their 60s, 70s and early 80s tell me you know something I would programs with the Sunday school classes. I did all kind of things I served and I thought I wanted this small group stuff and then I heard the guy say for the last 13 months on Monday nights, I've open my home and we have gotten some of those small group DVDs from Living on the Edge and we watched it and he said I mean I I've I'm biblically literate, but I've never let people in my life and he just went through of really upside down time in his business after 35 years of a flourishing business. The last two years have been tough. The bank called the note on his credit line and he said I have texts and emails and notes and I'm being loved and have never experienced that before who in your world might need you to go to our website and you find a DVD series and or maybe an MP3 or download some message notes, but you do say I'm can ask this person for the next three or four or five weeks. Why don't we look or listen to this together and let's share hearts. Let's pray together and I will tell you God will show up.

He wants to love you and he wants to love through you. So go do it will just before we wrap it up. Have you ever been listening and thought yourself you know Chip I wish we were visiting over a cup of coffee because I'd love to ask you about, and then I'm sure you can fill in the blank 12. Your opportunity is here starting next week.

Chips Caribbean studio with us. To answer your questions about relationships through the month of February.

His teachings all about relationships. Moms and kids what God has to say about how to build great relationships and how to build a healthy family in a modern world so every Friday were to pause and give Chip a chance to answer your questions about relationships. Send your questions just email it to chip@livingontheedge.org that's Chip LivingontheEdge.org will. Until next time, this is Dave Gurley saying thanks for listening. This addition of Living on the Edge