WEBVTT 00:00:01.229 --> 00:00:04.469 No matter how much you love God, we all blow 00:00:04.469 --> 00:00:07.389 it sometimes. And sometimes we blow it big time. 00:00:07.669 --> 00:00:10.470 Here's the question. How do you forgive yourself? 00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:13.650 You know that God will forgive you. But how do 00:00:13.650 --> 00:00:15.910 you forgive yourself when you've made a big mistake? 00:00:16.289 --> 00:00:18.589 We're going to learn that today. Stay with me. 00:00:21.969 --> 00:00:24.469 Thanks for listening to this edition of Living 00:00:24.469 --> 00:00:27.800 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an international 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:30.620 teaching and discipleship ministry that encourages 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:33.200 and equips Christians to live like Christians. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:35.799 And in just a minute, we'll wrap up our series, 00:00:35.979 --> 00:00:38.679 The Real God, How He Longs for You to See Him. 00:00:38.899 --> 00:00:41.640 We pray that as you've studied these seven essential 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:44.600 attributes of God, you've gained a better understanding 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:48.000 and appreciation for who He really is. So if 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.119 you need to go back to a message you missed or 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:52.299 want to listen to one you really enjoyed, you 00:00:52.299 --> 00:00:55.479 can catch up at livingontheedge .org or wherever 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:58.500 you listen to podcasts. Okay, here now is Chip 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:00.880 with the remainder of his message, The Faithfulness 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:05.159 of God. Johnny Erickson Tata is one of my heroes. 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:09.299 Some of you may know of her. She is a gal when 00:01:09.299 --> 00:01:11.620 she was young who thought the water was very 00:01:11.620 --> 00:01:13.760 deep and dove in and it was only about two feet. 00:01:13.900 --> 00:01:19.290 She's a quadriplegic. mouth, amazing pictures. 00:01:19.349 --> 00:01:21.930 She has a beautiful voice. I don't know her really 00:01:21.930 --> 00:01:24.430 well, but on a couple of occasions, I was speaking, 00:01:24.489 --> 00:01:26.250 and she was speaking, and you know, they have 00:01:26.250 --> 00:01:27.950 these green rooms, and you talk with the person 00:01:27.950 --> 00:01:30.370 who's going to speak next, and I can tell pretty 00:01:30.370 --> 00:01:34.329 quickly if people are legit. Man, is she legit. 00:01:36.469 --> 00:01:38.810 Something happened. I was supposed to speak, 00:01:38.829 --> 00:01:41.680 and It was at this big organization, and something 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:43.640 went upside down, and I realized I needed to 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:45.140 come up with a completely different message to 00:01:45.140 --> 00:01:47.239 help these people, and I was talking with her 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:50.659 about it just a bit. It was really interesting. 00:01:50.939 --> 00:01:54.099 Her perspective on life is so different. She 00:01:54.099 --> 00:01:55.840 said, you would think it'd get easier by now. 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:57.859 By then, she'd probably been paralyzed 30, 40 00:01:57.859 --> 00:02:00.239 years. She goes, every morning, I wake up, and 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:02.280 someone has to put on my makeup. Someone has 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:04.620 to bathe me. Someone has to put my clothes on 00:02:04.620 --> 00:02:08.240 me. And I just want to be discouraged. I want 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:09.699 to have a pity party. And I'm going to say, God, 00:02:09.740 --> 00:02:12.159 why me and all the rest? But then I realize that 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:14.460 power is perfected in weakness. And I say, oh, 00:02:14.500 --> 00:02:16.960 God, if you would give me just grace for today 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:19.180 to walk with you. And I do that every single 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:22.000 day. And it doesn't get any easier. And I thank 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:24.099 God that there's a heaven. And I will walk and 00:02:24.099 --> 00:02:27.139 I will play until that day comes. I'm going to 00:02:27.139 --> 00:02:30.539 ask him to take my weakness and cause his power 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:32.840 to be displayed. And I've been all over the world. 00:02:32.900 --> 00:02:35.659 And I meet people with wheelchairs. impacted 00:02:35.659 --> 00:02:38.759 by Johnny. God wants you and your weakness to 00:02:38.759 --> 00:02:43.180 know, I'll be faithful. Don't bail out. Don't 00:02:43.180 --> 00:02:46.919 take a cheap substitute. In your weakness, that's 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:50.340 when I'll draw you near. Second is when you're 00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:54.479 tempted. 1 Corinthians 10, verses 13 says, no 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:56.620 temptation has overtaken you, but as such is 00:02:56.620 --> 00:02:59.849 common to man. So anything that you're tempted 00:02:59.849 --> 00:03:02.289 in, everyone else has had it as well. Now notice 00:03:02.289 --> 00:03:05.189 this phrase. God is faithful who will not allow 00:03:05.189 --> 00:03:07.650 you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but 00:03:07.650 --> 00:03:11.550 with the temptation will provide a way of escape 00:03:11.550 --> 00:03:16.030 that you might be able to endure it. Two little 00:03:16.030 --> 00:03:19.289 points I want to make. You must understand the 00:03:19.289 --> 00:03:23.889 difference between temptation and sin. I meet 00:03:23.889 --> 00:03:26.379 people who... don't understand that and they 00:03:26.379 --> 00:03:28.580 live with shame and guilt over things that are 00:03:28.580 --> 00:03:30.740 just normal. In other words, if you're a guy, 00:03:30.819 --> 00:03:33.699 excuse me, ladies, but if you're a guy and an 00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:36.680 extremely attractive woman walks by with very 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:40.740 little on and you look at her and, oh, I can't 00:03:40.740 --> 00:03:44.240 believe I looked at her. If you're not a guy, 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:47.879 there's a reason. You're designed to be attracted 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.280 to that. Now, what you do with the second look 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:52.240 in your thoughts, now that's where sin comes 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:55.259 in. But to be attracted and feel like, oh, I've 00:03:55.259 --> 00:04:01.240 sinned because, wow, any more than if you were 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:04.360 a woman and you go to someone's house and they've 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:07.680 just remodeled their kitchen and they've re -landscaped 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:11.719 the backyard and you are tempted to be envious. 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:15.599 Right? It's just there's a thought like, oh, 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:18.779 my, oh, my. You haven't sinned. You're tempted. 00:04:19.539 --> 00:04:21.660 Okay, let me put it, okay, I want you to take, 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:24.220 here's a little shelf right here, okay? This 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:26.319 is all make -believe. I'm making this up so I 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:28.220 get to make up whatever I want. I want you to 00:04:28.220 --> 00:04:31.680 imagine that God has said to you, and a lot of 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:33.279 you don't need this, but probably some of us 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:35.980 do, is that you just, it's not God's will for 00:04:35.980 --> 00:04:38.060 everyone, but you are to be on a very strict 00:04:38.060 --> 00:04:41.660 diet, no chocolate. And here's a piece of chocolate 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:45.420 cake. I mean, it's like unbelievable, decadent, 00:04:45.420 --> 00:04:50.600 wicked chocolate. And so you happen to be in 00:04:50.600 --> 00:05:01.959 Costco. Temptation. Oh, I want that chocolate. 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.740 I want that chocolate. Are you giving out samples? 00:05:04.860 --> 00:05:07.079 Yes, would you like one? You're just tempted. 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:11.740 You love chocolate. It's a besetting sin. You 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:15.360 can't live without chocolate. No, no. Then you 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:21.120 come down another aisle. Right? Okay. You're 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.800 tempted. You haven't sinned. It just means there's 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:26.519 something that attracts you to make you want 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:28.660 to do something that, in this particular case, 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.100 you know for sure is not God's will. It won't 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:35.319 be good for you. Now, sin has just occurred. 00:05:35.980 --> 00:05:38.980 Now, I use chocolate cake because it's very benign. 00:05:40.220 --> 00:05:45.199 For some in this room, your besetting sin is 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:49.420 not chocolate. It's pornography. And you look 00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:54.540 for times to privately log on. For some of you, 00:05:54.600 --> 00:05:57.100 you have an eating disorder and you hide it. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.379 For others, it's shopping. And every time you 00:06:01.379 --> 00:06:03.620 feel a little blue, you're tempted to go spend 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:06.220 money you don't have and charge things. And by 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:08.259 the way, every besetting sin is always covered 00:06:08.259 --> 00:06:11.100 by something called lying. And that's the bigger 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:13.759 thing that happens. Then pretty soon, this discrepancy. 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:15.360 Because when we do things we know are wrong, 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.420 then these facades and lies come up. For others, 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:21.000 it's actually work. And then the denial is, I'm 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:23.360 doing it for my family. I need to work 85 hours. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:26.839 As you hear your mate say, we don't see you. 00:06:26.939 --> 00:06:31.500 And the kids wonder what's going on. And let 00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:34.060 me ask you, what's your piece of chocolate cake 00:06:34.060 --> 00:06:38.120 look like? What do you struggle with? For some, 00:06:38.139 --> 00:06:41.589 it's their body. You know, some guys, it's like 00:06:41.589 --> 00:06:43.569 really cold outside and they got a muscle shirt. 00:06:45.410 --> 00:06:47.389 Why? Well, if you're going to work that hard, 00:06:47.410 --> 00:06:51.949 you want to show it off. For others, it's their 00:06:51.949 --> 00:06:55.709 youth, their sex appeal. And the one surgery 00:06:55.709 --> 00:06:57.470 leads to another surgery, it leads to another 00:06:57.470 --> 00:07:00.110 surgery because somehow your identity is so wrapped 00:07:00.110 --> 00:07:02.509 up if you're not still beautiful. But, you know, 00:07:02.529 --> 00:07:04.490 40s, you can hang in there. 50s, it gets harder. 00:07:04.610 --> 00:07:13.860 60s, it's pretty tough. The lie is, and this 00:07:13.860 --> 00:07:17.579 is throughout the church, is not just that you're 00:07:17.579 --> 00:07:22.240 tempted. God promises you don't have to cave 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.339 in, but you've tried and failed and tried and 00:07:24.339 --> 00:07:25.899 failed and tried and failed and tried and failed. 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:29.480 Willpower won't work. He says there isn't a temptation, 00:07:29.699 --> 00:07:32.300 and the lies are, this is just mine. It's unique. 00:07:32.379 --> 00:07:34.560 It's my family background. It's the way I'm wired. 00:07:34.699 --> 00:07:37.480 I can't help myself. Liar, liar, pants on fire. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:41.829 Not true. There is faithfulness that can allow 00:07:41.829 --> 00:07:45.810 you to break free from that. It gets even better. 00:07:47.149 --> 00:07:49.689 When you take the bite of your chocolate, and 00:07:49.689 --> 00:07:51.269 in your mind, I want you to think what it is. 00:07:52.430 --> 00:07:54.670 Because I think I left out the prescription drug 00:07:54.670 --> 00:07:57.430 people and the second, third, and fourth glass 00:07:57.430 --> 00:08:00.430 of wine people. You're just a functioning alcoholic. 00:08:02.089 --> 00:08:05.370 And people have talked to you about it. And by 00:08:05.370 --> 00:08:07.970 the way, my prayer before we started, for me 00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:11.610 and for you, Almighty God, Holy Spirit, will 00:08:11.610 --> 00:08:14.850 you peel back the layers of denial? Would you 00:08:14.850 --> 00:08:17.410 cause us to see ourselves for who we really are 00:08:17.410 --> 00:08:20.009 instead of all the excuses and all the denial 00:08:20.009 --> 00:08:22.610 and all the ways that we've somehow been able 00:08:22.610 --> 00:08:25.009 to live these lives of duplicity? Because if 00:08:25.009 --> 00:08:27.050 you don't get real and if you don't own it, if 00:08:27.050 --> 00:08:28.850 you don't say, that's my chocolate, that's my 00:08:28.850 --> 00:08:31.149 besetting sin, that's my struggle, and there's 00:08:31.149 --> 00:08:35.399 a way out, then you don't change. And then you 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:37.740 receive the consequences of your behavior and 00:08:37.740 --> 00:08:41.159 it breaks your heavenly father's heart. But even 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:44.600 when you blow it, when you sin, here's God's 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:47.840 faithfulness. If you confess your sin, 1 John 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:51.080 1, 9, he is, are you ready? Here's our word, 00:08:51.100 --> 00:08:55.659 faithful and just to forgive you your sin and 00:08:55.659 --> 00:09:00.419 not just that, but to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:03.919 See, once you take the chocolate, and you've 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:06.019 logged on one more time, and you've spent money 00:09:06.019 --> 00:09:07.679 that you don't have, and you took the vacation 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:09.539 because it made you feel better, and then when 00:09:09.539 --> 00:09:12.799 you've posed and gossiped about someone else 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:16.019 because somehow saying untrue things or shaded 00:09:16.019 --> 00:09:17.840 things about someone else puts them down and 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:19.299 makes you feel better out of the envy in your 00:09:19.299 --> 00:09:22.919 heart. We all do these things. Then you feel 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:25.039 such shame, especially if it comes to light. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:28.200 And he says, I'm faithful. I'll help you in your 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:29.960 weakness. I'll help you when you're tempted. 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:32.879 When you are biting the chocolate like this, 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:37.899 If you'll come clean and say, oh, God, I agree 00:09:37.899 --> 00:09:39.539 with you. That's what the word confess means. 00:09:39.620 --> 00:09:43.700 I agree with you. This is wrong. Would you forgive 00:09:43.700 --> 00:09:49.379 me? Jesus said, well, that's why I died. And 00:09:49.379 --> 00:09:51.500 I want to forgive you, and I want to cleanse 00:09:51.500 --> 00:09:53.940 you, and I want to put you on a new path. In 00:09:53.940 --> 00:09:56.600 fact, it gets so radical. This is a God that 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:59.679 I don't think most Christians know. I think most 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:02.269 Christians are living with sort of a... A healthy 00:10:02.269 --> 00:10:04.929 dose of sin management. You know, I don't think 00:10:04.929 --> 00:10:06.710 I'm sinning quite as bad as other people and 00:10:06.710 --> 00:10:08.070 I'm doing this and I'm doing this and of course 00:10:08.070 --> 00:10:09.590 the scripture says this and I know it's a violation 00:10:09.590 --> 00:10:11.970 but everyone else is doing it and I think if 00:10:11.970 --> 00:10:13.509 I only do it at these times in these certain 00:10:13.509 --> 00:10:15.889 ways and you live with this God consciousness 00:10:15.889 --> 00:10:18.309 over here and this blatant things that you know 00:10:18.309 --> 00:10:20.429 are wrong over here and it's just duplicity. 00:10:21.909 --> 00:10:25.250 And it tears at your soul and it embarrasses 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:29.129 the reputation of God. But even if you go beyond 00:10:29.659 --> 00:10:33.340 weakness and temptation and sin to, I mean, just 00:10:33.340 --> 00:10:37.120 failure like I'm done. Notice what the scripture 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:40.159 says about this wonderful great God that takes 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:44.179 messed up people like this and is faithful to 00:10:44.179 --> 00:10:45.960 change them from the inside out. And by the way, 00:10:45.980 --> 00:10:48.799 that picture, there's other pictures coming and 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:51.279 I would have new stories about other issues and 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:53.480 struggles that we will have because we will arrive 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:55.460 when we see Jesus face to face just like you. 00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:00.159 2 Timothy chapter 2 says, it is a trustworthy 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:02.879 statement that if we died with him, we'll also 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:05.720 live with him. If we endure, we'll also reign 00:11:05.720 --> 00:11:08.679 with him. If we deny him, he'll deny us. Did 00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:11.639 you get the parallelism? We've died with Christ 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:14.360 in belief and baptism. We're going to live with 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:18.659 him. We endure. Even if we're persecuted, we're 00:11:18.659 --> 00:11:20.879 going to reign. There's a reward. If we deny 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:24.519 him by our behavior, by our actions, he'll deny 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:26.629 us. You know, when you're not walking with God, 00:11:26.710 --> 00:11:30.090 he doesn't give you peace. His blessing is not 00:11:30.090 --> 00:11:33.870 on your life. He keeps wooing you, but if we 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:39.129 deny him, he'll deny us. If we are faithless, 00:11:39.309 --> 00:11:44.250 he remains faithful. I mean, you would think 00:11:44.250 --> 00:11:46.950 it's do, do, do, do, do, should be, and no, no, 00:11:46.950 --> 00:11:51.250 no, no. When you're faithless, I mean. I mean, 00:11:51.250 --> 00:11:53.570 when your whole spiritual engine breaks down 00:11:53.570 --> 00:11:57.350 and you've messed up beyond just sin, you are 00:11:57.350 --> 00:11:59.669 running away from God and you think there's no 00:11:59.669 --> 00:12:02.330 hope. You're in a black hole and you think God 00:12:02.330 --> 00:12:04.370 could never, ever, ever. And part of you, your 00:12:04.370 --> 00:12:06.190 heart's getting so hard, you don't even care 00:12:06.190 --> 00:12:07.909 and you're running away. When you're faithless, 00:12:07.950 --> 00:12:11.710 are you ready for this? He remains faithful. 00:12:12.690 --> 00:12:14.990 Why? Because he can't deny himself. It's his 00:12:14.990 --> 00:12:18.610 character. You're listening to Living on the 00:12:18.610 --> 00:12:21.590 Edge. We'll get back to our series The Real God 00:12:21.590 --> 00:12:24.049 in just a minute. But first, if this teaching 00:12:24.049 --> 00:12:26.909 has ministered to you, consider becoming a monthly 00:12:26.909 --> 00:12:29.669 partner. Your regular financial support goes 00:12:29.669 --> 00:12:32.470 a long way to help us encourage pastors, create 00:12:32.470 --> 00:12:35.509 resources, and share Jesus with today's youth. 00:12:35.830 --> 00:12:39.429 Visit livingontheedge .org to learn how to support 00:12:39.429 --> 00:12:43.330 us. Well, with that, here again is Chip. This 00:12:43.330 --> 00:12:45.610 may come as a surprise to those of you that don't 00:12:45.610 --> 00:12:47.490 know me very well, but I grew up in a church 00:12:47.490 --> 00:12:50.629 that was huge hypocrisy. We didn't use the Bible, 00:12:50.710 --> 00:12:52.070 but I knew that I didn't want anything to do 00:12:52.070 --> 00:12:54.070 with God or people who said they were Christians. 00:12:56.289 --> 00:12:58.769 But I was a basketball junkie, and I went to 00:12:58.769 --> 00:13:01.769 a camp, and I saw people live it out, and they 00:13:01.769 --> 00:13:03.710 gave me a Bible, and I realized I rejected it, 00:13:03.750 --> 00:13:08.110 but I'd never read it. So I said, God, if you're 00:13:08.110 --> 00:13:10.570 real, literally. I got a yellow pad out. God, 00:13:10.669 --> 00:13:12.490 if you're real, prove it. I'll read the New Testament. 00:13:14.250 --> 00:13:18.070 Memo, he is. But I was in the faith for two years, 00:13:18.129 --> 00:13:21.529 and I had a besetting sin. It was lust. And praise 00:13:21.529 --> 00:13:24.149 God, there was not the internet. There was four 00:13:24.149 --> 00:13:27.110 girls to every guy on our campus. And, you know, 00:13:27.129 --> 00:13:29.250 first it was behavior, and then I started to 00:13:29.250 --> 00:13:31.879 grow, and then it was... some actions in my speech. 00:13:31.940 --> 00:13:33.679 Then it was my thought life. And, you know, I'd 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:35.299 sit around a table with the basketball team. 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:37.559 And if you know what locker rooms, I just, and 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:39.700 I just, God, I'm sorry. I said that. I'll never 00:13:39.700 --> 00:13:41.419 say that again. God, last night on that date, 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:42.980 I did this. I'll never do that again. God, I'm 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:45.700 sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Next day, next week, 00:13:45.740 --> 00:13:49.100 next day, next week, next week. I just, and I 00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:52.679 just like, I said, I'm sorry 5 ,000 times and 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:54.679 went back and did the same thing over and over 00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:59.000 and over. Can anyone identify with your chocolate 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:03.389 cake? And so, you know, I thought I was taking 00:14:03.389 --> 00:14:05.210 the high road. I thought, well, you know what? 00:14:05.250 --> 00:14:06.950 I can't live this life, but I'm not going to 00:14:06.950 --> 00:14:08.750 be like the people in my church. So, literally, 00:14:08.830 --> 00:14:13.370 I quit. I had a Bible, and I had one little poster 00:14:13.370 --> 00:14:17.049 in my dorm that said, to the glory of God. I, 00:14:17.070 --> 00:14:19.370 you know, had masking tape behind it. I pulled 00:14:19.370 --> 00:14:22.389 it down, folded it, stuck my Bible in the poster, 00:14:22.490 --> 00:14:26.850 and this is Chip Ingram turning in my jersey. 00:14:27.250 --> 00:14:30.149 I'm done. I quit the Christian life. I can't 00:14:30.149 --> 00:14:34.490 live it, so I'm not trying. I'm done. That afternoon, 00:14:34.590 --> 00:14:36.230 I'm walking across campus, and a verse comes 00:14:36.230 --> 00:14:42.049 to my mind. Oh, my gosh. Hello? We got a communication 00:14:42.049 --> 00:14:43.789 problem here. Didn't make it all the way up the 00:14:43.789 --> 00:14:47.830 throne. I'm done. I turned in my jersey. I don't 00:14:47.830 --> 00:14:50.610 pray. I don't read. I'm not trying to be moral 00:14:50.610 --> 00:14:55.009 anymore. Okay? Okay. Next day, some Christian. 00:14:55.529 --> 00:14:57.490 Hey, how are you doing? What's going on? Oh, 00:14:57.490 --> 00:14:59.789 my gosh. You haven't heard. I quit the Christian 00:14:59.789 --> 00:15:02.070 life. I don't want your encouragement. I don't 00:15:02.070 --> 00:15:04.909 want to go to Bible study. Leave me alone. The 00:15:04.909 --> 00:15:08.370 next day, God just wouldn't leave me alone. When 00:15:08.370 --> 00:15:10.850 I sinned, it was just like when I was a non -Christian, 00:15:10.950 --> 00:15:13.929 I sinned. It was just fun. I had a little bit 00:15:13.929 --> 00:15:16.549 of guilt, not much. But after I became a Christian, 00:15:16.669 --> 00:15:19.190 the Holy Spirit comes inside of you, and you 00:15:19.190 --> 00:15:22.590 grieve the Spirit. You break God's heart, and 00:15:22.590 --> 00:15:25.610 it hurts. Now, you can sear it over time. But 00:15:25.610 --> 00:15:27.730 I was breaking God's heart. And so I would sin 00:15:27.730 --> 00:15:29.730 and I had that same conviction. And it was like, 00:15:29.769 --> 00:15:32.029 Chip, do you remember when you prayed to receive 00:15:32.029 --> 00:15:33.809 Christ and became a follower of Jesus? Yeah, 00:15:33.929 --> 00:15:36.590 yeah, yeah. Remember that verse, Revelation 3 00:15:36.590 --> 00:15:39.610 .20? Yeah. Remember it said, behold, I, Jesus, 00:15:39.669 --> 00:15:42.009 stand at the door and knock. If any man or any 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:43.809 woman would open the door of your heart, I would 00:15:43.809 --> 00:15:46.950 come in and live with you and eat with you. And 00:15:46.950 --> 00:15:48.350 you would have a new life and we would go on 00:15:48.350 --> 00:15:50.389 together. Yeah. Well, didn't you open the door? 00:15:50.470 --> 00:15:54.820 Yeah. Well, I came in. You can keep. Try to not 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:57.559 keep your word, but I can't violate my word. 00:15:58.220 --> 00:16:01.620 I said I would come in. Now, I may bring the 00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:03.820 velvet vice of consequences. Life can get harder 00:16:03.820 --> 00:16:06.039 and harder and harder and harder and harder until 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:08.139 I get your attention. In fact, in scriptures, 00:16:08.299 --> 00:16:09.860 there's some genuine believers that God takes 00:16:09.860 --> 00:16:12.460 home early because they just get so hard -hearted. 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:17.580 Because I'm your dad. I love you. Even when you're 00:16:17.580 --> 00:16:20.080 faithless, I'm faithful because I cannot deny 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:23.379 myself. Wouldn't you like to go through life 00:16:23.379 --> 00:16:26.299 with a friend like that? Wouldn't you want to 00:16:26.299 --> 00:16:28.340 go through life with someone that when you're 00:16:28.340 --> 00:16:30.320 tempted and when you're weak and when you sin 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:33.460 and when you just fail, that would say, come 00:16:33.460 --> 00:16:37.419 unto me. Let me love you. Let me restore you. 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:41.059 I'd like you to think about what you're going 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:43.179 to do with your life as we close this series. 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:46.600 I'd like you to really think about what it is 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:49.539 going to look like for you to say to God, I'm 00:16:49.539 --> 00:16:53.259 going to own my stuff. No more double life. It's 00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:55.259 going to be a little bit scary. But I'm going 00:16:55.259 --> 00:17:00.120 to pursue making Christ and knowing Him the number 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:04.140 one priority. And family and work and hobbies 00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:08.619 and money and plans will revolve around, I want 00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:11.240 to do life the way that would honor and please 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:15.099 you. And all I can tell you is, it's the life 00:17:15.099 --> 00:17:18.380 that's truly life. There's three things you need 00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:19.940 to do. Would you get out your pen and jot them 00:17:19.940 --> 00:17:23.200 down? Number one, put your past behind you today. 00:17:24.220 --> 00:17:27.500 Take out your chocolate cake issue. Bring it 00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:30.480 before God. Confess it and tell him, I'm done 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.079 with this. I'm going to ask you to forgive it. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:35.079 I'm going to own it. I'm putting it behind me. 00:17:35.700 --> 00:17:38.980 And his promise is, I'm your friend. I have to 00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:41.000 tell you, I bet the first 10 years that I was 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:43.240 a Christian, I knew intellectually that God loved 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:45.720 me. I knew I had a saving relationship with him. 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:48.119 I knew he loved me, but I didn't think he liked 00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:52.460 me very much. Do you think he likes you? What 00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:56.160 are friends like? In my weakest moments or when 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:58.000 I've been with a friend who's really hurting 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.480 and they start to cry, I don't cross my arms 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:02.960 and say, gonna be a big boy, stop crying. What 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:05.180 do we do? What do you do with people that you 00:18:05.180 --> 00:18:07.440 really love? You cry with them. And then you 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:10.200 say something like, hey, I get it. I know your 00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:12.799 wife left you. Or I get it. You know, it's been 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:15.980 12 years. You've been off meth and you lapsed. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:19.859 We are going to make it through this. Isn't that 00:18:19.859 --> 00:18:22.119 what friends do? You've got one that will never 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:26.059 leave you. Second, bring your present problems, 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:29.819 pains, and failures to Jesus today. I think there's 00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:33.599 some of us that we know him, but it's by grace 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:35.880 we've been saved and by our effort we're going 00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:40.740 to mature. You need to bring the troubled marriage, 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:44.660 the struggle, the attitude, the resentment, anything 00:18:44.660 --> 00:18:47.779 in your life, one of your kids, your frustration 00:18:47.779 --> 00:18:50.700 with being single, and Jesus would say, today, 00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:54.779 let's start new. Come unto me, all of you, that 00:18:54.779 --> 00:18:56.819 labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:00.859 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I'm 00:19:00.859 --> 00:19:05.279 gentle, humble in heart. You'll find rest for 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:09.400 your soul. My burden is easy. He's not down on 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.599 you. But it's a picture of two oxen, and the 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:15.180 yoke is the thing that connects them both. He 00:19:15.180 --> 00:19:18.519 says, we have to do life together. It's not about 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.279 read the Bible and pray to earn any God's favor. 00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:24.700 It's listen to me. Let me help you. Let me bring 00:19:24.700 --> 00:19:28.019 people into your life. But you have to take your 00:19:28.019 --> 00:19:30.440 neck and say, I want to get hooked up and do 00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:34.279 life with you, Jesus. And then finally, you place 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:37.619 your hope. For the future and the one that will 00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:41.460 never let you down. Jeremiah writes, cursed is 00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:43.380 the one who trusts in man, who draws strength 00:19:43.380 --> 00:19:46.420 from mere flesh, and whose heart turns away from 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:49.680 the Lord. Notice he goes on to say, but blessed 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.180 is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence 00:19:52.180 --> 00:19:55.299 is in him. And then notice the rest of this verse. 00:19:55.500 --> 00:19:58.119 It's like a tree planted by the streams of water, 00:19:58.220 --> 00:20:01.359 and its leaves are green. In other words, circumstances 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:04.579 don't have the power to make your life. or break 00:20:04.579 --> 00:20:08.259 your life. Put your hope in Christ, and the only 00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:10.900 way to do that is you've got to get to know His 00:20:10.900 --> 00:20:13.700 Word, and you have to connect with people, and 00:20:13.700 --> 00:20:16.839 you have to recognize you can't live this life, 00:20:17.019 --> 00:20:22.900 but Christ can live it through you. You're listening 00:20:22.900 --> 00:20:25.839 to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and the 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:28.500 message you just heard, the faithfulness of God, 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:31.980 is from our series, The Real God. Chip will join 00:20:31.980 --> 00:20:34.339 us in studio to share some insights from today's 00:20:34.339 --> 00:20:38.240 talk in just a minute. You know, we've all unintentionally 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:40.759 projected some of humanity's worst qualities 00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:44.420 onto our Creator. Many view God as moody, weak, 00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:48.000 unfair, impatient, and merciless. But those ideas 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.789 couldn't be further from the truth. Through this 00:20:50.789 --> 00:20:53.369 series, Chip walked through key Bible passages 00:20:53.369 --> 00:20:56.569 revealing seven fundamental characteristics of 00:20:56.569 --> 00:20:59.069 our Heavenly Father, attributes that reflect 00:20:59.069 --> 00:21:02.390 the very essence of His divine nature. We pray 00:21:02.390 --> 00:21:04.930 this study has reshaped your perspective of God 00:21:04.930 --> 00:21:07.369 and deepened your relationship with Him like 00:21:07.369 --> 00:21:10.349 never before. Let me encourage you to go back 00:21:10.349 --> 00:21:13.069 and revisit any part of this series by going 00:21:13.069 --> 00:21:17.210 to livingontheedge .org. That's livingontheedge 00:21:17.210 --> 00:21:22.259 .org. Well, with that, here again is Chip. Thanks, 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.799 Dave. You know, God's Word is foundational to 00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:28.940 everything, but simply hearing the Word of God 00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:31.539 isn't enough. And at Living on the Edge a number 00:21:31.539 --> 00:21:33.519 of years ago, we realized that we were teaching 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:36.299 millions of people, but we really didn't give 00:21:36.299 --> 00:21:38.740 them a chance to get into small groups. And we 00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:41.500 took this leap of faith and we said, let's create 00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:43.519 small group resources. And Chip, why don't you 00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:46.059 actually lead it on video so they don't just 00:21:46.059 --> 00:21:48.819 hear something and then turn it off? Fast forward, 00:21:48.940 --> 00:21:52.279 we have about 25 small group resources, and here's 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:56.019 what I know. Life change happens in small groups. 00:21:56.440 --> 00:21:58.619 When you have a heart -to -heart relationship, 00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:02.220 when there's accountability, when you hear God's 00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:04.680 Word, and then you talk about it, and then you 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:07.200 share, and then you pray for one another, and 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:09.380 then you have a meal together, and then when 00:22:09.380 --> 00:22:12.220 you're hurting or when you blow it, there's people 00:22:12.220 --> 00:22:15.099 there for you. That's how life change really 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:19.039 occurs. I've heard from a lot of people the difference 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:22.299 it made in their life, and I think back to those 00:22:22.299 --> 00:22:25.880 who came before, who gave us the money to create 00:22:25.880 --> 00:22:29.160 the small group resources. Could I ask you very 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:31.980 directly, will you financially partner with us? 00:22:32.059 --> 00:22:36.480 Go to livingontheedge .org, that's livingontheedge, 00:22:36.500 --> 00:22:40.720 all one word, .org, and make a gift and help 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.920 us create small groups for life transformation. 00:22:43.609 --> 00:22:45.529 Thanks, Chip. Well, if you'd like to help us 00:22:45.529 --> 00:22:47.769 minister to countless people through our small 00:22:47.769 --> 00:22:50.650 group resources, can I encourage you to prayerfully 00:22:50.650 --> 00:22:53.470 consider becoming a monthly partner? When you 00:22:53.470 --> 00:22:55.750 give a consistent gift to Living on the Edge, 00:22:55.869 --> 00:22:58.549 you help us plan and produce these impactful 00:22:58.549 --> 00:23:01.930 tools. You can partner with us on a monthly basis 00:23:01.930 --> 00:23:05.789 by going to livingontheedge .org or by calling 00:23:05.789 --> 00:23:15.269 888 - That's 888 -333 -6003 or visit livingontheedge 00:23:15.269 --> 00:23:19.509 .org. App listeners, tap donate. Well, thanks 00:23:19.509 --> 00:23:21.890 for giving whatever the Lord leads you to give. 00:23:22.170 --> 00:23:24.750 Well, with that, here's Chip to give his final 00:23:24.750 --> 00:23:28.130 application to wrap up this series. As you listen 00:23:28.130 --> 00:23:31.349 to today's program, I can imagine that many of 00:23:31.349 --> 00:23:34.390 you were thinking about the issues that you struggled 00:23:34.390 --> 00:23:36.890 with in your life, times when you've utterly 00:23:36.890 --> 00:23:39.410 failed or possibly where you're at right now. 00:23:39.670 --> 00:23:42.029 And so I want to end the program, and I want 00:23:42.029 --> 00:23:45.190 to slow things down, and I want to help you respond 00:23:45.190 --> 00:23:48.230 to God's faithfulness. I want to be very simple. 00:23:48.289 --> 00:23:50.960 I want to be very direct. I want you to listen 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:54.339 very, very carefully and then put into practice 00:23:54.339 --> 00:23:57.920 the specific action step that we talk about that's 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:01.420 right for you. How do you respond to God's faithfulness? 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:05.700 Number one, put your past behind you today. God 00:24:05.700 --> 00:24:08.960 promises that if we confess our sins, he is faithful 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:12.759 and just. He will forgive us and cleanse us of 00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:15.200 all unrighteousness. You may need to do that 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:18.720 today. Come to him, confess your sins, own it. 00:24:18.910 --> 00:24:22.390 and ask for forgiveness. Number two, bring your 00:24:22.390 --> 00:24:26.250 present problems, your pain, and your failures 00:24:26.250 --> 00:24:30.049 to Jesus today. Just come. Tell him right now. 00:24:30.109 --> 00:24:33.410 Find a window of time today and unload all that 00:24:33.410 --> 00:24:35.769 you're feeling, all that you're struggling, and 00:24:35.769 --> 00:24:39.970 turn them over to him. Third, place your hope 00:24:39.970 --> 00:24:42.329 for the future in the one who will never let 00:24:42.329 --> 00:24:45.039 you down. Tell God it's not going to be another 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:47.240 person. It's not going to be a job. It's not 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:49.519 going to be a change in your circumstances. Tell 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:53.579 the Lord Jesus, I want you to be my future. I'm 00:24:53.579 --> 00:24:57.400 putting my hope in you and you alone. And ask 00:24:57.400 --> 00:24:59.660 him for the strength and the grace to show you 00:24:59.660 --> 00:25:03.039 what that looks like. And then number four, tell 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:06.440 someone each day how God has been faithful to 00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:09.000 you. Let's get the perspective off of what's 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:11.150 not happening. And let's get the perspective 00:25:11.150 --> 00:25:15.470 onto what God is doing. Lord, only you know what's 00:25:15.470 --> 00:25:17.410 going on in the minds and the hearts of people 00:25:17.410 --> 00:25:20.009 as they hear my voice. But you know the pain. 00:25:20.009 --> 00:25:21.589 You know the struggles. You know the fractured 00:25:21.589 --> 00:25:23.710 marriages. You know what it's like to live with 00:25:23.710 --> 00:25:26.069 moms and dads that aren't getting along and what 00:25:26.069 --> 00:25:28.089 it's like to find out that someone you love has 00:25:28.089 --> 00:25:31.210 cancer. Father, you understand the pain of losing 00:25:31.210 --> 00:25:35.109 a job. And so right now, as people struggle with 00:25:35.109 --> 00:25:38.230 multiple issues, I pray that you would reveal 00:25:38.230 --> 00:25:41.170 that in the midst of their lowest points, you 00:25:41.170 --> 00:25:44.190 will not and you cannot change, that you'll be 00:25:44.190 --> 00:25:47.490 faithful. Draw your people to you today by the 00:25:47.490 --> 00:25:50.109 power of the Holy Spirit and give them hope. 00:25:50.470 --> 00:25:56.140 In Jesus' name, amen. Amen and amen. thanks chip 00:25:56.140 --> 00:25:58.700 and in case you missed some of the points chip 00:25:58.700 --> 00:26:01.140 just reviewed they're pulled straight from his 00:26:01.140 --> 00:26:04.220 message notes a tool available for every program 00:26:04.220 --> 00:26:06.900 so get this resource before you listen to us 00:26:06.900 --> 00:26:09.759 again chip's notes include his outline all of 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:12.259 the scripture references and lots of fill -ins 00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:14.900 to help you remember what you're learning Download 00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:19.000 them at livingontheedge .org under the Broadcasts 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:23.200 tab. App listeners, just tap Fill in Notes. Well, 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:25.279 from all of us here, I'm Dave Drewy, thanking 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:27.519 you for listening to this edition of Living on 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:29.980 the Edge, and I hope you'll join us again next 00:26:29.980 --> 00:26:30.279 time.