Did you know that your joy and your happiness
is largely connected to one very specific word?
It's called expectations. What you expect, whether
they're met or not, can make all the difference
in the world. Let's discover what God says about
our expectations. Don't go away. Welcome to this
edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
The mission of this daily program is to intentionally
disciple Christians through the insightful Bible
teaching of Chip Ingram. And we're nearing the
end of his series, I Choose Joy. For these last
two programs, Chip will reveal the key to enduring
our most challenging circumstances and actually
experience genuine joy through them. If that
sounds too good to be true, settle in to learn
why it's absolutely possible. Grab your Bible
and go to Philippians 1, verse 27, and listen
in for Chip's talk, Understanding the Power of
Expectations. If you haven't lived very long,
you may not know this, and if you've lived very
long at all, you do. Life is hard. You know,
life is hard. For some of you, you've been through
some really, really hard things, and they can
be hard relationally. family -wise, emotionally,
financially, health -wise. And here's the thing,
not to discourage you, but it's going to be hard.
Your future, it's going to be hard. But what
I don't want you to think is that choosing joy
is about willpower. If I just have stronger willpower,
that's not how it works. What we've learned in
this series is that you can choose joy when something
happens, when you get... These windows of perspective.
When you begin to see life not through the human
lens, but from the divine lens. Look on the front
of your notes by way of quick review. When you're
going through a difficult time in a relationship,
or finances, or your health, one of your kids,
or you're sick of being single, or sick of being
married. You can turn inward and it gets from
bad to worse. But if you'll pause and say, wait
a second, where's my focus right now? Is my focus
upward on God and outward on others or on me?
You get perspective. If you can say, hold on,
what's my purpose? Is my purpose just that comfort
and happiness and everything works out for me,
which it never does? Or how could God leverage
this challenge to... Help people understand who
Christ is. How could he leverage this to change
me? How could he leverage this to build up some
other Christians? And then you ask yourself,
so where's my hope? Is my hope in this job? Is
it in this family? Is it in this person I'm going
to marry someday? Is it that, you know, finally
I'm going to get healthy again? Or is my hope
in eternity? Is it I have an anchor that won't
change? See, when you begin to ask those questions,
you get perspective. And God never promised that
he would eliminate the problems. What he promised
is that he would be with you, that he would supply
grace, that he would help you, that he would
produce things both in you and through you that
there's no explanation for other than the reality
that Jesus is who he said he was. The last question
and the last key word that we're going to look
at is the word expectation. And this, for me,
is one of the most important ones. I have a good,
really, really good friend. They're family. They've
been at all of my kids' weddings. They were sort
of like the grandparents or aunts and uncles
my kids didn't have because we lived so far away.
And it's a couple. She found out she has pre
-cancer and some cancer, and she had surgery
Wednesday, and I went to see her a couple days
ago. Walked in. Bebe, how you doing? She's bright
and bubbly and great. I said, but didn't you
just have colon cancer surgery? She goes, yeah.
And I said, well, I mean, I'm thinking, I'm glad
you're doing so well, but how are you doing so
well? I mean, this joyful look. She goes, wow.
You know, when they, before they did the surgery,
they said, we're likely going to have to take
about 12 inches out of your colon. They took
four. And then if it doesn't fit quite together,
there's a chance that you might have one of those
bags on the side for a while, and then we'll
come back and do another surgery. I don't have
any bags. And not only that, but you'll be in
here at least six days in the hospital. And that
was Wednesday. She goes, I'm going home tomorrow.
Now, just listen very carefully. Her expectations
were a foot out of her colon. Six days in the
hospital and the potential of wearing a bag on
her side and another surgery. Her experience
is only four inches. I get to go home in a couple
days. Contrast that with someone else who walks
in. They do an examination. They say, oh, some
possible cancer. We're going to put you to sleep.
The colonoscopy didn't show what we needed to
show. We're going to take a long needle, stick
it in there. We might have to do a short exploratory
surgery. It doesn't look bad at all. We think
it's benign. I've seen this a lot of times. You'll
only be under for less than an hour. It's not
a big deal. And you wake up several hours later
and they say, we took four inches out of your
colon. You're going to be in the hospital for
four days. What's the difference? Oh, my gosh.
Your life and perspective. And mine is geared
around expectations. Had a young couple come
to me, and they'd been married about two or three
years, and they were committed to the Lord. They
were involved in ministry. We both waited. I
said, what do you mean? We did not have sex before
we got married. We did it God's way, and we thought
it would be great, and we'd have great sex in
our marriage. It's terrible. Expectation. I remember
playing golf with a guy a couple years ago, driving
around in a cart in Indiana. Really nice guy,
had done really well, didn't start his family
till late, had a couple small kids, and his wife
had this burden for international kids. They
adopted three kids from China. I mean, you know,
money, time, energy, all that they've done. How
could you do something better and more loving
than adopting kids from China? And they just
thought, you know, God's blessing, his favor.
Well, you know what? His blessing and his favor
was there. But all three kids have been in counseling.
They've been in counseling. The medical bills
have been off the charts. They've had two or
three special surgeries. And he sat across from
me and he goes, I just, I didn't know if our
marriage was going to make it. I didn't know
if I was going to make it. And then he said this,
I don't know if I would have done it if I would
have known how hard it is. But my expectations
were so out of whack, it's taken about four or
five years to realize it's really, really hard.
And then he smiled, and it's really, really worth
it. Here's the question. Where's your expectations?
What do you expect from God? What do you unconsciously
think, especially if you listen to some of the
current teaching? If you love Jesus, your marriage
will be great. If you're single, you're... This
person is going to walk into your life. If you
love Jesus and especially send some money to
their ministry and just think positive thoughts,
everything's going to be great. Your kids are
going to turn out right. Everything's wonderful.
Do you know why so many Christians are disillusioned?
Because here's the principle. The distance between
your expectations and your experience is disappointment.
And if you have unrealistic, delusional expectations,
You get devastated. Open your notes. Let's learn
from the Apostle Paul very specifically. What
can we expect from God? And what does God expect
of us? He's in prison. He's chained to these
Praetorian guards. He's wondering whether I'm
going to be executed or whether I'm going to
be released. His circumstances are terrible,
but he has an upward focus and an outward focus.
He's asking the question, what's my purpose?
And now he doesn't know whether he's going to
get to see this Philippian church that he loves
deeply or whether he's going to die. And he's
gotten some reports from one of their members,
Epaphroditus, and there's some disunity in the
church. And there's also a culture in Rome and
a culture in Philippi that is, I mean, anti,
anti, anti -Christian. It's described as these
are the people that have turned the world upside
down. And in Acts, it describes them as everywhere
people speak of this sect negatively. So if you
feel like the world's getting a little harder
for Christians in the United States, if you feel
like there's some persecution happening, if you
think that you're labeled, they've got this on
steroids. And so in his final thoughts about
choosing joy in chapter 1, He wants to set clear
expectations. He wants them to understand, look,
this is what God expects of you in terms of your
behavior, in terms of your beliefs, and in terms
of your boldness. And then he's going to say,
but I want you to also know this is what you
can expect from God. Because if you don't get
clear, accurate, biblical expectations, you can
actually have a pretty good life and be miserable
because you think it ought to be a perfect life.
In one of my deepest times of marital struggle,
and after lots of counseling, and I had such
skewed expectations the first few years, I remember
reading a line by Francis Schaeffer in one of
his books. And he just said in passing, you know,
a lot of people give up on a good marriage because
it's not a perfect marriage. And I was one of
those people that privately inside was, it wasn't
perfect, it wasn't what I thought, every area
wasn't. And so I want you to begin to ask yourself,
what's the issue that you're struggling with
or the person? And then I want you to listen
carefully because God's going to tell you, this
is what he expects of you. And by the way, when
you give to God what he expects of you, there's
this domino effect where he begins to provide
for you what you need. And he changes what happens
on the inside. So with that, we pick it up. Paul
says, this is my final lesson. What does God
expect? He expects consistent conduct. Verse
27, whatever happens, he's finalizing literally
at all costs, conduct yourselves in a manner
worthy. It's an interesting New Testament word.
The Philippians would immediately recognize where
he's going. He's kind of taking part of their
personal experience, and he's going to give them
this little parallel. Philippi was a Roman colony.
Now, it's not all that close to Rome, but there
was a war earlier, and between some generals
and Caesar and the little... The town of Philippi
decided we're going to go with Caesar, and Caesar
won, and so Rome made them an official colony.
And to have citizenship was like, whoa. I mean,
there were privileges, the Roman army, all the
aqueducts, everything that came with being a
Roman citizen, Philippi really felt like, wow.
But there was also responsibility of being a
Roman citizen. You paid taxes to Caesar. There
were certain laws that you kept. There was a
certain way that you would be aligned. And so
this word, really what he's saying is, here's
what God expects at all costs, literally. Live
like a citizen of the kingdom of God. He said,
you're getting pressured. There's persecution.
He's going to tell us in just a minute, you're
experiencing the same conflict, the same persecution,
the same difficulties, both within and without
that I am. Here's what you got to do. You need
to be one of those Christians that actually lives
like a Christian. I don't know where I heard
that before. But after traveling around probably
six, seven years ago, and after kind of traveling
around America and teaching in a lot of churches
and being with pastors, and then I had a suspicion.
And then I remember picking this book up by John
Dickerson, and he started to talk about that
the numbers of genuine Christians in America
is highly inflated. They're more hated. The church
in general is going bankrupt next 15 or 20 years
at the current rate of giving and commitment.
The morality in the church, he goes through and
basically does a diagnostic evaluation of born
-again evangelical people who actually believe
the Bible following Jesus and says they're on
life support. The church in America is descending.
And this sparked a movement among pastors. And
the answer, he said, is, discipleship. And that's
really how God connected our hearts. And what
the apostle Paul was saying back then was the
problem with the Philippians is you're in danger
of being Christians that don't live like Christians.
Your behavior, your morality, your finances,
your priorities, your family, you say you love
Jesus, but your beliefs and your behavior is
telling two different stories. And I don't know,
when I grew up, when your beliefs said this,
and your behavior said this, we call it hypocrisy.
And what God wants is, you know, we're never
going to be 100 % aligned, but what he wants
is integration. He wants alignment, not perfection.
The alignment between what I say and how I live.
The alignment where my words, my life, my energy,
and my money align with what I say I believe.
And when they don't, it's not that I'm all, Terrible
person. I ask God to forgive me, and I'm honest
and vulnerable about I'm still on the journey.
And what Paul is saying is this is what God expects.
And then the very next line, you can imagine
them thinking, well, how would you ever know
for sure whether you're a Christian who's living
like a Christian, whether you really are kind
of a kingdom citizen living consistently? You're
listening to Living on the Edge, and Chip will
be back in just a minute to finish today's talk.
But quickly, this program is supported by the
generosity of listeners like you. And right now,
during our mid -year match, it's a great time
to partner with us. Between now and June 30th,
every gift we receive will be doubled dollar
for dollar. You can give today by going to livingontheedge
.org or calling 888 -333 -6003. Well, with that,
here again is Chip to continue his message. Well,
in the very next verses he explains. He says,
that they will be destroyed, but that you will
be saved, and that by God. In essence, he says,
okay, now, if I die, I'm not going to get to
see you again. If I live and I'm released, I'm
going to come see you again. But whether I see
you again or don't see you again, let me give
you three specific ways that God measures whether
you're living a consistent life, a life that's
aligned with his purposes and his will. Now,
I'd like you to circle three words, and I tried
to make it as easy as possible. You notice they're
in bold, right? Okay, I want you to circle. He
says, the first thing is that you're standing
firm and then underline in one spirit. He said,
and I'll explain it in just a minute. You're
standing firm in a culture that is against you,
but notice you're doing it in unity, in one spirit.
You're together on this. Second, circle the word
contending as one man. Literally, it's one soul.
You're in this together, but you're contending
for the faith. Put a box around the word faith.
This isn't private faith. He says, you're contending,
you're striving, you're in mortal combat. The
word was used for gladiators going arm in arm
and fighting against other people. You are contending
for the truth, the doctrine, the reality that
Jesus is God, that the second person of the Trinity
became a man, that he rose from the dead. absolute
crazy claims based on his resurrection and his
teaching, that he said the word of God is true,
that the Old Testament is true, that what I have
shared with you, Paul is saying, what was written
in the prophets, the law, and the Psalms, and
then predicting what the New Testament writers,
he's saying, I want you to contend, to battle
for the faith. And then third, He says, don't
be frightened. Do it without being frightened.
The word here was a word used for a noise or
something that would spook horses and they would
stampede. He says, don't let persecution, don't
let what your boss thinks, don't let what's politically
correct, don't want what everyone says, don't
let labels that people are giving you in the
21st century, don't let it frighten you to where
you shrink back and become sort of the secret
agent Christian. He said eternity is on the line.
People's lives, people's souls. People don't
have to believe the right thing, but the consequences
and the pain of what happens when people turn
away from God are devastating. And so he says
those are the three ways that you'll know that
you're standing firm, that you're living the
life, that you have a consistent conduct. And
then he says when you do that, it'll be a sign.
Literally, it's a token. It'll be a proof. And
after I explain these, I'll tell you why it's
a sign. And how it demonstrates the future of
those who oppose you and how it also demonstrates
your future because of your commitment and boldness.
Let's go through these three words. It says,
stand firm. Literally, don't give up. Don't give
up. Anybody here ever get discouraged and feel
like, I mean, I don't have any biblical grounds,
but the world says, you shouldn't be this unhappy
in this marriage this long. I think I'll give
up. All the other salespeople are padding their
reports. I'm going to give up. You know, I know
I should take a stand here in the hospital about
this issue about life, but I might lose my job,
and I'm afraid. I think I'll give up. I know
what the Bible says about sexual purity and all
the stuff that's happening in the world, but,
you know, psychology's come a long way, and I
can't imagine that Jesus would really... expect
us to have sexual purity and not live together.
I mean, how bad can it be? I look at a few pictures
now and maybe more then. You know, everybody
does it. I know my finances don't really reflect
my heart, but... You know, there's a lot of pressure,
and there's financial demands, and life is really
hard. And, I mean, God certainly can't expect
me to give back, I mean, the very first and best.
I mean, 10%, I can't even live on what I'm going
now. So what we have is a church that is in danger
of shrinking back and giving up on what they
believe, both corporately and giving up individually.
You got to hang tough in tough times. It's in
the difficulty. It's in the pain. You have to
lean in when it's hard. At the end of the day,
it always revolves around this one issue. Do
you believe and trust God? Do you believe and
trust God enough that if you take a stand, that
even if you get fired, God can get you another
job? If you put your priorities where they need
to be and your job says, oh, no, I need you here
from 6 .30 in the morning until 9 .00 at night,
and you say, that... That doesn't square with
the kind of man or the kind of woman that I need
to be for my family. And they say, well, go someplace
else. Are you willing to, by faith, set some
boundaries and say, I'm going to have consistent
conduct. I'm going to live by God's grace and
by his power in the community of people like
a Christian. Because see, when you do that, that's
when you're light. That's when we're light. That's
when we're salt. That's when we make a difference.
The conclusion of the secular world today is
there is not a nickel's worth of difference between
the average Christian and the average non -Christian.
And they see how most of us live and where our
priorities are and our behavior and our morality
and basically are saying, why should I trust
in your Jesus? I mean, that's harsh, but that's
the lay of the land. This is Living on the Edge
with Chip Ingram, and you've been listening to
part one of Chip's message, Understanding the
Power of Expectations, from our series, I Choose
Joy. Chip will be back shortly to share some
helpful application for us to think about. How
do people know you're a Christian? What is it
that sets you apart and causes others to say,
I want to be like them? Through Chip's study
in Philippians chapter 1, he reveals the supernatural
work of joy in a Christian's life that intrigues
those around us. Discover how joy can affirm
your purpose, energize your expectations, and
renew hope in your life. If you've missed any
part of this series or want to share one of these
messages with a friend, check out the Chip Ingram
app. Well, Chip's joined me in studio now. And
Chip, you know, right at the end of the message,
you said, the conclusion of the secular world
today is that there's not a nickel's worth of
difference between the average Christian and
the average non -Christian. Take a minute and
explain why people think that. I'd be glad to,
Dave. We've got millions of people going to church,
going through the motions, many of them sincere
but ignorant about the gospel, about truth. Their
lives don't change. We have a whole generation
of young people saying, you can have your Jesus
and your churchianity and I'm out of here because
they don't see reality. And Living on the Edge
has been called to declare war on religious activity
that doesn't align with the Jesus of the New
Testament. But we can't do it without you. I
grew up in that environment and I turned away
from God. And I just praise God that he brought
people into my life that... clearly explained
the gospel, but as importantly, they lived it
out. And they lived it out in real life and loved
me and cared for me. And they were holy and they
weren't weird. God longs to do that in our day.
And the message of Living on the Edge is helping
Christians live like Christians. We do it through
teaching. We create resources, but it requires
a team. And for us to do it moving toward the
future, as God has opened more and more doors,
I simply tell you, I need your help. Would you
prayerfully consider partnering with us today
and kind of move that good intention? You thought
about it. I ought to help them out. Yeah, I already
decided in my head I would. But the fact is you
haven't acted on it yet. Act on it today. Let's
make a difference. Great challenge, Chip. So
if you believe God is calling you to join us
in helping Christians live like Christians, now's
a great time to become a financial partner. Because
during our mid -year match, every gift we receive
until midnight on June 30th will be doubled dollar
for dollar. To send a gift, call us at 888 -333
-6003 or go to Living on the Edge. Well, with
that, here again is Chip. As we wrap up today's
teaching, I'm not sure that there is a... portion
of this entire series that has more real application
to today's believers than this section. Because
I think that over time, more and more, especially
for those of us that live in the United States
and have a Western mindset and have been bombarded
literally by years and years and years of the
prosperity gospel, we just unconsciously and
sometimes very consciously expect if we do certain
things, we pray, we live a good life, We're generous
with people. You know, we give our money that
God literally has made a commitment that our
life is going to work out great, that we're going
to be happy, that our families are going to be
super, that our kids are going to turn out right,
that if we're single, we're going to get married,
that if we're generous with our money, we're
going to be financially well off. On and on and
on it goes. And yet the Bible talks about you
have been called for this purpose, not only to
believe in him. but also to suffer for his sake.
And the reality of history is those 12 disciples
were very faithful and they did exactly God's
will. And yet 11 of them were martyred and one
got stuck on a rock to write the book of Revelation.
I want you to know that if your expectations
are not in alignment with what the Bible actually
teaches, it's so easy to get disillusioned with
God. And the fact is you're disillusioned with
a promise that he never made. Let me encourage
you to open your hands. And if you feel disappointed
with God or angry at God or resentful or somehow
thinking, I've done these certain things, you
owe me. Could you just pause and say, Lord, you
have given me life. You've prepared heaven. You
didn't promise to take away problems. You promised
to be with me through them. God, I want to thank
you, and would you help me? Would you wash over
my heart and my mind? Would you realign my expectations
with your word? And what I will tell you, that
will change your attitude. You have a heavenly
Father who sees you as his precious child, but
that doesn't mean that everything's going to
be great or easy. Even when you're most obedient,
it means He's a good God in the midst of a fallen
world that will never leave you or forsake you.
Hang tough. Well, as we close, do you want to
deepen your connection to God amid your busy
life? Then take Chip with you. by subscribing
to our daily podcast. With a few simple taps
on your phone, you can access the full -length
versions of our latest series. And if you're
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to them at your own pace. Let us help you grow
your faith. Search for Living on the Edge with
Chip Ingram today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen in
next time as Chip wraps up our series, I Choose
Joy. Until then, this is Dave. Drewy saying thanks
for joining us for this edition of Living on
the Edge.