Spiritual Simplicity - In the Name of Love, Part 2

According to a recent survey we want to reduce the clutter, the stress, the ongoing chaos of our busy lives, but the big question is how do you really simplify your life today on Living on the Edge.

We'll talk about a plan that will help you cut through the noise and you begin to simplify your life.

Stay with you left. Welcome to this Wednesday vision of living on the ship serves as our Bible teacher on this daily international discipleship group continues his series simplicity doing less loving more power in the middle of the series. So if you missed any of the programs we suggest downloading the chip Free access to these messages, chips, message notes and all the special offer. If you have a Bible open it now to first Corinthians chapter 13 let's join chip for part two of his message in the name of love. Imagine that we are having a big party. Everyone in the church.

Big party. All the services come together and you know we we rent a park and I mean working to have ice cream and we can have food and a barbecue to celebrate great music and so we get like four or five of our best artists we say this is gonna be a celebration of what God's doing adventure and we want you to get this 2000 block piece of ice and we want you to create a sculpture that I mean gives glory to God just magnifies artistic talent and ability that you have.

And here's this big room with about 30' x 40' in this big block of ice and you know that in there and there were chainsaws and hunched to so they work for weeks and then they put on these rollers and were thousands of us and were having music and here it is this beautiful fountain is out in 100°. And who knows, maybe Chocolate coming out of it or something.

But you know other Swan's and MMS is an amazing deal right and and and you know we stop and all is going well, what can you believe man believe I do see him. That is the most amazing how do they do that with ice right in a world just like this. Three hours later parties over what they did was wonderful. Their energy was wonderful.

We appreciated but 3 to 4 hours later. Some of us are volunteering cleanup chairs were picking up the paper the Swan only has one arm the things melting by dusk a handful of us are just cleaning up and where that beautiful ice sculpture used to be. There's just puddles of water see it's not that what you are doing or what I'm doing doesn't have any value. It's that it doesn't have any value that lasts. And there's some of us that will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. I just say this from God's loving heart to you as a warning and you will spend your time and your energy doing very good things that you think with all your heart and the name of love in your relationships in your families and in your work and you'll get near the end of your life, or worse. By the time if you have a family were your kids are grown and what you will look back on is just pools of water, but have no significance that are going nowhere and you wish you could turn back the clock and your wish. You know what wonder what would happen if we would've eaten together three or four times a week. I want one of happen if instead of being so busy. I actually blocked off the first 30 minutes of every day and talk with God's sake, keep my priorities straight. Wonder what would've happened. Instead of you know two or three hours every night just to wind down and watching fairly mindless TV. If I would've spent some time investing in the things that matter and the people that matter and giving attention to things that I know that would last this is what the apostle Paul say he saying this is how love responds to misplaced priorities and then he gives us a solution. I love the Bible is not just you know he saying you know you can be successful in business or finances or your kids could get the best schools, but any success minus love equals a goose egg everything minus love is a zero and so what would happen.

Just what would happen if some time even in the next few minutes before we walked out here. You started a brand-new journey in the new journey went something like this. I'm not sure what I'll do with the entire rest of my life.

But until I take my last breath.

I'm gonna start thinking and planning and praying and structuring my life my activities my energy and my money around to things loving God and loving people, and I'm going to stop cheating by saying one thing and pretending it's true and I'm gonna ask you my finances and my time and my closest relationships reflect that I really love God and love people and characters.

The promise love never fails. You'll never have a regret you'll never say no to one view sport activity or a few more hours at work or one more deal that you can do for you say no this vacations planned and were going to go away you don't, you'll never look back and go oh I wish you would've done one more deal but you will look back with regret. If love is not the number one priority and so he tells us how to do it. You ready for this, he says, grow up. So how does it how does love respond to misplaced priorities you grow up, look, look what he says, verse 11, he says when I was a child, I talked I thought and a reason. As a child but when I became a man in this word means a man who has responsibility who's at the point in his life is old enough to reproduce so I did little thinking about how kids think her children think of the word for child. Here's a small child still and let me tell you how children think and then we'll talk about how adults think and then you can ask yourself how am I talking and thinking and reasoning like a child. The word talk here just means what comes out of your mouth. It's note no technical term to it but are to art what comes out of her mouth always reveals what's in our heart of the word think here's that same word that's used in the same root word is in member Romans 12 to don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.

But think is to have sober back same word judgment as God is a lot each. It's about processing in evaluating how what's going on and why. And then the word reasoning here is one my favorite words. It's low gives Amaya it's it's found in Romans 12 12 here logic of my it means to reason it had it's it's a very clear it's reckoning it's an accounting term. It's weighing things. Here's all the positive here's all the negative here's a P&L is what will deliver here. Here's what won't. It's a reasoning matter of fact, thinking in Romans 12 one at the very end it says, for this is your spiritual service of worship. The word spiritual or reasonable is this work now. Here's how kids think. Here's how that when I hear kids talk little kids. They say I want it meant I didn't experiment a sociological experiment Friday night. I had two kids.

There were not my house.

One was three and one just turned six and I heard pawpaw I want that, that I want that. Can we do this can please please yes yes can want want want want want. That's how kids think and how they talk and then how they think is what about them coming.

There's 50 toys on our living room floor.

There's two kids.

One kids playing what I want that I want that I want the kids.

By nature they don't like up in the morning thinking I wonder how I can encourage mom and dad today or are they don't walk into a room with other seven-year-olds and say hey anybody feeling kinda down needle time to talk to everybody you know paint did everyone get their milk, to make sure I got to hear you think you can have seven milks and three kids and they fight over who gets to her three that's childish. Paul says when he was a child he talked like a child want want want he thought like a child about me me me, and he reasoned as a child in the way kids reason are called now immediate gratification.

But, you know, if you tell them you can have five candy bars a week from now or you can have one now the wrappers off of it they can think about five candy bars later.

It's immediate it's now I gotta have it.

That's how kids think, how to adults. Think talk and reason will a kid says I want an adult says what's needed, what's needed here. Not what I want, not what you want what's needed what's best.

Kids say it's all about me when you're an adult with what you realizes anything that works.

It's about others. Maturity is thinking about others, especially for you moms I don't think there's probably hardly a mom in the whole world. He gets up thinking, oh I wonder how I'm to spend this day on me today while I think I'll take a bubble bath first. I'm sure the kids will get up if you got kids in the probably day themselves fix their lunches have some devotions on their own and bring me coffee in the bathtub yet to work at right when your mom reared when you're adult when you walk into an office. It's about what do these people need. I'm responsible, you think about others in adults. Reasoning goes something like this to words delayed gratification. It's not what this is going to deliver today. It's what is it going to deliver over the long haul. What will this behavior produce next week, next year, five years from now.

It's adults asked the question, not what can I have now adults ask what is needed and what is best for the longest call for the most people. What's wise what has value. What will deliver now keep goes on to talk about cloudy vision leads to complexity and want to give you a you and me a little grace because if you think this these messages are hard to listen to.

You should have to come up with them. I'm seriously negative and I can apply this stuff if I don't reply to me first. I got nothing to say and the principal is notice what he says for now we see in a mirror dimly, by the way Amir in the ancient world was not like your mirror. Everything was clear was a piece of steel that was brushed and so you could see yourself, you make yourself up but was cloudy you know who it was. It was helpful, but it wasn't crystal clear. He says now temporal in this life the way were living we see in the mirror but it's kind cloudy so it's complex it's it's hard to know and some people say this, and some people say this, and then you get busy and you feel a pull here to pull here in this competing demands and there's a demand for this in the demand for this of the Manson family demand from when you do what how can you ever know, and so most of us trying to it all and not do any of it very well and neglect their own so he says now we see in the mirror dimly, but then he's talking about when Christ comes back then. We'll see fully now we we know and see him part but that is can be face-to-face, jotting your notes.

First John 32. We do not know what we will be like. But this is what we know when we see him we will be like him.

When you meet Christ face-to-face.

We will be transformed and we will be like him, not God. But his created beings. These glorified bodies. I mean, everything gets clear and when it's clear. Notice what happens when things are absolutely clear. He says now abide faith, hope and love the greatest of these is love. Why one because it last faith is trusting or believing what I can't see the promises and the character of God, but someday faith become site hope is this anchor of your soul the certainty the God says I am coming back. I have forgiven you.

I am in control, and if it's not a wish. It's an absolute hope. But at one point in time, your hope turns from hope to possession you will walk with God.

If you're a Christ follower. If you received this forgiveness you will have help but love will continue on because when you see him face-to-face. What's first John say God is love. We will love one another perfectly.

That's why it's never ruined. It never falls when you have a cloudy vision about your purpose and your priorities. It produces complexity when you have a clear vision about where you're going why you're going there.

What's important and how to get there. It produces love. Now the thing I was thinking about because last night I taught this in kinda came away with Lord I think we got through it really clearly, but I felt a little bad that if I was sitting there like I've been with this text.

And I really wanted my priorities in some of these are big issues right I mean this. This isn't like what this isn't like all hay much prep couple external prayers. I miss some of you saying you know what, I'm not sure I'm in the right job. This is some of you saying about this in the right job. I don't know if I can continue with living in this community for some of you. It's like, well, you were both working we never see our kids make maybe one of us needs to stop me. For some it's like you know are my schedules nuts.

I mean I intend and want and you know I'm I don't read the Bible don't talk with God much. I categorize not working.

Ding ding ding ding ding you. I know that I could get help from people that I love getting those small groups.

I hear it's really great I don't have time to make time to love God, to create margin to nourish your own soul. Some of you haven't taken a day off and ages and haven't had. What's a real vacation in years and you know what you reap, and then you can do so, but what you need to hear is this isn't like a message you have misplaced priorities and God is mad at you what you need here is your living in a world that's complex in a place it's fast with a lot of smart people who want to do a lot of really big things called the Silicon Valley and this is your heavenly father saying let's call a timeout.

I don't want your life to end up a super duper temporal ice sculpture that impresses people and then you get near the end of your life, or maybe even five or 10 years from now and the most important relationships and issues in your life. Be puddles of water and you say well I was successful.

My kids got in the school. Or, you know, I was upwardly mobile.

I worked all these hours they promoted me or you know I did this and I did that and then you know you just think, and it profited you nothing and then you became nothing and so you gotta grow up yet learn to talk like an adult you start asking questions like, what's really needed. You need to begin to think like an adult. What do the people in my sphere that I'm responsible for. What do they need what not what they want, not what makes them happy. Not if I say this will they reject me did I need a cell phone at this age do they need to be watching this or that. Are these the right friends for them to be with for some of us do I need to keep hanging around this group of people that I find myself making progress and pulled back away. Do I need to keep burning 2 to 3 hours a night become exhausted so I need to keep that second glass of wine every night or do I basically have an addiction see this. This is this is hard stuff unless we grow up.

Unless we ask you know what, what's wise, what's best, who do I really want to become what kind of relationships do I really want to have and back to the very first week what you want to be known for what you really want to be known for. I can't think of a greater goal then and I'm praying I got so far to go, but I would love I want my kids adult kids enough to say well my dad was a busy pastor, I like my adult kids to say you. My dad had a lot on his plate. The men I heard from them every week he had time for my kids. He really cared about me.

I want my wife. You know if I figure at the pace that I go I'll probably go before she because I hope so because I need her a lot more than she needs me but not, I hope after I die. I hope my wife will say you know something he did have a lot on his plate with me and we had a rich he love me he loved me and he love God. What I can tell you is off at various seasons my life like you have in your life where I just I just had to say you know something I'm gonna have to to unclouded my vision and I may see in part but if you want. This is a lamp into your feet and a light to your path. If you want to get clear vision you have to be in God's word know legalism. No ought or got to it is a love relationship. If you want to know if you're doing the right thing you need to talk and and and talk to God out loud and when you're confused, asking the question and sit quietly and see if he doesn't give you direction. If you want to make it in this life and stay clear and stay on course. It's not hard to do it alone. It's impossible to do alone. You will have to create margin in your life to be with a group of people to say I can't love God and love others by myself.

Will you help me if you want the kind of family that you know is in the back of your mind that you hope someday, some weights can have. You will have to structure in times around the table and times for vacation and times to really talk because you can get the outcomes of what you structured the way you're presently living is going to produce the continued outcomes. What you're presently receiving and so this whole our whole journey.

Here is a family about being before God and being in community and on mission. It really is about just loving God and loving one another. In essence, what have really talked about is how to be holy, holy is not that word conjures up for some of his black robes and candles in know people with really big black Bibles and sometimes weird and mystical. The word holy and when he just needs different word literally means something that set apart that it's special. It just means different God wants a different life for you a better life.

Holy life is moral purity a part of it absolutely, but he wants something different for you. I think look look at the families in America and the families in the Silicon Valley and the single people in America and all the pain and all the junk it all the stuff he just said I don't want that for you. So stop being conformed to this world's values and start not trying hard but renew your mind say no to some of the movies and some of the stuff and some of the time, and some of the novels and some the relationships they keep telling you gotta look like this and act like this and earned this much and do the stuff and live the space and shot out some of that and start renewing your mind with God's truth, and the notice look in your notes. What's the second half of that verse eight. What's his heart. His heart isn't that you become religious and weird his heart that you might approve or taste or tester experience. His will for you which is good, acceptable, perfect.

I jotted down when we have misplaced priorities even when it's out of ignorance we end up buying what we don't need to impress people that don't care we listen to what the world says instead of what God's word says, we see it we assume that the goal that our parenting is to make our kids successful and happy instead of holy. We don't live differently and therefore, the great majority of all people who sincerely love God. Miss God's best in the point of simplifying your life is not to become some weird religious fanatical Christian in the negative sense is that you could be holy as God is holy, so that you could experience the very best and that when people would rub up against your life and your lifestyle and your values as a single person as a married person as people with kids they would see a refreshing peaceful deep connected relationship that flows out of your time with God.

Your time with others and they would just say something like you know something this world's nuts.

How could you say no to that opportunity or how do you balance your life with all your responsibility and you will have an answer that will say you know something we were doing the series a while back and I was going really strong and I really love God, but I came out of the Nile and I decided that it would actually make loving God and loving people. My number one priority and trust that the hard decisions and the people that I disappoint the goblins the picture and the ship right some specific application for today's teaching but if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and ships talk today in the name of love is from his series, spiritual simplicity, doing less loving more serious challenges the norms that were pressured to assume are healthy and reveals the reasons behind our complaints that there's never enough time for ourselves the people we love or even God.

Spiritual simplicity paves the way to live a simpler, wiser, more connected life right now, you'll find all of the spiritual simplicity resources on our website. The CDs free MP3s the book and video small group with study guide for complete pricing and ordering details. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or if you prefer.

Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 spiritual simplicity doing less loving more will Chip I loved your message today about trusting that God's big enough to take care of us when we put them first and how are you seeing that play out in your life from the ministry of Living on the Edges were coming down to the end of our year-end match in this season of match. I think one of the most common things that I hear from people is I would really love to help. I mean, I love you Chip. I love Living on the Edge we done small group studies.

You know this help my mom this out.

My brother, I would love to help. If only I could but me and I just can't.

And honestly I I've I felt that same way, and recently I was thinking and praying about something.

I felt like God wanted me to do it.

I just up the Lord. I'd love to but I just don't have the resources and then I came across a passage were God, shook me a little bit it says and he speaking of Jesus, is the image or the icon of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation and he goes on to say, and in him all things were created think that whether in heaven or on earth, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions or authority or powers. All things have been created through him and for him and the Holy Spirit lives inside of me and and God says that when my heart is aligned with his heart. He wants to supply all my needs to meet my needs, but also as we learned this month that I might be generous on every occasion with gratitude to help others. So when I have a sense that I want to help but don't think I can I pause and say to God, Lord, you created the world and you created me, and I believe you can do and you can provide what ever you want me to do and all I want you to say is, rather than focusing in this season of what do we have to give.

Let's ask ourselves with an all-knowing, all-powerful God created everything just say, Lord, if you would supply.

I want to give. I want to help I want to make a difference with Living on the Edge, so let me encourage you prayed to him and say Lord what do you want me to do.

And as you would take a step to give to pray to act when I can say is God will show you when he shows you you do exactly what he says and I think you'll be very very encouraged and got to supply all of our needs will be year-end match happens thanks to a handful of dedicated friends of the ministry for every gift we received between now and December 31, they will match it. So if partnering with Living on the Edge is something you'd like to do. There's never been a better time because your 40 becomes 8400 becomes 800 and your 4000 becomes 8000 to send a gift visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 and let me thank you for doing whatever the Lord chose you to do well here's trip with some final thoughts as we closed today's program. I just want to ask you, how about you when you listen today where did God speak to you and we talked about growing up. You just have to flat out grow up if you can receive and give love and I asked three little questions and I want to remind you of these three questions as we and our time together.

The first one is what is wise what's the wise thing for you. What's the path for you what you need to do second what is best. What is the very best thing for you, not what is good and third what you want to be known for.

At the end of your life. At the end of the day people organ and know you for something. What you really want that to be and you're a smart person. I mean if tweaking your life.

If making little incremental changes would get you in the right place and priorities you would've already done that many of you this is going to be one most important days of your life and you can away things in the spirit of God is speaking to you and you realize you need to get off the committee you need to stop working two jobs you need to stop some hobby that's fun and that you like that's eating up your time you need to just literally do something radical to get your priorities in line so that you can love you can't keep living the way you're living and doing as much as you're doing and really love you, may appear loving but you can't really love living how you are now in the end of the message.

I put a game plan. I laid out very specifically, this might be one we want to go to the Internet and download the notes or listen by an MP3 or get the CD but here's the issue.

What are you going to do my challenge. Get before God asking sit quietly do what he says and then write down what he says and share it with one friend for accountability and then watch God work in you and through you. Just before we close. I want to say thank you to those who make this broadcast possible through your generous financial support. If you found today's program helpful would've never supported us financially. There's never been a better time than right now because when you give a gift to Living on the Edge it will be matched dollar for dollar, thanks to some very generous friends of the ministry making a donation is easy just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click the donate button on our homepage or if you prefer, you can always just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003.

That's 1-888-333-6003 on behalf of Chip and the entire staff. Thank you in advance for your generosity will next on Living on the Edge. Chip continues his current series plans to join us again. Until then, this is Dave Ruiz saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge