Holy Ambition - Grow a Courageous Soul, Part 2

Are you discouraged today you lost hope you struggling you just don't feel like you can do what you know you supposed to do what even God wants you to do if that's where you find yourself today.

Don't turn the dial.

God has a word of encouragement and hope you stay with thanks for joining us for this monthly addition of living on the head with shipping Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram on this daily discipleship program.

I'm very worried a series called holy ambition, turning God shaped dreams into reality for the last couple of weeks. Chip's been in the process of laying out six necessary conditions for that to happen.

If you missed any of the previous messages in this series you can hear them online anytime visiting our website LivingontheEdge.org just click listen now today Chip reminds us that anytime we get a great plan going and were making spiritual progress. We have an enemy who just loved to mess it up and get us to quit now. If you have a Bible open its Nehemiah chapter 4, and let's join Chip for part two of his message roll a courageous soul.

While the enemy second punch the thorn God's program in our lives is the uppercut of discouragement. Follow along as I read verses seven through 12 but when Sambol into the walls. Has Bill and San Bala, Tobiah, the Arabs, the ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs of Jerusalem walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed. They were very, very angry. They all plodded together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against but we notice again pray toward God and posted a guard at night to meet the threat. Meanwhile, the people in Judah said the strength of the laborers is getting out and there's so much trouble that we can't rebuild the wall. Also, our enemies said before they know it or before they see it. We will be right there among them, and we will kill them and we will put into the work then the Jews who live near them came and told us 10 times over.

Wherever you turn, they will attack you see what's going on here.

I mean it's it's built halfway. And now there's an offense and now you have a group of people that did you hear some of those phrases. Now they're looking at instead of the wall have built what is it all, he only sees the rubble. There's too much to do.

It says that they lost their strength there tired, they lost perspective and now ever there hearing these whispers.

Rumors are where you are of your reviewer. They can come they can get you and and you some of their Jewish brothers are coming and feeding in these lies feeding these lies.

Let me give you the four things that flow right out of this passage that will absolutely discourage you. The four causes of discouragement. Let me give you all for and then develop the first one is loss of strength, the strength of the laborers is giving out and write down the keyword fatigue. Sometimes we over spiritualize things when you push it when you work hard when you're up early when you're up late when they're stressed when there's a lot of demand and you're going at it and then you minister after that and you get tired or vulnerable. Your to be or vulnerable to the first thing that happens when you get really tired and really wiped out in your vulnerable you get discouraged. The second is notice the loss of vision that the nose for the sake there's so much trouble. It's in there and there half done, but all they say is that there's all they can see is what's left to do in the keyword is perspective. Think of where they were just probably a week or two earlier. I mean there was model everywhere and they said Nehemiah let us arise and build our God will do that for me.

They were fired up. The people work with all their heart. They get half done there fatigue and under and that doesn't happen.

You you lose perspective like you to something I was really in a week. I'm going that marriage counseling thing we been to three sessions now, instead of we made progress in this is a long-term deal. You start setting some boundaries for some your kids and you know it's can be really Harding is a not you know working to do it this way and they push back pushback pushback you start to see some the results in thinking what this is just too much. Forget this you fly your flag at work in you know you you begin to share your faith a little bit let people know what's happening and you know there's this inner sense and start getting up in the morning and you want to meet with God and then you know this happens and that happens and you oversleep a couple times and there's extra big pressure at work in your up half the night and you really tired is like you know what got I just write that happens to us, and it discouraged and the and then these little voices I see guys I can use you. I mean that not someone like you. That whole idea that missions trip them stupid. Should the gone should have signed up, see if you can get out of. By the way, all the monies not in right but I'll try something. Maybe I don't want to go and maybe or maybe God really has some great when you get discouraged.

The next thing is notice there's a loss of confidence as a source of discouragement that didn't look at the phrase there in verse 10 we cannot rebuild the wall your half done, but we can't do it in the keyword there is faith before they believed by the power of God. This is going to happen and now they lost their confidence and then finally look at verse 12, the enemy will surprise attack you 10 different times they have a loss of security and and in fear when you get tired when you lose perspective when your faith begins to waiver and then when you have fear let me taste something you get discouraged by the way, it's very interesting I'm I'm doing this will study for the fallen. One of the ideas I had was to not want to do, but was to take all these different attributes of God and see where they came out in the life of Christ in and then I went through one morning I read Matthew and Mark and just I read it very quickly. But I read it just to find out times when people were in stressful situations and what did Jesus do in a sinner and he says fear not, fret not. But most common when I saw was to courage your grounding, take courage, Peter looking for ways to courage and courage see courage. Courage is even though there is fear even though there's opposite position.

Courage is the willingness to step out. Trusting God and to do what you know is right even when everything around you or inside you is scaring you to death what he say to Joshua strong encourages be strong and courageous. Do not tremble. Don't be dismayed. So when you lose your courage and so what is discouragement. This is just removing the courage for you to hang in there.

So you threat you want to give and you give up.

We start going to the motions. I told you the story about going to seminary my third year. Let me tell you exactly where I was. I was sitting in my seat is in theology class teacher was Dr. Charles Ryberg and so you should listen to him because he wrote his own Bible.

The robbery study Bible brilliant brilliant guy really enjoyed his class and know where I went to school they had these large lecture halls where you note that went down like stairstep with these long things and so there's probably couple hundred guys in the class and have you ever been so tired and so discouraged that you go to like a stupor used and and II can you know I probably didn't get my money's worth.

I can tell you thing he said is all. All I remember doing is sitting there gone I can do this anymore.

I was fatigue probably gone for maybe five hours sleep Max. But for a lot for probably two to half years I've lost perspective completely.

My calling you cares about my calling and I'm just life things I only had one year left.

It was like I can do one more year. My faith is faltering. My confidence that I was afraid. I think you know why not. I probably will be good pastor anyway and I was in that stupor and I was just sitting like this and apparently the class it ended and everyone was gone because as I sat there I felt this tap on my shoulder and I looked up and was Dr. irie and I looked around and no one was in the room and God used him to save my life and save my future is very short conversation.

In fact, it was a one-way conversation. Chip gifts are don't make any big decisions in the next 24 to 48 hours.

I don't care what to do.

Go home and get two or three good night sleep in two or three good meals don't make any decisions yes or and I figured he wrote the Bible out of duty says and you know I had of course a big paper due and I just know okay and I slept deeply for 23 nights got to three Ford really good meals is an amazing thing God reminded me that you've been yet three years on your belt. I called you to do this. Here's the plans I have for you and you know what I re-upped about you which one of these things is causing you to get discouraged for some of you met many just need to stop what what you said II need I need to rest up.

I need a good meal. I need a couple good workouts I need to not make any decision I got get off this treadmill to stop. I get perspective when I went away. Sometimes I want to get too much done too fast and so the very first day I mean I had so many thoughts and so an afternoons unite. I study all morning and afternoon to try and take a walk with Teresa that we did every day and and so the very first day I remember walking and walking walking. We walk about 25 minutes and the turnaround walk 25 minutes and we got about you know to the like. The 40 minute marker and Teresa says something like, wow, aren't these trees beautiful and I looked up I realized I had walked 40 minutes. I had not noticed the trees.

I have not noticed the mountains I not noticed my wife.

I'd not noted in our unit we had little chitchat. I make my little brain. I was going going going going and I remember just stopping and send you know what Ingram just light up what you need to do is stop and I watch the trees in the next 24 hours.

I just spent time with God and shut off all the media and set you know what I'm going to trust that by the time I had down this hill, three or four days later you will give me crystal clear idea of what you want to say to your people and and you know what, I took a nap that afternoon I got a workout later that day I ate good.

I limited how much of that box.

I watched and I just was amazing. It's amazing the renewal that happens Nehemiah's response teaches us how to come off the ropes in rule the ring. Let's look at versus the 13 to 29 to 20 actually and just just notice some very specific things he does says therefore okay he's discouraged. People of lost it that night. They think were done not happen. There's threats and you know all the murmuring now minimize think I know we can't keep build mission or Bob already left.

You know he and his family.

They took off and I mean if you ever been a leader and and things are falling apart. It's not a good situation, especially if you use a like the head of the family male or female. Which of the head of the family and really had a ministry you have a project at work. Notice what Nehemiah does.

Therefore, I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall and expose places posting them notice by families with their swords and spears and bows.

After I look things over. Notice evaluation.

Notice families are together. Relationships I stood up and said to the nobles to be officials and the rest of the people. Don't be afraid of them. Stop being afraid why.

Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters are wise in your homes, words, what's at stake. Let's remember.

Why were here. What were doing when our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated. We returned to the wall, each to his own work. From that day on half of my men did the work while the other half you were equipped with spears and shields and bows and armor it.

It's this this is real warfare for many of us, this will translate into spiritual warfare. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah, who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and they held a weapon in the other hand, in each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked, but the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

Then I said to the nobles to be officials and to the rest of the people. The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Join us there so we say look unit were stationed here. We've made preparation were ready to fight you got people protecting you.

Here we going to the most strategic, vulnerable spots, but we don't know where it's can happen when you hear the trumpet that's were running together very strategic very clear. He has a plan. He goes on to say, so we continue to work with half the men holding the spears and the till dawn from the first of dawn till the stars came out at night translation there is times that you busted in your life and your ministry in your walk with God and it starts at dawn and ends when the stars come out at that time. I also said of people have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night so they can serve as guards by night and working by day in the notice.

This modeling neither I nor my brothers nor the men nor the guards with me took off their clothes each had his weapon even when he went for water and let me give you for very practical things to do when you're discouraging for some of you, this can't come too late because today was like a discouraging day.

Or maybe it was a very depressing day or maybe you're thinking about some stuff and what I've shared tonight is like on believable you send yourself that's exactly where I am number 1B pro active notice.

Nehemiah did not wait around wondering how wonderful her to come. I wonder when it was can have.

He was pro active do something practical and positive notice that he put people in the places where they were most vulnerable. Notice that he he got a mindset of battle. It wasn't just getting the work of the task done. He realized there's a battle going on. There's a battle going on for your soul.

There's a battle going on for your family. There's a battle going on for your sexual purity. There's a battle going on for the ministry that God is a holy ambition and Satan wants to cut you early and hard as he can be proactive and so for me, this can mean taking a walk, writing a letter to encourage someone texting someone that I care about that and think I just haven't thought about a middle other words something positive. I will go work out. Also, listen to Christian music all call someone that I know very well and say hey this is Chip, I'm discouraged. Would you just listen and they do but you gotta do some positive discouragement and depression are like a cloud when the cloud comes on you. Can you how you can kinda feel it coming and you sink in, and you're sinking in the something deep and ugly in our souls whether something almost like self-pity and is coming down and it's really hard and is a terrible place to be and I really hate to be here, but I am I am. It will some of you know when you get about here.

You need to get a minute I put this off. I'm not going there and it's a choice you don't feel like going there it's arousing and asking the spirit of God to give you courage. Second, remember who's on your team. He says our God will fight for us here, God's child, your loved you matter is a plan for you.

He loves you. He's got a ministry for you.

Remember who's on your team remembering God's great faithfulness in the past will empower you to trusting him for still greater things in the future and that's what the Psalms are all about third fight fight fight.

Notice he says see what's at stake, fight for your mothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, your homes, your brothers fight. We lost that. If you haven't noticed, there is no easy way to accomplish anything of any value. The reason so many of us get sucked into the tube is because it's something that we can do completely passively.

That's why kids who watch a lot of TV early and play lots of video games often have real problems thinking because they can't wait on anything anymore to get a fight. It takes your will is like a muscle and you ask God to you. I don't feel like doing this and you know went. When I caved into that you are either a slave of your body or your body is a slave to you. That's what the apostle Paul said, I will make my body my slave, your body, your appetites need to do what you say not you doing what it says otherwise your prisoner.

I have to watch this. I have to drink this will have to eat this, I have to be with you.

I have to let people use me. I've let people walk all over me. I have to I have to I have to not a victim fight fight fight and you know the areas where God is speaking to you and then finally, never fight alone. He put them in families.

He put them together.

He put them was someone behind them to protect them. What we know from Scripture and experiences the people that get connected and I don't mean just going to a small group you go to a small group and keep it superficial till Jesus comes. The people that get connected in a small group who learn to minister who roll up their sleeves and do something other people that's bigger than themselves together to share hearts who share God's word, who tell one another. The truth will hold each other accountable with a gentleness and a love those are the people whose lives progressively with all the ups and downs that you can have and I have are transformed become like Jesus and by doing. That's the game plan that you be conformed to the image of his son. You have a heavenly father who thinks so much of you. He thinks I mean because he's infinite. If you think of all the sand there is in the sea, all the stars, the billions and billions his thoughts toward you are that many. You got somebody else you because you matter because your love. He died for you. You raised from the dead. He has a plan for you and he invites you coming to me walk with me.

Let's do life together, but he's going to show up. Certainly in the pages of Scripture. But the Spirit of God lives inside of me in the spirit of God lives inside of you. And when we sit around together openly and honestly and can put aside our pride in our ego and allow the Christ in me and the Christ in you to share with one another were shaped in love the way he's going hug you that you might have a big supernatural experience in praise got on for as many as I can get of those but most of the hugs him to get from God or you have flesh on the good be a regular person and when God listens to me as often get me to the ears of a kind, compassionate person is what the enemy wants to do is get you off by yourself. And when you're alone, you get discouraged when you get discouraged you do stupid stuff in your vulnerable and we all do. But you hear my heart.

God is a holy ambition. What years what years are dream because it's God's dream is to mobilize one hundred percent of the people to discover the God shake dream that he's forming in your heart and have you connected with other people and doing something that you would say 3 to 5 years from now I could never imagine the God could use an ordinary person like to accomplish his love and grace in extraordinary ways. Should back in just a minute with some application, but if you're just joining us for listening to Living on the Edge with shipping room and the message you just heard roll a courageous soul is from trip series holy ambition, turning God shaped dreams into reality. The six part series helps you discover how extraordinary things for God can be accomplished by very ordinary people in it. Chip explains six key conditions for anyone who longs to make a difference longs to know God's will for their life and then see it actually lived out that's you or someone you know this series. Holy ambition is the perfect voice to start. Chip walks you through a step-by-step process that will bring clarity and intentionality to everything you do. There are several holy ambition resources available and all are discounted right now. Not only that, but we know not everyone is in the same place on their spiritual journey. So when you go to our website. Click on. You were made for more find all of the resources were currently discounting. We hope you discover your spiritual gifts and what's next on your faith journey.

Give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org for holy ambition and you were made for more.

Now here's chip I'll be right back with some specific application to today's message but could I encourage you listen to this again. In fact, way, way better get the small group content or the book and ask God to show you the holy ambition he has for your life. I saw a man get a holy ambition for warm coats and a thousand adults and 500 kids get a coat because he had an idea and a dream I saw a woman whose heart was burden for homeless people.

She had a holy ambition. She went through the process and guess what, there's Nally, a mobile unit driving around and giving them showers and helping them write resumes. God has a holy ambition for you. So let me encourage you don't just listen to the series. God wants to put a dream in your heart.

That's more than just an ambition he want you to launch it. He wants you to make a difference in this resource can help you on that path. Go for it. Thanks trip. So whether it's for yourself or maybe your small group Living on the Edge has a holy ambition resource that will best meet your needs go online to LivingontheEdge.org to find the book the CDs. The video DVDs or streaming and the study guides begin find the passion is put on your heart and expect God to answer your prayers but web address again is LivingontheEdge.org or just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will now here's chip to wrap up our series will today's our final broadcast of holy ambition. You may have caught part of this broadcast and wondered what puts it all together, or I missed one and if so you need understand holy ambition is not only my heartbeat heartbeat of our ministry. It's about people regular people like you and me who have a dislocated heart who have a broken spirit who take a radical step of faith who develop a strategic plan to make a personal commitment and those of a courageous soul in the midst of much opposition literally make a difference for God.

If you miss some of these programs. I highly suggest that you get the audio series. But what I want you to know is, here's our dream are dream is that you will make a great difference for God and his glory.

So go for just before we close. I want to thank those of you who make this broadcast possible through your generous giving Living on the Edge invests those dollars to purchase their time create programs and provide resources to help Christians live like Christians, if Living on the Edge is been a blessing to you. Would you prayerfully consider sending a gift today.

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Until then, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge