I Choose Hope - Finding Hope, Part 1

I want you to think of someone right now this really really discouraged if you care about. What's the best thing you can give would be money would be a great vacation just a little relief.

I'm going to tell you there something far better and more important. That's today living on the statement. Thanks for joining us for this Friday edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching of shipping.

I'm debris and today to begin the new series I choose hope is in the process of teaching through the book of Philippians missed any of his recent messages are all available for you on either the chip and remap on our website living on the.org just click the broadcast. Now, if you have a Bible open it now to Philippians chapter 3 let's join shipper's message finding Hope couple of years ago had a chance to listen to a speaker and he is very very effective leader is a guy that I admired I would call him a friend. I don't know I'm real well, but we've hung out a few times and when I get close to someone I can tell is really real. It's very exciting and he was giving a message and he said there's actually something in our day that you can measure that you can actually grow that has a higher ability to predict the future then either your IQ or even your EQ. He said there something called an HQ that depending on how full your HQ is it will tell you a lot more about the future of your marriage or future in school your future with people your future and work then even how smart you are or your emotional intelligence analysts, leaning forward like I'd like to know what that is. He says HQ is your hope quotient and then he talked about a research project that it started at the time seven years earlier and it came out of a conversation with his daughter who was in school at the time and in a class on leadership that I put the question that she asked him it was a homework assignment and homework assignment was to find a leader and ask questions that you could learn about leadership, so she thought. My dad's leader will ask him so they begin to talk for a couple hours and he said her last question was question number 20 and it was the best one.

She said what's the single most important thing you do is a leader nothing of the single most important strategy isn't planning As the pastor. One of the largest churches in all America is at prayer. What is it and he said, instinctively, after all these years. I said oh that's easy. I make sure I stay encouraged and a member sitting there listening to him when she asked that question I want to know what is it but that's not what I thought it would say and then I got to think about it and he went on to say what when I'm encouraged to make good decisions when I'm encouraged and emotionally whole.

I relate to people well, but when I'm discouraged. I make bad decisions when I'm discouraged that I tend to fall into temptation when I'm discouraged I lose confidence when I'm discouraged and live in a discourage manner. I start losing credibility with the people around me and then he went on to say, said the greatest gift. Parents can ever get their kids is hope the greatest thing you can give your marriage partner is hope the greatest thing you can give your employees are your friends is whole. I thought to myself.

I have never thought about it like that but it rings true. I found a quote by my mentor Howard Hendricks.

Speaking of the flipside of hope. He says discouragement is a great line is the anesthetic that the devil uses on a person just before he reaches in and carves out their heart that's graphic isn't it will what is so I've done a lot of research and I can give you biblical words and dictionary words but as I put them all together. I think the heart of hope is this, it's the mental and emotional outlook that life is good. The future is promising. Progress is certain even in the midst of challenging circumstances or difficult relationships.

It's an emotional and intellectual outlook.

It's just you get in there something about your emotions or something about your thinking and it's like life is good and life is good. Of course, are challenges but the future. The future is promising future. My marriage is promising the future.

My singleness is promising. My future work is promising and progress is absolutely certain even in the midst of difficulty and challenges. Why does it matter matters because researchers tell us you go about 40 days without food but three days without water, but eight minutes without air, but probably not more than two or three seconds, without hope, the moment you lose hope you cave-in, you lose hope in your marriage you quit smoking when your kids you give up, you lose hope. At work you don't show up as the same person you lose hope everything begins to cave-in. He went on in his research, he said, why does it matter. Here's 11 things that people whose hope, think, think of hope is like a little tank inside of you and I want to ask you just a minute is your hope, low is your hope, medium, or you just filled with hope. Did you have this poignant sense that life is good. The future is promising and progress is certain people that think like that the majority of the time have more satisfying relationships, the more productive their affected less by stress. The more successful more satisfied, the more compassionate the more willing to help people in need their physical life there healthier. They hold a higher moral and ethical standard. They're more likely to assume leadership positions and it's interesting they're more likely to see God is loving, caring and forgiving.

So let me ask you just forget: here if you know just thinking of your hope meters.

Let's make it just a one on up to attend can't give yourself a number of hope right now. What he got. What's going on inside discouraged encouraged. What's the source of your hope not. I know the Sunday school answer right Jesus. Jesus is a sort okay. We got that that's the right answer.

Now let's get to the honest one. If you can honestly would say what is what's your hope what you hoping for.

What do you intuitively or unconsciously believe if this would happen or if that would happen. My life would be good. The future would be positive.

I know I make progress.

Maybe a different way to combat it is look at the negative.

What is it that when it happens discourages you and get you down quickly to that'll probably tell you where a lot of your hope rests in of the really big question I'm asking you to think about. I've done a lot of thinking about it and and just were not can have all the right hope all the time. But here's the big question we want to ask and answer in the season, but in the series is how do you find and keep hope alive because you know I don't have a lot of I don't have a lot of control over my IQ. I can study I don't have much control over my EQ. You kinda can learn some things but I'm gonna tell you, you have one hundred percent control of your HQ. You can raise your hope you can build your hope you can fill your hope.

The apostle Paul is writing to a church that he loves the Philippians. We need to get a little context because we taken a break. He's in difficult circumstances. In chapter 1 he thinks he may die at any moment and so he chooses joy is C+ P equals E his circumstances. Plus his perspective equals experience and has an upward focus in an outward focus and he says God, I know you're in control in chapter 2. There's disunity and relationships and we learned that you can choose love you develop a I am second mentality. It's about humility. Pride kills relationships. Humility always causes grace to flow so you follow the example of Jesus, and you you consider others as more important you choose to love others in ways that are meaningful in chapter 3. He's concerned about them because culturally there's chaos and confusion, some false teachers kept following Paul.

Paul would plant a church. Galatia, Ephesus here in Philippi and there be a group called Judaizers they were new Christians, but they were Jewish Christians and they said, Jesus is great and grace is important. Plus need to be circumcised.

Need to keep the wall here 17 rules you need to do it so they would follow Paul and they would teach their false doctrine and take loads of guilt and put it on people. Now you gotta keep all the Jewish level.

No one's ever been able to do that it's been fulfilled.

It's not Jesus plus anything and so he writes chapter 3 because the whole is getting shifted from a grace loving relationship that God says you're his son near his daughter. I'm for you because of what I have done in the hope is getting shifted to this is what you gotta do in order to measure up. You need to do this and this and this and this.

Open your Bibles with you will. Philippians chapter 3 he gives him a command verse one he says finally. My brother rejoice in the Lord to write the same things again is no trouble to me and it's a safeguard for you since.

Find your joy in your relationship. Since not a big deal for me to remind you this, but then never the end of chapter 1. He said you're experiencing the same difficulty would you solve to be in me and just bringing their focus back yeah you got got a lot of other people but find your joy in your relationship with God because everything and everyone else sometime sooner or later is gonna let you down and then he gives him a warning in verse two, he says, beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers. Beware of the false circumcision. These are these Judaizers gives them three labels he calls them dogs because don't think of Ranger that's my dog Ranger is a golden retriever. The biggest problem I have with Ranger as he walks up to. He just looks you in it just is most loving dog in the world. These are scavenger dogs. These are dogs that are running the city. These are dogs and snarl. These are the kind of dogs that people were afraid of, and carry disease and he's talking to them in this negative language and it was a slang term. Also, the Jewish people would use for Gentiles and he says there there don't gobble you there disease no mess you up and they said not only that, but there evil workers. They have a works mentality and there's apply on this very thing. Their works are gonna take you down a bad path, and there are false circumcision.

If you are a good Jewish little boy the sign of the covenant. At eight days is the foreskin was to be cut in you to be circumcised and even after people came to Christ regardless of their age. The Judaizers said you need to do that keep the law keep the Sabbath keep the dietary laws and Paul says these people are in a take you down a path that will rob your hope in your relationship with Christ. And here's the reason he says for we are the true circumcision we how we serve God by his spirit. We boast in Christ Jesus, and we put no confidence in the flesh gives three characteristics of the false teachers in his Philippians word the true circumcision can't it's it's on the heart Romans, you might jot down right about that Romans chapter 2 verses 28 and 29 he says people that are physically born of Abraham. Just because you're a physical Jew doesn't make you right with God.

He's gonna say to circumcision of the heart. It's a relationship that we have with God through Christ, where the true circumcision and here's the three characteristics we worship God by the spirit.

The Spirit of God dwells in us and we have relationship. Secondly, since we boast in Christ. It's about a person. Any time religion takes you into the church, the leader you have to do these five things to be right if you ever do these to think all that stuff. He says we boast in Christ and what he's done and third, notice what he says we put no confidence in the flesh at Starbucks as the word means in what we do outside of what Christ is provided this idea that on bad days. All of us right without this battle we want to do what God wants us to do, but we we live in this flesh Sabato. It's those desires and habits time form that it's doing things out of our own energy out of our own effort out of her own motives. No notice.

Then Paul is going to shift gears here and is basically a sale only prove this to you all and I think there's three huge takeaways for us about finding hope. Basically he's going to gonna say to them to give you a sense of it is gonna save these these guys are saying you need to keep all the stuff basically to say so.

So if if anyone wanted to go toe to toe on really keeping the law. My argument is not going to be that these guys do it, and none of us can because I'm going to tell you from my life.

I used to be in that group that I used to be an All-Star.

I was the budding star. In fact, Emilio was my teacher and he was the most famous teacher and I was the rising star and he's going to sort of throw out his pedigree since you know cut argue like it made up if anyone was going to get right with God in that system. I I was scoring 100. As far as you could in that system and that is gonna contrast that and say all of that says I look at that and he is going to use. In fact, limit later or have you circle the word gain, loss, gain, loss in the word consider the word consider is an accounting term and can actually look at his life in Christ in his life before Christ in his life.

With all of his good works is in a safe in an accounting term gain, gain, gain, loss, loss, loss ready follow along.

Though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone thinks they have reasons to become his the flesh.

I far more that he gives us seven specific statements circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews with regard to law, a Pharisee that was the strictest sect as first seal I mean someone was fired up persecutor of the church has for righteousness based on the law, blameless or faultless polls basically saying I was in the system. I was I was OCD spiritual like you have never seen. I have all the pedigree I was born in the right place, born of the right parents born of a special tribe my name even the first tribe came from Benjamin. He said I was circumcised on exactly the right day in terms of religious or righteousness.

I mean, I fasted the two days a week, like Pharisees.

I memorize probably all of the tour and major parts of the Old Testament in terms of being a religious person who fulfill what you can in your own effort and energy.

I was the star of Judaism and its far as this whole the second visit this followed this Jesus stuff. I tried to kill in the notice the shift is basic saying is that his point is true spirituality authentic relationship is going to be rooted in the person of Christ, the person of Jesus, not religion, not in the system, not in a group not a church, not a leader not in what you do, not what you can accomplish.

And then after this notice what he says but you might put a big underline because this is the contrast whatever was to my gain circle that were profit.

I now consider loss for the sake of Christ put a box around the word. Consider what's more, I consider put a box from consider everything to be a loss because of surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I lost all things and consider them as garbage, that I might gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith know you're very very smart group. So what I want you to do is if you see the word gain or loss circle at your notes.

I just want you to visually see this circle and circle it gain, loss, gain, loss, gain, loss when you see the word consider put a box around and open up the whole text. What is gonna say is like a an accountant doing a forensic audit. I've looked at all of the religion and I look at my relationship with Christ and now here's what it is.

Here's the gains the surpassing value of knowing Christ and the word for knowing here is an intimate, deep, rich personal relationship.

It's the opposite of knowing about God. We we have I believe millions of people in the church, even an evangelical church but know a lot about God and have a very unconscious mindset of what makes them right with God, I come to church fairly regularly. I read my Bible. Some I pray when I can. I pray to prayer at one time and what they're really trusting in is what they're doing but if you ask them do you have a rich deep intimate relationship. You have a passion in your heart to get to know do you enjoy Jesus, is there a sense of growth and intimacy.

Some of them don't even know what you ship back with some additional thoughts about his teaching today, but if you're just joining us your listing to living on the judge with Chip Ingram chips message today is from a series I choose hope how to face your future with confidence.

If you long to choose. Hope this is a series you may want to listen to from time to time because none of us Masters this kind of maturity after just one hearing it's a lifelong pursuit in order to make it easier for you to get the series for yourself or someone you love. We've temporarily discounted the CDs and right now the MP3s are absolutely free to order just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org chip I just love that quote you gave us from Howard Hendricks. Discouragement is the anesthetic Satan uses on a person right before he reaches him and carves out there hard all man, Dave, death, and that really get to the truth of it I mean what a visual picture prof Hendrix gave us when we get discouraged were vulnerable.

All of us have made poor decisions. All of us have given into temptation all of us have had deep struggles and when we look back we realize we made terrible terrible decisions with devastating consequences because we were discouraged. The problem was our hope quotient was very, very low. This entire series is from the apostle Paul out of Philippians 3 and he's gonna teach us, regardless of her circumstance.

Regardless of what you are and what you been through what's happened to you or what you face in the future. You can have hope and working to learn how to actually experience it. That's the series.

I can't wait to teach it well. I hope you make it a point to stay with us if you have to miss a broadcast these messages in the current resource discounts are available on our website LivingontheEdge.org even better with the chipping remap everything you're looking for is just a couple of taps away will. Here's trip with a final thought as we wrap up today's program.

What I know for sure is many many of you are some of your closest friends or family members need hope. I mean they really need hope me, whether it's economic issues, marriage issues, divorce, separation, drug addictions, loss of a job.

I mean there's times in our life that is so devastating and we can get discouraged and we lose perspective in the Lord Jesus wants you to know and the people that you love. He wants to give you hope and impact our hope quotient might be the most important thing because if you're discouraged, we don't trust if you're discouraged, you're not motivated. I love what my friend Ray Johnson says in his book the hope quotient. He says people. This is research people that have a high hope quotient people that have a sense that the future is bright that God is in control, that regardless of what I go through.

He's going to help me. They have more satisfying relationships that are more productive. They're less affected by stress.

The more successful the more satisfied the more compassionate. They're more willing to help people.

They have higher ethical standards and they're more likely to see God is a loving, caring and forgiving God and so what I want you to know as we launch into this series, and as we begin to learn about hope. God wants to give it to you. In fact, are you ready for this. He's already given it to you.

And so it's a matter of perspective. It's a matter of beginning to lean into and it grows out of not circumstances. Being wonderful and right and everything going your way. As we learn from the apostle Paul. It happens when were rooted deeply and intimately with the anchor of our hope the Lord Jesus himself. That's my prayer for you today lean into the Lord Jesus draw near to him in the midst of your pain, your suffering and your discouragement and here's the promise and he will draw near to you.

Just before we close.

I would think those of you who make this broadcast possible through your generous financial support. If you found today's program helpful but haven't yet supported us. There's never been a better time because every gift we receive between now and July 7 will be matched dollar for dollar to send a gift. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click the donate button on our homepage or you can always give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 and let me thank you in advance for your generosity will until next time, this is Dave Gurley saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge