WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:05.000 In this crazy, chaotic world, where's your hope? 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:08.560 I mean, when life completely goes sideways and 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:11.080 you get caught off guard by something, what keeps 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.099 you grounded and unshaken? Well, today I'm going 00:00:14.099 --> 00:00:17.280 to tell you how to get that kind of hope by sharing 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:20.320 the incredible testimony of a good friend whose 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:23.679 faith in the face of dire circumstances deeply 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:26.339 inspired me. Stay with me. You're going to be 00:00:26.339 --> 00:00:32.350 encouraged today. Welcome to this edition of 00:00:32.350 --> 00:00:35.710 Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an 00:00:35.710 --> 00:00:38.329 international discipleship ministry devoted to 00:00:38.329 --> 00:00:40.990 helping Christians worldwide live out their faith 00:00:40.990 --> 00:00:43.770 for the glory of God and the benefit of all people. 00:00:44.090 --> 00:00:46.170 Thanks for joining us as we're in the middle 00:00:46.170 --> 00:00:49.310 of Chip's series, I Choose Joy. We hope you've 00:00:49.310 --> 00:00:51.810 learned a lot so far from our study in Philippians 00:00:51.810 --> 00:00:54.750 chapter 1. And to help others learn as you have, 00:00:54.929 --> 00:00:57.350 take a minute after this message and share it 00:00:57.350 --> 00:00:59.710 with a friend. You can do that through the Chip 00:00:59.710 --> 00:01:03.009 Ingram app or by sending them the free MP3s you'll 00:01:03.009 --> 00:01:07.049 find at livingontheedge .org. And thanks for 00:01:07.049 --> 00:01:09.129 spreading the word about how programs like this 00:01:09.129 --> 00:01:11.849 are impacting you. Well, if you have a Bible, 00:01:11.930 --> 00:01:15.569 go to Philippians 1, beginning in verse 18, as 00:01:15.569 --> 00:01:17.969 we settle in for Chip's message, Understanding 00:01:17.969 --> 00:01:22.390 the Power of Hope. Kevin shared what it's like 00:01:22.390 --> 00:01:25.950 to be a young dad with four kids, stage four 00:01:25.950 --> 00:01:31.780 lymphoma, battling, wondering the real challenges 00:01:31.780 --> 00:01:34.620 of, am I going to live or am I going to die? 00:01:34.700 --> 00:01:36.980 And how am I going to go through this? I read 00:01:36.980 --> 00:01:40.560 every time on Caring Bridge, has Kevin journaled 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:43.159 through this process? And I kind of followed 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:47.000 him with the ups and the downs and, you know, 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.400 this prognosis and then that one and then how 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:53.219 he's feeling. And I wanted to share with you 00:01:53.219 --> 00:01:57.180 the four things that I learned. from going through 00:01:57.180 --> 00:02:00.019 this journey with Kevin that I hope will be helpful 00:02:00.019 --> 00:02:03.060 for you. The first thing I learned was that facing 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:08.759 our mortality is both scary and clarifying. As 00:02:08.759 --> 00:02:12.120 I would read his journal, it just reminded me 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:15.379 that I'm going to die. It reminded me of just 00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:18.680 life is really short. It reminded me of the battle 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:20.460 and the victory that we went through with cancer 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:24.960 with my wife. Just reminded me, gosh, the second 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:28.819 thing was that very few things in life matter 00:02:28.819 --> 00:02:32.520 very much. Just as I would read these journal 00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:34.500 entries and, you know, he wasn't worried about 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:36.360 remodeling the kitchen or whether he was gonna 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:38.699 get a raise. You know, he wasn't concerned about, 00:02:38.740 --> 00:02:41.699 is he gonna get 49er tickets? His fantasy football 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:44.280 team wasn't really a big issue for him, right? 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:46.840 And the same thing, it just brought back all 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:49.360 those memories that when we went through cancer, 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:54.180 how... projects, demands, what people think, 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:56.599 what they don't think, nothing really matters. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:59.960 Life is very, very simple when you get really, 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:03.099 really close to death. The third thing is that 00:03:03.099 --> 00:03:05.979 as I've listened to Kevin and watched is that 00:03:05.979 --> 00:03:11.159 C plus P really does equal E. Our circumstances 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:15.080 plus our perspective determines our experience. 00:03:15.710 --> 00:03:18.110 And as you listen, if you read the journals, 00:03:18.270 --> 00:03:20.389 if you went through it in real time with him, 00:03:20.469 --> 00:03:22.990 there were ups and downs. And he was brutally 00:03:22.990 --> 00:03:26.250 honest, brutally honest about fears, brutally 00:03:26.250 --> 00:03:28.849 honest about, you know, doubts and struggles. 00:03:28.889 --> 00:03:33.169 But also it was an unwavering, I'm going to trust 00:03:33.169 --> 00:03:36.169 God. I'm going to, I believe there's a heaven. 00:03:36.250 --> 00:03:38.469 I believe the Bible's true. I believe there's 00:03:38.469 --> 00:03:40.889 God's character. His spirit lives within me. 00:03:41.030 --> 00:03:43.969 There's a certainty. There's a hope. And I'm 00:03:43.969 --> 00:03:45.810 going to have an upward focus and an outward 00:03:45.810 --> 00:03:49.710 focus. And I'm going to use this for God's purposes. 00:03:49.810 --> 00:03:52.389 Those nurses are going to hear and see Christ. 00:03:52.530 --> 00:03:55.550 Other patients are going to hear and see Christ. 00:03:55.710 --> 00:03:58.189 Not because I've got it in me, but Christ in 00:03:58.189 --> 00:04:02.949 me. I watched his life prove that. And finally, 00:04:02.990 --> 00:04:05.449 I think the thing I learned from Kevin is that 00:04:05.449 --> 00:04:09.569 only an eternal P perspective can produce peace 00:04:09.569 --> 00:04:14.620 and joy when facing death. I mean, when you look 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:18.000 at life through just the lens of now is all there 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:21.459 is, I'll tell you what, you cannot sustain it. 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:24.379 In fact, this wall for me is a lot like life, 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:27.480 and these are the circumstances. And you know, 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:29.300 sometimes they're great, but sometimes it's a 00:04:29.300 --> 00:04:31.509 brick wall. And you know you've got a marriage 00:04:31.509 --> 00:04:33.589 problem here and a singleness and you want to 00:04:33.589 --> 00:04:36.769 be married here and cancer biopsy here and you 00:04:36.769 --> 00:04:38.750 lose your job over here and you're clinically 00:04:38.750 --> 00:04:41.490 depressed over here and you just keep butting 00:04:41.490 --> 00:04:43.490 against this wall and you're looking for hope 00:04:43.490 --> 00:04:45.370 and you're looking for hope and you lose it and 00:04:45.370 --> 00:04:47.329 you lose it and you lose it and you lose it and 00:04:47.329 --> 00:04:50.310 after a while you just give up. And you just 00:04:50.310 --> 00:04:52.069 start doing stuff that you didn't think you would 00:04:52.069 --> 00:04:55.569 ever do. Because hope is the oxygen of the soul. 00:04:56.389 --> 00:04:59.550 If you don't have hope, you die. You can go without 00:04:59.550 --> 00:05:01.810 food for seven days and water for about three. 00:05:01.889 --> 00:05:04.889 You can't go without any hope for probably more 00:05:04.889 --> 00:05:10.470 than three or four minutes. We'll do. So what 00:05:10.470 --> 00:05:13.089 do you do? Here's what Kevin did. Kevin said, 00:05:13.129 --> 00:05:15.850 I can't take it. I don't know what's going to 00:05:15.850 --> 00:05:19.629 happen. So I'm going to rise above my circumstances 00:05:19.629 --> 00:05:23.990 and I'm going to look at eternity. That which 00:05:23.990 --> 00:05:27.089 is seen, temporal circumstances, I can't change. 00:05:27.329 --> 00:05:30.410 And it's not a picture half full. It's completely 00:05:30.410 --> 00:05:34.170 full. It's heaven waiting. It's Christ. It's 00:05:34.170 --> 00:05:37.029 all of its promises. It's a sovereign God. It's 00:05:37.029 --> 00:05:39.910 this life is not all there is. And I can look 00:05:39.910 --> 00:05:43.329 at that and I cling to that and it's the anchor 00:05:43.329 --> 00:05:46.730 of my soul and it gives me the grace and the 00:05:46.730 --> 00:05:51.230 perspective and the perseverance to keep going. 00:05:52.970 --> 00:05:56.589 It takes an eternal perspective. Here's the question. 00:05:57.730 --> 00:06:02.670 How, when life is crashing in, do you develop 00:06:02.670 --> 00:06:05.029 that eternal perspective that gives you the kind 00:06:05.029 --> 00:06:08.410 of hope that allows you to go through anything? 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.100 that allows you not to give up, not to give in, 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:14.740 not to get inwardly focused, not become a victim, 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:18.180 not blame everybody else, not blame God, but 00:06:18.180 --> 00:06:21.339 be the kind of person in the midst of, you don't 00:06:21.339 --> 00:06:23.319 know if you're gonna live or die and there's 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:25.879 pain and there's children and there's a wife 00:06:25.879 --> 00:06:28.220 and there's a concern where nurses wanna come 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:30.240 in and go, I don't know what's going on in this 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:34.620 room, but we'll hang out here. That's the presence 00:06:34.620 --> 00:06:37.920 of God. That's the power of God. That's a joy, 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:40.819 not a happiness. That's a reality experienced 00:06:40.819 --> 00:06:46.000 in the midst of crushing circumstances. Well, 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:47.620 if you open your notes, we're going to learn 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:50.560 the answer to finding that kind of hope. And 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:53.259 the answer is in a very simple yet profound word. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:56.649 And it's the key to eternal perspective. And 00:06:56.649 --> 00:06:58.990 the key word of the lens you need to look at 00:06:58.990 --> 00:07:01.529 is the lens of hope. And the question to ask 00:07:01.529 --> 00:07:04.310 yourself when you're really struggling is not 00:07:04.310 --> 00:07:06.629 just where's my focus and not just what's my 00:07:06.629 --> 00:07:11.189 purpose, but where's my hope? What's my hope 00:07:11.189 --> 00:07:14.930 rooted in? And by the way, when we use the word 00:07:14.930 --> 00:07:18.250 hope, English word hope has one meaning. The 00:07:18.250 --> 00:07:20.110 biblical word hope is a little bit different. 00:07:20.430 --> 00:07:23.230 When we use the word hope, we often, you know, 00:07:23.290 --> 00:07:26.029 I hope it doesn't rain. I hope the 49ers win. 00:07:26.250 --> 00:07:29.389 I hope I get a good job. I hope someday I get 00:07:29.389 --> 00:07:31.529 married. We use the word hope in a good way, 00:07:31.569 --> 00:07:34.230 but it's almost wishful thinking. We hope for 00:07:34.230 --> 00:07:36.970 something positive in the future. It's a good 00:07:36.970 --> 00:07:38.649 definition. There's nothing wrong with that kind 00:07:38.649 --> 00:07:41.709 of hope. But that's not the word in the Bible. 00:07:42.389 --> 00:07:45.509 The word in the Bible for hope is an absolute 00:07:45.509 --> 00:07:49.129 certainty that you can bank on that will never 00:07:49.129 --> 00:07:54.079 change. Christ's return is the hope. Heaven is 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:58.459 our hope. God's promises are our hope. Jesus 00:07:58.459 --> 00:08:01.019 said that I will give you all the grace you need 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:05.120 to get through any situation. It's a hope. In 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:08.720 other words, it's the anchor of your soul. Biblical 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:13.779 hope isn't a possibility. It's a guarantee of 00:08:13.779 --> 00:08:17.209 something unseen. The Apostle Paul will later 00:08:17.209 --> 00:08:21.990 say, that which is seen is temporal. That which 00:08:21.990 --> 00:08:28.089 is unseen is eternal. And it is both a skill 00:08:28.089 --> 00:08:32.309 and an act of faith to learn how to look at the 00:08:32.309 --> 00:08:36.629 unseen hope that sustains you. We pick up the 00:08:36.629 --> 00:08:39.509 story of the Apostle Paul and it is now his third 00:08:39.509 --> 00:08:43.629 lesson. The context for those that might be just 00:08:43.629 --> 00:08:46.870 joining us, he's in Rome. He's chained to a Praetorian 00:08:46.870 --> 00:08:49.710 guard that changes every six hours. It is not 00:08:49.710 --> 00:08:53.529 a good situation. He's on trial, and at the end 00:08:53.529 --> 00:08:55.649 of the trial, he's either going to be released 00:08:55.649 --> 00:08:57.690 and found innocent, or he's going to be found 00:08:57.690 --> 00:09:00.409 guilty and be executed. And when we pick up the 00:09:00.409 --> 00:09:04.309 story, he's in the situation where, I don't know 00:09:04.309 --> 00:09:07.330 what's going to happen. Imagine more than a little 00:09:07.330 --> 00:09:10.850 anxiety for most of us. So what's his perspective 00:09:10.850 --> 00:09:18.230 in facing death? It's crazy. It's joy. It's joy. 00:09:18.470 --> 00:09:22.850 He actually has a joyful attitude facing death. 00:09:23.029 --> 00:09:25.750 He has an eternal perspective. Notice in verse 00:09:25.750 --> 00:09:28.870 18, it says, yes, and I will continue to rejoice. 00:09:29.190 --> 00:09:32.909 The question is why and how could any individual, 00:09:32.950 --> 00:09:35.570 unless they're playing just mind games, how could 00:09:35.570 --> 00:09:39.519 you have joy? In a terrible situation, you've 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:41.679 been betrayed by your friends. There's political 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:45.179 issues happening in the church. You're humanly 00:09:45.179 --> 00:09:48.299 thinking, God, you sent me to go to all the world 00:09:48.299 --> 00:09:50.159 and instead here I am in this prison. Little 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:52.279 did he know that all these letters that he would 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:54.980 write would change the course of history. He 00:09:54.980 --> 00:10:00.399 didn't know that. What? What was it that allowed 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:05.519 him? To have this amazing attitude in circumstances 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:09.720 that would absolutely crush 99 .9 % of the people. 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:13.679 He gives us two reasons in Philippians chapter 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:18.860 1, verses 19 to 25. Reason number one is that 00:10:18.860 --> 00:10:24.240 his deliverance is certain. His deliverance is 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:28.340 certain. Underline the word deliverance. Follow 00:10:28.340 --> 00:10:31.940 along as I read. For I know. that this shall 00:10:31.940 --> 00:10:34.960 turn out for my deliverance. Well, how? Through 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.399 your prayers and the provision of the Spirit 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:40.960 of Jesus Christ. According to my earnest expectation 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:43.940 and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything, 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:47.899 but that with all boldness, Christ, even now 00:10:47.899 --> 00:10:51.539 as always, will be exalted in my body. Well, 00:10:51.620 --> 00:10:57.139 how? Whether by life or by death. You're listening 00:10:57.139 --> 00:10:59.659 to Living on the Edge. We'll get back to our 00:10:59.659 --> 00:11:02.759 series I Choose Joy in just a minute. But quickly, 00:11:02.860 --> 00:11:04.720 I want to remind you that we're in the middle 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:07.679 of our mid -year match. Thanks to a few close 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:10.519 ministry friends, every gift we receive until 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:13.139 June 30th will be matched dollar for dollar. 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:15.700 For more information about how to partner with 00:11:15.700 --> 00:11:19.360 us, go to livingontheedge .org or call us at 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:24.379 888 -333 -6003. Thanks for doing whatever God 00:11:24.379 --> 00:11:27.779 leads you to do. Let's rejoin Chip now for the 00:11:27.779 --> 00:11:30.899 remainder of his message. Paul is completely 00:11:30.899 --> 00:11:35.100 convinced that he's going to be delivered. Now, 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.299 I want to do something with you. It's kind of 00:11:37.299 --> 00:11:41.139 fun. The Apostle Paul, I really like him because 00:11:41.139 --> 00:11:45.320 he has run -on sentences. Because I have run 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:50.480 -on sentences. And the favorite grammatical punctuation 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.320 in all of the English language for me is a semicolon. 00:11:53.910 --> 00:11:56.129 That's how you put multiple sentences together 00:11:56.129 --> 00:12:01.350 and not have the teacher take off. And so I've 00:12:01.350 --> 00:12:03.549 written the notes in a way so you can see the 00:12:03.549 --> 00:12:06.809 structure of them. But let me give you just his 00:12:06.809 --> 00:12:10.570 sentence. And so what I want you to do is, for 00:12:10.570 --> 00:12:13.230 I know that this will turn out for my deliverance, 00:12:13.230 --> 00:12:16.149 put a line underneath that. Okay, you got it? 00:12:17.429 --> 00:12:20.879 And then I want you to skip down. where it says, 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:23.620 according to my earnest expectation, just underline 00:12:23.620 --> 00:12:28.600 the word just that. And then I want you to skip 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:31.679 down a little bit farther and underline Christ 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.759 will even now as always be exalted in my body. 00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:43.820 His simple sentence is, I know that this shall 00:12:43.820 --> 00:12:46.779 turn out for my deliverance, that Christ will 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:50.340 even now, as always, be exalted in my body. And 00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:52.899 everything else is the whys, the wherefores, 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:55.700 the hows, and all those clauses to explain it. 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:59.500 But they're really important. First of all, put 00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:01.460 a box around the first word that says, for I 00:13:01.460 --> 00:13:04.379 know. There's two Greek words for know. One is 00:13:04.379 --> 00:13:07.299 you know by way of experience. Powerful word. 00:13:07.419 --> 00:13:10.379 But that's not this word. The other word is like 00:13:10.379 --> 00:13:14.240 you know, like physics. You know that water boils 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:16.779 at such and such degrees or two plus two is four. 00:13:16.940 --> 00:13:19.360 That's this word. In other words, there's empirical 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:23.340 facts. Paul says, I have an empirical fact that 00:13:23.340 --> 00:13:26.480 doesn't change that I will be delivered. And 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:28.399 put a box around the word deliverance. We get 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.000 our word salvation. It means to be delivered 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:32.799 out of. In the Old Testament, you know, when 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:35.860 the Red Sea parted, they were delivered. So he 00:13:35.860 --> 00:13:38.320 says, I know for certain I'm going to be delivered 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:43.460 that Christ is going to be exalted. I want you 00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:49.460 to note his perspective on this. He says, there's 00:13:49.460 --> 00:13:51.639 two reasons why I know I'm going to be delivered. 00:13:52.340 --> 00:13:55.779 One is the responsibility of man and the other 00:13:55.779 --> 00:13:58.360 is the sovereignty of God. Did you pick it up? 00:13:59.340 --> 00:14:01.360 He says, I know I'm going to be delivered through 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:06.220 A, your prayers. and B, the provision of the 00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:10.799 Spirit of God. You know, despite anybody's theology 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:13.440 anywhere, the Apostle Paul actually believed 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:17.200 when men and women, ordinary people like us, 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:20.779 would come to God earnestly in faith and claim 00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:23.799 his promises, and in our heart at least, and 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:27.059 get down on our knees and intercede for the life 00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:29.899 of another person, it actually makes a difference. 00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:34.100 He's certain of his deliverance. And for the 00:14:34.100 --> 00:14:36.399 provision. Put a circle around the word provision. 00:14:37.419 --> 00:14:41.019 It's an interesting word. We get our word. Are 00:14:41.019 --> 00:14:42.840 you ready? It's weird. We get our word chorus. 00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:46.279 You know, like a singing group. And historically, 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:48.480 it's kind of fun to give you a little background 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:51.409 on this. In the ancient world, if you were a 00:14:51.409 --> 00:14:54.009 very, very wealthy person in a smaller town, 00:14:54.210 --> 00:14:57.990 then there was entertainment. And so the theater 00:14:57.990 --> 00:15:00.409 was very big and they had these outdoor amphitheaters. 00:15:00.590 --> 00:15:03.210 And if you were very wealthy, it was expected 00:15:03.210 --> 00:15:05.610 that you would bring a theater group, that you 00:15:05.610 --> 00:15:07.750 would pay the theater group, that you would rent 00:15:07.750 --> 00:15:10.149 the amphitheater. And everything that had to 00:15:10.149 --> 00:15:13.169 happen for their costumes, the group, the entrance, 00:15:13.330 --> 00:15:16.009 everything so that you could entertain the city. 00:15:17.269 --> 00:15:21.129 And it's this word chorus. Over time, it came 00:15:21.129 --> 00:15:25.330 to mean whatever it takes to pull this thing 00:15:25.330 --> 00:15:28.990 off, all the provision, the money, the time, 00:15:29.029 --> 00:15:31.549 the energy, the leadership, everything it takes 00:15:31.549 --> 00:15:34.470 to pull something off, that's what this word 00:15:34.470 --> 00:15:38.990 became. And Paul says, I'm convinced of my deliverance 00:15:38.990 --> 00:15:42.090 because you all are praying and the whatever 00:15:42.090 --> 00:15:45.029 it takes that the Spirit of God is going to bring 00:15:45.029 --> 00:15:48.610 into my life. But notice, he doesn't think his 00:15:48.610 --> 00:15:50.809 deliverance is necessarily out of his circumstances. 00:15:51.690 --> 00:15:53.809 He doesn't say that I'm going to be delivered 00:15:53.809 --> 00:15:56.149 and I'll be released, that I'm going to be executed, 00:15:56.389 --> 00:15:58.409 that God's going to just deliver me out of it. 00:15:58.629 --> 00:16:03.960 He says, I'm convinced of my deliverance. That 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:06.159 Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:09.519 live or whether I die. And then notice he says, 00:16:09.620 --> 00:16:13.980 according to my earnest expectation. It's another 00:16:13.980 --> 00:16:16.960 very interesting word that has a, it's a picture 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:20.559 of someone who blocks everything out and brings 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:23.840 a level of focus. Imagine, if you will, the runner. 00:16:24.340 --> 00:16:27.220 And you know what? He's like. Two, three yards, 00:16:27.259 --> 00:16:29.820 and everyone's leaning in on the 100 -meter dash, 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.019 and he leans forward. The crowd is gone. The 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:35.960 noise is gone. And it's a word that says, Paul's 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:40.580 saying, my eager expectation, my absolute focus. 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:43.000 In other words, I believe in this deliverance. 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:45.240 I believe because of your prayers. I believe 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:48.559 God's going to come through. And I have a laser 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:51.899 -like focus in the promises and the character 00:16:51.899 --> 00:16:58.039 of God, and I have a hope. Jesus promised. I 00:16:58.039 --> 00:17:02.620 have a hope. Heaven's real. I have a hope. God's 00:17:02.620 --> 00:17:05.599 in control. I have a hope. God's goodness says 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:08.400 that whether I live or whether I die, his highest 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:11.119 and best purposes, his hope is in the character, 00:17:11.220 --> 00:17:14.839 the promises, and the reality of God's goodness 00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:17.920 and that the worst that can happen is he goes 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:21.160 to heaven. And so he says, earnest expectation, 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:24.279 hope. His biggest concern is that he would be 00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:27.349 put to shame. But he says, with all boldness 00:17:27.349 --> 00:17:30.509 that Christ even now will be exalted in my body, 00:17:30.630 --> 00:17:37.589 whether by life or by death. Notice he prayed 00:17:37.589 --> 00:17:42.549 that what he would be delivered from is failure 00:17:42.549 --> 00:17:47.230 to represent Christ well in the midst of crushing 00:17:47.230 --> 00:17:51.069 circumstances. His biggest concern wasn't whether 00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:54.569 he lived or died. His biggest concern was Christ's 00:17:54.569 --> 00:18:00.680 reputation. Whoa. There's three ways in Scripture 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:03.779 that God delivers us, and we tend to only think 00:18:03.779 --> 00:18:06.000 of one. So get your pencil out. This will be 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:10.720 helpful one day in your life. I'm going to give 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:15.220 it God's plan A, God's plan B, God's plan C. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.619 Or actually, it's more probably accurate to say 00:18:18.619 --> 00:18:24.880 our plan A, our plan B, and our plan C. Plan 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:28.700 A, when God uses the word deliverance, he delivers 00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:31.859 you out of something. He does a miracle. I mean, 00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:34.640 I've had times where we had no money. We couldn't 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:37.839 pay the rent. There's no way. I have no resources, 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:40.640 and I get a check in the mail from someone that 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:44.599 I've met once years ago for $1 ,000, and I pay 00:18:44.599 --> 00:18:46.779 the rent, and I go, that's a miracle. God delivered 00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:49.079 me out of it. It happened again. A missionary 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:51.799 from India actually sent me money during seminary 00:18:51.799 --> 00:18:55.539 to pay my bills. Go figure. He delivered me out 00:18:55.539 --> 00:18:59.059 of it. I've had times where we have anointed 00:18:59.059 --> 00:19:01.480 people with oil, prayed for them, and seen a 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:04.660 brain tumor miraculously go. Delivered them out 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:09.019 of it. Praise God. He still does miracles. But 00:19:09.019 --> 00:19:10.900 we've prayed for people, and three weeks later, 00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:16.619 they've died. God's in control. He has purposes, 00:19:16.859 --> 00:19:19.140 some of which we understand, a lot of them that 00:19:19.140 --> 00:19:22.180 we don't. Deliverance number one, he delivers 00:19:22.180 --> 00:19:29.039 us out. of the adversity or the difficulty. This 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:32.039 is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And you've 00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:33.779 been listening to part one of Chip's message, 00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:36.700 Understanding the Power of Hope from our series, 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:39.960 I Choose Joy. Chip will be back shortly to share 00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:42.180 some helpful application for us to think about. 00:19:42.740 --> 00:19:45.400 It's safe to say we all want a little more joy 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:47.700 in our lives, right? But what does that look 00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:51.049 like? Is it just about finding happiness or pleasure 00:19:51.049 --> 00:19:53.890 in something? Will those feelings really sustain 00:19:53.890 --> 00:19:56.569 us through the hard knocks of life? In this eight 00:19:56.569 --> 00:19:59.210 -part series, Chip explains why joy that comes 00:19:59.210 --> 00:20:02.450 from God is more than just an emotion. Discover 00:20:02.450 --> 00:20:05.549 how it can change your perspective on life and 00:20:05.549 --> 00:20:07.869 profoundly strengthen your faith in challenging 00:20:07.869 --> 00:20:11.009 times. To learn more about this study in Philippians 00:20:11.009 --> 00:20:14.809 chapter 1, visit livingontheedge .org or the 00:20:14.809 --> 00:20:17.579 Chip Ingram app. Well, Chip's back in studio 00:20:17.579 --> 00:20:20.039 with me now, and Chip, we've just kicked off 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:22.900 our match season. Over the next month or so, 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:25.819 we'll hear how our ministry impacts lives worldwide 00:20:25.819 --> 00:20:28.200 and what our listeners can do to partner with 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:30.809 us in these efforts. Well, that is absolutely 00:20:30.809 --> 00:20:33.009 right, Dave. And this study that we're going 00:20:33.009 --> 00:20:36.190 to do the entire month of June and part of July 00:20:36.190 --> 00:20:39.069 is through the book of Philippians. We're going 00:20:39.069 --> 00:20:41.750 to learn from this book that we can choose joy. 00:20:41.910 --> 00:20:45.210 We can choose hope. We can choose love. We can 00:20:45.210 --> 00:20:49.049 choose peace. And with all the anxiety and uncertainty 00:20:49.049 --> 00:20:52.490 and mental health issues and division and the 00:20:52.490 --> 00:20:54.569 things that are going on in the world and people's 00:20:54.569 --> 00:20:57.720 personal world, Dave, we felt like, of all times, 00:20:57.779 --> 00:21:00.779 we really wanted to minister to people to their 00:21:00.779 --> 00:21:03.259 heart and to their life. Another thing that we're 00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:05.420 going to do is we're going to share some... personal 00:21:05.420 --> 00:21:08.500 testimonies as we start this match. We want people 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:11.299 to hear as they have prayed with us, as they're 00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:14.099 a part of the team, and as they have given. We 00:21:14.099 --> 00:21:17.440 really want them to hear actual stories. And 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:20.240 so let me share one we just got recently. It's 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:23.099 from Carly. She goes, I just wanted to let you 00:21:23.099 --> 00:21:25.619 know how God used your message this morning. 00:21:26.430 --> 00:21:28.509 Just last night, I was ready to throw in the 00:21:28.509 --> 00:21:30.470 towel in my marriage. I've been married to my 00:21:30.470 --> 00:21:32.990 husband for eight years. He's a veteran with 00:21:32.990 --> 00:21:36.630 PTSD, and he has lots of anger problems. Being 00:21:36.630 --> 00:21:38.690 his wife is one of the hardest things emotionally 00:21:38.690 --> 00:21:42.490 ever. I feel so alone and so depressed. And I 00:21:42.490 --> 00:21:45.329 was crying and just talking to the Lord. And 00:21:45.329 --> 00:21:47.910 then this morning, I listened to your podcast 00:21:47.910 --> 00:21:51.329 and it was just what I needed. God is with me, 00:21:51.410 --> 00:21:54.309 even in the hardest times. That's what I heard 00:21:54.309 --> 00:21:57.069 him say through your broadcast. I need to keep 00:21:57.069 --> 00:22:00.549 going and not give up. He's in control and he 00:22:00.549 --> 00:22:03.650 knows. I know his ways are better than mine. 00:22:04.009 --> 00:22:07.990 God is good. I just want those of you who support 00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:11.259 the ministry to know. that you're a part of that 00:22:11.259 --> 00:22:14.240 marriage being saved. And this happens over and 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:18.299 over and over again. Join me this month as we 00:22:18.299 --> 00:22:21.500 learn how to choose joy and love and hope and 00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:24.400 peace. And let's keep pressing ahead. Thanks, 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:26.619 Chip. Well, if you feel like God is moving you 00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:29.380 to partner with us, now's a great time. Thanks 00:22:29.380 --> 00:22:31.960 to a handful of close ministry friends, every 00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:35.299 gift we receive between now and June 30th will 00:22:35.299 --> 00:22:38.099 be doubled dollar for dollar. To support us, 00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:43.500 call 888 -333 -6003 or visit Living on the Edge. 00:22:45.020 --> 00:22:49.880 That's livingontheedge .org or call 888 -333 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:54.880 -6003. App listeners, tap donate. Thanks in advance 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:57.940 for doing whatever God leads you to do. We'll 00:22:57.940 --> 00:23:01.160 hear again as Chip. As we wrap up today's program, 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:05.000 I think we learned something that is so valuable 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.900 and so neglected by us who are followers of Christ. 00:23:10.670 --> 00:23:13.549 You know, Paul says, my earnest expectation and 00:23:13.549 --> 00:23:16.390 hope. And he's talking about that he's going 00:23:16.390 --> 00:23:19.990 to be delivered. But the deliverance isn't that 00:23:19.990 --> 00:23:21.910 everything's going to go great. You know, I talked 00:23:21.910 --> 00:23:24.029 about the one kind of deliverance where God delivers 00:23:24.029 --> 00:23:26.990 us out of things and it's a miracle. And in our 00:23:26.990 --> 00:23:29.410 next broadcast, I can't wait to share with you 00:23:29.410 --> 00:23:31.809 how he delivers us through things or unto himself. 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:36.220 It's so interesting that heaven was so real. 00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:39.720 Eternal life wasn't like some formula or some 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:42.680 vague distant things that happen someday, some 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:45.759 way. And I think that's why I wanted to share 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:49.720 Kevin's story with you. You know, I walked very 00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:53.140 closely through that with him. And I'd like to 00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:56.339 ask you, when you think about problems and struggles 00:23:56.339 --> 00:23:58.859 and what you're facing, and it's so often day 00:23:58.859 --> 00:24:03.390 to day, have you faced your mortality? recently. 00:24:03.710 --> 00:24:07.250 Have you ever really thought about dying? How 00:24:07.250 --> 00:24:12.369 clarifying? Scary, yes, but how clarifying? Have 00:24:12.369 --> 00:24:16.049 you realized, you know, when those huge things 00:24:16.049 --> 00:24:19.910 happen, how few things really matter? I mean, 00:24:19.930 --> 00:24:22.329 things that you're so uptight about that seem 00:24:22.329 --> 00:24:26.289 so urgent. I will never forget when my wife had 00:24:26.289 --> 00:24:29.319 cancer. And I mean, I remember the day before 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:32.039 I have a book manuscript due and I've got to 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:34.380 travel here and I've got to do that and I'm overwhelmed 00:24:34.380 --> 00:24:37.380 and I have all these commitments. And we prayed 00:24:37.380 --> 00:24:40.960 and cried sitting on our couch after we heard 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:44.339 that the biopsy was positive and she had cancer. 00:24:45.019 --> 00:24:48.980 And I remember 24 hours later, nothing really 00:24:48.980 --> 00:24:51.859 mattered. I canceled things. It didn't matter 00:24:51.859 --> 00:24:53.980 what people thought. It really didn't matter. 00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:57.309 I'm just going to ask you to do something. Could 00:24:57.309 --> 00:25:01.690 you step back today and think about if you're 00:25:01.690 --> 00:25:06.829 a follower of Christ, heaven is sure. He's preparing 00:25:06.829 --> 00:25:12.490 a place for you. It's a real place. Jesus loves 00:25:12.490 --> 00:25:16.759 you. He's for you. And he wants you to know that 00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:19.299 these circumstances that you're facing, they're 00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:21.359 going to come and they're going to go. And next 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:23.819 year, this time, if we're all here, there'll 00:25:23.819 --> 00:25:27.339 be new ones. And you can either live on the ups 00:25:27.339 --> 00:25:30.799 and downs of the waves of circumstances and people's 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:34.240 responses, or you can have an anchor. You can 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:36.880 have an anchor in your soul. There is a hope 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:39.779 that no one can take away and that you don't 00:25:39.779 --> 00:25:42.519 have to be afraid. I learned that from Paul. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:45.519 I learned that from Kevin, and I learned that 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:48.960 in my journey with Teresa. God wants you to learn 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:52.819 it and believe it today. Heaven's real. It's 00:25:52.819 --> 00:25:56.180 your ultimate hope. Trust Him. Great word, Chip. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:59.240 And since he mentioned that eternal hope we have 00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:01.900 as followers of Jesus, let me encourage you to 00:26:01.900 --> 00:26:04.240 check out our resources for The Real Heaven. 00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:07.180 Whether you get Chip's popular book or the small 00:26:07.180 --> 00:26:09.799 group study, you'll walk away with a more accurate 00:26:09.799 --> 00:26:12.279 and exciting view of the place God's preparing 00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:16.019 for us. So go to livingontheedge .org and search 00:26:16.019 --> 00:26:19.579 for The Real Heaven today. Well, be sure to join 00:26:19.579 --> 00:26:22.140 us next time as Chip continues his series, I 00:26:22.140 --> 00:26:25.400 Choose Joy. Until then, I'm Dave Drewy saying 00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:27.759 thanks for listening to this edition of Living 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:28.539 on the Edge.