WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:03.960 One of the greatest challenges I've faced in 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:07.320 my life is when God tests my faith by directing 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:10.740 me to give money to help other people. Because 00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:13.460 here's what happens with me. I think to myself, 00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:16.600 if I give away that money, who's going to take 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:20.059 care of me? The issue is, how do you choose peace 00:00:20.059 --> 00:00:23.239 when you're afraid God won't provide for you? 00:00:23.500 --> 00:00:28.239 That's today. Welcome to this edition of Living 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.440 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an international 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:34.520 discipleship ministry devoted to helping Christians 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:37.179 worldwide live out their faith for the glory 00:00:37.179 --> 00:00:40.359 of God and the benefit of all people. Well, we're 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:42.460 nearing the end of our series, I Choose Peace, 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:45.320 How to Quiet Your Heart in the Chaos of Life. 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:48.060 For these last two programs, Chip will illustrate 00:00:48.060 --> 00:00:51.579 how acts of compassion and generosity can strengthen 00:00:51.579 --> 00:00:54.600 our dependence on God and experience even more 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:56.939 of the peace He's given us. So if you're ready 00:00:56.939 --> 00:00:59.179 to learn how to put that into practice, here's 00:00:59.179 --> 00:01:03.399 Chip with his message, In Tests of Faith. Well, 00:01:03.420 --> 00:01:05.260 we are going to go on a little journey together. 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:11.489 And if history, in my experience, is... any indicator 00:01:11.489 --> 00:01:14.109 of the future. Some of you will literally mark 00:01:14.109 --> 00:01:18.030 this weekend in this room as a major turning 00:01:18.030 --> 00:01:19.730 point in your life because we're gonna give you 00:01:19.730 --> 00:01:22.609 the final installment on contentment. We're gonna 00:01:22.609 --> 00:01:25.950 give you the last secret, the last part. But 00:01:25.950 --> 00:01:27.950 at the end of this service, I hate it when people 00:01:27.950 --> 00:01:30.250 sneak things up on you. At the end of the service, 00:01:30.450 --> 00:01:33.150 I will give you an opportunity to make a very 00:01:33.150 --> 00:01:37.569 specific decision. And that decision will activate 00:01:37.569 --> 00:01:41.629 the faith component. in this process of contentment. 00:01:42.569 --> 00:01:45.329 And many of you will take it and you will experience 00:01:45.329 --> 00:01:48.750 peace and contentment and the beginning of a 00:01:48.750 --> 00:01:51.349 journey in your Christian life that most believers 00:01:51.349 --> 00:01:54.989 never experience. And so it's a little bit of 00:01:54.989 --> 00:01:57.469 a heavy morning, but it's one of those great 00:01:57.469 --> 00:02:00.489 opportunities. So I want to pray for you and 00:02:00.489 --> 00:02:04.650 pray for me as we begin. Lord God, I pray that 00:02:04.650 --> 00:02:07.909 you would fill me afresh with your spirit. that 00:02:07.909 --> 00:02:10.090 you would open people's hearts and minds not 00:02:10.090 --> 00:02:13.370 to hear my voice but to hear yours. I ask that 00:02:13.370 --> 00:02:16.169 I could be clear, that you would give me a sensitivity 00:02:16.169 --> 00:02:19.289 to what you want to say, and then, Lord, I pray, 00:02:19.409 --> 00:02:22.370 would you give us the grace and the faith and 00:02:22.370 --> 00:02:25.310 the courage to believe that what you say is true 00:02:25.310 --> 00:02:28.349 to the point of acting on it. In Christ's name, 00:02:28.490 --> 00:02:32.379 amen. Number one on the checklist by way of review 00:02:32.379 --> 00:02:35.080 is that we need to understand contentment is 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:38.520 learned, Philippians 4, 10 to 13. There is a 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:41.620 secret that it can be learned and you can actually 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:44.340 be at peace regardless of circumstances being 00:02:44.340 --> 00:02:48.020 good or bad. Checklist number two from the Philippian 00:02:48.020 --> 00:02:52.060 church we learned that greed must die before 00:02:52.060 --> 00:02:55.280 contentment can live. That was verse 14 to 18. 00:02:56.330 --> 00:02:59.449 And the way that greed dies is by developing 00:02:59.449 --> 00:03:03.930 personal compassion. We learn we give our wants, 00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:06.110 give up our wants to meet some other people's 00:03:06.110 --> 00:03:09.250 needs. It's by a generous spirit where we begin 00:03:09.250 --> 00:03:12.789 to release the very thing, money, that can consume 00:03:12.789 --> 00:03:14.810 us. And third, it's by developing an eternal 00:03:14.810 --> 00:03:17.610 perspective. Coming to believe and understand 00:03:17.610 --> 00:03:21.250 that spiritual decisions and financial decisions, 00:03:21.330 --> 00:03:23.530 instead of being in two different camps, are 00:03:23.530 --> 00:03:27.110 literally connected at the hip. Third thing in 00:03:27.110 --> 00:03:29.169 our checklist we need to remember is that our 00:03:29.169 --> 00:03:32.090 treasure both reveals and directs the affections 00:03:32.090 --> 00:03:35.409 of our heart. Matthew 6, 21, Jesus would say, 00:03:35.530 --> 00:03:38.870 wherever your treasure is, what's valuable to 00:03:38.870 --> 00:03:41.490 you? Wherever your time goes, wherever your energy 00:03:41.490 --> 00:03:44.969 goes, wherever your money goes, wherever your 00:03:44.969 --> 00:03:47.870 talent goes, wherever your treasure is, your 00:03:47.870 --> 00:03:51.349 heart is like connected with a chain. to your 00:03:51.349 --> 00:03:53.509 treasure, and if your treasure goes there, it 00:03:53.509 --> 00:03:56.150 reveals where your heart is, but also has the 00:03:56.150 --> 00:03:59.189 power to direct it. Different times in my life 00:03:59.189 --> 00:04:01.689 I've realized that I needed to shore up some 00:04:01.689 --> 00:04:04.530 priorities or I needed to work on an area in 00:04:04.530 --> 00:04:06.610 my marriage with one of my kids. And here's the 00:04:06.610 --> 00:04:09.210 thing, try this. I started putting my treasure 00:04:09.210 --> 00:04:12.150 toward that area. I put my time, my money, and 00:04:12.150 --> 00:04:14.509 my treasure toward my wife for a season. And 00:04:14.509 --> 00:04:17.290 it's amazing how God changed my heart. Or I put 00:04:17.290 --> 00:04:19.370 my time and my treasure and my energy toward 00:04:19.370 --> 00:04:21.810 one of my kids going through a tough time and 00:04:21.810 --> 00:04:26.750 I saw my heart follow. Your money, your time, 00:04:27.129 --> 00:04:31.069 Your talent always reveals and directs wherever 00:04:31.069 --> 00:04:35.910 your heart is. Peace is great. I mean, we all 00:04:35.910 --> 00:04:39.670 want it intellectually. The way to get there 00:04:39.670 --> 00:04:43.050 is very counterintuitive. The way to get is to 00:04:43.050 --> 00:04:48.410 give. And that raises a problem. You know, some 00:04:48.410 --> 00:04:50.529 of you are thinking to yourself, becoming more 00:04:50.529 --> 00:04:54.819 generous and being more compassionate. That's 00:04:54.819 --> 00:04:56.779 good, except I got a stack of bills this high. 00:04:56.839 --> 00:04:59.519 I got tens of thousands of dollars in debt. If 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.120 I actually took serious what you said last week, 00:05:02.259 --> 00:05:04.939 who's gonna take care of me? Who's gonna pay 00:05:04.939 --> 00:05:07.220 my bills? You know, I got needs. There's college, 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:09.500 there's retirement. You know, is this like church 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:11.660 stuff? Does this really work? Who's gonna take 00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:14.879 care of me? That's the problem. And what I wanna 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.600 suggest is God has a solution, and the solution 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:19.740 is at the very end of Philippians chapter four, 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:23.319 it's verse 19. And in verse 19, He says, and 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:25.779 my God, Paul says to this Philippian church, 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:29.180 will meet all your needs according to his riches 00:05:29.180 --> 00:05:32.620 in Christ Jesus. If you will, pull out a pen 00:05:32.620 --> 00:05:35.480 and underline the word my God. That's the who 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:38.500 behind this promise. And then I want you to underline 00:05:38.500 --> 00:05:41.779 all your needs and put a circle around all. It 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:45.250 doesn't say finances, does it? This is a generous 00:05:45.250 --> 00:05:47.069 church. They don't have a lot of money. They 00:05:47.069 --> 00:05:49.410 love Paul. They see what's happening and they've 00:05:49.410 --> 00:05:51.990 got some wants, but they see he has a bigger 00:05:51.990 --> 00:05:54.649 need. So they give financially to him and he 00:05:54.649 --> 00:05:56.449 looks back to him and says, you know, it's what 00:05:56.449 --> 00:05:59.009 you've modeled is how people learn contentment. 00:06:00.430 --> 00:06:02.329 And then almost to reassure me, he says, here's 00:06:02.329 --> 00:06:04.629 what I want you to know. When you're generous 00:06:04.629 --> 00:06:06.790 like that, when your priorities in order and 00:06:06.790 --> 00:06:09.889 you're afraid, I want you to know my God, personal 00:06:09.889 --> 00:06:14.040 God, not the force. Not some invisible set of 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.959 factors that operate, but a very personal God 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:20.519 who loves you. What's he going to do? He'll supply 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:23.420 all your needs, your spiritual needs, your emotional 00:06:23.420 --> 00:06:25.360 needs, your financial needs, your relational 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:27.759 needs. How? He's going to do it according to 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:31.100 the glorious riches, what's in Christ. And so 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:33.639 the promise he gives them and he gives us is 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:38.610 God's provision. God's provision. God says if 00:06:38.610 --> 00:06:41.310 you learn to live this radical give rather than 00:06:41.310 --> 00:06:44.170 get, compassion and generosity, he says, I'll 00:06:44.170 --> 00:06:47.189 tell you what, you relax and I'll take care of 00:06:47.189 --> 00:06:50.350 you. I'll make sure you have what you need to 00:06:50.350 --> 00:06:53.810 take care of you. But with every promise, there's 00:06:53.810 --> 00:06:57.290 also what I call a premise. And there are three 00:06:57.290 --> 00:07:00.790 conditions here. In other words, my God will 00:07:00.790 --> 00:07:02.350 supply all your needs according to his riches. 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:04.350 You can say, oh, that's great. I mean, God's 00:07:04.350 --> 00:07:07.750 faithful, he's big, and I've got needs. He'll 00:07:07.750 --> 00:07:10.370 take care of those. But some of you have said 00:07:10.370 --> 00:07:12.009 to yourself, well, wait a second. I've been in 00:07:12.009 --> 00:07:13.670 church for a while. I've read the Bible some. 00:07:14.970 --> 00:07:17.350 I've tried this. It doesn't work. Okay? I mean, 00:07:17.370 --> 00:07:18.930 down deep. You never say it out loud. It's not 00:07:18.930 --> 00:07:20.709 like you go to a Bible study and say, hey, I 00:07:20.709 --> 00:07:24.069 don't think verse 19 of chapter 4, I don't believe 00:07:24.069 --> 00:07:26.410 that one. You don't say that at Bible studies. 00:07:27.629 --> 00:07:29.410 But down deep in your heart, you're praying, 00:07:29.509 --> 00:07:31.709 and you say, you know, I'm praying, and God's 00:07:31.709 --> 00:07:33.790 not providing. I've got needs, and I've got a 00:07:33.790 --> 00:07:35.290 bill over here, and I've got a problem over here. 00:07:35.449 --> 00:07:38.980 He's not doing it for me. I like to suggest that 00:07:38.980 --> 00:07:43.180 sometimes we get needs and wants confused. If 00:07:43.180 --> 00:07:45.839 you've got enough to eat and you're warm, God 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:48.779 says, really, that's all you need. I mean, that 00:07:48.779 --> 00:07:51.040 doesn't have 401K. It doesn't mean you own your 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:52.540 own home. It doesn't mean you have a second car. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.019 It doesn't mean you have all the fanciest clothes. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:56.879 And, you know, we say that intellectually, but 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:59.100 unconsciously in America as standard of livings 00:07:59.100 --> 00:08:02.360 go up, up, up, up, up, what we do is... We make 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:03.819 a little bit more money, and the window of our 00:08:03.819 --> 00:08:06.399 expenses go up, and we start thinking that God 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:08.399 has promised that we always live at this level 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:10.480 all the time, and something happens, and we say, 00:08:10.519 --> 00:08:14.519 hey, God, what's the deal? When I was in seminary, 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:17.019 I had a very interesting experience. I think 00:08:17.019 --> 00:08:18.680 God takes you through things before you teach 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:21.879 him. And so I'm going to school full -time, working 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:24.019 full -time, and I'm on this straight commission 00:08:24.019 --> 00:08:27.680 job where I make about $900 a month. And back 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:30.279 in 1980, that still wasn't very much money. Family 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:34.440 of five. I mean, you're living tight. And so 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:38.000 every now and then, I was in a straight commission 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:40.120 job, and if someone didn't pass their physical, 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:42.980 I didn't get my commission. And it would be like, 00:08:43.100 --> 00:08:47.220 oh, man. And then I'd have my rent, and I'd need 00:08:47.220 --> 00:08:49.159 some food, and I didn't have any money. And we 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:51.019 were digging quarters out of the backseat and 00:08:51.019 --> 00:08:53.559 praying and begging God and claiming Philippians 00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:56.259 419. You know, and I could give you, I could 00:08:56.259 --> 00:08:58.700 stand up here for an hour of stories of how God 00:08:58.700 --> 00:09:00.919 provided and built my faith. I could tell you 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:02.759 the story of a time where a good friend who went 00:09:02.759 --> 00:09:05.320 to be a missionary from India, and, you know, 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:07.620 you've got to figure if God prompts him, he knows 00:09:07.620 --> 00:09:09.580 what's happening over here. By the time they 00:09:09.580 --> 00:09:11.460 decide to send you some money, it goes all the 00:09:11.460 --> 00:09:14.340 way overseas, and you get this. I mean, I didn't 00:09:14.340 --> 00:09:16.080 have enough money for rent. A guy failed his, 00:09:16.179 --> 00:09:19.539 you know, medical, so I couldn't get the commission. 00:09:19.700 --> 00:09:23.360 I get a $500 check. from a missionary in India. 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:25.179 When missionaries are sending you money, you 00:09:25.179 --> 00:09:30.759 know God's hearing you. But no matter where you're 00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:32.799 at, you can get thinking, and I love to hear 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:35.460 those stories, but we can confuse needs and wants. 00:09:36.379 --> 00:09:38.419 And we had a particular situation where I think 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:40.919 God wanted to teach us a big lesson. And there 00:09:40.919 --> 00:09:42.820 was a lady upstairs in our apartments, and her 00:09:42.820 --> 00:09:44.460 husband walked out on her, and she had a brand 00:09:44.460 --> 00:09:46.879 new baby, and then a little boy the same age 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:50.840 as my older boys. And I was, you know, just like 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:52.580 you, getting up in the morning, reading my Bible, 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:54.879 and this outrageous thought came to my mind. 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:56.519 She's going to get kicked out of the apartment. 00:09:56.679 --> 00:09:59.059 Chip, you and Teresa, you should pay her rent. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:05.500 And I said, surely you jest, God. I said, you 00:10:05.500 --> 00:10:08.139 know, I've figured it out. When we pay our rent, 00:10:08.179 --> 00:10:10.919 we'll have $10 left in the bank. Chip, I want 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:13.679 you to pay her rent. And, you know, sometimes 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:15.240 when people get up and they're pastors and you 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:17.000 think they're real obedient and real holy and 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.740 they make these outrageously sacrificial, I argue 00:10:19.740 --> 00:10:24.700 with God a lot. So, I mean, I said, no. I don't 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:26.379 think this is a good idea. I think this is my 00:10:26.379 --> 00:10:28.379 imagination. This could not be the Holy Spirit. 00:10:28.539 --> 00:10:31.320 I mean, when you get thoughts that help other 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:33.299 people or are highly sacrificial, bring glory 00:10:33.299 --> 00:10:35.799 to God, I mean, well, I guess they're probably 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:39.059 not from you. And so about the third day, finally, 00:10:39.059 --> 00:10:41.840 I give in and say, okay, God, I mean, this is 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:43.899 a reluctant giver. I'll do it. And, you know, 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:45.720 my heart went out to her. So we took all our 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:47.440 money out of the bank and we paid for her rent. 00:10:47.879 --> 00:10:50.659 And so, you know, about nine days later, our 00:10:50.659 --> 00:10:52.240 rent's due. And I'm thinking, okay, Philippians 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.940 419, you're going to supply all my needs. My 00:10:54.940 --> 00:11:01.240 rent's due. My rent's due. Gabriel, do we have 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:04.159 a communication problem up here? I mean, no money 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:07.080 comes. It's the first time in my life. I mean, 00:11:07.100 --> 00:11:09.100 I've seen miraculous things happen now for about 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:12.639 two years. There's no money. Next day, I get 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:15.080 a three -day grace period. No money. Third day, 00:11:15.220 --> 00:11:17.580 I got to pay. Today's the day or it's late. Now, 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:19.899 God, your reputation. What are you doing, Philippians 00:11:19.899 --> 00:11:21.740 419? Does this work or not? I'm really pretty 00:11:21.740 --> 00:11:25.179 upset. And I'll never forget walking. And, you 00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:26.559 know, it's a little tiny. It was a government 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:30.100 -subsidized little housing project. And I remember 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:31.779 walking to our little living room. And I looked 00:11:31.779 --> 00:11:34.580 and I saw not an expensive at all but a TV. And 00:11:34.580 --> 00:11:39.039 I thought, hmm. TV, is that a need or a want? 00:11:40.200 --> 00:11:43.240 Want. Then I looked over at a stereo system that 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:44.740 I'd had for a few years and actually went on 00:11:44.740 --> 00:11:46.320 a basketball trip to Hong Kong. It was pretty 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:51.379 nice. Is that a need or a want? And then I thought, 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:53.500 you know, when I was a paper boy, I saved all 00:11:53.500 --> 00:11:55.559 my silver dollars and the silver dimes. And back 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:57.899 in the 80s, remember when silver got real valuable? 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:01.559 I thought, you know something? Maybe God has 00:12:01.559 --> 00:12:04.480 supplied all my needs and I'm asking him for 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:07.100 something. And I shared it with my wife, and 00:12:07.100 --> 00:12:10.659 we loaded up in our car my TV, my stereo, my 00:12:10.659 --> 00:12:12.940 silver dollars, my silver dimes. Teresa went 00:12:12.940 --> 00:12:14.860 back, and she didn't have any real expensive 00:12:14.860 --> 00:12:16.720 jewelry, but she had a couple three nice rings 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:18.399 and a couple necklaces, and we went to a pawn 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:20.379 shop, and we turned in everything we could and 00:12:20.379 --> 00:12:24.059 got about $447 or something. And we paid our 00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:26.259 rent and had enough money for food for that month. 00:12:27.399 --> 00:12:30.110 And you know what I learned? I learned often 00:12:30.110 --> 00:12:33.909 God has supplied our needs, but we unconsciously 00:12:33.909 --> 00:12:36.669 tell him at what standard of living he has to 00:12:36.669 --> 00:12:40.289 come through. You know, God, I can't do that 00:12:40.289 --> 00:12:42.389 because I have to make that car payment, and 00:12:42.389 --> 00:12:44.090 you have to have that late model of car. God, 00:12:44.210 --> 00:12:46.330 I can't do that, or I would really follow you 00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:48.070 except I have this house payment. And so everyone 00:12:48.070 --> 00:12:49.929 has to own your own home, right? You're taking 00:12:49.929 --> 00:12:53.090 your home with you to heaven, right? And you 00:12:53.090 --> 00:12:54.629 have to live in this neighborhood with this zip 00:12:54.629 --> 00:12:59.830 code with... The Apostle Paul is going to say, 00:12:59.909 --> 00:13:02.730 if you're serious about contentment, you need 00:13:02.730 --> 00:13:05.470 to be serious about God's promises. And he said 00:13:05.470 --> 00:13:08.629 there's three conditions about verse 19. Condition 00:13:08.629 --> 00:13:11.409 number one, this is not for unbelievers. This 00:13:11.409 --> 00:13:13.909 is written to a church. Notice, he will supply 00:13:13.909 --> 00:13:17.169 according to his riches in Christ Jesus. I mean, 00:13:17.190 --> 00:13:19.429 I didn't come to Christ until I was 18. God does 00:13:19.429 --> 00:13:22.750 not commit himself to meet the needs of those 00:13:22.750 --> 00:13:26.279 outside of Christ. You're listening to Living 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:28.799 on the Edge, and Chip will be back in just a 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.620 minute to finish today's talk. But quickly, this 00:13:31.620 --> 00:13:34.259 program is only possible because of the generosity 00:13:34.259 --> 00:13:37.379 of listeners like you. Consider supporting us 00:13:37.379 --> 00:13:40.820 today by becoming a monthly partner. Learn more 00:13:40.820 --> 00:13:46.059 by going to livingontheedge .org. That's livingontheedge 00:13:46.059 --> 00:13:49.700 .org. And thanks for doing whatever God leads 00:13:49.700 --> 00:13:52.899 you to do. Let's rejoin Chip now for the remainder 00:13:52.899 --> 00:13:56.720 of his message. The second condition is I don't 00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:59.899 believe this passage is for all believers. I 00:13:59.899 --> 00:14:02.360 don't think every Christian can claim this. I 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:04.320 don't think my priorities can be out of whack. 00:14:04.779 --> 00:14:07.460 I can be disobedient in major areas of my life, 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:09.700 especially my finances, and claim this verse. 00:14:09.860 --> 00:14:12.360 This verse is written to who? The Philippian 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.080 church who are doing what? They're sacrificially 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:18.320 giving. up of their wants to meet a need in Paul's 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:21.340 life. And the answer is, my God will supply all 00:14:21.340 --> 00:14:23.419 your needs according to his riches in Christ 00:14:23.419 --> 00:14:25.639 Jesus for people like you who are doing what? 00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:29.340 Have their priorities in line. Third condition 00:14:29.340 --> 00:14:31.700 is I think this is only for believers who've 00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:34.539 chosen to walk by faith evidenced by sacrificial 00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:37.840 giving. God will meet the needs of his children 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.019 who say, Lord, I want to obey you. I'm sacrificially 00:14:41.019 --> 00:14:43.080 giving them my money and my time and my talent, 00:14:43.139 --> 00:14:45.659 and I'm out here on the edge, and if you don't 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:47.259 catch me, I'm in trouble. He says, I'll always 00:14:47.259 --> 00:14:51.480 catch you. I'll always catch you. And so the 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:55.559 way that you unlock the promises of God is by 00:14:55.559 --> 00:15:00.100 faith. It's by trusting. Would you jot down, 00:15:00.220 --> 00:15:02.480 we'll probably get to it yet again, but jot down 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:04.620 Hebrews 11 .6 in the corner of your notes, if 00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:07.830 you will. Because more than anything that God 00:15:07.830 --> 00:15:09.629 wants to develop in your heart, in your relationship, 00:15:09.870 --> 00:15:12.210 it's not activities, it's not external morality, 00:15:12.529 --> 00:15:14.370 it's not how much money you give or how much 00:15:14.370 --> 00:15:16.830 you serve in the church. It's not trying to figure 00:15:16.830 --> 00:15:19.039 out how you can... Figure out some little formula. 00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:21.919 What he wants to develop in your heart more than 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:25.120 anything else is a son or a daughter or a student 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:28.860 who says, I love you, Jesus, and I evidence my 00:15:28.860 --> 00:15:31.820 love by you that when you say it, I obey it, 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:34.179 and I trust you even when I don't feel like it 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:36.279 because I believe that you are good and I believe 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:37.919 that you are real and I believe that you're true. 00:15:38.279 --> 00:15:40.639 Without faith, it is impossible to please God. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:42.980 For he that comes to God must believe two things. 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:45.899 One, it says that he is, that he exists. And 00:15:45.899 --> 00:15:48.080 second, he's a reward. of those who diligently 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:51.039 seek him. Did you ever think of God as a rewarder, 00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:53.620 as a good God who's for you and loves you and 00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:56.259 wants to bless you and is longing for each of 00:15:56.259 --> 00:15:57.899 his children to take a step of faith so he could 00:15:57.899 --> 00:16:04.600 bless? God promises he'll take care of you. And 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:07.500 the evidence of our pile of debt is often an 00:16:07.500 --> 00:16:09.600 evidence that I have to have immediate gratification. 00:16:10.059 --> 00:16:12.740 The evidence of our overextension with our time 00:16:12.740 --> 00:16:15.480 and our finances is trying to get contentment, 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:17.879 trying to get satisfied by all the stuff out 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:21.220 there. And over against that, God says, the more, 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:23.720 more, the get, get, the bigger, bigger, the acquire, 00:16:23.899 --> 00:16:25.919 the acquire, the gotta have, the gotta have is 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:30.220 an empty dead end. But he says, if you'll learn 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:32.820 to release, if you'll learn to trust, if you'll 00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:35.100 learn to walk with me, I'll satisfy all your 00:16:35.100 --> 00:16:38.450 needs. Now let's talk about how that works, because 00:16:38.450 --> 00:16:41.250 there is a principle here, as some of you are 00:16:41.250 --> 00:16:42.830 thinking to yourself, you know what, I'd like 00:16:42.830 --> 00:16:44.570 to believe this, but my experience is I'm not 00:16:44.570 --> 00:16:47.590 sure it's worked out for me. And there's an axiomatic 00:16:47.590 --> 00:16:50.009 principle behind this promise, and it's in the 00:16:50.009 --> 00:16:51.970 Old Testament, it's in the New Testament, it's 00:16:51.970 --> 00:16:54.029 from the life of Christ, it's in the character 00:16:54.029 --> 00:16:56.809 of God, it's from Genesis to Revelation, there's 00:16:56.809 --> 00:16:59.889 an axiomatic principle all the way, a kingdom 00:16:59.889 --> 00:17:02.450 principle about how God has set up life. The 00:17:02.450 --> 00:17:04.450 world and the world's system goes this way, this 00:17:04.450 --> 00:17:06.990 kingdom principle goes this way. It's called 00:17:06.990 --> 00:17:10.670 the law of the harvest. The law of the harvest. 00:17:11.289 --> 00:17:14.130 Some have called it the law of sowing and reaping. 00:17:14.509 --> 00:17:20.009 Others, the law of reciprocity. The law explained 00:17:20.009 --> 00:17:22.609 is in Luke 6 .38. It's from the very lips of 00:17:22.609 --> 00:17:25.049 Jesus. It is not a financial passage, although 00:17:25.049 --> 00:17:28.329 it applies there. In Luke 6 .38, Jesus gives 00:17:28.329 --> 00:17:32.170 the law of the harvest. He says, give. and it 00:17:32.170 --> 00:17:34.650 will be given unto you. Good measure, pressed 00:17:34.650 --> 00:17:37.049 down, running over, shaken together, over into 00:17:37.049 --> 00:17:40.450 your lap, for whatever measure you give. And 00:17:40.450 --> 00:17:42.569 the measure means, you know, whatever size. You 00:17:42.569 --> 00:17:44.569 know, if you use a cup, if you use a bucket, 00:17:44.690 --> 00:17:47.269 if you use a 55 -gallon drum, whatever measure 00:17:47.269 --> 00:17:50.230 you use to give, in the same measure, it will 00:17:50.230 --> 00:17:52.710 be given back to you. Law of the harvest. The 00:17:52.710 --> 00:17:54.829 world says, get, get, get, acquire, acquire, 00:17:54.829 --> 00:17:56.990 acquire, more, more, more. As you acquire and 00:17:56.990 --> 00:17:58.789 get, then you will be significant and strong 00:17:58.789 --> 00:18:02.839 and powerful and secure. And God says, no, just 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:05.819 the opposite, give. And it'll be given unto you. 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:10.539 Good measure. In fact, shaken, it's a picture 00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:12.779 of someone who shakes something to make room 00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:17.420 for more. So he explains that the kingdom principle 00:18:17.420 --> 00:18:22.140 is give so that God might bless. It's illustrated 00:18:22.140 --> 00:18:26.039 throughout nature. Jesus in John 12, 24 says, 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:28.319 unless a grain of wheat fall into the earth and 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:32.730 die, It remains by itself alone. But if it dies, 00:18:32.750 --> 00:18:35.509 it brings forth much fruit. I mean, it's just 00:18:35.509 --> 00:18:38.829 an agricultural picture, but God has made. The 00:18:38.829 --> 00:18:41.789 creation declares the glory of the Lord. You 00:18:41.789 --> 00:18:45.029 can take one or two seeds of wheat, stick it 00:18:45.029 --> 00:18:47.029 to the ground. It seems like the height of the 00:18:47.029 --> 00:18:48.869 foolishness because you could take 10 or 12 and 00:18:48.869 --> 00:18:50.589 you could grind them up and make at least one 00:18:50.589 --> 00:18:52.170 little piece of bread and eat it. But instead, 00:18:52.289 --> 00:18:54.369 you take one seed and you put it into the ground 00:18:54.369 --> 00:18:57.670 and then you put dirt over it and you give it 00:18:57.670 --> 00:19:00.910 away. And then in a season, you never reap in 00:19:00.910 --> 00:19:04.230 the same season that you sow, it grows up and 00:19:04.230 --> 00:19:07.210 what comes out of it? Hundreds and hundreds of 00:19:07.210 --> 00:19:11.329 seeds of wheat. Give and it will be given unto 00:19:11.329 --> 00:19:13.990 you. Good measure, pressed down, running over. 00:19:14.769 --> 00:19:18.130 It's explained in nature. It's applied to Jesus. 00:19:18.230 --> 00:19:20.390 Follow along as I read Philippians chapter 2. 00:19:22.289 --> 00:19:26.980 What does Jesus do? What does he give in order 00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:30.039 for God to exalt him? Beginning at verse eight, 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:32.640 it says, and being found in appearance as a man, 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:35.359 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:40.400 point of death, even death on a cross. What did 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:46.079 he do? He gave his life. He was the grain of 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:49.519 wheat that went into the ground. What's the result? 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:53.339 Verse 9, therefore God highly exalted him and 00:19:53.339 --> 00:19:55.619 bestowed on him the name which is above every 00:19:55.619 --> 00:19:58.460 name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should 00:19:58.460 --> 00:20:00.559 bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.799 under the earth and that every tongue confess 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:07.039 that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:12.660 the Father. The law of the harvest, the secret, 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:16.319 final secret of contentment is that the way to 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:21.220 receive is to give. We see it in nature. We see 00:20:21.220 --> 00:20:23.960 it in the life of Christ. And then in Luke 9, 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:26.740 24, from the lips of Jesus, he applies it to 00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:30.160 us. In verse 23, he says to a large multitude 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:33.559 of disciples, if any one of you want to follow 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.279 after me, be my disciple, be my follower, you 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:39.279 need to take up your cross, instrument of death, 00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:43.079 deny yourself, and follow me, how often? Anybody 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:50.019 know? Daily. And then verse 24. For whosoever 00:20:50.019 --> 00:20:54.660 would seek to save or keep his life, get, will 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:58.759 lose it. But whoever would give his life would 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:03.339 find it. Now, at this point in time, the looks 00:21:03.339 --> 00:21:05.259 on your faces, I always love it when this happens. 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:09.359 There is a conflict and dilemma between your 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:11.940 brain and your heart. Because some of you are 00:21:11.940 --> 00:21:14.380 thinking through some of the implications. And 00:21:14.380 --> 00:21:17.970 your brain is going. Luke 6, 38, that's the principle. 00:21:18.009 --> 00:21:19.750 It's as clear as a bell. I see it in nature. 00:21:19.869 --> 00:21:22.289 Farmers use it all the time. You know what? Philippians 00:21:22.289 --> 00:21:24.849 2, it's true of Jesus. You know that Luke 9 passage? 00:21:25.049 --> 00:21:26.829 I mean, that is black and white. That's not like 00:21:26.829 --> 00:21:30.069 interpretation. This is an axiomatic kingdom 00:21:30.069 --> 00:21:32.789 principle, the law of harvest. And then you're 00:21:32.789 --> 00:21:35.809 thinking to yourself, oh my lands, I would have 00:21:35.809 --> 00:21:37.670 to think completely differently about how to 00:21:37.670 --> 00:21:42.029 do life. So can I just get you, let's take it 00:21:42.029 --> 00:21:45.759 one step at a time. Do you buy, okay? Do you 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:48.039 at least intellectually buy that the Bible teaches 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:51.940 this? This would be kind of yes. This would be 00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:55.819 no. This would be, I don't move my head in church, 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:59.859 dude, okay? Well, if you intellectually buy it, 00:21:59.880 --> 00:22:02.140 then here's what I'd like you to do. Let's go 00:22:02.140 --> 00:22:03.839 to the next page, and I want to walk through 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:08.210 the process. of how this actually works in a 00:22:08.210 --> 00:22:10.349 regular person's life, not a missionary, not 00:22:10.349 --> 00:22:13.130 a pastor, not some famous spiritual person. I 00:22:13.130 --> 00:22:16.009 want to walk through how the law of the harvest 00:22:16.009 --> 00:22:20.650 acts. works in ordinary people's lives so that 00:22:20.650 --> 00:22:23.710 as you begin to live in a different way, you 00:22:23.710 --> 00:22:26.430 will have supernatural stories. Aren't some of 00:22:26.430 --> 00:22:28.809 you like tired of hearing stories of, you know, 00:22:28.869 --> 00:22:31.450 a quarterback from the NFL sent that guy $1 ,000, 00:22:31.750 --> 00:22:35.130 and a missionary sent him $500, and boy, I could 00:22:35.130 --> 00:22:36.829 tell you the time where five bags of groceries 00:22:36.829 --> 00:22:39.589 with only the kind of food with wheat flour and 00:22:39.589 --> 00:22:42.049 meat and cheese, and no one knew we had any need. 00:22:43.009 --> 00:22:47.200 Why do you think I get those stories? because 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:50.759 God is a rewarder of those who do what? Step 00:22:50.759 --> 00:22:55.039 out by faith. Faith does what? Often counterintuitively, 00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:57.920 you give when you're thinking to yourself, only 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:00.299 an idiot would give right now. I mean, that's 00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:02.920 what I told God. Lord, excuse me, but I have 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:05.779 both brain cells working. I have like my rent 00:23:05.779 --> 00:23:08.440 plus $10, and you're asking me to give it to 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:11.059 this lady. It's very nice. Why don't you give 00:23:11.059 --> 00:23:14.400 it to her? And he said, I'm going to through 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:17.930 you. The question I want to know is, do you trust 00:23:17.930 --> 00:23:22.150 me to take care of you? And my answer was, maybe. 00:23:22.569 --> 00:23:26.250 And so I didn't feel like it. Don't over -spiritualize 00:23:26.250 --> 00:23:28.670 this. I didn't feel like it. I didn't want to 00:23:28.670 --> 00:23:31.369 do it. I just obeyed. And then God provided. 00:23:34.910 --> 00:23:37.670 This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, 00:23:37.710 --> 00:23:39.950 and you've been listening to part one of Chip's 00:23:39.950 --> 00:23:43.089 message in Tests of Faith from our series, I 00:23:43.089 --> 00:23:46.099 Choose Peace. Chip will be back shortly to share 00:23:46.099 --> 00:23:48.420 some helpful application for us to think about. 00:23:48.779 --> 00:23:51.900 What does it mean to be at peace? Is it having 00:23:51.900 --> 00:23:54.460 a thriving career, happy household, financial 00:23:54.460 --> 00:23:57.359 security? While many strive for these goals, 00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:59.720 they often bring only short -term satisfaction, 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.460 leaving us seeking more. In this 12 -part study 00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:06.420 in Philippians chapter 4, Chip explains where 00:24:06.420 --> 00:24:08.920 this attitude of discontentment comes from and 00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:11.480 the ways it steals our peace. Stay with us to 00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:14.200 learn how to move beyond temporary calmness and 00:24:14.200 --> 00:24:16.839 develop a lasting, peace -centered life that 00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:19.579 comes from God. If you've missed any part of 00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:22.500 this series, catch up anytime at livingontheedge 00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:26.119 .org or wherever you listen to podcasts. Well, 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:28.319 before we go on, Chip's back in studio with me 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:30.700 now. And Chip, I can see you want to jump in 00:24:30.700 --> 00:24:32.500 here for a second and share something with our 00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:34.400 listeners. So why don't you go ahead and do that? 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.599 Thanks, Dave. I want to talk to those of you 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:40.700 who partner with us financially. Your gifts help 00:24:40.700 --> 00:24:43.380 us not just stay on the air, but they provide 00:24:43.380 --> 00:24:46.019 the necessary funding to create curriculum and 00:24:46.019 --> 00:24:48.779 develop our website and provide resources at 00:24:48.779 --> 00:24:52.420 extraordinarily reasonable prices. I mean, your 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:55.740 giving is making an amazing impact. So thank 00:24:55.740 --> 00:24:58.180 you very, very much. And for those of you that 00:24:58.180 --> 00:24:59.940 are enjoying the benefits of living on the edge, 00:24:59.980 --> 00:25:02.440 but you haven't yet become a financial partner, 00:25:02.619 --> 00:25:05.940 would you consider doing that today? Your gifts 00:25:05.940 --> 00:25:07.619 are going to get invested right back into the 00:25:07.619 --> 00:25:10.480 ministry to assist us to develop resources, stay 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:14.200 on the air, and help Christians live like Christians. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:17.319 I mean, is there ever a day when we need to make 00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:20.380 a difference? Well, it's now. Will you help us? 00:25:20.779 --> 00:25:23.420 Thanks, Chip. As you prayerfully consider your 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:25.960 role in this ministry, I want to remind you that 00:25:25.960 --> 00:25:28.900 every dollar is significant. When you partner 00:25:28.900 --> 00:25:31.420 with Living on the Edge, you multiply our efforts 00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:35.019 and resources in remarkable ways. To give a gift, 00:25:35.079 --> 00:25:38.519 go to livingontheedge .org or call us at 888 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:47.279 -333 -6003. That's 888 -333 -6003 or go to livingontheedge 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:52.039 .org. app listeners tap donate and thanks we 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:54.900 appreciate whatever you can do to help well here 00:25:54.900 --> 00:25:56.980 again is chip to close out this program with 00:25:56.980 --> 00:26:00.099 a few brief thoughts today this let me remind 00:26:00.099 --> 00:26:03.359 you that this didn't come easy for me and it 00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:06.680 doesn't necessarily come easy for you in fact 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:10.440 When God begins to grow your faith, I find that 00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:13.279 often he tests us and he gives us opportunities 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:16.440 to step out and then he comes through. And it 00:26:16.440 --> 00:26:18.599 doesn't mean you feel like giving. It doesn't 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:21.440 mean like there's some big emotion. In fact, 00:26:21.579 --> 00:26:24.519 obedience is what brings joy to the heart of 00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:28.000 God. It's Jesus said, he that has my commandments 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:31.609 and keeps them, he it is that loves me. In our 00:26:31.609 --> 00:26:33.809 next broadcast, we're going to talk a lot more 00:26:33.809 --> 00:26:37.890 about the specifics of this whole idea of trusting 00:26:37.890 --> 00:26:41.190 God, especially as it relates to give beyond 00:26:41.190 --> 00:26:43.970 what we're normally used to giving. Whatever 00:26:43.970 --> 00:26:46.630 God is speaking to you about with regard to your 00:26:46.630 --> 00:26:49.450 finances, maybe it's just basically tithing. 00:26:49.549 --> 00:26:53.619 Start today. Trust him. He will provide. Can't 00:26:53.619 --> 00:26:55.940 wait, Chip. Well, as we close, do you want to 00:26:55.940 --> 00:26:58.180 deepen your connection to God amid your busy 00:26:58.180 --> 00:27:00.559 life? Then take Chip with you by subscribing 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:03.720 to our daily podcast. With a few simple taps 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:06.000 on your phone, you can access the full -length 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:08.579 versions of our latest series. And if you're 00:27:08.579 --> 00:27:11.220 always on the go, download a handful and listen 00:27:11.220 --> 00:27:13.839 to them at your own pace. Let us help you grow 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:16.900 your faith. Search for Living on the Edge with 00:27:16.900 --> 00:27:20.359 Chip Ingram today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:23.640 or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to 00:27:23.640 --> 00:27:26.339 next time as Chip wraps up his series, I Choose 00:27:26.339 --> 00:27:29.039 Peace. Until then, this is Dave Drewy saying 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:31.740 thanks for joining us for this edition of Living 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:32.559 on the Edge.