WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:04.820 Is it possible to be an absolutely moral person, 00:00:04.980 --> 00:00:08.339 even go to church faithfully, but completely 00:00:08.339 --> 00:00:11.759 miss out on a real relationship with God? Could 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:18.719 that be you? Find out today. Thank you for being 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:21.420 with us for this edition of Living on the Edge 00:00:21.420 --> 00:00:24.460 with Chip Ingram. Chip serves as our Bible teacher 00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:26.839 for this global teaching and discipleship ministry, 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:29.899 helping Christians develop an authentic faith. 00:00:30.429 --> 00:00:32.270 Well, in this program, Chip picks up where he 00:00:32.270 --> 00:00:35.090 left off in our series, I Choose Hope. Today, 00:00:35.149 --> 00:00:37.490 he'll identify the connection between what we 00:00:37.490 --> 00:00:40.250 worship and what we put our faith in, and how 00:00:40.250 --> 00:00:42.810 we can actually worship something more than God 00:00:42.810 --> 00:00:45.609 and not even realize it. That's a sobering thought, 00:00:45.729 --> 00:00:47.850 isn't it? Well, if you want help correcting that 00:00:47.850 --> 00:00:50.429 mindset, go again in your Bible to Philippians 00:00:50.429 --> 00:00:53.310 chapter 3, as we join Chip with part two of his 00:00:53.310 --> 00:00:57.390 talk, Finding Hope. The apostle Paul said, I 00:00:57.390 --> 00:01:00.820 knew all about God. I had it all memorized. I 00:01:00.820 --> 00:01:04.879 kept all the rules. I was morally pure. I fasted 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:08.459 the right days. I went to the temple. I sacrificed. 00:01:09.420 --> 00:01:12.120 If you can get there on your own, I was over 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:17.859 here. But what's he say? I count it. The word 00:01:17.859 --> 00:01:20.879 is garbage in one translation. It's dung in another 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:23.140 translation. It's just a really graphic word. 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:29.010 It's poo -poo. He said, I look at all the junk, 00:01:29.170 --> 00:01:32.590 all the self -effort, all the religiosity compared 00:01:32.590 --> 00:01:37.390 to intimacy and life and grace and power and 00:01:37.390 --> 00:01:40.349 the transformation. Over here, I was a slave 00:01:40.349 --> 00:01:44.909 to religion. I'm a son of God. I was a slave. 00:01:46.069 --> 00:01:49.349 And when you try to earn it on your own, you 00:01:49.349 --> 00:01:52.310 get arrogant. And anyone who doesn't disagree, 00:01:52.450 --> 00:01:54.030 you take them out. So he tried to take out the 00:01:54.030 --> 00:01:59.730 church. And then Jesus revealed himself, the 00:01:59.730 --> 00:02:03.430 surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 00:02:04.549 --> 00:02:06.689 And then he doesn't say, this is very interesting, 00:02:06.790 --> 00:02:09.210 notice in your text, he doesn't say, for whose 00:02:09.210 --> 00:02:13.669 sake I lost all of that. He changes the word. 00:02:14.270 --> 00:02:18.889 Whose sake I've lost all things. Now, you gotta 00:02:18.889 --> 00:02:20.909 understand, let's not make this like Bible world. 00:02:22.250 --> 00:02:27.020 This is a guy that is a Roman citizen. Comes 00:02:27.020 --> 00:02:30.300 up in Tarsus. There's sort of the elite, the 00:02:30.300 --> 00:02:34.060 Harvard, the Yale, the Stanford of his day. That's 00:02:34.060 --> 00:02:36.539 where he, and he's the number one student of 00:02:36.539 --> 00:02:40.400 the number one professor. And he's the star. 00:02:41.180 --> 00:02:44.439 I mean, he's the man. He's so much so that, boy, 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:46.939 when this way, this Christianity starts, he goes 00:02:46.939 --> 00:02:54.280 after them. He lost his reputation. Alienated 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:57.000 from his family. kicked out of his position of 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:02.580 power, lost his money, became an outlaw, ended 00:03:02.580 --> 00:03:05.219 up being persecuted. When he says, I lost all 00:03:05.219 --> 00:03:08.300 things, this isn't some theoretical, oh, this 00:03:08.300 --> 00:03:11.020 is a transfer of intellectual issues. This is, 00:03:11.020 --> 00:03:14.810 I count all of it. Not just the religious side, 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:18.069 but everything I've lost. Everything that people 00:03:18.069 --> 00:03:22.349 value, power, money, fame, success, career, upward 00:03:22.349 --> 00:03:25.050 mobility. He had all that. He goes, all of that 00:03:25.050 --> 00:03:30.169 compared to Christ. Where's his hope? It's in 00:03:30.169 --> 00:03:34.590 a person. It's in a person who's the second person 00:03:34.590 --> 00:03:37.870 of the Godhead. Who from the foundation of the 00:03:37.870 --> 00:03:42.340 earth would give us freedom to choose. to accept 00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:46.159 or reject him. And then knowing the consequences, 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:48.240 what actually from the foundations of the earth, 00:03:48.300 --> 00:03:50.460 agree with the Father and agree with God, the 00:03:50.460 --> 00:03:53.180 Holy Spirit, that he would come and be born, 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:56.639 that he would grow up absolutely dependent and 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.439 live an absolutely perfect life so that people 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.520 would know. You ever wonder what God's like? 00:04:02.259 --> 00:04:06.039 Jesus said, the Father and I are one. He came 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:10.689 and he explained him. You read through the Gospels. 00:04:10.889 --> 00:04:12.889 You want to know what God is like? Just look 00:04:12.889 --> 00:04:16.050 at Jesus' life. You know what he feels? This 00:04:16.050 --> 00:04:18.129 is how he feels about hypocritical people. It's 00:04:18.129 --> 00:04:20.329 not pretty. This is what he feels about people 00:04:20.329 --> 00:04:23.529 that are hurting and broken and honest and come. 00:04:24.610 --> 00:04:26.949 And then he came knowing that he came to seek 00:04:26.949 --> 00:04:28.930 and to say that which is lost. So he purposely 00:04:28.930 --> 00:04:31.529 set his face like a flint and said, I'm gonna 00:04:31.529 --> 00:04:33.990 go to that cross. I know the break it's gonna 00:04:33.990 --> 00:04:36.290 be with the Father. I'm gonna hang on that cross. 00:04:36.430 --> 00:04:38.290 And when I hang on that cross, I'm gonna take 00:04:38.290 --> 00:04:40.949 the sins of all people of all time. And I will 00:04:40.949 --> 00:04:43.290 be the sin offering being fully man and fully 00:04:43.290 --> 00:04:46.850 God. And the Father will pour his just wrath 00:04:46.850 --> 00:04:49.410 out on the sin that separates people. And I will 00:04:49.410 --> 00:04:52.029 absorb it. And in that moment, he'll turn away 00:04:52.029 --> 00:04:55.879 and I will be hidden in the earth. And I'll declare 00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:00.740 the victory in the shield is the word, the place 00:05:00.740 --> 00:05:04.300 of the dead. And I will rise in victory and conquer 00:05:04.300 --> 00:05:07.480 Satan, conquer sin, conquer death. And I will 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:09.540 ascend to the father and I will be at his right 00:05:09.540 --> 00:05:12.800 hand. And I will open my arms to whosoever would 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:17.399 believe. I will forgive your sin. I will bring 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:20.819 you in relationship with me and eternal life 00:05:20.819 --> 00:05:23.220 will begin the moment you turn from your sin 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:30.000 and receive me and walk and follow me. The surpassing 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:33.519 value and the spirit of God is the one who will 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:35.800 live inside of you and you will be sealed and 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:37.560 you will be adopted and you will have an inheritance 00:05:37.560 --> 00:05:40.699 and the spirit of God will actually. manifest 00:05:40.699 --> 00:05:43.819 the very presence and person of Jesus so that 00:05:43.819 --> 00:05:46.060 the goal of the Christian life is not fire insurance. 00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:48.899 The goal isn't I pray to prayer. The goal isn't 00:05:48.899 --> 00:05:52.199 that I have life after death. The goal is I didn't 00:05:52.199 --> 00:05:55.040 have a relationship with God and now the surpassing 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:58.560 value is I am now connected with God solely and 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.060 completely based on Christ's work on the cross 00:06:01.060 --> 00:06:04.220 and his resurrection. And the goal is to love 00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:07.139 him and to be loved by him. That's what Paul's 00:06:07.139 --> 00:06:11.579 saying. Over here, it was, this is what I can 00:06:11.579 --> 00:06:14.980 do. This is what I've achieved. Over here, this 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:19.079 is what God has done. And this is what I receive. 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:26.060 Do you see the difference? His hope, his moorings, 00:06:26.060 --> 00:06:34.740 his future, it's in Jesus. Question, is your 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:41.389 relationship right now? with Jesus? Growing more 00:06:41.389 --> 00:06:46.850 passionate and rich and real? Are you experiencing 00:06:46.850 --> 00:06:51.529 deeply God's love, his forgiveness, promptings 00:06:51.529 --> 00:06:55.949 from his spirit, a hunger for his word, a sense 00:06:55.949 --> 00:06:59.829 that there's purpose and direction and that he 00:06:59.829 --> 00:07:02.529 actually wants to even use you to help others 00:07:02.529 --> 00:07:04.550 and that as you do that, things happen you can't 00:07:04.550 --> 00:07:08.569 explain? In other words, is your unconscious 00:07:08.569 --> 00:07:11.529 passion to be just a little bit more moral and 00:07:11.529 --> 00:07:14.769 try and get God to work things out so that what 00:07:14.769 --> 00:07:18.129 your hope really is in can come in? Or is it 00:07:18.129 --> 00:07:23.589 in himself? See, God doesn't give his glory to 00:07:23.589 --> 00:07:27.060 another, and he won't be a means. He's not a 00:07:27.060 --> 00:07:28.920 means for your kids to get into the right school. 00:07:29.060 --> 00:07:31.160 He's not a means for you to be happy. He's not 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:33.519 a means for your life to work out right. He's 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:35.100 not a means that if you believe in Jesus, your 00:07:35.100 --> 00:07:37.040 marriage just goes great. He's not a means that 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:39.220 all your kids turn out right. He's not a means. 00:07:39.259 --> 00:07:43.660 He's the end. Now, the amazing thing about grace, 00:07:43.779 --> 00:07:50.120 as your hope is in him, there's sort of a domino 00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:52.680 effect that it impacts all those other things, 00:07:52.759 --> 00:07:57.029 but none of those things ever. can become your 00:07:57.029 --> 00:07:59.750 hope. In fact, we're warned often, don't let 00:07:59.750 --> 00:08:04.389 him. Not because God's mad, because he loves 00:08:04.389 --> 00:08:07.910 us and doesn't want us to miss. There's three 00:08:07.910 --> 00:08:10.310 big takeaways, I think, that are super practical 00:08:10.310 --> 00:08:12.170 from this passage I'd like to share with you. 00:08:14.310 --> 00:08:16.889 Whatever we put our hope in will determine what 00:08:16.889 --> 00:08:21.850 we worship. Whatever we put our hope in will 00:08:21.850 --> 00:08:25.800 determine what we worship. If my hope is in my 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:27.980 job, I worship it. If my hope is in my family 00:08:27.980 --> 00:08:30.540 or my mate, I worship it. If my hope is in someday, 00:08:30.660 --> 00:08:33.159 some way I'm going to, I will worship it. If 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:37.159 my hope is in money, I'll worship it. False hope 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:39.440 is always focused on the external, the rules, 00:08:39.580 --> 00:08:42.759 the laws, success, status, and salary. And the 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:44.980 confidence in that hope is, this is what I got 00:08:44.980 --> 00:08:48.620 to do. Workaholism, believe me, I understand 00:08:48.620 --> 00:08:51.639 that one. It's all about what you can accomplish. 00:08:52.940 --> 00:08:57.799 What you've got to do. In the text, it was circumcision, 00:08:57.820 --> 00:09:02.399 the law, and religious works. But in our day, 00:09:02.539 --> 00:09:06.700 the external can be church attendance or morals. 00:09:06.779 --> 00:09:12.299 The external can be you worship education. You 00:09:12.299 --> 00:09:15.539 worship your kids. Your whole life is around 00:09:15.539 --> 00:09:19.539 your kids, their education, their sports, their 00:09:19.539 --> 00:09:24.480 traveling team. It can be money. It can be your 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:28.200 looks. I mean, I believe in working out as much 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:31.200 as anybody. I got news for you. No matter how 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:33.220 many vitamins you take, how much you work out, 00:09:33.259 --> 00:09:35.000 and how many surgeries you can afford, you're 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:38.240 going to get old. And you're going to get wrinkles. 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:44.700 And probably a lot more. But you know what? Ask 00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:49.940 yourself, what's my hope in? Is it when I make 00:09:49.940 --> 00:09:53.139 partner? Is it when my kids get in this school? 00:09:53.820 --> 00:09:56.720 See, what happens is if your hope's in anything 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:59.740 other than Jesus, it doesn't have the power to 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:04.019 deliver it. And so false hope is in external 00:10:04.019 --> 00:10:08.340 things and the confidence is in yourself and 00:10:08.340 --> 00:10:10.679 what you can achieve. And the source of real 00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:13.320 hope, it's always internal. It's a rich, deep, 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:16.279 growing relationship with Christ. It's grace. 00:10:16.340 --> 00:10:18.700 There's a sense of dependency. There's a sense 00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:22.659 of gratitude and empowerment. And finally, it's 00:10:22.659 --> 00:10:28.620 confidence in what he's done. And so, this is 00:10:28.620 --> 00:10:32.019 another one of those questions I'm asking me 00:10:32.019 --> 00:10:39.240 and you. If you don't give me words, but I could 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:42.200 see your financial statements, where all your 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:46.659 time goes, what you think about, what you dream 00:10:46.659 --> 00:10:49.899 about, and what you want to happen, and what 00:10:49.899 --> 00:10:53.840 gets you really down, you would know in a minute 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:57.059 what your hope is and what you really worship. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:05.820 I have a concern that an intellectual understanding 00:11:05.820 --> 00:11:08.659 of what it means to be a Christian has substituted 00:11:08.659 --> 00:11:13.179 what it means to be a genuine follower. And what 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:15.100 I can tell you is there's just great pictures 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:18.480 in our church of both people who I see when difficulty 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:21.580 and pain and adversity comes, it's obvious where 00:11:21.580 --> 00:11:25.080 their hope is, and they cave. And I had a conversation 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:27.840 just this week of maybe the most of all difficulty, 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.580 and I was in amazement at a man and his wife 00:11:31.580 --> 00:11:35.220 of where their hope was rooted. Because takeaway 00:11:35.220 --> 00:11:38.259 number two is false hope always ends in either 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:42.960 pride or despair. If you happen to be pretty 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:45.460 successful unconsciously or consciously, it's 00:11:45.460 --> 00:11:47.860 look at me, look at what I did. I'm a self -made 00:11:47.860 --> 00:11:50.360 man, a self -made woman. Look at my success. 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:53.240 Look at my family. I've got how many patents. 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:55.799 Look at what I built. Look at what I wear. Look 00:11:55.799 --> 00:12:00.220 at how I dress. Look at me. I mean, we're Christians, 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:04.019 so we do it in subtle ways, but we do it. The 00:12:04.019 --> 00:12:06.080 problem is that no matter what you achieve, the 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.919 horizon's always moving. You're listening to 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.710 Living on the Edge. We'll get back to our series, 00:12:12.830 --> 00:12:15.309 I Choose Hope, in just a minute. But quickly, 00:12:15.350 --> 00:12:17.149 I want to remind you that we're in the middle 00:12:17.149 --> 00:12:19.809 of our mid -year match. Thanks to a few close 00:12:19.809 --> 00:12:22.590 ministry friends, every gift we receive until 00:12:22.590 --> 00:12:24.929 June 30th will be matched dollar for dollar. 00:12:25.169 --> 00:12:27.389 For more information about how to partner with 00:12:27.389 --> 00:12:30.809 us, go to livingontheedge .org or call us at 00:12:30.809 --> 00:12:35.690 888 -333 -6003. And thanks for doing whatever 00:12:35.690 --> 00:12:38.769 God leads you to do. Well, let's rejoin Chip 00:12:38.769 --> 00:12:41.980 now for the remainder of his message. I had an 00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:45.899 elder many, many years ago in a church that I 00:12:45.899 --> 00:12:47.500 served many, many years ago, and he loved these 00:12:47.500 --> 00:12:49.799 sailboats, and people would be talking. He goes, 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:51.679 the thing is, when you're on a sailboat, and 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:53.299 if you're kind of sailing toward the sun, the 00:12:53.299 --> 00:12:56.639 horizon's always moving. And I didn't know exactly 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:58.279 what he meant. He goes, you know, people think 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:00.929 I'm single once I get married then. No, no, no, 00:13:00.950 --> 00:13:03.210 no. Well, then if we have some kids, well, then 00:13:03.210 --> 00:13:05.850 if our kids turn out right, then, then, then, 00:13:06.009 --> 00:13:09.129 then, then. And the hope just keeps changing. 00:13:09.750 --> 00:13:13.230 And then people realize it doesn't have the power 00:13:13.230 --> 00:13:16.909 to deliver. I've actually sat across the table 00:13:16.909 --> 00:13:20.129 from a man who was being completely honest with 00:13:20.129 --> 00:13:25.240 me, who was a billionaire. who he would only 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:27.759 be satisfied when there was a new number behind 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:30.600 how many billions he would have. And he was a 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:35.200 follower of Jesus, but his hope was in his money. 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:40.279 Super high levels of debt tell you what? Your 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:44.019 hope is in things. I mean, do you have the 4K 00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:49.440 yet? I mean, has the Apple 12 come out yet? Has 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:52.740 Samsung done? I mean, and... It's like an addiction. 00:13:52.899 --> 00:13:55.299 Are you ready to spend all kind of money this 00:13:55.299 --> 00:13:58.539 Christmas that you don't have to impress people 00:13:58.539 --> 00:14:01.139 that don't care, to get someone to look at you 00:14:01.139 --> 00:14:04.059 and say, oh, wow, you're wonderful? And at the 00:14:04.059 --> 00:14:07.279 same time, and again, if this produces a little 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:11.659 discomfort, good. I just came back from people 00:14:11.659 --> 00:14:14.440 that are pastoring churches of 500 or 1 ,000 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:16.559 people. They don't even have a library. Now they 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:18.299 got two books. They got a Bible and the one I 00:14:18.299 --> 00:14:24.779 gave them. It always leads to despair or pride. 00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:29.759 1 Timothy 1 or 6, 17 says, instruct those that 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:33.139 are rich in this present world not to be conceited 00:14:33.139 --> 00:14:36.840 or arrogant and fix their hope on the uncertainty 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:40.799 of riches, but on God, by the way, who gives 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:43.879 us all things. Look at the last line. Why? So 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:46.340 that you can not have anything to richly enjoy. 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:51.220 Having things is not the problem. It's our priorities, 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:53.059 and where's our focus, and where's our hope? 00:14:54.299 --> 00:14:58.620 I had a challenging experience when I lived in 00:14:58.620 --> 00:15:00.899 Atlanta. We got to be a part of a church plant, 00:15:01.059 --> 00:15:03.519 and one of the really key members was a guy that 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.759 had done well, lived in a very nice country club, 00:15:05.980 --> 00:15:08.299 knew all the right languages, a spiritual guy, 00:15:08.580 --> 00:15:11.139 and was at the foundation group of launching 00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:14.659 the church. And probably a year or so after I 00:15:14.659 --> 00:15:18.179 left, I got news of... And he had this fund, 00:15:18.220 --> 00:15:20.059 and I don't know if he was a hedge fund guy or 00:15:20.059 --> 00:15:22.440 whatever, this or that. And all I can tell you 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:25.419 was he went missing. He was missing for like 00:15:25.419 --> 00:15:29.840 a week. And they found him a week later at a 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:34.500 cabin. And he had this fund, and the thing had 00:15:34.500 --> 00:15:36.639 slowly gone down, gone down, gone down, gone 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:40.000 down. And he hid it because his identity and 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:42.700 hope was really in, I'm a rich, generous guy. 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:46.679 And they found him and he put a shotgun in his 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:50.460 mouth and a note that said, I'm sorry I failed 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:57.299 everyone. And it just broke my heart. See, we 00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:59.659 can intellectually think our hope is in Christ. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.480 Here's how you know. Just look at your behavior. 00:16:03.500 --> 00:16:06.620 Your behavior never lies. What I believe and 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:09.360 what you believe has almost nothing to do with 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:12.679 what we say or what we think we believe. What 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:16.620 we believe is how we actually behave. Our behavior 00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:21.639 reveals the core of our beliefs. It will happen 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:24.179 again this year as tests are taken and we will 00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:26.279 have high school students that do not get the 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.460 grades they want and they won't pass the tests 00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:31.000 they want and they will do what they do here 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:33.100 very often so much that it's almost not reported 00:16:33.100 --> 00:16:35.419 and they will step in front of a train because 00:16:35.419 --> 00:16:37.919 their hope is they didn't get into that school 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:40.379 and the pressure they feel and the shame that 00:16:40.379 --> 00:16:41.860 they think they're going to bring on their family. 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:48.159 And it's real here. Education is not hope. Money 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:50.919 is not hope. How many likes is not hope. How 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:52.960 many followers is not hope. What other people 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.620 think of you is not hope. The only hope that 00:16:55.620 --> 00:16:59.240 will never disappoint is a deeply rooted relationship 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:02.080 with a God who'll come through all the time. 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:05.079 Finally, true hope is rooted in relationship 00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:10.640 and results in joy and endurance. There's a byproduct. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:12.720 If there's no joy in your life, let me tell you 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.200 this. Your hope is somewhere, but it's not in 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:18.190 Christ. He loves you. He's for you. He'll take 00:17:18.190 --> 00:17:19.950 you through any circumstance. He doesn't promise 00:17:19.950 --> 00:17:21.529 it's always going to be easy. In fact, what he 00:17:21.529 --> 00:17:22.950 promises is there's going to be tribulation. 00:17:23.549 --> 00:17:25.450 But he'll not only give you joy, he'll give you 00:17:25.450 --> 00:17:30.190 endurance. Hope is built in Jesus who left heaven. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:34.099 paid for you, loved you, cares for you. If you're 00:17:34.099 --> 00:17:36.440 a follower, he lives in you. He'll guide you, 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:39.059 direct you, protect you, sustain you. You might 00:17:39.059 --> 00:17:41.160 have a lot. You might have a little. You might 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:42.799 be single. You might be married. You might have 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:45.799 kids. You might not. But he promises that the 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.920 fruit of his living life as you stay connected 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.640 to him is you'll experience love and peace and 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:54.460 joy and kindness and goodness and gentleness 00:17:54.460 --> 00:17:57.619 and self -control, and your life will be full, 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:04.019 not easy. But it's built on a hope and an endurance. 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:07.359 The Apostle Paul would say it well in Romans 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:09.880 5. Therefore, we have been justified by faith. 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:13.339 We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus 00:18:13.339 --> 00:18:16.200 Christ, through whom we've obtained our introduction 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:19.660 by faith into this grace in which we stand. That's 00:18:19.660 --> 00:18:22.019 what Paul was saying. He goes on to say, but 00:18:22.019 --> 00:18:25.359 we also boast or exult in hope. Are you ready? 00:18:25.400 --> 00:18:27.759 Of the glory of God. And not only this, but we 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:31.500 exult in our tribulation. See, when really hard 00:18:31.500 --> 00:18:34.380 times come, knowing that tribulation brings about 00:18:34.380 --> 00:18:38.000 perseverance, you hang in there. You just hang 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:40.920 in there. That's why we need each other. That's 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:44.700 why we need his word. Hard things happen. And 00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:47.420 perseverance brings about proven character. It's 00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:49.779 in the vice of life and the difficulty that you 00:18:49.779 --> 00:18:53.619 actually change. And proven character produces 00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:56.829 hope. Because what you realize is nothing out 00:18:56.829 --> 00:18:59.769 there can ever satisfy you, but nothing out there 00:18:59.769 --> 00:19:03.950 can ever make you or break you. And proven hope 00:19:03.950 --> 00:19:07.210 doesn't disappoint because the love of God has 00:19:07.210 --> 00:19:09.630 been poured out within our hearts through the 00:19:09.630 --> 00:19:13.569 Holy Spirit who's given to us. Lord, my prayer 00:19:13.569 --> 00:19:16.769 is that you would help us this season as never 00:19:16.769 --> 00:19:20.289 before to sink our roots deep into the hope of 00:19:20.289 --> 00:19:25.039 the living Christ. Our faith is not about how 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.380 many times we pray or how many times we read 00:19:27.380 --> 00:19:29.140 the Bible or how many times we come to the church 00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:31.759 or a lot of external things. Those things are 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:33.759 great means, but they don't make us right. It's 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:38.940 you. It's us believing your love, forgiveness, 00:19:39.220 --> 00:19:43.640 resurrection. It's a relationship. So would you 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:47.700 help us to put our hope in you like never before? 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.319 And Lord, I just feel compelled that you've brought 00:19:52.970 --> 00:19:55.230 Maybe a handful of people that need to put their 00:19:55.230 --> 00:19:58.589 faith in you for the very first time. And so 00:19:58.589 --> 00:20:01.109 I ask, if you're one of those people that say, 00:20:01.230 --> 00:20:06.670 I need Jesus. I've been thinking about it. Could 00:20:06.670 --> 00:20:09.230 I invite you to find your hope in him right now? 00:20:09.289 --> 00:20:12.549 To bow your heart and say to him, Lord Jesus, 00:20:12.849 --> 00:20:17.650 today's my day. I want to turn from my sin and 00:20:17.650 --> 00:20:21.069 I ask you. to forgive me. I place my trust in 00:20:21.069 --> 00:20:24.089 your work on the cross, your resurrection. Come 00:20:24.089 --> 00:20:29.029 into my life right now. Make me your son. Make 00:20:29.029 --> 00:20:34.890 me your daughter. And he will. In Jesus' name, 00:20:35.009 --> 00:20:42.250 amen. Before we do anything else, I want to say 00:20:42.250 --> 00:20:44.829 the same thing to you that I said to the people 00:20:44.829 --> 00:20:47.630 in the room that I was teaching. If you realize 00:20:47.630 --> 00:20:50.769 today that you're one of those people, that you 00:20:50.769 --> 00:20:53.670 know a lot about Jesus, that you've never surrendered 00:20:53.670 --> 00:20:56.549 to him, you've never asked him to forgive you 00:20:56.549 --> 00:20:59.269 personally, to come into your life, to be your 00:20:59.269 --> 00:21:03.109 Lord and to be your Savior. It's so easy to know 00:21:03.109 --> 00:21:07.809 all about God, but not actually know him. That 00:21:07.809 --> 00:21:11.849 was me for the first 18 years of my life. went 00:21:11.849 --> 00:21:14.750 to a social church. I heard stories about Jesus. 00:21:14.849 --> 00:21:18.670 I intellectually believe there was a God, but 00:21:18.670 --> 00:21:20.630 I didn't know him. I didn't have a relationship. 00:21:21.130 --> 00:21:24.829 And today's your day. This is the day that he 00:21:24.829 --> 00:21:27.569 is broken through and you understand like never 00:21:27.569 --> 00:21:31.650 before. He loves you. He wants you. And that 00:21:31.650 --> 00:21:34.990 problem of sin, that problem of you not being 00:21:34.990 --> 00:21:37.509 the person you know in the depth of your heart 00:21:37.509 --> 00:21:41.230 you need to be is solved. if you receive the 00:21:41.230 --> 00:21:44.349 gift by faith. And so right now, I would encourage 00:21:44.349 --> 00:21:46.670 you, I don't care whether you're running on the 00:21:46.670 --> 00:21:49.190 treadmill, driving in the car, you know, there's 00:21:49.190 --> 00:21:52.029 kids in the backseat, taking a walk in the park. 00:21:52.130 --> 00:21:55.269 At this very moment, I want you to pause within 00:21:55.269 --> 00:21:59.630 yourself and cry out to God, Lord Jesus, save 00:21:59.630 --> 00:22:03.549 me. Today, I believe you died in my place. Today, 00:22:03.650 --> 00:22:06.829 I believe you rose from the dead. Please forgive 00:22:06.829 --> 00:22:10.309 me of all my sins. based solely on the work of 00:22:10.309 --> 00:22:13.490 Jesus in his resurrection, and come into my life. 00:22:13.970 --> 00:22:17.910 Make me your son. Make me your daughter. And 00:22:17.910 --> 00:22:20.869 as you have done that, God will answer that prayer. 00:22:21.109 --> 00:22:24.069 He longs to answer it, and He will. In fact, 00:22:24.069 --> 00:22:26.950 if you just prayed with me, He did. So make sure 00:22:26.950 --> 00:22:29.369 you tell the greatest Christian you know, I prayed 00:22:29.369 --> 00:22:32.130 to receive Christ today. Number two, find a church 00:22:32.130 --> 00:22:34.529 this weekend that teaches the Bible. And number 00:22:34.529 --> 00:22:38.970 three, go to livingontheedge .org. That's livingontheedge 00:22:38.970 --> 00:22:42.309 .org. And we have some free resources to help 00:22:42.309 --> 00:22:45.150 you on your new journey. Welcome to the family. 00:22:45.690 --> 00:22:47.869 Thanks, Chip. Well, if you prayed to receive 00:22:47.869 --> 00:22:50.609 Christ, we do have a free resource we'd like 00:22:50.609 --> 00:22:53.069 to put in your hands that was created specifically 00:22:53.069 --> 00:22:56.470 for new believers. This tool will help you understand 00:22:56.470 --> 00:22:59.250 what it means to trust in Jesus and what to do 00:22:59.250 --> 00:23:02.609 next. Request this free resource by calling 888 00:23:02.609 --> 00:23:08.609 -333 -6003 or by visiting livingontheedge .org, 00:23:08.789 --> 00:23:12.359 then clicking the New Believers button. That's 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:17.940 livingontheedge .org or call 888 -333 -6003. 00:23:18.140 --> 00:23:20.599 Let us help you get started in your faith journey. 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:23.440 Well, Chip's still here in studio with me. And 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:25.420 Chip, you know, I've heard you talk before about 00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:28.420 one of your mentors, Bob Buford. Some might be 00:23:28.420 --> 00:23:31.059 familiar with his book, Halftime, or the organization 00:23:31.059 --> 00:23:33.960 he founded called The Leadership Network. Well, 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:36.579 describe the impact he had on your life and what 00:23:36.579 --> 00:23:39.440 he taught you about making disciples. Well, Dave, 00:23:39.559 --> 00:23:41.839 I have to tell you, I'll never forget being with 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:44.559 Bob. And he asked a question that no one had 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:48.460 ever asked me. He said, Chip, who gave you permission 00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:51.880 to become the person that you've become? And 00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:54.059 then he said, you know, we all have dreams and 00:23:54.059 --> 00:23:56.759 thoughts inside of us and potential, but we rarely 00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:00.160 can see who we could really become. And God often 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.160 brings a mentor, a person into your life that 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:05.319 helps you see things that you could never see 00:24:05.319 --> 00:24:08.450 on your own. And I realized that there were mentors 00:24:08.450 --> 00:24:11.450 in my life, people that coached me, not just 00:24:11.450 --> 00:24:14.549 about discipleship, but mentored me, really cared 00:24:14.549 --> 00:24:18.329 about me and my particular life in ways that 00:24:18.329 --> 00:24:21.529 really opened the door for me to become who God 00:24:21.529 --> 00:24:24.519 made me and wanted me to be. And we at Living 00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:26.619 on the Edge realized that people need mentors. 00:24:26.740 --> 00:24:29.779 And it was out of the pandemic that we decided 00:24:29.779 --> 00:24:32.099 to do a little thing called daily discipleship 00:24:32.099 --> 00:24:35.180 where I begin to mentor people one -on -one. 00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:37.559 And I got a couple cameras and a cup of coffee 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:40.319 and an open Bible and not teaching, not preaching, 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:43.460 but sat down for eight to 10 minutes for 10, 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:46.500 15, 20 days, depending on what we did. And I 00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:48.900 just opened the Bible and I mentored them about, 00:24:48.980 --> 00:24:51.700 this is how you hear God's voice. Here's how 00:24:51.700 --> 00:24:54.200 you study. Here's how you deal with big decisions. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:57.339 Of all the things I've had a chance to do, that's 00:24:57.339 --> 00:24:59.700 been the most fulfilling because of the kind 00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:02.980 of response. Oh, now I'm in the Bible for myself. 00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:05.720 Oh, now I'm sharing this with our whole family. 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:10.539 People are learning and becoming who God meant 00:25:10.539 --> 00:25:12.940 them to be because they're getting some coaching. 00:25:13.339 --> 00:25:15.619 As you think about your own personal life, can 00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:18.380 I encourage you? Go to our website and choose 00:25:18.380 --> 00:25:21.470 to do a daily discipleship. And second, Would 00:25:21.470 --> 00:25:24.529 you give generously to this mid -year match so 00:25:24.529 --> 00:25:27.150 that I can keep producing those kind of resources 00:25:27.150 --> 00:25:30.890 to mentor people so they can become all that 00:25:30.890 --> 00:25:33.809 God designed them to become? Thanks so much for 00:25:33.809 --> 00:25:36.009 whatever God leads you to do. Well, if you want 00:25:36.009 --> 00:25:38.430 to stand with us to see Christians really live 00:25:38.430 --> 00:25:40.910 like Christians for the glory of God and the 00:25:40.910 --> 00:25:43.630 good of all, now is the perfect time to partner 00:25:43.630 --> 00:25:46.049 with us. As Chip said, we're in the middle of 00:25:46.049 --> 00:25:48.640 our mid -year match. which means every dollar 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:51.539 we receive until June 30th will be doubled for 00:25:51.539 --> 00:25:55.140 greater impact. So visit livingontheedge .org 00:25:55.140 --> 00:26:00.319 or call us at 888 -333 -6003 to make your gift. 00:26:00.420 --> 00:26:06.039 That's 888 -333 -6003 or go to livingontheedge 00:26:06.039 --> 00:26:11.019 .org. App listeners, tap Donate. As we close, 00:26:11.220 --> 00:26:13.299 do you want to deepen your connection to God 00:26:13.299 --> 00:26:16.119 amid your busy life? Then take Chip with you 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:19.299 by subscribing to our daily podcast. With a few 00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:21.640 simple taps on your phone, you can access the 00:26:21.640 --> 00:26:24.460 full length versions of our latest series. And 00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:26.539 if you're always on the go, download a handful 00:26:26.539 --> 00:26:29.500 and listen to them at your own pace. Let us help 00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:32.160 you grow your faith. Search for Living on the 00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:35.759 Edge with Chip Ingram today on Apple Podcasts, 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:38.279 Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 00:26:39.210 --> 00:26:41.490 For Chip and the entire team here, this is Dave 00:26:41.490 --> 00:26:43.589 Drewy, thanking you for listening to this edition 00:26:43.589 --> 00:26:46.369 of Living on the Edge, and I hope you'll join 00:26:46.369 --> 00:26:47.450 us again next time.