WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:05.000 How do you know if you really know God or you 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.160 just know a lot about God? Today we'll learn 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:11.359 four tests where you can know how deeply and 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:14.119 authentically you actually know God. Stay with 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:19.820 me. Thank you for being with us for this edition 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:22.859 of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip 00:00:22.859 --> 00:00:25.260 serves as our Bible teacher for this global teaching 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:27.780 and discipleship ministry, helping Christians 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:30.829 develop an authentic faith. Well, in just a minute, 00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:33.549 we'll continue our series, The Real God, as Chip 00:00:33.549 --> 00:00:36.210 asks a pretty straightforward question. Is your 00:00:36.210 --> 00:00:39.109 perception of God too small? Chip's insights 00:00:39.109 --> 00:00:41.570 today really lay the groundwork for what we'll 00:00:41.570 --> 00:00:44.229 study the rest of this series. So let's not waste 00:00:44.229 --> 00:00:46.609 any more time. Here now is Chip with the second 00:00:46.609 --> 00:00:51.149 half of his talk, Seeking God. There's two big 00:00:51.149 --> 00:00:53.049 idols that I want to touch on that I think have 00:00:53.049 --> 00:00:55.890 infiltrated Bible -believing evangelical Christianity. 00:00:56.409 --> 00:01:00.210 The first one is what I would call Happiness 00:01:00.210 --> 00:01:05.909 and self -fulfillment. The awesome God that spoke 00:01:05.909 --> 00:01:08.769 the galaxies into existence sent God the Son 00:01:08.769 --> 00:01:12.870 on a rescue mission to explain him, to redeem 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:16.409 mankind, to forgive us of our sin, to restore 00:01:16.409 --> 00:01:19.030 relationship and build a bridge, bring people 00:01:19.030 --> 00:01:21.569 to himself, and that he would actually be God 00:01:21.569 --> 00:01:23.829 and we would be followers, or the word is disciples, 00:01:23.989 --> 00:01:26.950 to take that ministry and mission and he would 00:01:26.950 --> 00:01:29.250 be the creator and we're the creatures. And we 00:01:29.250 --> 00:01:31.730 would obey Jesus and follow him as his spirit 00:01:31.730 --> 00:01:33.890 in the new covenant living inside of us. And 00:01:33.890 --> 00:01:36.310 we would be on this mission together to fulfill 00:01:36.310 --> 00:01:38.930 God's will. And he would be the focus. That was 00:01:38.930 --> 00:01:42.709 the game plan. But somewhere along the line, 00:01:42.810 --> 00:01:50.730 we flipped it. And it was, Jesus is my self -help 00:01:50.730 --> 00:01:53.969 genie and guru. And there's a Christian way that 00:01:53.969 --> 00:01:56.709 if I read the Bible and if I pray, go on a short 00:01:56.709 --> 00:01:58.670 -term missions trip, you get extra points if 00:01:58.670 --> 00:02:02.670 you give beyond 10%. Go to religious activities 00:02:02.670 --> 00:02:05.489 and try and be a little bit more moral than other 00:02:05.489 --> 00:02:09.449 people. The promise is you'll have a marriage 00:02:09.449 --> 00:02:11.789 that's out of sight with no problems. Your kids 00:02:11.789 --> 00:02:13.469 are all going to turn out great. You're going 00:02:13.469 --> 00:02:15.129 to be upwardly mobile. They're going to get into 00:02:15.129 --> 00:02:18.789 the very best schools. If other people get cancer, 00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:21.870 you won't. You're going to have amazing prosperity. 00:02:22.270 --> 00:02:25.150 God's going to bless you financially. And Jesus' 00:02:25.330 --> 00:02:29.550 role in your life and the formula is that his 00:02:29.550 --> 00:02:32.629 goal is to make you happy. Because what really 00:02:32.629 --> 00:02:35.830 matters is are you happy? Are you fulfilled? 00:02:36.069 --> 00:02:40.270 So much so that if some of the commands of Bible 00:02:40.270 --> 00:02:42.449 or some of the challenges in your life threaten 00:02:42.449 --> 00:02:45.710 to make you happy, you redo your theology and 00:02:45.710 --> 00:02:47.849 we do our theology and say, this couldn't be 00:02:47.849 --> 00:02:49.729 God's will because God wants to make me happy. 00:02:50.669 --> 00:02:53.629 I remember we did a series at Living on the Edge 00:02:53.629 --> 00:02:55.909 called Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships and 00:02:55.909 --> 00:02:58.509 became one of our real well -received small groups. 00:02:58.590 --> 00:03:01.000 Then a book came out of it. So when you do that, 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:02.740 usually you're on these, like two or three days, 00:03:02.780 --> 00:03:04.759 you do these radio kind of talk shows and people 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:07.939 call in and they talk about that stuff. And this 00:03:07.939 --> 00:03:09.360 lady said, well, I hear what you're saying. I 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:11.360 hear what you're saying, but I just want you 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:13.280 to know, I believe in God and I love Jesus so 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.699 much. You know, Jesus really loves me, but I'm 00:03:15.699 --> 00:03:19.759 just, I, we've lost the love in our marriage. 00:03:19.780 --> 00:03:21.960 And I said, well, I mean, has your husband committed 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:25.590 some? immoral. Oh, no, no, no. He's okay. But 00:03:25.590 --> 00:03:27.469 you know what? I just want you to know that I 00:03:27.469 --> 00:03:30.069 know God wants me to be happy. So I'm divorcing 00:03:30.069 --> 00:03:33.229 him and I'm divorcing him because I can't see 00:03:33.229 --> 00:03:35.550 the next 10 years. These challenges are just 00:03:35.550 --> 00:03:39.370 too hard. God wants me to be happy. And, you 00:03:39.370 --> 00:03:42.000 know, then I sort of gave her a number of. kind, 00:03:42.060 --> 00:03:45.580 clear passages about he certainly, as a byproduct 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:48.539 of obeying him, wants us to have joy and happiness. 00:03:48.620 --> 00:03:50.719 But actually, you made a covenant and made a 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:52.759 covenant with God. And, you know, these are pretty 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:55.460 normal times we all go through. But I will tell 00:03:55.460 --> 00:03:58.219 you is in the evangelical church, the divorce 00:03:58.219 --> 00:04:01.509 rate is no different than outside. And by the 00:04:01.509 --> 00:04:03.990 way, I mean, just please, if you're sitting here 00:04:03.990 --> 00:04:06.849 going, my wife is divorced. There are biblical 00:04:06.849 --> 00:04:09.449 divorces. My wife was an unbeliever, married 00:04:09.449 --> 00:04:12.030 a guy. He started selling drugs. He ran away 00:04:12.030 --> 00:04:14.490 with another woman. She wanted it to work. And 00:04:14.490 --> 00:04:20.550 after two years, and you know, God can redeem 00:04:20.550 --> 00:04:23.750 and take things. But the great majority of divorces 00:04:23.750 --> 00:04:27.209 in our day are not about that. It's, you know, 00:04:27.230 --> 00:04:31.810 irreconcilable differences. It's hard, it's difficult, 00:04:32.029 --> 00:04:36.629 it's painful. Hello? And guess what? The second 00:04:36.629 --> 00:04:39.689 one is hard and difficult and painful. And the 00:04:39.689 --> 00:04:42.449 third one is harder and more difficult and painful. 00:04:42.850 --> 00:04:46.129 And honestly, here's the thing. We think that 00:04:46.129 --> 00:04:48.009 the whole goal of marriage is self -fulfillment, 00:04:48.029 --> 00:04:50.250 redefining. Guess what? It's to make you holy. 00:04:50.990 --> 00:04:53.769 The purpose of marriage is that the people could 00:04:53.769 --> 00:04:56.629 see the covenant of a man and a woman worked 00:04:56.629 --> 00:04:59.350 out in the flesh with the ups and downs and struggles, 00:04:59.490 --> 00:05:01.569 and so they could see what Jesus and the church 00:05:01.569 --> 00:05:05.949 looks like. It's a testimony. Other than the 00:05:05.949 --> 00:05:08.370 body of Christ, it's the most powerful visual 00:05:08.370 --> 00:05:11.310 that God has for his relationship with his church. 00:05:12.930 --> 00:05:16.430 So as I obey that, yes, there's a byproduct of 00:05:16.430 --> 00:05:19.149 joy and connection, but we've turned everything 00:05:19.149 --> 00:05:22.610 on its head. And so life really becomes about, 00:05:22.670 --> 00:05:25.930 am I happy? Am I self -fulfilled? And then all 00:05:25.930 --> 00:05:29.170 of a sudden, we've got this prosperity stuff 00:05:29.170 --> 00:05:32.610 everywhere, and we have disillusioned Christians. 00:05:33.769 --> 00:05:36.069 Because guess what? You can have your quiet time, 00:05:36.209 --> 00:05:38.670 read the Bible, give above 10%, go on a short 00:05:38.670 --> 00:05:40.569 -term missions trip, and a drunk driver hits 00:05:40.569 --> 00:05:43.939 one of your kids. Or your wife gets cancer. Or 00:05:43.939 --> 00:05:46.199 you save and save and save and faithful and serve 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:48.379 and serve and serve and it's a fallen world and 00:05:48.379 --> 00:05:50.100 you saved and these are going to be the sunset 00:05:50.100 --> 00:05:52.980 years and you're 68 and in great health and someone 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:54.959 gets cancer and is gone in three months and it's 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:58.639 like, what? What happened to the formula, Jesus? 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:03.139 Here's what it is. You owe me, God. You owe me 00:06:03.139 --> 00:06:06.079 happiness. You owe me a future. You owe me this. 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:08.459 You know why? Because we're claiming all kind 00:06:08.459 --> 00:06:11.399 of promises that aren't in Scripture. When's 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:12.939 the last time you heard a Christian claim this 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:16.300 promise? For all those who desire to live a godly 00:06:16.300 --> 00:06:18.819 life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Oh yeah, 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:26.000 that's the plaque in the bathroom. Or how about 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:29.459 Philippians 1? For to you, for to you it has 00:06:29.459 --> 00:06:32.399 been granted. not only to believe in him, but 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:35.399 to suffer for his sake. Experience the same conflict 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:37.899 which you see and hear to be in me that I'm presently 00:06:37.899 --> 00:06:40.360 suffering. The Apostle Paul, what a joy, right? 00:06:42.100 --> 00:06:46.519 See, American Christians, it's like, what? I 00:06:46.519 --> 00:06:49.899 sat across the table from a house church undercover 00:06:49.899 --> 00:06:53.579 pastor in Hong Kong who came out to do some work 00:06:53.579 --> 00:06:57.399 and go to a seminar. And on his last trip out, 00:06:57.459 --> 00:07:01.740 his wife was beaten by the police. And she claimed 00:07:01.740 --> 00:07:03.680 to be the pastor so he wouldn't get in trouble 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:05.480 and none of the other people. And I mean, she 00:07:05.480 --> 00:07:07.220 was beat to a pulp and I'm at the edge of my 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:10.480 seat in my mind thinking, man, I don't know if 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:12.540 I could be very Christian with those police when 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:18.480 I got home, you know. I sting like a butterfly, 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:24.050 you know. And I'm getting mad for this pastor. 00:07:24.470 --> 00:07:26.529 And then he gets to the end where I'm thinking, 00:07:26.629 --> 00:07:29.850 you know, in my good American Western Christianity, 00:07:30.310 --> 00:07:32.250 man, I know it would be sinful to do something 00:07:32.250 --> 00:07:34.129 really wrong, but I want to take him out. And 00:07:34.129 --> 00:07:36.170 then with tears in his eyes, he looks at me and 00:07:36.170 --> 00:07:39.790 goes, can you imagine that our God gave us the 00:07:39.790 --> 00:07:42.790 privilege to suffer for him even as he suffered 00:07:42.790 --> 00:07:49.470 for us? And I was thinking, embarrassingly, actually, 00:07:49.550 --> 00:07:52.639 I didn't say this. That thought never crossed 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:57.810 my mind. It never entered my mind. that we get 00:07:57.810 --> 00:08:00.149 to enter into the suffering, that the goal would 00:08:00.149 --> 00:08:02.410 be intimacy with God, that the goal would be, 00:08:02.430 --> 00:08:04.769 we say it, glory for God, that the goal would 00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:06.649 be that God would take the difficulty and the 00:08:06.649 --> 00:08:09.189 pain of a difficult marriage or a hurting child 00:08:09.189 --> 00:08:12.129 or a physical disability or a downward economy 00:08:12.129 --> 00:08:15.629 or the upside down house. And that the real goal 00:08:15.629 --> 00:08:18.949 is that God would meet you in ways that your 00:08:18.949 --> 00:08:22.009 friends, your neighbors, your family could be. 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.439 completely aghast at what holds you up inside 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:28.740 because those circumstances crushed everyone 00:08:28.740 --> 00:08:35.159 else. Because see, he's God. He's a kind God, 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:38.940 but it's a fallen world. Where I live, I'm sure 00:08:38.940 --> 00:08:41.820 it's not where you live, but I see great Christian 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:48.220 families that you would think that the goal in 00:08:48.220 --> 00:08:50.840 life is to have your kids in as many activities 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.659 as possible. to be in the car most of the time, 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:57.580 to figure out how not to eat together almost 00:08:57.580 --> 00:09:00.980 ever, not tuck your kids in bed and don't teach 00:09:00.980 --> 00:09:03.379 them the Bible, but they made the traveling team. 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:08.440 Now, don't get me wrong. I love sports. God paved 00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:11.500 my way through school and sports. I've coached 00:09:11.500 --> 00:09:16.419 my kids, but we, I've just, I mean, is there 00:09:16.419 --> 00:09:20.159 like ESPN 45 channels now or something? I mean, 00:09:20.849 --> 00:09:24.309 It has become a cult movement. I mean, we don't 00:09:24.309 --> 00:09:25.830 even care about the games anymore. It's just 00:09:25.830 --> 00:09:29.269 my fantasy team. Even think of the focus of... 00:09:29.269 --> 00:09:34.769 Forgive me, Lord. But the self -focus of it doesn't 00:09:34.769 --> 00:09:37.669 even matter what teams play. I just choose people 00:09:37.669 --> 00:09:40.470 that I'm coordinating. He got hurt. Nah, take 00:09:40.470 --> 00:09:47.370 him off my team. The trivia of life. See, here's 00:09:47.370 --> 00:09:49.610 what I want you to know is if we get a... clear 00:09:49.610 --> 00:09:53.210 view of the real God, some of the things that 00:09:53.210 --> 00:09:55.830 we have slowly, slowly, slowly come accustomed 00:09:55.830 --> 00:09:59.389 to and think is normal as Christians would shock 00:09:59.389 --> 00:10:05.570 us. And one is the idol of happiness and self 00:10:05.570 --> 00:10:07.429 -fulfillment. The other idol, I think, is what 00:10:07.429 --> 00:10:11.889 I call the salad bar approach to Christianity. 00:10:12.149 --> 00:10:14.610 And the way it goes is something that we're seeing 00:10:14.610 --> 00:10:16.870 in Bible -oriented churches now. And it's like, 00:10:17.419 --> 00:10:19.440 God had a good day when he gave the Ten Commandments. 00:10:19.460 --> 00:10:22.039 Just not a great day. Eight out of ten are good. 00:10:23.779 --> 00:10:25.580 Now you get to choose which two you don't like. 00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:28.639 In our day, you know this one about adultery 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:31.620 or sexual purity? I think that was very old -fashioned. 00:10:31.620 --> 00:10:33.740 It was probably for the community of that time. 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:37.480 And in our more existential, wiser way, I don't 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:40.240 think that really applies today. Oh, this one, 00:10:40.340 --> 00:10:44.379 oh no. We don't, oh yes, no. That thing about 00:10:44.379 --> 00:10:46.889 greed. Greed is good. He obviously hadn't seen 00:10:46.889 --> 00:10:50.350 the movie. We'll cut that one out. And we have 00:10:50.350 --> 00:10:54.190 taken the Bible and we've decided selectively 00:10:54.190 --> 00:10:57.309 which parts are true, which parts are not true, 00:10:57.409 --> 00:11:00.470 instead of it being the authority. And we've 00:11:00.470 --> 00:11:04.169 created it around a lifestyle and an American 00:11:04.169 --> 00:11:08.259 dream vision. And we have taken a book. remove 00:11:08.259 --> 00:11:11.000 the God of authority and the God that is holy 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.220 and the God who loves us and the God who wants 00:11:13.220 --> 00:11:16.100 our best. And we have basically said, how again 00:11:16.100 --> 00:11:20.539 can this? And so when you decide what's true 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:22.820 and what's not true, there's a new God on the 00:11:22.820 --> 00:11:27.860 throne and it's you. I mean, it's massive across 00:11:27.860 --> 00:11:31.659 America right now. We have tens of thousands 00:11:31.659 --> 00:11:36.019 of people flocking to services. where part of 00:11:36.019 --> 00:11:38.059 the Bible is taught as though it's some sort 00:11:38.059 --> 00:11:41.580 of a positive thinking self -help manual. Instead 00:11:41.580 --> 00:11:44.580 of the holy creator of the universe sent his 00:11:44.580 --> 00:11:47.899 son and that he's asked us to join him in a mission 00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:51.000 to rescue people off this world called the Titanic 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:53.860 that's sinking. And we have the only hope and 00:11:53.860 --> 00:11:55.919 that needs to be our priority. And by the way, 00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:59.779 By the way, as that's your priority and he is 00:11:59.779 --> 00:12:03.179 Lord and as you serve him, he is so kind and 00:12:03.179 --> 00:12:06.860 so generous that the byproduct is very, very 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:09.460 often an amazingly deep intimate marriage. The 00:12:09.460 --> 00:12:12.899 byproduct is a level of joy regardless of circumstances. 00:12:12.980 --> 00:12:16.120 The byproduct is that your kids will see that 00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:18.080 and catch the vision and probably follow in your 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:22.120 steps. But it's a byproduct. And so what happens 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:25.320 is when you make the means the end, it becomes 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:28.389 an idol. It's what happened, I believe, with 00:12:28.389 --> 00:12:32.490 Abraham. Why would God ask Abraham to give his 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:35.669 son? I mean, you wait 100 years for something, 00:12:35.830 --> 00:12:38.629 you think that by 1213, the kid kind of was an 00:12:38.629 --> 00:12:42.389 idol? So anytime we worship an idol, two things 00:12:42.389 --> 00:12:46.330 happen. The idol can't deliver and we take God 00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:48.889 out of the equation in our life. So the whole 00:12:48.889 --> 00:12:53.250 point of Abraham giving Isaac was for his good 00:12:53.250 --> 00:12:56.820 to free his heart. Isaac can't deliver fulfillment. 00:12:57.240 --> 00:13:00.840 Isaac can't fulfill my will. Isaac is a gift. 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:05.840 It's to steward. Children are a gift from the 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:08.899 Lord. And so that moment for him to take Isaac 00:13:08.899 --> 00:13:12.879 up was a moment of lordship to believe that he 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:14.940 could trust what? God's word. And Hebrews 11 00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:18.860 says what? He went there believing that though 00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:22.720 he slay him, he would rise. And you know, we 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:24.539 might as well just start this time off together. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:28.340 just ask yourself before you hit the pillow, 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:31.840 do I have any Isaacs? And usually they're good 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:37.899 things. It's a good job. It can be a great marriage. 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:41.659 It can be one of your kids. Heck, it can be ministry, 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:45.100 believe me. So what we want to do is we want 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:49.039 to pause and say, okay, Lord, I... I know that 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:51.419 you're not like me. I know that I will reduce 00:13:51.419 --> 00:13:54.379 you to manageable terms. And third, God can only 00:13:54.379 --> 00:13:58.679 be known as he reveals himself to us. And he 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:01.759 does that in three ways. And these will develop 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:03.860 throughout the whole time. But let me give them 00:14:03.860 --> 00:14:05.740 to you. The first way God reveals himself to 00:14:05.740 --> 00:14:08.419 us is through nature. Psalm 19, one says, the 00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:11.000 heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.659 the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour 00:14:13.659 --> 00:14:16.779 forth speech. Night after night, they reveal 00:14:16.779 --> 00:14:20.980 knowledge. One of the things I do, I just like 00:14:20.980 --> 00:14:22.720 to get up early. It's just worked for me. And 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.860 so it's always dark. And often when I get up, 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:28.779 you know, that's when I spend time with God and 00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:32.559 my warped personality. Sometimes I think of all 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:33.940 the things I've got to do and I start feeling 00:14:33.940 --> 00:14:36.940 pressure. And so I usually list the things I'm 00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:39.100 thankful for to get my perspective. And then 00:14:39.100 --> 00:14:41.320 I'll write a little box in my journal and I'll 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:43.179 put a box and then I'll write and I'll turn the 00:14:43.179 --> 00:14:46.240 pressure into a prayer request. And some of them, 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:48.519 sometimes I have like 8, 10, 12 going, oh my 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.299 gosh, and that's just today. And then I often 00:14:52.299 --> 00:14:54.980 get that second cup of coffee and I'll go outside. 00:14:55.860 --> 00:14:58.039 And when I go outside and I just look at all 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:01.299 these stars. And I just look at my little boxes, 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:06.860 all those stars. And I just think, men have been 00:15:06.860 --> 00:15:10.340 looking at these for thousands of years. You 00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:12.480 hold, you know, every name. This is just the 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:16.230 Milky Way. There's only a billion stars. Only 00:15:16.230 --> 00:15:19.830 a billion. And you know all their names. By the 00:15:19.830 --> 00:15:21.490 word of your power, you're holding them right 00:15:21.490 --> 00:15:25.350 now. Outside the Milky Way, there's between 200 00:15:25.350 --> 00:15:31.710 and 300 billion galaxies. I'm going to cast my 00:15:31.710 --> 00:15:35.570 care upon you because you care for me. You're 00:15:35.570 --> 00:15:39.889 an all -powerful God. And yet, you care about 00:15:39.889 --> 00:15:43.460 one little guy in California named Chip. And 00:15:43.460 --> 00:15:46.460 you know I feel those pressures. And you're committed 00:15:46.460 --> 00:15:49.360 to giving me the grace to either say yes, to 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:53.100 say no, or to do whatever you want me to do. 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:56.919 So I'm going to go back inside. And I'm just 00:15:56.919 --> 00:15:58.320 going to remember who I'm really talking to. 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:01.299 And sometimes it's three minutes. Sometimes it's 00:16:01.299 --> 00:16:05.200 ten. And then I go back. And I say, okay, Lord, 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.379 what do you want me to do? What do you not want 00:16:08.379 --> 00:16:11.500 me to do? What could someone else do? And then, 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:14.039 okay, I know these. Okay, I've got to record 00:16:14.039 --> 00:16:17.600 this video and prepare me. I need to have a hard 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:25.679 conversation. And it just changes. It just changes. 00:16:27.620 --> 00:16:30.419 When's the last time you were out in nature and 00:16:30.419 --> 00:16:34.720 saw it? The theologians call it general revelation. 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:38.600 In Romans 1, the apostle Paul would say, we're 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:41.639 all without excuse because from the stars and 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:44.080 the balance of nature and the mystery and the 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:47.779 harmony of nature alone, God's invisible attributes, 00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:51.100 his eternal existence and his very character 00:16:51.100 --> 00:16:54.639 is revealed. What kind of a God has a bird that 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:57.679 lays an egg here and flies thousands and thousands 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:01.039 of miles way over to here and a year later drops 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:04.349 an egg 12 inches from the same spot? What kind 00:17:04.349 --> 00:17:09.069 of a God has GPS into whales that travel in crisscross? 00:17:09.089 --> 00:17:12.190 What kind of a God has 600 different kinds of 00:17:12.190 --> 00:17:15.230 beetles? He's a God of variety, a God of beauty, 00:17:15.390 --> 00:17:18.349 a God of power, a God of love, a God of design. 00:17:20.309 --> 00:17:22.450 But you know what? He can just be the God of, 00:17:22.490 --> 00:17:25.630 help me get through this. God, I need a parking 00:17:25.630 --> 00:17:29.230 spot. Help it to be on sale. Yeah, I mean, go 00:17:29.230 --> 00:17:30.890 to some of our prayer meetings. You know, they're 00:17:30.890 --> 00:17:34.400 like anatomy meetings. Help Ethel's toe. Help 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:40.019 Bob's shoulder. Help George's ear. Help him clean 00:17:40.019 --> 00:17:42.180 out the Alvin Bob. It's a second time through. 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:47.640 If you listen to us pray, you would think, honestly, 00:17:47.740 --> 00:17:50.500 what we really feel like is I can only pray about 00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:53.039 things I think I can control. And since God is 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.039 obviously unaware of all this, what I'm trying 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:57.259 to do is take this awesome, powerful God and 00:17:57.259 --> 00:17:59.140 bring him into my little world to get him to 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:01.759 do what I think he ought to do. then listen to 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:04.079 how the Apostle Paul prays. I pray that the eyes 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:07.380 of your heart might be enlightened. I pray that 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:09.259 you might grasp the height and depth and length 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:11.440 and breadth to know the love of Christ that surpasses 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.200 knowledge. I pray that God would give you insight 00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:16.740 into his will, that you could discern good from 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:19.099 evil in order that you might walk in a manner 00:18:19.099 --> 00:18:22.480 worthy of him. I pray that you would understand 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:27.769 the depth of his love for you. How precious of 00:18:27.769 --> 00:18:30.750 an inheritance you are to him and the power that 00:18:30.750 --> 00:18:33.470 dwells within you. I pray that you might be filled 00:18:33.470 --> 00:18:36.029 with the knowledge of his will. I mean, those 00:18:36.029 --> 00:18:40.210 prayers in Philippians 1 and Philippians 3 and 00:18:40.210 --> 00:18:42.589 Ephesians 3 and Philippians and Colossians. I 00:18:42.589 --> 00:18:45.509 mean, I'm not the apostle Paul and you're not 00:18:45.509 --> 00:18:49.009 the apostle Paul. But wow, it sure seems like 00:18:49.009 --> 00:18:52.930 he's asking not so much about tactical things. 00:18:53.089 --> 00:18:54.869 And I don't think it's wrong. I pray for tactical 00:18:54.869 --> 00:19:00.220 things. But I think he actually believes that 00:19:00.220 --> 00:19:03.339 if people could see God for who he is, if people 00:19:03.339 --> 00:19:05.579 could be aligned, if God would reveal himself 00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:07.259 and they would be open, they would follow his 00:19:07.259 --> 00:19:09.259 will, all those tactical things would probably 00:19:09.259 --> 00:19:12.960 get taken care of. The second way he reveals 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:15.960 himself is through his word. John chapter one, 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.839 in the beginning was the word and the word was 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:21.779 with God and the word was God. He was in the 00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:24.289 beginning with God. Through him, all things were 00:19:24.289 --> 00:19:25.970 made and without him, nothing was made that has 00:19:25.970 --> 00:19:29.069 been made. And him was life and the life was 00:19:29.069 --> 00:19:32.769 a light of the world. I mean, I love, you might 00:19:32.769 --> 00:19:34.549 just, in your notes, I think I put Hebrews 1. 00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:36.589 It's one of my favorite passages. In times past, 00:19:36.650 --> 00:19:38.549 God has spoken to us through the prophets and 00:19:38.549 --> 00:19:41.009 the apostles. But in this last days, he's spoken 00:19:41.009 --> 00:19:44.410 to us through his son, who is the icon, the exact 00:19:44.410 --> 00:19:48.559 image or representation of the father. It's the 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:51.819 picture of if you took a piece of putty and you 00:19:51.819 --> 00:19:53.980 took like a silver dollar or something like that, 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:55.740 and if you pressed it into the piece of putty 00:19:55.740 --> 00:19:57.640 and then pulled it out real carefully, you have 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:02.000 the exact image, right? That's the word. Jesus 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:07.319 is the exact image. Colossians 2, all the fullness 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:11.859 of the Godhead dwelt in Christ. See, if you really 00:20:11.859 --> 00:20:15.150 want to know what God is like, it's Jesus. The 00:20:15.150 --> 00:20:17.970 very last night, right? He wants the disciples 00:20:17.970 --> 00:20:22.089 to stay on track. And he's talking to them and 00:20:22.089 --> 00:20:24.269 he's preparing them. And it's really encouraging 00:20:24.269 --> 00:20:25.990 because they're really slow, which gives me a 00:20:25.990 --> 00:20:28.789 lot of hope. And he talks to them. Well, you 00:20:28.789 --> 00:20:32.250 know the way I go except to Thomas. You know 00:20:32.250 --> 00:20:35.049 what? Lord, this is the Ingram translation. I 00:20:35.049 --> 00:20:36.809 think you're talking in circles, candidly, Jesus. 00:20:36.890 --> 00:20:38.650 I really don't know the way and I don't really 00:20:38.650 --> 00:20:41.630 get it. And Jesus said, Thomas, I'm the way. 00:20:43.339 --> 00:20:45.700 And the truth and the life, no man comes to the 00:20:45.700 --> 00:20:48.500 Father except by me. And then Philip, frustrated, 00:20:48.619 --> 00:20:51.640 Lord, it'll be enough. Just show us the Father 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:54.480 and it'll be enough. Philip, how long have I 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.559 been with you? If you've seen me, you've seen 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:01.420 the Father. You're listening to Living on the 00:21:01.420 --> 00:21:03.740 Edge, and Chip will be back in just a minute 00:21:03.740 --> 00:21:06.460 to finish today's talk. But quickly, I want to 00:21:06.460 --> 00:21:08.500 remind you that this program is only possible 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:11.259 because of the generosity of listeners like you. 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:14.640 So if you'd like to support us, go to livingontheedge 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:19.900 .org. That's livingontheedge .org. And thanks 00:21:19.900 --> 00:21:22.619 for doing whatever God leads you to do. Well, 00:21:22.660 --> 00:21:24.779 let's rejoin Chip now for the remainder of his 00:21:24.779 --> 00:21:28.759 message. If you want to know how does your image 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:32.680 of God, How does God respond when you really 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:34.880 mess up, when you do something that's willful, 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:38.440 malicious, sinful, shameful, you wish you hadn't 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:40.579 done it and you feel terrible about it and you're 00:21:40.579 --> 00:21:43.740 coming to God? How will God treat you exactly 00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:45.519 the way he did the woman caught in adultery? 00:21:46.380 --> 00:21:49.079 If you want to know how God thinks of you and 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:51.079 how he'll relate to you, when, you know, some 00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:53.380 of those times where you feel like, man, I'm 00:21:53.380 --> 00:21:55.380 reading the Bible, kind of got the quiet time 00:21:55.380 --> 00:21:59.119 going. We gave a little extra money to missions. 00:22:00.500 --> 00:22:07.000 I think I'm feeling pretty holy. Then the way 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:09.859 he feels about you is Jesus with the Pharisees. 00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:13.680 If you know when your heart is hungry and you 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:15.779 don't know the direction and you wish you knew 00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:18.259 what to do and you're messing up but you're making 00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:20.700 progress and you say, Lord, would you just help 00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:23.160 me? It's how Jesus related to the disciples. 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:26.799 Did you realize he never got mad at them? One, 00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:30.319 only issue. All the gospels, only one thing. 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:35.960 Oh, you have little. God's agenda is so simple, 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:37.839 we make it so complicated. Here's his agenda. 00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:41.299 Trust me. Trust me in the hard marriage. Trust 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:43.759 me with your kid. Trust me with your money. Trust 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:47.119 me with the decision. I've got a little question 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:50.240 that I write down in hard situations. Question, 00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:53.220 what does it look like to trust God in this situation? 00:22:55.089 --> 00:22:58.150 Not how do I fix it? Not God, will you do this, 00:22:58.150 --> 00:23:00.069 this, this, and that? What's it look like to 00:23:00.069 --> 00:23:03.049 trust God in this marriage, in this decision, 00:23:03.170 --> 00:23:06.150 in this financial loss, in this hard conversation 00:23:06.150 --> 00:23:09.410 coming up? Because here's the thing, without 00:23:09.410 --> 00:23:12.029 faith, it's impossible to please him. You can 00:23:12.029 --> 00:23:13.950 build a ministry, you can build a business, you 00:23:13.950 --> 00:23:16.069 can have a decent looking family without faith. 00:23:16.190 --> 00:23:20.269 You just can't please God. The heart of what 00:23:20.269 --> 00:23:23.539 it means to be a follower of Jesus. is to trust 00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:25.720 him. And you can't trust someone you don't know. 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:29.640 You only trust people that this is their character. 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:32.640 This is their track record. And over and over 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:34.559 and over, all the lessons to the disciples were 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:37.440 what? You can trust my word because when you 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:41.019 see my word, it's always faithful. So many of 00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:42.839 the miracles, why did he do them the way he did 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:45.400 them? When he wanted to calm the sea, what'd 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:48.220 he do? He spoke. I mean, he could have done hand 00:23:48.220 --> 00:23:51.279 signs. When the little girl was dead, how did 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:55.259 he? He didn't touch her. Little girl, I say to 00:23:55.259 --> 00:24:00.460 you, arise, bam, see, come, demon, come out. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:02.619 If I'm a disciple, what I'm thinking, I'm not 00:24:02.619 --> 00:24:04.259 sure about this guy, but whatever he says, you 00:24:04.259 --> 00:24:08.900 can trust it. And that's for us. So he reveals 00:24:08.900 --> 00:24:12.160 himself through nature, through his word, and 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:16.319 ultimately through Jesus. No man has seen God 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:19.400 at any time. John 1 tells us, the word became 00:24:19.400 --> 00:24:22.089 flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld his glory. 00:24:22.230 --> 00:24:26.109 Glory is the only one. And then he says to us, 00:24:26.250 --> 00:24:31.789 no man has seen God at any time, but he has explained 00:24:31.789 --> 00:24:37.490 him. The word is exegeted. Jesus explained the 00:24:37.490 --> 00:24:39.250 father. You want to know what God's like? It's 00:24:39.250 --> 00:24:42.210 Jesus. That's why I think it's no matter where 00:24:42.210 --> 00:24:44.630 we're reading in the Bible, don't go too far 00:24:44.630 --> 00:24:48.529 away from the gospels. I've got a buddy, he's 00:24:48.529 --> 00:24:51.269 a Bible -aholic. He's my hero when it comes to 00:24:51.269 --> 00:24:53.269 the Bible. I've never been around it. We went 00:24:53.269 --> 00:24:55.589 overseas together when I was young and he was 00:24:55.589 --> 00:24:57.630 the first guy that started memorizing small books 00:24:57.630 --> 00:24:59.970 of the Bible. And every time I'm with Glenn, 00:25:00.130 --> 00:25:02.349 and he goes, Chip, I just learned something. 00:25:02.369 --> 00:25:03.769 What? He says, no matter where you're reading, 00:25:03.869 --> 00:25:07.190 you ready for this? What? If you just read just 00:25:07.190 --> 00:25:10.210 like three chapters, just three chapters in the 00:25:10.210 --> 00:25:12.210 gospel. I mean, can you imagine? Only three chapters. 00:25:12.549 --> 00:25:14.369 If you read three chapters every day in the gospels, 00:25:14.430 --> 00:25:18.069 you can get through the gospels. 15 times in 00:25:18.069 --> 00:25:20.569 a year. Can you imagine 15 times you really see 00:25:20.569 --> 00:25:23.309 Jesus? I'm thinking, Glenn, you're still blowing 00:25:23.309 --> 00:25:26.869 me away. But what he's saying is, no matter what 00:25:26.869 --> 00:25:31.309 we're doing, Jesus is the focus. Jesus is the 00:25:31.309 --> 00:25:33.309 focus. Get to know Jesus, you get to know God. 00:25:33.470 --> 00:25:36.789 Okay, the big question. And this is the one we'll 00:25:36.789 --> 00:25:39.690 impact in our time together. What must I do to 00:25:39.690 --> 00:25:43.589 see the real God as he is? What must I do to 00:25:43.589 --> 00:25:50.769 see the real God as he is? The answer is seek 00:25:50.769 --> 00:25:57.990 him. Seek him. Jeremiah 29, 11. Follow along 00:25:57.990 --> 00:26:00.569 as I read. For I know the plans that I have for 00:26:00.569 --> 00:26:03.269 you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you 00:26:03.269 --> 00:26:05.970 and not to harm you. God's not the force, he's 00:26:05.970 --> 00:26:10.490 personal. Plans to give you a hope and a future. 00:26:11.049 --> 00:26:13.250 The God that you're talking to wants to give 00:26:13.250 --> 00:26:15.980 you hope. deep in your soul and a future. And 00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:19.359 he understands. Then you will call on me and 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:21.259 you will come and pray to me and I will listen 00:26:21.259 --> 00:26:26.259 to you and you will seek me and you will find 00:26:26.259 --> 00:26:30.660 me. What's the condition? When you seek for me 00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:35.079 with all your heart. And then all I can say is 00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:38.259 it's almost mind boggling. God says, I'll be 00:26:38.259 --> 00:26:42.519 found of you. I'll be found of you. This isn't 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:44.839 for superstar Christians. This isn't just for 00:26:44.839 --> 00:26:46.460 people who went to Bible school or seminary. 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:49.319 This isn't people who are smarter than the rest 00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:52.819 of us. Jesus would make the same statement. Seek 00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:56.359 and you'll find, right? Knock and the door will 00:26:56.359 --> 00:27:03.000 be opened. Ask, seek, knock. He wants to meet 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:05.980 you, but here's the deal. How? How do you seek 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:08.880 God where you really know him? It's not through 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:12.119 external religiosity. It's not through just intellectual, 00:27:12.279 --> 00:27:15.180 cognitive information about him. There is a way 00:27:15.180 --> 00:27:17.980 to seek God and the wisest person who ever lived, 00:27:18.140 --> 00:27:21.720 Solomon, lines out for us. Notice what he says 00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:23.779 in Proverbs 2. I've put it in your notes. My 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:26.299 son, if you will receive my words and treasure 00:27:26.299 --> 00:27:28.920 my commandments within you, put a little arrow 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:33.259 and write initiative in God's word. You will 00:27:33.259 --> 00:27:35.619 never find a man or woman that knows God deeply 00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:39.819 that isn't a man or a woman in this book. Treasure 00:27:39.819 --> 00:27:45.660 his commandments. Receive his sayings. Second, 00:27:45.720 --> 00:27:47.940 make your ear attentive to wisdom. Incline your 00:27:47.940 --> 00:27:50.619 heart to understanding. Put a little arrow and 00:27:50.619 --> 00:27:54.279 write teachable attitude. This isn't like, oh, 00:27:54.359 --> 00:27:55.960 I would like to understand the outline of the 00:27:55.960 --> 00:27:57.799 book of Philippians. Oh, I want to understand 00:27:57.799 --> 00:28:00.559 what's the major themes of the Pentateuch. Oh, 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:03.740 I have a reading program. I read three chapters 00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:06.559 a day to keep the devil away. No, no, this is 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:11.059 God. I want you to speak to me. This is me. I 00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:13.380 got questions. I got issues. I got struggles. 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:17.200 I'm going to open your word. I want you to speak 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:20.119 to me in specific ways because here's the deal. 00:28:20.220 --> 00:28:23.759 If you'll speak, I'll obey. That's when God speaks. 00:28:24.259 --> 00:28:27.799 I don't want to become a smarter sinner. I'm 00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:29.599 going to become a more obedient son or daughter. 00:28:30.370 --> 00:28:33.009 So I'm going to read this, and I don't understand 00:28:33.009 --> 00:28:35.309 it all, and I may not understand it all, but 00:28:35.309 --> 00:28:38.730 I want you to speak to me. I have a teachable 00:28:38.730 --> 00:28:40.970 spirit. Incline your heart to understanding. 00:28:41.710 --> 00:28:43.890 Third, for if you cry for discernment, lift your 00:28:43.890 --> 00:28:46.349 voice for understanding. Put a little arrow and 00:28:46.349 --> 00:28:50.730 write passionate prayer. Passionate prayer. It's 00:28:50.730 --> 00:28:53.470 the kind of prayer God answers. This isn't, no, 00:28:53.470 --> 00:28:56.190 no. Lord, it's good to pray. Our Father who art 00:28:56.190 --> 00:28:57.289 in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom 00:28:57.289 --> 00:29:03.529 come. I might've missed a couple. Now I let me 00:29:03.529 --> 00:29:05.549 down to sleep. Something about my soul to keep. 00:29:05.650 --> 00:29:12.150 Catch you later. I'm getting deep. This is the 00:29:12.150 --> 00:29:14.309 kind of prayer when you got a kid in ICU and 00:29:14.309 --> 00:29:16.210 the doctor says, I don't know if he's going to 00:29:16.210 --> 00:29:17.809 make it. This is the kind of prayer when your 00:29:17.809 --> 00:29:21.069 wife or your husband, positive results. It's 00:29:21.069 --> 00:29:25.349 cancer and it's serious. How do you pray? No 00:29:25.349 --> 00:29:27.730 little foreign prayers. You bury your heart before 00:29:27.730 --> 00:29:30.500 God. God, I'm asking you, would you intervene? 00:29:30.579 --> 00:29:33.880 Save my boy. God, I'm serious. You know, God, 00:29:34.039 --> 00:29:35.920 search my heart. If there's something between 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:38.019 us, let me know. But it's passionate prayer. 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:42.180 It's cry out to God. God wants to hear from you. 00:29:43.220 --> 00:29:46.200 This isn't religious people. This is people who 00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:49.920 long to know God. Notice it says, if you seek 00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:52.420 for her, speaking of this wisdom, this knowledge 00:29:52.420 --> 00:29:55.099 of God, as silver in search of her as for hidden 00:29:55.099 --> 00:29:57.750 treasure, look at the result. Then. Purpose clause, 00:29:57.990 --> 00:30:00.470 you'll discern the fear of the Lord and discover 00:30:00.470 --> 00:30:03.809 the knowledge of God. Circle, discover. You won't 00:30:03.809 --> 00:30:05.509 get it from a preacher. You won't get it from 00:30:05.509 --> 00:30:07.970 a book. You won't get it from someone else. You 00:30:07.970 --> 00:30:12.690 will discover you want God to speak to you. And 00:30:12.690 --> 00:30:14.289 he wants to speak through his word and he wants 00:30:14.289 --> 00:30:16.309 to speak through his spirit. And yes, he speaks 00:30:16.309 --> 00:30:20.710 through people. But Solomon is saying, as you 00:30:20.710 --> 00:30:24.930 dig in, as you make it a priority, he'll speak. 00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:28.579 He wants to speak. Next to the one where it says 00:30:28.579 --> 00:30:33.200 seeker for silver, write priority. Priority. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:38.900 Write first priority. If I told you right now 00:30:38.900 --> 00:30:43.480 that, and if you have a really big backyard, 00:30:43.619 --> 00:30:48.220 then just limit it to like 30 feet out and across. 00:30:48.759 --> 00:30:50.759 If you have a small backyard, this illustration 00:30:50.759 --> 00:30:55.819 works. If I told you that in your backyard, While 00:30:55.819 --> 00:31:00.500 you were here, a $10 million was buried in your 00:31:00.500 --> 00:31:03.519 backyard. We've re -sodded everything. You have 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:06.880 no idea where to look. It's only six feet deep. 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:10.019 You have three days to find it. From the moment 00:31:10.019 --> 00:31:12.259 you get home, you have three days. If you don't 00:31:12.259 --> 00:31:15.579 find it in three days, it will be returned to 00:31:15.579 --> 00:31:20.759 me. Now, you get home. Your three days starts 00:31:20.759 --> 00:31:25.210 the moment you hit the driveway. I can't quite 00:31:25.210 --> 00:31:28.390 imagine you going, well, you know, that NFL season 00:31:28.390 --> 00:31:30.549 has started. I think I'll look for it a little 00:31:30.549 --> 00:31:33.029 bit later. But, you know, it's a big game. Cowboys 00:31:33.029 --> 00:31:34.930 are playing. Pittsburgh Steelers, you know, love 00:31:34.930 --> 00:31:40.529 them. You know, I think it is Sunday afternoon. 00:31:41.930 --> 00:31:43.930 You know, naps are really important on Sunday 00:31:43.930 --> 00:31:48.150 afternoon. I think I'll take a nap. Or I'll start 00:31:48.150 --> 00:31:50.390 tomorrow. I can't start tomorrow because the 00:31:50.390 --> 00:31:53.039 kids have a ball game tomorrow. I have the ladies' 00:31:53.099 --> 00:31:56.980 luncheon in the afternoon. Gosh, I just... Is 00:31:56.980 --> 00:32:00.680 that what you do? You know what? Some of you, 00:32:00.680 --> 00:32:03.440 some of you would be buying shovels at Ace Hardware 00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:06.200 on the way home. And some of you are high -tech. 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:10.779 Shovels? Are you kidding me? The backhoe will 00:32:10.779 --> 00:32:17.329 be delivered at 4 .35 p .m. And then this, you 00:32:17.329 --> 00:32:19.549 knock down the fence and this backhoe's digging 00:32:19.549 --> 00:32:21.329 up your whole backyard. Your neighbors, what 00:32:21.329 --> 00:32:23.170 are you doing, man? You're messing up our yard. 00:32:23.230 --> 00:32:24.569 What are you doing? Hey, forget it. I'll buy 00:32:24.569 --> 00:32:27.730 you a new backyard in about three days. You wouldn't 00:32:27.730 --> 00:32:32.910 care. What if you had, if you would have that 00:32:32.910 --> 00:32:36.309 kind of passion for $10 million in your backyard, 00:32:36.630 --> 00:32:39.369 what if you had that kind of passion to know 00:32:39.369 --> 00:32:43.619 God, that you would receive his commands? That 00:32:43.619 --> 00:32:46.220 would incline your heart to understanding. That 00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:48.680 you would cry out with passionate prayer and 00:32:48.680 --> 00:32:51.519 that you would seek it as for silver and as for 00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:56.039 hidden treasure. Then, here's the promise. Then, 00:32:56.039 --> 00:33:00.460 not someone else, you will discern. First of 00:33:00.460 --> 00:33:03.039 all, the fear of God. You'll learn he ain't your 00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:07.960 buddy. He's God. And then in these great words 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:10.519 of Tozer again, the great paradox of the faith 00:33:10.519 --> 00:33:17.079 is that you will be afraid and in awe. And yet 00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:20.579 because of Jesus, fearful, but not be afraid 00:33:20.579 --> 00:33:25.220 to come. And come to the heavenly father who's 00:33:25.220 --> 00:33:30.900 eager to be your friend. You're listening to 00:33:30.900 --> 00:33:33.460 Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and the 00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:36.359 message you just heard, Seeking God, is from 00:33:36.359 --> 00:33:39.299 our series, The Real God. In just a minute, Chip 00:33:39.299 --> 00:33:41.700 will give us some helpful application from today's 00:33:41.700 --> 00:33:44.359 talk. But right now, Chip's here in studio to 00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:47.279 share a brief word with all of you. Chip? Thanks 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:49.940 so much, Dave. Hey, I want to take just a minute 00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:52.759 to ask you something really important. If you've 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:55.119 been impacted by this ministry, would you please 00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:57.519 pray about partnering with Living on the Edge 00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:01.160 in a new way right now? Nearly everything we 00:34:01.160 --> 00:34:03.799 do is dependent on contributions from partners 00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:06.619 like you. Our ability to reach people through 00:34:06.619 --> 00:34:10.480 radio, online, or our app, sharing and developing 00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:13.699 small group resources, providing broadcasts that 00:34:13.699 --> 00:34:15.820 are international in Asia and the Middle East 00:34:15.820 --> 00:34:19.320 and literally dark places around the globe. Please 00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:21.340 pray how you might be able to come alongside 00:34:21.340 --> 00:34:24.780 and be a partner to Living on the Edge. to help 00:34:24.780 --> 00:34:27.440 us reach people with the truth of God's word. 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:30.300 Thank you in advance for whatever God leads you 00:34:30.300 --> 00:34:33.130 to do. Thanks, Chip. As you've heard, God has 00:34:33.130 --> 00:34:35.369 called this ministry to help Christians live 00:34:35.369 --> 00:34:38.469 like Christians, both here in the U .S. and internationally. 00:34:38.969 --> 00:34:41.389 So if you'd like to help us fulfill that mission, 00:34:41.530 --> 00:34:43.849 we'd love to have you join the team by becoming 00:34:43.849 --> 00:34:47.030 a monthly partner. Set up a regular monthly gift 00:34:47.030 --> 00:34:50.349 by visiting livingontheedge .org or by calling 00:34:50.349 --> 00:34:58.090 888 -333 -6003. That's 888 -333 -6003 or go to 00:34:58.090 --> 00:35:08.360 livingontheedge .org. You see, as we learn today, 00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:12.380 it really is possible to see God, to know Him. 00:35:12.860 --> 00:35:17.199 Exhaustively? No. Accurately? Yes. How? By the 00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:21.429 Spirit of God dwelling in you. The Holy Spirit 00:35:21.429 --> 00:35:24.530 enlightened your mind so that you can understand 00:35:24.530 --> 00:35:28.530 and see God for who He is. That's why the first 00:35:28.530 --> 00:35:31.110 step to seeing God is becoming a believer or 00:35:31.110 --> 00:35:33.690 a follower in Christ. And then once you're in 00:35:33.690 --> 00:35:36.889 the family, this is so critical, you must get 00:35:36.889 --> 00:35:40.409 to know Him. You must see Him accurately. And 00:35:40.409 --> 00:35:42.829 we learned today there's three ways that God 00:35:42.829 --> 00:35:45.190 reveals Himself. Number one, through nature. 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:48.400 Number two, through his word, the Bible. And 00:35:48.400 --> 00:35:51.699 number three, through Jesus. So let me ask you, 00:35:51.780 --> 00:35:55.940 are you seeing God clearly? And if your immediate 00:35:55.940 --> 00:35:58.840 response is, well, I don't know. Gosh, I'm not 00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:01.820 sure. Well, let me ask you this. Are you in the 00:36:01.820 --> 00:36:04.780 Bible on a regular basis? I don't mean because 00:36:04.780 --> 00:36:08.119 you ought or should or you feel guilty. I mean, 00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:11.260 are you in the Bible with a heart that says, 00:36:11.539 --> 00:36:16.429 Lord, I want to know you? Holy Spirit, open my 00:36:16.429 --> 00:36:20.289 eyes. Let me see your glory and your love and 00:36:20.289 --> 00:36:23.949 your holiness and your kindness. Let me see you 00:36:23.949 --> 00:36:26.409 as you are. You see, being in the scriptures 00:36:26.409 --> 00:36:29.949 is critical. Second, and I'm making a little 00:36:29.949 --> 00:36:32.590 challenge here because I think we as evangelicals 00:36:32.590 --> 00:36:37.050 often miss this first one, nature. Are you spending 00:36:37.050 --> 00:36:41.829 any time, do you plan any time at all to look 00:36:41.829 --> 00:36:45.590 for God in nature, to catch his majesty and his 00:36:45.590 --> 00:36:48.369 beauty and his holiness. Just the other morning, 00:36:48.429 --> 00:36:50.550 I tend to get up a little bit early in the morning 00:36:50.550 --> 00:36:53.010 and so it's dark. And I got out and I opened 00:36:53.010 --> 00:36:55.030 my car door and I just started to get in and 00:36:55.030 --> 00:36:58.510 I glanced up. And when I glanced up, the moon 00:36:58.510 --> 00:37:01.190 was, I mean, awesome. And there were all these 00:37:01.190 --> 00:37:04.269 stars. And I did something I rarely do. I mean, 00:37:04.269 --> 00:37:06.929 it was 30 seconds. I shut the door. I leaned 00:37:06.929 --> 00:37:10.119 against my car. And I thought, the God who made 00:37:10.119 --> 00:37:12.940 all those stars made me. The God who has the 00:37:12.940 --> 00:37:15.539 power to call out the starry host one by one 00:37:15.539 --> 00:37:18.179 knows my name, knows what's going to happen today, 00:37:18.380 --> 00:37:22.239 and he loves me and has revealed himself to me 00:37:22.239 --> 00:37:25.639 through Christ. Can I encourage you? Why don't 00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:27.880 you take a walk in nature? If you're near the 00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:31.400 ocean, go look at it. Find something beautiful 00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:34.380 and remember that God wants to reveal himself 00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:38.179 to you. Seek him. That's a really practical step 00:37:38.179 --> 00:37:41.260 we can do today. Thanks, Chip. Well, from all 00:37:41.260 --> 00:37:43.260 of us here, I'm Dave Drewy, thanking you for 00:37:43.260 --> 00:37:45.659 listening to this edition of Living on the Edge, 00:37:45.739 --> 00:37:47.940 and I hope you'll join us again next time.