Priceless Christmas - Teach Them Failure is Never Final, Part 1

You ever messed up big time mean major failure, the kind that even years later. You cringe when you think about it, or perhaps worse dreams and hopes the motivation.that big mistake if that's where you're at today today today of hope and encouragement, you can begin again. Listen, you can be restored joy that once knew you could have. Again, don't go welcome to this Tuesday edition of living on the shipping was our Bible teacher is international discipleship program continues a series priceless response. We've been talking about getting a handful of specific gifts last way beyond Christmas 2000. But here's the deal you what we don't have takes the time today to help us get our personal bearings can pass on to others. What matters most.

Let's get going in Georgia for his message. Teach them.

Failure is never final. It happened in the spring of the year was the time when kings go out to battle with David remained in Jerusalem that it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and he walked out on the roof from the roof he saw a woman bathing. She was very beautiful and David inquired who is this woman and he was told. Her name is Bathsheba, the daughter of a lion, wife of Uriah the Hittite David sent messengers and he took her and she came to him.

He lay with her and later the woman conceived and she sent a note to David and she said on the child. The writer of the Psalms, the spiritual leader, the warrior, the poet of Israel, the man that God would say this is a man after my own heart got misplaced priorities. He's done a major turnaround. Finally, their stability, the kingdom is set is tired is vulnerable.

He's not re-supposed to be.

He can't sleep in a moment of vulnerability. He walks out on the terrace and is very attracted and he makes a decision that would cause a ripple effect that he regret the rest of his life. Like most of us when you mess up phase 1 is how do you cover it up so he invites Uriah to come back from the battle and tries to figure out how I can get him to sleep with his wife so the baby will think this is as though Uriah can't do math. That doesn't work so he invites him to a kingly banquet getting drunk and thinks you know a drunk guy who's been away from his life for months.

This will work and he finds him sleeping out on the steps he has too much integrity since how can I go be with my wife when my comrades are out battle sleeping out in tents in the cold so cover-up number one doesn't work cover number two doesn't work. This is the guy that makes just a bad mistake. This is now very premeditated and his fear of being exposed is now greater than the sin itself.

And so he writes a note to his commander Joe Albany says that put Uriah up toward the front of the lines were.

The battle is fierce, and when it gets very fierce. Withdraw from him so he's killed in a report later is that's exactly what happens. He dies Bathsheba mourns and after the time of morning. David sense for her and makes her his wife, and then in second Samuel chapter 11, there's one very short brief verse it said. And the Lord God was very displeased with David.

Now you look on the front of your notes.

I want to see something because when people mess up were fascinated when celebrities mess up were really fascinated that we got a whole group of reality shows, it just we look at the mess us. Will David didn't go into recovery. But I want you to notice that he's a good man at a weak moment.

Our temptation is when people mess up, especially when it's someone else eat. They were a terrible person I could never believe anything about them.

But he was a good man and big big mistakes happen sometimes not because the really bad people, but the really good people in a weak moment notice on the front of your notes. He was described as a mighty warrior, a righteous king and a man after God's own heart. Those are pretty high marks and then added to his biography. The words murder and adultery were added and what what you do, don't you look at the bottom of parents what your kids are two or three or 12 or 22 or 32.

Your children will all make some big mistakes sometime in their life. The question is how will they recover, how will they recover. Now this is hard for some of you. Some of us who have grown kids get this little bit better but some of you.

I just am just going to mess with you just a little bit just so that you get your heart, mind around where were going here. Some of you this cute little two and three or four-year-old digging to get somebody pregnant with you to get pregnant out of wedlock and you can have a real disaster on your hands and about 15 years. For others they're going to go out and do something really really stupid and come home either drunk or telling you about what they did that you think you gotta be kidding me.

How could this ever happened in our home for some of you 15 or 20 years from now or 10 years from now. If you have a preteen to be going down to jail because your kids get to be in jail or Julie Hall for others you can to discover Isaac come back from school or from trade school or they been out a house to three years. They have an addiction that it had longer than you ever dream and here's what I want to tell you this may be the most priceless gift of all. Teach them that failure is in final kick is like some of us that at least have messed up pretty good.

You think your kids are immune to that you think they just gonna turn out wonderful by the way please don't here. I think you can have bad kids really good kids really obedient kids really moral kids.

Kids that love you kids love God in a weak moment. Some of them are then do some really big stupid sinful things. I mean if it happened to David a man after God's own heart who wrote the majority of the Psalms. You don't think it can happen when your kids. In fact, let's step back a little bit. Has it happened to most of us in this room. You can't teach your kids that failure is never final until you get a grip on yourself and the only way to get a grip on that you need understand grace you need understand what the Bible teaches when it talks about grace what it is and how it works. And so, as you open your notes. Here's where I want to go to Doolittle Bible study with you but I want to give you up a theology of grace will go through it rather quickly in these verses are ones I would encourage you go back and read and think and ponder.

I just want to build the case so the understand when the Bible says grace. This is what it means and I want to shift gears because it's one thing to sell. This is grace and this is how God feels and this is how he thinks about our kids when they blown it really big time but what you really need you need them to learn how to operate in a way and have a view of God and of you that when they fail, they realize it doesn't have to shape the rest of their life there have to live as a second-class citizens to feel like you know I've blown it and in the future can never be any good effect. Some of you if the truth be told, you may find that this axis can help you help your kids because you can impart what you don't possess is a let's go over theology of grace definition grace is the free, unmerited, unconditional love of God toward us.

I mean, this is it just what that's radical. It's crazy.

It's free it unmerited so you don't deserve it. It's the love of God toward you there. There is something that happens in the human heart. When you are given what you so clearly know you do not deserve, and it's lavished upon you that the changes from the inside out instead of some external morality skull grace is what separates Christianity from any moral view from any religion. It's just unheard of.

So let's look at it biblically, grace is free to us but costly to God. It's absolutely free to us.

You can earn it, you can't merit you can't get it on your own. But first Corinthians 6 verses 19 to 20 says. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you're not your own.

You been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

You are purchased.

It's free to us, but the grace that you receive. I receive any God wants your kids to get from you. It was purchased and the price tag was the blood in the death of Christ.

Third, you notice that the cross is God's greatest act of grace we want to understand grace needs to be a picture. There's an act, how to work in Romans chapter 5 verse eight says but God demonstrates another words he proves he demonstrates what is loves like toward us in that while we were still or yet sinners, Christ died for us in the Lord for his interesting word in Greek means as a substitute or in the place of God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were not trying to be better people not trying to get on board not living nice little lives. But why we were yet sinners Christ died in our place. So the cross is the picture of grace for salvation is a free gift from God mean you can't earn it. Unlike how most of us grew up. At least I didn't grow up in the church at a group reading the Bible, but you know if you're American or if you just sort of human use, or have this idea that if there is a God that was my theory.

If there is a God, he must have like this big black board in heaven. And then he puts a line down the middle. The blackboard and on the left side of the blackboard.

It says bad deeds and on the right side of the blackboard.

It says good deeds and like there's these angels that they track everybody like cosmic video cameras and like bad thoughts or bad motives or bad deeds. You know, Mark, Mark, Mark, there's five, Mark Mark, Mark, there's another five if somehow we get in this mind this mindset that all these bad deeds versus all these good deeds in your thinking. You know what I just hope I have like 101 good deeds to 100 bad deeds. So on. I want you to know that that mindset about God, about life, about acceptance, about eternity, about heaven is completely completely wrong in biblical. Do you know how many bad deeds or even bad thoughts or bad motives it takes to be separated from absolutely pure and holy God, not 100, not 90 not five. Are you ready one God can tolerate zero sin. So whether you're at in a sin that is like 5 feet deep or 20 feet deep or 100 feet deep. Your separated forever.

Romans six is this the wages of sin. What you get for sin crossing the barrier missing the mark. Doing your own thing. Neglecting God hurting others.

The wages of sin is death separation forever, but the free gift. The free gift of God is eternal life.

How, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Salvation is an absolutely free gift but has to be received. I mean, if this morning.

If this was this just for 10 let's see, let's just say you have like a 17-year-old by 17 they like money, you notice that like for Christmas you give a lot of stuff money really works. So let's just imagine this is stacked. I mean just what those really you know I like you know the hundred dollar bills into sort of. Or you can come smell them in stack close together.

Let's pretend this is stacked with that and you say to your son or daughter is 17 years old. I have a present for you and it just gets filled with hundred dollar bills and is not because you've done anything. It is grace. I love you I care for you here it is, and you put it on the bottom of their bed. I'm gonna go on record to say unless they receive it and open the box. It does them no good. You gave it. It's available. See grace is a gift, but it's a gift that has to be opened and received by faith. Ephesians 289 says this, for by grace you are saved but notice the instrumental are part for by grace are saved through faith. And that's not of yourselves is not a result of the good works. It's the gift of God, lest any man should boast. So it's free. Next grace produces self-control, upright and godly living. Not some people get nervous when you start talking about grace and you quote the Bible and it's freeing you don't have to do any thing people start getting nervous like what if it's just all this Greystone. Can't you just take the grace and live in your way, and people you know they won't obey all these things I won't live holy lives in the Bible teaches it back on this one. You ready to put you to work in your Bible open to Titus. I want you to feel it and see it because verse 11 says for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

It this grace what it teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age and noticed that hooked onto this eager expectation. It's while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us.

Why Tobias back literally. That's what the word redeem means to buy us back and redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people. It's about relationship that are his very own that are eager to do what is good and what I want to do now is I want to live in such a way that lives up to being that love. I'm a debtor to grace on the care, love. I want to be that kind of person when you experience biblical grace. It teaches you to say no to ungodliness and selfishness and to me is him. It's his work out your salvation with fear and trembling, but that gives us the reason flipping stew for it is God who was at work in you both to will and to work in his good pleasure. Grace creates this desire to live and love for him and love for others.

Notice there is a biblical roots in the Old Testament Genesis 321. The very first time after our original parents send turned away from God. It says that God shed blood of some animals and he closed them was a picture of the blood that would be shed for you and for me later and it just as they are covered were covered by the blood of Christ when the world got crazy and violent. In chapter 6 it says.

Noah found what in the eyes of the Lord.

Grace favor. The Old Testament pictures and if you just want someone in the Old Testament someone in the new that you think I could get my arms around this. What's this really look like. It looks like David who was an adult and a murderer greatly used of God and he is the gold standard of Kings and on about you when I read that I'm thinking his voice didn't sound so good to me. I mean like this guy murdered someone.

See, we tend to think of God, looking at as always, through the lens of history instead of through trajectory into the issues of her heart. When God forgives as far as the east is from the west. He removes your sin from you.

Grace is he not only forgives and takes away but then he justifies you and reckons he was righteous and he looks at you as a new son or daughter dual lens of the blood of Christ in your valued cannot always looking at what you did and how you did it and that you don't measure up. Christ gives a whole new beginning. In the New Testament. You have Peter I mean, he denies Christ. He swears everyone else may go down Jesus, you and me baby I get the sword three different times. He's literally the word is he swore this wasn't like an oath. There was a little servant girl that says to Peter, Mr. macho man with the big mouth that I'll never deny you. Did you know him you what Peter said I don't even know the blanketed line guy.

That's what he said.

He said he totally denied him and swore he abandoned him member and he went out and he wept bitter tears and Peter thought I'm done I'm going back to fishing. I betrayed everything I said everything I purpose to do.

He's covered with chain in John 21, he gets restored and is not just forgiven but David is probably used by God more than anyone in the Old Testament and Peter is used by God more than anyone in the New Testament. St. Paul all that's right, he's a murderer, he doesn't qualify.

Are you starting to get your kids and make some big mistakes in the issue in their life is how there restored an issue of how the restorative is how you deal with it an issue of how you deal with it is to be how you deal with your big mistakes and if you deal with them by performance orientation, and I'll try harder it all in my favor. You'll pass that on to your kids or you can experience grace that the New Testament commandos. It is one that we read, but we usually just read verse 16 of John three right listen to the grace and this this is a command for God so loved the world that he gave this grace. What is one and only son, why, that whoever believes in him should perish or die but have eternal life, utterly eternal life. Some people listen to him.

You think eternal life happens after you die.

The Bible doesn't teach that all eternal life isn't a life of longevity.

It includes that eternal life is a quality of life. The Bible says he that has the son has life he that does not have the son of God does not have life. The moment you turn from your sin in the empty hands of faith receive the forgiveness and the grace of God, the Spirit of God enters your mortal body you have eternal life. You have the same power that raised Christ from the dead living in you and the spirit produces love and joy and peace and patience and goodness and kindness and gentleness and self-control and gives you a new set of eyes and a new set of wants a new set of powers. Eternal life is what happens the moment you meet Christ and receive him in your life, and he says what it's a gift, but I love the for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, got down on people but notice what goes on to say, but to save the world through him. And there's commentary. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because it not believed in the name of God's one and only son now at this point there's some theological concepts candidly the hard to get your arms around our day. It's like is like grasping for oil or water in grace okay grace.

It's free. It's unmerited is the cross sort like this in the GUI theological language and part of the it's sort like it pops up in your mind is like think I get it.

I think I get it was gone. I think I get it. I think I get it right. How do you live with grace and we were just so rooted in you get what you deserve.

Well, most of you probably know the toes or is my favorite author and in his little book. The knowledge of the holy on attributes of God is in a chapter on Grayson and I love just a little twisty. He gives us a very practical way to get our arms around it. He says instead of straining to comprehend grace as a theological truth to be better and simpler to compare God's grace with our need. We can never know the enormity of our sin.

Neither is it necessary that we should what we can know is that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound is quoting Romans chapter and of chapter 5. What he saying is if you really want to grasp what grace is all about. Look at the level of your need and realize whatever the level of need and grace covers it in God forgives and he restores letting you get word pictures early this morning I was thinking what I want people to get this lie so struggle I want you to imagine in this is private. Never share this or you don't have to share this with anyone. I want you to think of just for a moment, let's try to bring guilt or shame what you think of the worst thing you've ever done ever in your life you hope no one ever ever would ever find about maybe some people already know but me. The thing that you just when you think about all of that was like put on a screen in the video of it your shame. It might be an abortion in your pastor. You know might be useful to money for some people it might be the affair that you had on a business trip. It might be you blowing up in this outrage of anger, a moment of violence or I don't know what is. But here's what I tell you we all got that stuff and what you imagine if you will that this is a cylinder and it's aluminum okay.

It's like 6 foot in diameter.

And then I want you to imagine that you know how aluminum is Israel shiny and real smooth. Let's just say for like a medium-size sin you dropped into the shaft and your 20 feet down and there's no way to climb out and it's aluminum it six by securing the cylinder and him and you can try hard you can't get out of this, that's your need. Here's what the Bible teaches. God the moment you say I need your help. He'll drop a rope. That's 21 feet long and he'll pull you up for some of you thinking you don't know what came to my mind 20 feet does need to get you started. I'm at least 100 I may be a thousand feet if you knew what I did. And you know it you know what graces if you're in aluminum shaft with no way out.

That's 100 feet down you get 101 foot rope. If it's a thousand feet down you get a rope that's 1001 feet is where sin abounds little word in Greek is grace super abounds. You can't earn it. You can't get it. It's been provided it's the cross it's his resurrection. It's not because of anything in you.

It's something about the very heart and the nature of the triune God that he longs to give and restore, and to love and let your kids know that failure is never final. He's the God of second chances. Fourth, chances 52nd chances and he transforms people from the inside out.

Let me encourage you to look at those verses and go on a personal journey to say God I want I want to begin to think biblically and accurately about you and about grace because left yourself left myself. We are so performance oriented world of justice and what's fair. You don't want justice.

You don't want there believe Jim will be right here just joining us, you're listening to living on the shipping and chips message today. Failure is never final is from his series of priceless Christmas in the series strip unpacks five key life skills that tend to make or break us and gives us biblical insight and practical steps for passing all of these key skills to our kids or grandkids. Or maybe someone or mentoring in these five messages you learn what God's word says about handling money making wise choices suffering well. Working unto the Lord, and that failure is never final.

As a parent or grandparent you want to give your child every advantage in life. This series of priceless Christmas gives you the tools you need to help your child develop godly character in all of these areas. So why not order a set of CDs or download the free MP3s as a gift to yourself and your family for an amazing new year of growth in the Lord for discount details just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003, a priceless Christmas. Get it today will trip you don't have to look very far to see that the church in America is in trouble. We are from pastors and parents were struggling in young people in unprecedented numbers or walking away from the faith. Since were in our December match right now. Can you talk for a minute about how God's calling us to help where you are spot on, Dave. There is enormous confusion among the younger generation. I mean, we've got identity issues same-sex attraction. The purpose for life we have like never before. Suicide is up among our teens. I am deeply, deeply concerned and wanted things that God allowed me to do in this last year is I taught all around the country.

Everything from colleges to young people to older people, pastors, youth pastors, and I will tell you we've come to some convictions of Living on the Edge that we have to address these issues. In fact, part of what we do with these matches as we ask ourselves.

God what you want us to do and then we take some big steps of faith and then we ask our team will you join us with this. For example, I believe the regular teaching of God's word makes a huge difference, but then I think there's times where you have to coach people you got help, but a grandparent or a youth pastor or pastors of the around the country that have come to me how do I talk about transgender. How do we talk about parents in terms of building convictions and so in 2020 were going to do a couple things we've never done before we launch a new podcast that allows me to interview experts that allows me to talk to people in the younger generation grandparents, parents, pastors, and I want talk about what to do, but how to do it. The family is under siege, but we have a youth that's hurting and we are absolutely committed to continue teaching God's word. In fact I have on the docket to develop about four or five brand-new series in 2020.

Here's what I want you to know we have to address what's going on but we can't do it alone. As we pray and think about addressing these critical issues we you pray very seriously about partnering with us financially. During this match. There's never been a better time every dollar you give will be doubled so we can pray we ask God, Lord, what he want me to do and if you will do exactly what he says. Here's what we've learned will have everything we need. Well, if you're already praying and supporting the ministry of Living on the Edge. Thank you. We couldn't do what we do without you.

And if you're ready to step up and join us or increase your commitment today would be a great day to do it. Thanks to a small group of financial partners.

Every gift we received between now and December 31 will be doubled if you been looking for a way to make a difference. This is your opportunity to send a donation. Give us a call at 1-888-333-6003.

That's 1-888-333-6003, or if you prefer, donate online at http://livingontheedge.org on behalf of Chip and the team here.

Thank you in advance for your generosity will now hear strip with a final thought about today's message as we wrap up today's program. I can't help but think of the many of you who are saying to yourself, I'm glad God did that for Peter and I'm glad God did that for David and I haven't even committed murder or as a number of our listeners in prison that we get tons of responses from they would say actually I have committed murder and I want you to know is that these aren't sort of cartoon characters. These aren't super holy people in stained glass. David was a man of flesh. Peter was an ordinary person and their stories are placed in Scripture of real-life people who made tragic bad terrible decisions that had horrendous consequences. But there in the Bible because God has a message not just for them but for you, there's forgiveness. There's hope there's life and it starts with just owning your stuff and saying I'm tired of blaming other people. I'm tired of hiding this I'm tired of drowning it with alcohol or prescription drugs or eating food when I'm not hungry or logging onto the Internet. Unresolved emotional issues and guilt always drive us to addictive behavior with stuff and with people God has you listening to me right now because he wants you to know he loves you right where you're at, even in the midst of your failure, your addiction, your terrible choices just like you. Love, David.

Just like you love Peter but they did something they did what the prodigal son did. They recognized I'm living in a pigsty and they turned around and they moved back toward their heavenly father and he rushed to meet them. I want you to know he's rushing to meet you right now we you turn around, would you come with empty hands and say, God, I'm sorry I'm not. I can't blame anyone but me.

I own it. I'm sorry from my heart.

Please forgive me and be merciful like he did with David and Peter and then the next step is God I need help and so you need to find the greatest Christian the greatest pastor that you know and say look, I made a big decision today to walk in a different direction and I need help and then get in God's word and find a church that teaches his word were the people are real and I will tell you what is new life ahead.

Don't miss will just before we close.

We want you to know that as a staff we ask the Lord to help you take whatever your next faith step is.

We'd love to hear how it's going. Would you take a minute to send a note or give us a call either one is easy.

Just send a quick note to chip@livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will I hope you'll join us again tomorrow when Chip continues his series of priceless Christmas filled them. This is Dave.

Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge