WEBVTT 00:00:01.180 --> 00:00:05.040 What happens inside of you when you mess up? 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:09.779 I mean a real personal failure. Does it ruin 00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:12.560 everything or do you just shrug it off and figure, 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.140 ah, it's not that big a deal? Do you confess 00:00:15.140 --> 00:00:18.559 it and move on or does it stay with you and wreck 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:21.960 any possibility of joy or peace? Well, today 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:24.320 we're going to talk about what it means to put 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:31.250 our past behind us. Don't go away. Thanks for 00:00:31.250 --> 00:00:33.789 listening to this edition of Living on the Edge 00:00:33.789 --> 00:00:36.909 with Chip Ingram. We are an international teaching 00:00:36.909 --> 00:00:39.649 and discipleship ministry that motivates Christians 00:00:39.649 --> 00:00:42.469 to live like Christians. Well, today we're diving 00:00:42.469 --> 00:00:44.770 into the remainder of Chip's message, Pursuing 00:00:44.770 --> 00:00:48.189 Hope from our series, I Choose Hope. And in case 00:00:48.189 --> 00:00:50.329 you missed the first half or any other part of 00:00:50.329 --> 00:00:52.869 this study in Philippians chapter three, catch 00:00:52.869 --> 00:00:55.090 up through the Chip Ingram app. It's a great 00:00:55.090 --> 00:00:57.109 way to listen to Living on the Edge anytime. 00:00:57.829 --> 00:01:00.070 Well, there's a lot to get to, so here's Chip. 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:03.920 What the Apostle Paul is doing is he's addressing 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:07.319 two extremes. There were two extremes about what 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:09.719 it meant to be spiritually mature. And in very 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:12.959 subtle ways, he's addressed both of them. On 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:16.079 the one hand, spiritual maturity is not compulsive 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:19.700 perfectionism. When the Judaizers and legalistic 00:01:19.700 --> 00:01:21.700 people came in, you gotta live up, you gotta 00:01:21.700 --> 00:01:23.260 live up, you gotta live up, you gotta live up, 00:01:23.260 --> 00:01:26.019 you gotta live up. And by the way, there's some 00:01:26.019 --> 00:01:30.159 of us and there's some of you. Maybe it's not 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:34.060 even conscious, but you live with this, who you 00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:36.760 are and where you're at on your journey, it never 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:40.159 measures up. You live with this low -grade guilt 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:42.439 that messes with your life all the time, and 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:44.980 as a result, some of you parents, you are passing 00:01:44.980 --> 00:01:47.799 that on to your kids. No matter what they do, 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:50.079 however much progress they make, it's never enough. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.519 There's this perfectionism. And what he's saying 00:01:54.519 --> 00:01:57.840 is that that's not spiritual maturity. Reading 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:00.480 your Bible every day, praying every day, having 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:03.219 all your ducks in a row, it's about a relationship. 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:06.819 The test of spiritual maturity is loving God 00:02:06.819 --> 00:02:09.900 and loving people and a transformed life. It's 00:02:09.900 --> 00:02:13.259 not this external perfectionism. But there's 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:15.740 another extreme, and he addressed that in the 00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:19.659 very last verse. Spiritual maturity is not complacent 00:02:19.659 --> 00:02:23.449 passivity. On the one hand, these Judaizers were 00:02:23.449 --> 00:02:25.469 coming in and giving people a list of rules. 00:02:25.569 --> 00:02:27.210 You got to do all this. But there was another 00:02:27.210 --> 00:02:31.509 group. The other group, it's a big word, antinomianist. 00:02:32.330 --> 00:02:34.969 Learned a big word today. Anti, against, nomi, 00:02:34.969 --> 00:02:38.050 the law. And what they would say is, you know 00:02:38.050 --> 00:02:40.449 this stuff about Jesus? It's even better than 00:02:40.449 --> 00:02:43.490 we thought. This is what grace means. You pray 00:02:43.490 --> 00:02:46.409 and you receive Jesus into your heart. You are 00:02:46.409 --> 00:02:49.090 forgiven. God loves you unconditionally. There 00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:52.490 are no rules. You can live however you want. 00:02:52.689 --> 00:02:55.889 There is no morality. It's just grace, grace, 00:02:55.969 --> 00:02:57.810 grace. Some people have called it cheap grace. 00:02:58.030 --> 00:03:01.409 So you can keep living in sin, quote, because 00:03:01.409 --> 00:03:04.530 God understands. He's a gracious God. You're 00:03:04.530 --> 00:03:07.039 already forgiven. And this is where he says you 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:10.560 need to live up to the standard. Okay. Thank 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:14.400 you, Chip. We have now learned a great deal about 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:17.300 the Apostle Paul and what was going on in the 00:03:17.300 --> 00:03:21.000 life of the church. Help me a little bit on what's 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:24.500 this really got to do with me. I want you to 00:03:24.500 --> 00:03:26.039 lean back. I want you to really think. I want 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:28.860 to summarize some things because God wants to 00:03:28.860 --> 00:03:33.379 give you hope. You need to find it. You need 00:03:33.379 --> 00:03:36.370 to experience it. but you need to pursue it. 00:03:36.710 --> 00:03:40.189 You need to pursue it in such a way that no matter 00:03:40.189 --> 00:03:42.530 what you do, you never measure up. It's not an 00:03:42.530 --> 00:03:46.110 option. On the other hand, there's not just this 00:03:46.110 --> 00:03:48.909 laxity that I guess God just winks at everything. 00:03:49.710 --> 00:03:53.210 Genuine spiritual maturity is a passionate pursuit 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:58.270 of knowing and becoming like Jesus. Will you 00:03:58.270 --> 00:04:00.930 get it in this life? Well, I know. but it's a 00:04:00.930 --> 00:04:03.610 passionate pursuit. So let me give you, again, 00:04:03.750 --> 00:04:05.909 what I think are three really major takeaways. 00:04:06.150 --> 00:04:09.069 Number one, spiritual maturity does not mean 00:04:09.069 --> 00:04:13.650 that we are perfect. Write that word in. What 00:04:13.650 --> 00:04:17.889 I mean by that is sinless. We never will be in 00:04:17.889 --> 00:04:21.310 this life. He says he wants to know Christ. He 00:04:21.310 --> 00:04:27.430 gave us the disclaimer, but that's huge. It doesn't 00:04:27.430 --> 00:04:29.529 say that we're perfect, but it does give us a 00:04:29.529 --> 00:04:35.370 direction. He says, but I press on, but I hold 00:04:35.370 --> 00:04:37.970 on. And so what it does mean is that spiritual 00:04:37.970 --> 00:04:42.670 maturity is a lifelong process of knowing and 00:04:42.670 --> 00:04:44.810 becoming like Christ. So what I want you to know, 00:04:44.829 --> 00:04:49.910 there is no quick fix. Becoming like Jesus, knowing 00:04:49.910 --> 00:04:56.680 God takes time progressively in his word. It 00:04:56.680 --> 00:05:00.439 takes you being honest with yourself and talking 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:04.100 with God from your heart. It requires, and this 00:05:04.100 --> 00:05:07.519 is a non -negotiable, that you're involved in 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:10.459 relationships with people where there's honesty 00:05:10.459 --> 00:05:14.139 and love and support and understanding and accountability. 00:05:14.779 --> 00:05:20.379 And apart from God's word, people, prayer, and 00:05:20.379 --> 00:05:24.199 are you ready? Suffering and difficulty and pain. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:29.439 Those are the avenues by which God begins to 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.560 conform us to himself. And as those things are 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:36.519 happening, he calls us. Paul's ministering. He 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:40.079 calls us to serve first wherever we live with 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:43.740 our roommate, our family. He calls us to serve 00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:47.120 that I'm an agent of light and love in my neighborhood 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.860 and at the coffee shop and at the gym and where 00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:53.480 I go to work. And what he's saying is it is going 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:56.319 to be a journey. There's an already not yet, 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:00.259 okay? You already are loved. You already are 00:06:00.259 --> 00:06:02.980 forgiven, but you're not yet perfect. And there's 00:06:02.980 --> 00:06:06.220 a tension that you're going to live in. But there 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:09.259 is a direction, not perfection. There's a direction. 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:12.180 There is a focus. There's an intentionality. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:18.639 So can I pause? How are you doing? Not legalism. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.939 Not oughts and shoulds, but I mean, how are you 00:06:22.939 --> 00:06:28.220 doing at pursuing intentionally and with intensity 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:33.420 a deep, rich, growing relationship with the God 00:06:33.420 --> 00:06:37.639 who made you? and saved you and loved you. And 00:06:37.639 --> 00:06:39.920 if you're a follower of Christ, his spirit lives 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:43.300 in you. His word has been given to you. And in 00:06:43.300 --> 00:06:45.560 this room and all around the world, you're a 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:47.699 part of a supernatural body called the church 00:06:47.699 --> 00:06:49.980 that his spirit lives in them. And they will 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:52.540 minister to you and you will minister to them. 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:55.279 And this process of transformation continues 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.420 and continues and continues. The second major 00:06:58.420 --> 00:07:01.699 takeaway. is that spiritual maturity does mean 00:07:01.699 --> 00:07:04.660 our lives are characterized by a passionate pursuit 00:07:04.660 --> 00:07:08.100 of knowing and becoming like Jesus. Verse 12, 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:10.199 we're never going to be perfect. Verse 13 and 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:16.019 14, passionate pursuit. How do you do that? You 00:07:16.019 --> 00:07:19.779 have to come before God. It's when we see him, 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:21.660 when we get glimpses of him, when he reveals 00:07:21.660 --> 00:07:24.259 himself in his word and prayer and people and 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:27.439 as we serve. We come before God. We come before 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:29.639 God regularly, come together and worship. It 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:32.540 really matters. That's part of a passionate pursuit. 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:36.079 And yes, there's prayer and all the things I 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:38.560 mentioned, but he gives us two very specific 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:40.360 things that I think a lot of people don't get. 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:44.800 There's two things that need to happen for your 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:47.939 passionate pursuit. Number one, he says, forgetting 00:07:47.939 --> 00:07:52.519 what lies behind and reaching or straining forward 00:07:52.519 --> 00:07:58.680 to what's ahead. See, for some of you, you have 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:02.839 to forget some of your past life and failure. 00:08:03.699 --> 00:08:07.980 I have shared a little bit of my wife's story, 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:11.819 but part of her journey, she came to Christ after 00:08:11.819 --> 00:08:14.180 being abandoned. She had these two little boys. 00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:16.879 Her life was desperate. She came to know Christ 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:19.040 after her husband left with this other woman. 00:08:20.779 --> 00:08:24.750 She became a believer. She began to grow. But 00:08:24.750 --> 00:08:27.230 even after we were married, even after I was 00:08:27.230 --> 00:08:29.629 most of the way through seminary, even after 00:08:29.629 --> 00:08:33.370 I was pastoring a church, my wife kind of had 00:08:33.370 --> 00:08:35.470 this part of her that she didn't want people 00:08:35.470 --> 00:08:37.870 to know because she was actually told, you're 00:08:37.870 --> 00:08:40.730 a second -class citizen. I mean, a biblical divorce 00:08:40.730 --> 00:08:42.830 for adultery or being abandoned, that may be 00:08:42.830 --> 00:08:46.169 true, but you're a second -class citizen. And 00:08:46.169 --> 00:08:50.809 so her freedom never took off because she lived 00:08:50.809 --> 00:08:53.639 under condemnation. She wasn't forgetting her 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:56.240 past. And I'll never forget. I sat in a room 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.600 with Bill Lawrence and Bill Lawrence looked at 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:01.299 my wife and said, your past has been completely 00:09:01.299 --> 00:09:04.700 forgiven. He's radically changed your life. And 00:09:04.700 --> 00:09:08.159 he said, Teresa, you're a trophy of God's grace 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:12.039 and it's on his mantelpiece. That's how God sees 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:15.840 you. And it was a barrier. It was a barrier. 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:20.139 How many of you, you won't forget your past, 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:23.899 your baggage, your pain. The abortion, the divorce, 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:27.000 the lying, the stealing, the one night affair. 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:28.639 I don't know where you've been. What I know in 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:30.559 a group this size and a church this size, we 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:33.620 got everything under the sun. You have to forget 00:09:33.620 --> 00:09:35.820 what lies behind, but not only the difficulty 00:09:35.820 --> 00:09:39.059 and the past, but also you got to forget some 00:09:39.059 --> 00:09:43.279 of the success. We've got some people here that 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:45.960 you feel like you've done your part and you're 00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:48.820 living on old verses and your passion and your 00:09:48.820 --> 00:09:51.879 drive, your life isn't characterized by pressing 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:54.879 ahead and knowing him and serving him, it's kind 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:57.360 of like, you know, I did my deal. You have to 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.600 forget your success, whether it's in the secular 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:01.559 world or whether it's your spiritual success. 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:07.740 That's, he says, required. for a spiritual pursuit. 00:10:07.980 --> 00:10:10.320 And that's the negative. And the positive is 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:12.940 straining forward. Literally, it's the picture 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:16.379 of a runner who's not swerving. It was used in 00:10:16.379 --> 00:10:19.659 the ancient games where when you were riding 00:10:19.659 --> 00:10:22.480 a chariot, there would be two wheels and it would 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:25.100 be flat. And you had to lean forward and hold 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:28.840 on in such a way with absolute focus in order 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:31.419 to not fall off and to win the race. And that's 00:10:31.419 --> 00:10:34.200 the picture that most people think Paul's alluding 00:10:34.200 --> 00:10:39.710 to. Pursuing hope means pursuing a deep, rich 00:10:39.710 --> 00:10:44.549 relationship with Christ. Perfection? No. Complacency? 00:10:44.690 --> 00:10:51.669 No. Passionate pursuit? Yes. Raises the question, 00:10:51.850 --> 00:10:56.049 doesn't it? How do you know? I mean, how would 00:10:56.049 --> 00:11:00.799 we know if we're making progress? I mean, beyond 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:02.700 the activities, right? The Pharisees read the 00:11:02.700 --> 00:11:04.600 Bible. The Pharisees prayed a lot. The Pharisees 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:07.340 gave their money. The Pharisees went to their 00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:10.019 worship service, but they weren't close to God. 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:15.039 J .I. Packer has this moment in his book, Knowing 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:18.399 God. He says, if you want to know how well you 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:20.620 know God, there's a litmus test. There's four 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:23.580 things that characterize people that genuinely 00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:27.679 know God. It's not their external stuff. These 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:29.860 are things you can actually measure. He writes 00:11:29.860 --> 00:11:33.860 in his book, those who know God deeply have great 00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:37.220 energy for God. So just, you know, privately, 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:39.000 maybe on your notes, just, you know, write great 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:42.799 energy. Yes or no. Do you have great energy for 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:45.419 God? Or ask yourself, where do you have great 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:47.019 energy for? Because that'll tell you what you 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:49.620 worship. Second, he says, those who know God 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:53.419 deeply have great thoughts about God. great thoughts 00:11:53.419 --> 00:11:55.940 about God? Do you find yourself thinking God 00:11:55.940 --> 00:11:58.360 is infinite and powerful? Do you find yourself 00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:00.480 looking at nature and thinking he must be so 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:03.120 beautiful to create that? Do you have great, 00:12:03.139 --> 00:12:07.559 high thoughts about God? Third, people who know 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:11.820 God deeply have great boldness for God. Do you 00:12:11.820 --> 00:12:13.799 find yourself not caring what other people think? 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:17.259 I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 00:12:17.460 --> 00:12:19.990 Savior of the world. Now, you don't have to put 00:12:19.990 --> 00:12:21.830 it on a big bumper sticker and you don't have 00:12:21.830 --> 00:12:23.529 to get a Bible this big and put it on your desk, 00:12:23.590 --> 00:12:28.309 but are you bold? Do you step out? Are you unashamed 00:12:28.309 --> 00:12:31.230 of the gospel, unashamed of Christ, not worried 00:12:31.230 --> 00:12:33.850 about fitting in and being corrected in the way 00:12:33.850 --> 00:12:36.529 that everyone sees things? If you have great 00:12:36.529 --> 00:12:39.149 energy, great thoughts, and a boldness, those 00:12:39.149 --> 00:12:43.070 are evidences. You have a genuine, deep, and 00:12:43.070 --> 00:12:45.750 growing knowledge of God. And fourth, those who 00:12:45.750 --> 00:12:49.980 know God have great contentment in God. There's 00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:53.759 a peace. Your life isn't about the next promotion. 00:12:53.980 --> 00:12:55.980 It's not about the next house. It's not the next 00:12:55.980 --> 00:12:58.840 remodel. It's not the when -then strategy, right? 00:12:59.059 --> 00:13:01.779 You know, I'm single. When I have a maid, we're 00:13:01.779 --> 00:13:03.860 married. When we have a kid, we're in a small 00:13:03.860 --> 00:13:05.600 house. When we can buy a house that's a bigger 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:08.299 house, when -then, when -then. If you really 00:13:08.299 --> 00:13:12.289 know God, It's fine to get married. It's fine 00:13:12.289 --> 00:13:14.830 to have a house. All those things in and of themselves. 00:13:15.269 --> 00:13:18.230 If you are growing, there's a contentment with 00:13:18.230 --> 00:13:23.409 who you are in this room, in your present state. 00:13:24.009 --> 00:13:26.250 And I don't mean to over -spiritualize, but Jesus 00:13:26.250 --> 00:13:31.629 really is enough. He's your hope. He's supplying 00:13:31.629 --> 00:13:35.190 grace. He gives you joy in the midst of suffering. 00:13:35.289 --> 00:13:37.009 He gives you power in the midst of difficulty. 00:13:37.470 --> 00:13:41.059 That's what he's saying. You're listening to 00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:43.000 Living on the Edge, and Chip will be back to 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.820 continue today's teaching in just a minute. But 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:48.940 first, today is the last day of our mid -year 00:13:48.940 --> 00:13:51.679 match. So now's the time to partner with us because 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:54.220 every dollar we receive until midnight tonight, 00:13:54.460 --> 00:13:57.220 June 30th, will be doubled for greater impact. 00:13:57.950 --> 00:14:00.889 To get your gift in, go to livingontheedge .org 00:14:00.889 --> 00:14:06.490 or call us at 888 -333 -6003. Again, that's 888 00:14:06.490 --> 00:14:13.450 -333 -6003 or visit livingontheedge .org. And 00:14:13.450 --> 00:14:15.549 thanks in advance for doing whatever God leads 00:14:15.549 --> 00:14:19.669 you to do. We'll hear again as Chip. The final 00:14:19.669 --> 00:14:22.850 takeaway is that spiritual maturity does mean 00:14:23.559 --> 00:14:26.379 Our lives will exhibit significant spiritual 00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:30.799 progress within and without. Perfection, no. 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.379 Complacency, no. But progress. Progress within 00:14:35.379 --> 00:14:39.360 and progress without. I get that from his final 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:45.200 verse, too. Without is action. He says, live 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:47.519 up to the truth that you've already obtained. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:52.889 And within is to understand the tension. of the 00:14:52.889 --> 00:14:58.330 already and the not yet, okay? See, let me give 00:14:58.330 --> 00:15:01.710 you a picture of this. I've shared very openly 00:15:01.710 --> 00:15:04.970 about my marriage and our journey. In fact, it 00:15:04.970 --> 00:15:07.309 is better now than it's ever been, and we just 00:15:07.309 --> 00:15:12.370 celebrated 39 years. When I said I do to Teresa, 00:15:12.529 --> 00:15:19.269 I knew her, okay? I know her already. We're married 00:15:19.269 --> 00:15:22.789 already. We're completely married. I'm committed 00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:28.370 to her. We have a relationship now, but it's 00:15:28.370 --> 00:15:31.929 not perfect, right? It's been growing for 39 00:15:31.929 --> 00:15:34.149 years. Some of the growth were some really deep 00:15:34.149 --> 00:15:36.570 valleys and then some really nice high peaks. 00:15:36.730 --> 00:15:40.090 And it involved difficulty and pain and sometimes 00:15:40.090 --> 00:15:43.809 deep health issues and raising children. But 00:15:43.809 --> 00:15:47.289 so we already had a relationship five minutes 00:15:47.289 --> 00:15:51.509 after we were married already. But we were not 00:15:51.509 --> 00:15:55.330 yet as deep, as close, as rich as we are now. 00:15:55.490 --> 00:15:58.549 And I pray if I get to live long enough in another 00:15:58.549 --> 00:16:00.389 five or 10 years, if the Lord doesn't return, 00:16:00.610 --> 00:16:03.009 it'll keep getting deeper and deeper and richer. 00:16:03.149 --> 00:16:06.029 And so what the apostle Paul is saying to that 00:16:06.029 --> 00:16:08.809 church and to this church, he says, maturity 00:16:08.809 --> 00:16:11.860 is the sense of. You know, every time you make 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:13.580 a mistake, you don't start condemning yourself 00:16:13.580 --> 00:16:16.259 and you're a terrible person. But on the other 00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:18.580 hand, you don't have issues in your life that 00:16:18.580 --> 00:16:20.279 you let keep going and saying, well, everyone 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:24.559 struggles. I mean, everyone's materialistic, 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:27.179 so I guess I can be too. Everyone has major debt 00:16:27.179 --> 00:16:29.019 issues or most men struggle with pornography. 00:16:29.139 --> 00:16:30.940 All these kind of things that we give each other 00:16:30.940 --> 00:16:34.139 a pass. You know, everyone I'm around, they kind 00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:35.840 of talk about other people and they gossip a 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:37.899 little bit. And so we just all give each other 00:16:37.899 --> 00:16:44.029 a pass on. He said, no. No. You understand the 00:16:44.029 --> 00:16:47.350 tension internally that you haven't arrived and 00:16:47.350 --> 00:16:50.950 you don't beat yourself up. But externally, wherever 00:16:50.950 --> 00:16:53.750 God has spoken to you and you've made progress, 00:16:54.029 --> 00:16:56.909 you're living in that progress and you don't 00:16:56.909 --> 00:16:59.929 use the we haven't arrived yet as an excuse. 00:17:00.070 --> 00:17:02.830 Does that make sense? Now, let me just take a 00:17:02.830 --> 00:17:06.509 moment because I'm concerned for two groups. 00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:14.900 One group is you have really high standards. 00:17:15.019 --> 00:17:19.039 You are very into getting everything right, and 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:21.640 you're passing that on to your kids. And can 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:24.759 I graciously say, you've got to lighten up. There's 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:26.700 another group, and it's... more and more and 00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:28.339 more and more in America. It's just that, hey, 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:31.339 Jesus loves us. I pray to prayer. I come to church 00:17:31.339 --> 00:17:34.200 when I can. I live with my boyfriend. I live 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:38.019 with my girlfriend. I had an affair. I'm doing 00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:40.240 things that the Bible says aren't right, but 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:42.400 I get to choose what I believe, what I don't 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:46.660 believe. You're really an antinomian. I want 00:17:46.660 --> 00:17:48.779 you to know that there are very serious consequences 00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:53.579 to that. Here's my heart. Spiritual maturity 00:17:53.579 --> 00:17:57.859 and pursuing it is about experiencing hope. Hope 00:17:57.859 --> 00:18:01.079 is not about perfection. It's about direction. 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:07.039 Hope is not about duty. Hope is about devotion, 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:10.950 your heart, your passion. And hope is not about 00:18:10.950 --> 00:18:14.210 complacency over here or being compulsive over 00:18:14.210 --> 00:18:17.390 here. It's about you saying, I want to press 00:18:17.390 --> 00:18:21.549 on toward the hope of knowing and growing in 00:18:21.549 --> 00:18:24.250 my relationship with Jesus and allowing him to 00:18:24.250 --> 00:18:28.329 change me every moment of every day. That's how 00:18:28.329 --> 00:18:31.670 you pursue hope. Father, I thank you that you 00:18:31.670 --> 00:18:35.069 love us, that your spirit is within us, that 00:18:35.069 --> 00:18:39.349 you care about us. And Lord, I pray right now 00:18:39.349 --> 00:18:44.009 for the people in this room and even advance 00:18:44.009 --> 00:18:46.809 that people will log on and watch this that feel 00:18:46.809 --> 00:18:49.589 such condemnation and are so overwhelmed and 00:18:49.589 --> 00:18:51.970 so feel like no matter what they do, even with 00:18:51.970 --> 00:18:54.150 you, they never measure up. Will you free them? 00:18:54.829 --> 00:18:57.150 Would you help them to believe with all their 00:18:57.150 --> 00:18:59.930 heart? It's an already, but it's a process and 00:18:59.930 --> 00:19:03.549 it's a journey. And Lord, I pray for those that 00:19:03.549 --> 00:19:07.910 somehow over time have justified clearly behavior 00:19:07.910 --> 00:19:11.970 and attitudes that are not only wrong and immoral, 00:19:11.970 --> 00:19:15.250 but they're destructive. And it breaks your heart 00:19:15.250 --> 00:19:17.289 because it's hurting them and it's hurting others. 00:19:17.390 --> 00:19:20.990 Would you, like an arrow, pierce their heart, 00:19:21.109 --> 00:19:24.650 convict them in order to draw them to yourself, 00:19:24.990 --> 00:19:27.769 give them the grace to turn away and repent and 00:19:27.769 --> 00:19:31.150 then begin to grow? Lord, we want to be holy 00:19:31.150 --> 00:19:34.690 and blameless. We want to follow you. We want 00:19:34.690 --> 00:19:38.130 to anchor our hope in you, Lord Jesus. We thank 00:19:38.130 --> 00:19:40.430 you for how much you love us. And we come to 00:19:40.430 --> 00:19:43.450 you, Father, with great appreciation. In Jesus' 00:19:43.589 --> 00:19:50.549 name, amen. You're listening to Living on the 00:19:50.549 --> 00:19:53.430 Edge with Chip Ingram. And the message you just 00:19:53.430 --> 00:19:56.490 heard, Pursuing Hope, is from our series, I Choose 00:19:56.490 --> 00:19:59.220 Hope. Chip will join us in studio to share some 00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:01.779 insights from today's talk in just a minute. 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:04.660 In times of uncertainty, where do you turn for 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:07.410 hope? And how confident are you in your source 00:20:07.410 --> 00:20:09.890 of comfort to provide the stability you desire? 00:20:10.269 --> 00:20:12.990 As Chip teaches through Philippians chapter 3, 00:20:13.170 --> 00:20:15.549 he'll share what God has to say about our fears 00:20:15.549 --> 00:20:18.490 about the future and how feeling secure is possible 00:20:18.490 --> 00:20:21.990 even when anxiety comes. Learn how to embrace 00:20:21.990 --> 00:20:24.690 a more resilient hope that will help you face 00:20:24.690 --> 00:20:28.420 each day with certainty and peace. Well, before 00:20:28.420 --> 00:20:30.720 we go, Chip's in studio here to share a really 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.680 timely and special word with all of you. Thanks 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:36.619 so much, Dave. As we come to the end of this 00:20:36.619 --> 00:20:39.140 mid -year match, we've talked a lot about what 00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:41.440 God is doing through Living on the Edge. And 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:44.400 this really has been an invitation to each one 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:46.910 of you personally. to say, I want to be a part 00:20:46.910 --> 00:20:49.450 of that. I want to make a difference. Over the 00:20:49.450 --> 00:20:51.450 last month or so, we've talked about strengthening 00:20:51.450 --> 00:20:54.430 families that have real challenges, equipping 00:20:54.430 --> 00:20:57.549 a generation that's bombarded by harmful messages 00:20:57.549 --> 00:21:00.789 and is looking for meaning and peace and purpose, 00:21:00.950 --> 00:21:03.869 about supporting pastors and leaders here and 00:21:03.869 --> 00:21:06.349 all around the world. And each of these areas 00:21:06.349 --> 00:21:09.730 represent a real, tangible way for you to invest, 00:21:09.990 --> 00:21:13.329 not just your resources, but your heart in what 00:21:13.329 --> 00:21:16.539 God is doing. Think about the multiplied impact 00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:19.539 we can have together. Imagine more leaders and 00:21:19.539 --> 00:21:22.680 pastors equipped for the spiritual battle, more 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:26.339 hurting people finding genuine hope, a generation 00:21:26.339 --> 00:21:29.059 that gets anchored in the truth amidst the chaos 00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:31.900 that they are experiencing. To see more believers 00:21:31.900 --> 00:21:34.579 start really growing and maturing and see the 00:21:34.579 --> 00:21:37.380 gospel breaking through, this is the picture 00:21:37.380 --> 00:21:39.839 that your partnership helps paint, addressing 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:43.119 real struggles with real solutions rooted in 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:45.859 faith by the power of the Holy Spirit and the 00:21:45.859 --> 00:21:49.190 content of God's Word. Here's my question. Will 00:21:49.190 --> 00:21:51.950 you choose to be a vital part of this work? Will 00:21:51.950 --> 00:21:54.630 you choose to make an impact that truly lasts 00:21:54.630 --> 00:21:58.109 and that echoes into eternity? Join me and this 00:21:58.109 --> 00:22:00.849 incredible team as we step forward in faith, 00:22:01.069 --> 00:22:04.490 believing together that by God's grace, we can 00:22:04.490 --> 00:22:07.990 do more than we could ever ask or think. And 00:22:07.990 --> 00:22:10.710 thank you from the bottom of my heart for prayerfully 00:22:10.710 --> 00:22:13.779 considering how you can partner with us. for 00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:16.880 the glory of our great God and the building of 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.819 his kingdom that will last forever and ever. 00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:23.400 Amen. Thanks, Chip. Well, today is the last day 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:25.599 to partner with us during our mid -year match. 00:22:25.880 --> 00:22:28.500 Every gift we receive until midnight tonight 00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:31.599 will be doubled dollar for dollar. Now to give, 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:39.119 go to livingontheedge .org or call 888 - If you're 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:41.480 sending a gift by mail, it must be postmarked 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:44.299 by today. Thanks again for your generosity and 00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:46.680 for standing with us as we encourage pastors, 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:49.960 disciple God's people, and reach this next generation 00:22:49.960 --> 00:22:52.339 with the power of the gospel. We'll hear again 00:22:52.339 --> 00:22:54.680 as Chip to share a few final words for us to 00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:58.460 think about. As we close today's program, I said 00:22:58.460 --> 00:23:01.230 there are two things that need to happen. for 00:23:01.230 --> 00:23:04.170 us to really experience hope through an intimate 00:23:04.170 --> 00:23:07.329 relationship with Jesus. First, forgetting what 00:23:07.329 --> 00:23:10.450 lies behind. And second, reaching for what lies 00:23:10.450 --> 00:23:13.410 ahead. Now, this first one is really hard for 00:23:13.410 --> 00:23:15.690 some people, forgetting what lies behind. In 00:23:15.690 --> 00:23:18.450 the context, the Apostle Paul is looking, he 00:23:18.450 --> 00:23:21.190 wants to forget all of his past failure, his 00:23:21.190 --> 00:23:24.730 baggage. In the vernacular today, it's some of 00:23:24.730 --> 00:23:27.269 us have made some really bad, poor decisions, 00:23:27.329 --> 00:23:30.380 both before we were Christians. And some of us 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:33.380 after we were Christians. And it plagues you. 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:35.880 I've met people, counseled with people that, 00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:38.480 quite honestly, they're still living in the shadow 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:41.460 of the divorce they had. They literally moved 00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:43.859 to another town and no one knows about. Or the 00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:46.500 abortion they had. Or the sexual addiction that 00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:49.440 is five years in the rearview mirror. Or, you 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:52.609 know, the drug addiction. Or you name it. We 00:23:52.609 --> 00:23:55.130 all have failures and difficulties in our lives. 00:23:55.289 --> 00:23:58.170 The Apostle Paul would say, when you understand 00:23:58.170 --> 00:24:01.490 the cross, when you understand the new life that 00:24:01.490 --> 00:24:05.309 you have, when you confess your sin, he is in 00:24:05.309 --> 00:24:09.990 fact faithful and just to forgive us for our 00:24:09.990 --> 00:24:13.869 sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:24:14.190 --> 00:24:17.390 That God literally looks at us through the blood 00:24:17.390 --> 00:24:21.480 of the Lord Jesus as righteous and pure. Now, 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:24.079 what I want you to know is that if you don't 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:27.299 forget what lies behind, then it will have you 00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:29.339 in your mind thinking you're a second -class 00:24:29.339 --> 00:24:31.960 Christian, God can never really use you, you 00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:34.460 have nagging guilt, and you'll live a life of 00:24:34.460 --> 00:24:36.900 duplicity trying to hide something of your past. 00:24:37.099 --> 00:24:40.420 The fact of the matter is that deliverance is 00:24:40.420 --> 00:24:43.700 a trophy of God's grace. Now, I can hear some 00:24:43.700 --> 00:24:45.559 of you because, believe it or not, I've done 00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:48.519 this for quite a few years. Here's what I hear. 00:24:48.619 --> 00:24:52.480 Chip? I know God has forgiven me. I just can't 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:55.420 forgive myself. I mean, I've sat in rooms and 00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:58.900 I've heard that, I don't know, 25, 50 times in 00:24:58.900 --> 00:25:02.019 the last 30 plus years. And it's sincere. It's 00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:04.880 really sincere. And I know God's forgiven me, 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:08.980 but I just can't forgive myself. And this may 00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:11.500 sound really harsh. So lean back because I don't 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:14.500 want to sound too harsh. But I listen very carefully. 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:16.759 But after hearing this many, many times over 00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:20.799 many, many years. Then I kind of, in a very gentle 00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:24.500 voice, look at them eye to eye and I say, well, 00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:28.019 so what you're telling me is your opinion of 00:25:28.019 --> 00:25:31.500 your sin is more righteous than God's and you 00:25:31.500 --> 00:25:35.079 completely disrespect what he's done and you 00:25:35.079 --> 00:25:38.539 don't believe what he said. And they look at 00:25:38.539 --> 00:25:41.460 me like, well, I never looked at it quite like 00:25:41.460 --> 00:25:43.680 that. I said, well, you need to start looking 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:46.650 at it like that. Because you've become a prisoner 00:25:46.650 --> 00:25:49.869 of your own self -pity. You've become a prisoner 00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:53.309 of your belief system. If the God of the universe 00:25:53.309 --> 00:25:57.750 has said, I had to give my son to pay for that 00:25:57.750 --> 00:26:01.829 sin and you are not receiving that gift, then 00:26:01.829 --> 00:26:04.049 you are disrespecting the God of the universe 00:26:04.049 --> 00:26:08.069 like no other person. And sometimes that jolts 00:26:08.069 --> 00:26:10.809 them. But here's the second half. Have you ever 00:26:10.809 --> 00:26:12.990 told someone not to think about something? I 00:26:12.990 --> 00:26:15.690 mean, don't think about the pink elephant with 00:26:15.690 --> 00:26:17.910 white tennis shoes. Don't think about that. Don't 00:26:17.910 --> 00:26:19.769 think about that. You know I'm playing a game. 00:26:19.990 --> 00:26:22.369 The more you try not to think about it, the more 00:26:22.369 --> 00:26:24.990 you think about it. The Apostle Paul says, I'm 00:26:24.990 --> 00:26:27.890 forgetting my past success. I'm forgetting my 00:26:27.890 --> 00:26:30.769 past failures. But notice what he says. I'm reaching 00:26:30.769 --> 00:26:34.750 forward. The word means I'm running without swerving. 00:26:35.319 --> 00:26:38.460 I'm full court pressing. I'm pressing forward. 00:26:38.740 --> 00:26:42.359 I am intense in pursuing. Think of something 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:45.140 you've pursued. Think maybe of that girl or that 00:26:45.140 --> 00:26:47.319 guy that you were in love with that you pursued 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:50.579 or that career or that athletic achievement or 00:26:50.579 --> 00:26:52.920 that you wanted to be that kind of dancer or 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:56.059 musician or artist. Think of the level of intensity 00:26:56.059 --> 00:26:58.680 and discipline and whatever it took, quote, to 00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:01.569 make that Olympic team. The Apostle Paul is saying, 00:27:01.710 --> 00:27:05.369 that's the kind of focus and passion and discipline 00:27:05.369 --> 00:27:09.490 I have brought to getting to know Jesus. When 00:27:09.490 --> 00:27:12.730 that is forefront, guess what? You forget what 00:27:12.730 --> 00:27:15.789 lies behind. And so here's what I want you to 00:27:15.789 --> 00:27:20.269 know. Spiritual maturity and experiencing God's 00:27:20.269 --> 00:27:24.230 hope is much more about direction than perfection. 00:27:24.859 --> 00:27:28.119 It's much more about devotion than duty, and 00:27:28.119 --> 00:27:30.200 it's fundamentally more about transformation 00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:34.960 than any tradition. God wants you to know, put 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:38.799 the past behind you. If you seek me, you will 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:41.480 find me when you search for me with all your 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:44.259 heart. That's his promise, and it's for you, 00:27:44.380 --> 00:27:48.089 and it's for you today. So seek him. Great reminder, 00:27:48.170 --> 00:27:50.490 Chip. Well, before we go, let me give you one 00:27:50.490 --> 00:27:53.589 last reminder about our mid -year match. So many 00:27:53.589 --> 00:27:55.869 of you have already been incredibly generous, 00:27:55.930 --> 00:27:58.250 and I want to thank you for partnering with us. 00:27:58.349 --> 00:28:00.730 But if you haven't done that yet, up to midnight 00:28:00.730 --> 00:28:03.930 tonight, every gift we receive will be matched 00:28:03.930 --> 00:28:06.869 dollar for dollar. Your gifts enable us to create 00:28:06.869 --> 00:28:09.990 new resources, encourage pastors, and reach this 00:28:09.990 --> 00:28:12.950 next generation with the gospel. If today's your 00:28:12.950 --> 00:28:16.170 day to join the team, go to livingontheedge .org 00:28:16.170 --> 00:28:22.349 or call us at 888 -333 -6003. That's 888 -333 00:28:22.349 --> 00:28:28.710 -6003 or visit livingontheedge .org. App listeners, 00:28:28.809 --> 00:28:31.450 tap donate. And thank you in advance for your 00:28:31.450 --> 00:28:34.150 generosity. We'll listen in next time as Chip 00:28:34.150 --> 00:28:37.089 wraps up his series, I Choose Hope. Until then, 00:28:37.130 --> 00:28:39.390 this is Dave Drewy saying thanks for joining 00:28:39.390 --> 00:28:41.990 us for this edition of Living on the Edge.