WEBVTT 00:00:11.789 --> 00:00:14.949 Are you bored? I mean, are you just flat tired 00:00:14.949 --> 00:00:17.329 of what life has been offering you? Have you 00:00:17.329 --> 00:00:19.329 ever noticed that our world is on an all -out, 00:00:19.350 --> 00:00:21.929 no -holes -barred pursuit of activities that 00:00:21.929 --> 00:00:24.309 numb our senses to keep us from experiencing 00:00:24.309 --> 00:00:27.750 boredom? Now how would you like to overcome boredom 00:00:27.750 --> 00:00:31.589 and find real fulfillment? Sound good? It's possible. 00:00:31.750 --> 00:00:33.630 Stick around and we'll talk about what it takes. 00:00:36.049 --> 00:00:38.770 Tired of the endless pursuit of new things that 00:00:38.770 --> 00:00:41.759 promise fulfillment but deliver emptiness? Today 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:44.679 on Living on the Edge, Chip Ingram exposes our 00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:47.179 culture's desperate attempt to avoid boredom 00:00:47.179 --> 00:00:49.340 through constant entertainment and distraction. 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:52.719 But here's what most people don't realize. Boredom 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:55.799 isn't your enemy. It's actually God's gift, a 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:58.439 divine tap on the shoulder, reminding you that 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:01.359 you're an eternal being trying to satisfy yourself 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:04.579 with temporary things. Here's Chip Ingram with 00:01:04.579 --> 00:01:08.420 how to overcome boredom and the blues. Webster 00:01:08.420 --> 00:01:11.079 says boredom is the condition of becoming weary 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:15.159 by dull, uninteresting, or monotonous activity 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:20.439 or focus. It's trying to get satisfied with something, 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:22.579 and then after you try it for a while, it doesn't 00:01:22.579 --> 00:01:24.799 satisfy, so you try something else, and then 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:27.819 things just get dull. If you don't think we're 00:01:27.819 --> 00:01:30.379 a culture that struggles with boredom, consider 00:01:30.379 --> 00:01:34.099 the word amusement and the multi -billion dollar 00:01:34.099 --> 00:01:35.939 industry. You know what the word muse means? 00:01:36.140 --> 00:01:38.469 It means to think. You know what amusement means? 00:01:38.650 --> 00:01:41.590 Not to think. We have amusement parks, video, 00:01:41.930 --> 00:01:45.510 TV, vacations, bungee jumping, thrill -seeking, 00:01:45.670 --> 00:01:48.530 adrenaline riding. We have people that the highlight 00:01:48.530 --> 00:01:52.909 of their week is when one of their favorite authors 00:01:52.909 --> 00:01:56.310 writes a new fictional novel. We're a culture 00:01:56.310 --> 00:02:01.090 that lives vicariously. We are so bored. We are 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:04.069 so empty when it gets down to what matters. We 00:02:04.069 --> 00:02:07.049 vicariously live through rock stars and sports 00:02:07.049 --> 00:02:10.490 figures and romance novels and the latest movie. 00:02:10.569 --> 00:02:12.530 We have to line up and we have to get there first 00:02:12.530 --> 00:02:15.110 because in the office or we want to talk about 00:02:15.110 --> 00:02:19.969 what? Fictitious people in made up stories who 00:02:19.969 --> 00:02:22.710 live in Southern California, whose lives don't 00:02:22.710 --> 00:02:26.030 work, who they paint up after surgery to put 00:02:26.030 --> 00:02:28.550 on pretend lives that we pay seven bucks a ticket 00:02:28.550 --> 00:02:34.009 to watch. You tell me we're not bored. We're 00:02:34.009 --> 00:02:38.210 bored. Why are we bored? I'd like to suggest 00:02:38.210 --> 00:02:41.990 something. I'd like to suggest that boredom is 00:02:41.990 --> 00:02:45.930 the inevitable result of seeking an infinite 00:02:45.930 --> 00:02:52.030 reference point in a finite object. It's a matter 00:02:52.030 --> 00:02:55.129 of trying to find significance in things and 00:02:55.129 --> 00:02:59.580 in people that can only offer success. Boredom 00:02:59.580 --> 00:03:03.000 is what happens when the new wears off. You're 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:05.180 in a new relationship. Oh, this is so exciting. 00:03:06.219 --> 00:03:09.800 And then what? You get a new car. Wow. And then 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:13.639 what? Get a new house. It's your dream. And then 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:20.319 what? Then it's repairs, fixing it up, working 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:25.659 through dysfunctional backgrounds. And what I've 00:03:25.659 --> 00:03:28.159 observed is that the boredom and the blues go 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:31.919 hand in hand. The blues, kind of that low feeling 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:35.699 of life doesn't really matter, is the emotional 00:03:35.699 --> 00:03:39.199 baggage of boredom. The blues comes when that 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:42.639 inner voice in your heart and mind says, this 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:44.439 is the next hill to take. This is what you're 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:46.680 going to do with your life. And this inner voice 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:51.979 says, been there, done that. And then you awaken 00:03:51.979 --> 00:03:55.979 to the reality. that the next venture will only 00:03:55.979 --> 00:03:59.379 yield more of the same. You see, there's a vicious 00:03:59.379 --> 00:04:03.639 cycle. It's new venture, excitement, challenge, 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:07.979 growth, plateau, boredom, then the blues. And 00:04:07.979 --> 00:04:10.139 so you say, well, that must not be it. New venture, 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.259 excitement, growth, challenge, plateau, boredom, 00:04:14.259 --> 00:04:16.259 and the blues. Well, that must not be the right 00:04:16.259 --> 00:04:19.439 person. I'll try someone else. Excitement, growth, 00:04:19.740 --> 00:04:24.480 challenge, venture. It's a vicious cycle. It's 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:27.040 a vicious, vicious cycle. You know, some people 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:30.199 spend 70, 80 years and never figure this out. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:36.420 Like little hamsters in big cages running faster 00:04:36.420 --> 00:04:40.860 and faster, changing colors, never going anywhere. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:46.980 Could boredom, in fact, be a gift in disguise? 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:51.019 I'd like to suggest that boredom, this... sense 00:04:51.019 --> 00:04:53.360 of not being able to get satisfied in this life 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:56.579 is God's gentle reminder that we are spiritual 00:04:56.579 --> 00:05:01.420 beings made for not only time but eternity. That's 00:05:01.420 --> 00:05:05.060 why we're bored. Boredom is the natural result 00:05:05.060 --> 00:05:10.279 of seeking to scratch an eternal itch with temporal 00:05:10.279 --> 00:05:14.759 things. They just can't do it. In fact, boredom 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:19.990 tells us that the object of our worship isn't 00:05:19.990 --> 00:05:23.490 big enough or great enough to be worshipped. 00:05:23.990 --> 00:05:26.230 You can worship success, and once you get it, 00:05:26.269 --> 00:05:29.029 it gets small. You can worship a person, you 00:05:29.029 --> 00:05:32.350 get it. It's not what you expected. You can think 00:05:32.350 --> 00:05:35.529 if you raise this family this way, then it happens. 00:05:37.110 --> 00:05:39.769 If you can get this job, if you can drive this 00:05:39.769 --> 00:05:42.930 car, if you can score on this test, if you can 00:05:42.930 --> 00:05:46.269 get into this college, and then once you get 00:05:46.269 --> 00:05:50.240 it, if you happen to. See, I think those of you 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:52.639 that happen to be successful are really fortunate. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.279 See, if you're successful, then you actually 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:00.160 learn it doesn't come through. Some of us that 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.060 fail a lot in a lot of those areas are still 00:06:02.060 --> 00:06:07.620 believing that we can. God's answer to boredom, 00:06:07.620 --> 00:06:11.819 interesting, is authentic worship. The great 00:06:11.819 --> 00:06:14.779 theologian Augustine wrote, This was after he 00:06:14.779 --> 00:06:19.360 sought meaning in a wild, wild life, seeking 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:22.699 pleasure in everything imaginable. Augustine 00:06:22.699 --> 00:06:25.620 wrote, God has placed a God -shaped vacuum in 00:06:25.620 --> 00:06:30.879 every heart, and we will not be satisfied until 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:38.300 we find him. He went on to say, and our hearts 00:06:38.300 --> 00:06:43.689 will never be at rest until. They find their 00:06:43.689 --> 00:06:48.850 rest in Christ. So what's authentic worship? 00:06:50.069 --> 00:06:53.410 One writer says, worship is pulling our affections 00:06:53.410 --> 00:06:59.870 off our idols and putting them on God. Definition 00:06:59.870 --> 00:07:02.269 of worship is, worship is our response to God 00:07:02.269 --> 00:07:04.509 for who he is and what he's done. That's a good 00:07:04.509 --> 00:07:07.610 working definition. It's the key. It is the key 00:07:07.610 --> 00:07:10.709 to overcoming a life of meaninglessness or boredom. 00:07:11.689 --> 00:07:15.149 Followed by the blues. Real worship is our response 00:07:15.149 --> 00:07:19.550 to God for who he is and what he's done. So the 00:07:19.550 --> 00:07:22.850 $64 question is, what does he want? Right? What 00:07:22.850 --> 00:07:26.449 should your response be? What does God want? 00:07:26.529 --> 00:07:28.410 Can you imagine if Jesus would come in the flesh 00:07:28.410 --> 00:07:30.769 and stand before us and we could get microphones 00:07:30.769 --> 00:07:33.949 and line up and say, excuse me, sir, what would 00:07:33.949 --> 00:07:36.290 you like from my life? I mean, since I'm made 00:07:36.290 --> 00:07:38.509 for eternity and I only live here for a little 00:07:38.509 --> 00:07:40.420 while. I'd like to use it well, and I don't want 00:07:40.420 --> 00:07:41.740 to be bored, and then I don't want to get the 00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:44.560 blues. So, excuse me, Lord Jesus, what do you 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:48.060 want from me? I'm going to tell you exactly what 00:07:48.060 --> 00:07:51.259 he'd say. He wrote it through the Apostle Paul, 00:07:51.379 --> 00:07:54.540 Romans chapter 12, verse 1. He would say to you, 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:58.220 do I want a little song? No. Songs are okay. 00:07:59.860 --> 00:08:02.060 Do I want you to come to a worship service? Is 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:04.300 that what worship is? He'd say, no. They're good. 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:07.029 Do I want you to have a special feeling inside? 00:08:07.250 --> 00:08:09.269 If you have the special close feeling, is that 00:08:09.269 --> 00:08:11.209 worship? He said, oh, that's important, but no, 00:08:11.209 --> 00:08:15.930 that's not it. He would say, I urge you, therefore, 00:08:16.110 --> 00:08:18.829 my brothers and sisters, in light of God's mercy, 00:08:18.990 --> 00:08:23.649 in light of all that I've done for you, to present 00:08:23.649 --> 00:08:27.069 your bodies, your life, as a living and holy 00:08:27.069 --> 00:08:31.209 sacrifice. Accept the will of God. The word means 00:08:31.209 --> 00:08:33.809 well -pleasing. It's what he wants. which is 00:08:33.809 --> 00:08:36.470 your reasonable service of worship. And that 00:08:36.470 --> 00:08:38.629 last little phrase, reasonable service of worship, 00:08:38.730 --> 00:08:41.049 very interesting word in the New Testament. It's 00:08:41.049 --> 00:08:43.129 a technical term. In fact, if you look in different 00:08:43.129 --> 00:08:45.730 translations, some will talk about reasonable 00:08:45.730 --> 00:08:48.070 service and other translations will say spiritual 00:08:48.070 --> 00:08:49.950 service. It's because the translators don't know 00:08:49.950 --> 00:08:52.820 how to handle the word. What it is is that it 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:55.740 became a technical term for worship, but the 00:08:55.740 --> 00:08:58.259 word logizima, I mean, we get our word logic. 00:08:58.419 --> 00:09:00.500 In other words, it's the most logical thing to 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.240 do. He's the creator. You're the creature. What 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:06.460 is logical? What's wisest? What's the emotionally 00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:09.179 most healthy, positive response for you in your 00:09:09.179 --> 00:09:13.639 life is to present your life on the altar. And 00:09:13.639 --> 00:09:16.059 by the word, that word present, it's an attempt 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:19.149 to the verb that means in a point in time. It's 00:09:19.149 --> 00:09:22.049 not some vague, some way, somehow, yeah, I believe 00:09:22.049 --> 00:09:24.389 in God or even I go to church. This is presenting 00:09:24.389 --> 00:09:28.350 yourself on a specific day, on a specific day 00:09:28.350 --> 00:09:32.490 of the week, at a specific time where you say, 00:09:32.610 --> 00:09:35.970 you may already be a believer even, and you say, 00:09:36.110 --> 00:09:40.889 I don't want to worship anything less than you. 00:09:42.029 --> 00:09:44.190 It's when you do a little gut check and you look 00:09:44.190 --> 00:09:48.019 at your boredom account and you say, In my heart 00:09:48.019 --> 00:09:49.919 of hearts, I think I'm worshiping my girlfriend. 00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:52.240 In my heart of hearts, I think I'm worshiping 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:56.159 my boyfriend or my job or my mate or my kids 00:09:56.159 --> 00:09:58.879 or money or success because that's where all 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.759 my energy and my time and my dreams gravitate 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:04.200 to. And you call a time out in life and you say, 00:10:04.220 --> 00:10:06.480 you know, God, I'm going to make a willful decision, 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:11.139 point in time to present myself on the altar 00:10:11.139 --> 00:10:16.269 as a living and notice, holy. Holy means I'm 00:10:16.269 --> 00:10:18.450 going to do it your way. I'll be set apart. My 00:10:18.450 --> 00:10:22.529 speech, my life, my words, my sexuality will 00:10:22.529 --> 00:10:28.190 be holy. And that's what you want. You're listening 00:10:28.190 --> 00:10:31.029 to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We'll 00:10:31.029 --> 00:10:33.750 return to our message in just a moment. But first, 00:10:33.830 --> 00:10:35.909 did you know that you can access this entire 00:10:35.909 --> 00:10:39.570 series anytime you want? Head on over to livingontheedge 00:10:39.570 --> 00:10:42.370 .org where you'll discover Chip's full teaching 00:10:42.370 --> 00:10:45.389 library, along with study guides and small group 00:10:45.389 --> 00:10:48.129 materials. Whether you want to replay today's 00:10:48.129 --> 00:10:50.909 message or explore other topics, everything you 00:10:50.909 --> 00:10:53.350 need to grow spiritually is available online 00:10:53.350 --> 00:10:58.509 at livingontheedge .org. Let's get back to Chip's 00:10:58.509 --> 00:11:01.460 message. Notice the summary. It says, worship 00:11:01.460 --> 00:11:03.559 is the complete and total giving of ourselves 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:07.019 for that which we believe has ultimate purpose 00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:09.820 and will provide the greatest reward. I like 00:11:09.820 --> 00:11:14.639 that definition. See, real worship is the complete 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:19.460 and total giving of who you are for what you 00:11:19.460 --> 00:11:21.840 honestly believe is the ultimate purpose in life. 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:24.259 And, this is important, what you believe will 00:11:24.259 --> 00:11:27.059 bring the greatest reward. And that's why when 00:11:27.059 --> 00:11:28.200 you want to know what you're going to worship, 00:11:28.779 --> 00:11:30.320 If you really want to know what you worship, 00:11:30.419 --> 00:11:32.600 it has little to do with what your mouth says. 00:11:33.100 --> 00:11:36.240 Does it? What you worship has very little to 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:38.519 do with, oh, I worship God. Well, maybe. If you 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:40.120 want to know what you worship, I'll give you 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:43.080 three litmus tests. Number one, go track your 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:48.279 money. Number two, go track your time. And number 00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:52.159 three, ask where does your mind drift to when 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:54.539 you're dreaming about what could be? Where does 00:11:54.539 --> 00:11:57.970 your mind gravitate? If it gravitates to the 00:11:57.970 --> 00:12:00.149 things of God, if it gravitates toward intimacy 00:12:00.149 --> 00:12:02.730 with Christ, if it gravitates toward seeing people 00:12:02.730 --> 00:12:04.830 come to know Christ, if it gravitates toward 00:12:04.830 --> 00:12:07.710 your heart breaking for the things that God hearts 00:12:07.710 --> 00:12:12.049 break over, then you worship Christ. If it just 00:12:12.049 --> 00:12:15.389 unconsciously gravitates to the next deal, the 00:12:15.389 --> 00:12:17.850 next novel someone's going to bring out, which 00:12:17.850 --> 00:12:20.470 team won, whether you can get home in time to 00:12:20.470 --> 00:12:23.990 check the scores on ESPN. Whether so -and -so 00:12:23.990 --> 00:12:25.809 is going to go with you or go with someone else. 00:12:26.289 --> 00:12:27.929 Whether you're going to get this job or get into 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:30.529 that school. If your time and your money and 00:12:30.529 --> 00:12:34.529 your dreams revolve around anything other than 00:12:34.529 --> 00:12:39.110 Christ, that's what you worship. Now, here's 00:12:39.110 --> 00:12:42.669 the deal. That can sound very threatening. Understand 00:12:42.669 --> 00:12:47.370 God's heart. Understand God's heart. We all do 00:12:47.370 --> 00:12:51.480 that at times. I certainly do. But the heart 00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:54.080 of God is not. If you heard and if you felt emotionally 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:58.200 a little bit of a shame on you. Nah, nah, nah, 00:12:58.220 --> 00:13:00.139 nah, nah. That's a bad boy. That's a bad girl. 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:03.779 Then you missed the point. This is a God who 00:13:03.779 --> 00:13:07.559 wants to give you authentic pearls. And you're 00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:09.700 holding on to these little plastic things that 00:13:09.700 --> 00:13:11.879 you think will deliver for you. And he's holding 00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:13.759 authentic pearls. And he's saying, you know, 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:16.480 if you could let go of that junk, I could give 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:19.809 you something real. That's what the lordship 00:13:19.809 --> 00:13:22.529 of Christ is. That's what worship is. You can 00:13:22.529 --> 00:13:24.690 spend your life chasing that girl, chasing that 00:13:24.690 --> 00:13:26.330 guy, or the ideal marriage, or being successful, 00:13:26.529 --> 00:13:28.169 or getting rich, or building a big house, or 00:13:28.169 --> 00:13:29.750 remodeling this, or doing that, or driving that. 00:13:29.830 --> 00:13:34.149 You can do that. And when you get done, your 00:13:34.149 --> 00:13:38.129 plastic beads will be plastic. And you will be 00:13:38.129 --> 00:13:41.110 bored. And it won't deliver. And then you'll 00:13:41.110 --> 00:13:45.490 get blue. Or... All those things have their place. 00:13:45.570 --> 00:13:48.190 You could allow Jesus to be the center focus 00:13:48.190 --> 00:13:50.909 of your life. And he would dictate your time, 00:13:50.970 --> 00:13:54.629 your energy, your dreams. And since he's all 00:13:54.629 --> 00:13:56.590 -knowing, and since he loves you, and since he 00:13:56.590 --> 00:13:59.289 died for you, maybe his plan's even better than 00:13:59.289 --> 00:14:05.909 yours for you. Just a thought. Well, let's ask 00:14:05.909 --> 00:14:09.909 the one question. Heart of hearts, don't raise 00:14:09.909 --> 00:14:14.679 your hand. If someone asks you, Who are you worshiping 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:17.419 in your honest heart of hearts? Who are you worshiping? 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:25.700 Is it Christ? Or is it an idol? Person, job, 00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:30.379 success? Could I suggest that as I keep talking, 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:32.720 you start having a little wrestling match with 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:35.340 God about what has your best interest in mind 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:38.460 and what would be the wisest thing for you to 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:41.320 do. And I want to challenge you before you walk 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:44.860 out of here at some point tonight. decide whether 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.100 you're going to offer your body as a living sacrifice 00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:52.019 or keep worshiping something else. It's important. 00:14:53.379 --> 00:14:57.480 In fact, your whole future depends on it. We 00:14:57.480 --> 00:15:00.860 find in John chapter 4, verses 21 to 24, Jesus 00:15:00.860 --> 00:15:03.720 ends up talking with a lady, a Samaritan. She 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:07.100 was a despised woman. Jews didn't talk to Samaritans, 00:15:07.100 --> 00:15:09.960 so it's an unusual conversation. And the historical 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:11.840 history is Samaritans are kind of like Jewish 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:14.340 half breeds. They have about half Jewish blood 00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:16.559 and half Samaritan, you know, blood. And they 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:18.899 had a real tussle between the Jews and the Samaritans. 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:23.000 And so Jesus is tired. The fellows go in to grab 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.580 lunch, bring it back. He's sitting by a well. 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:28.639 And this lady, we find out later, has a pretty 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:32.320 checkered past. Jesus looks beyond all that. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:36.460 And they strike up a conversation. Jesus declared, 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:40.360 believe me, woman. Time is coming when you will 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:42.659 worship the Father neither on this mountain nor 00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:44.580 in Jerusalem. They got talking about worship 00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:46.340 and she said, well, you know, our fathers do 00:15:46.340 --> 00:15:49.899 it here and you Jews do it over there. You Samaritans 00:15:49.899 --> 00:15:52.159 worship what you do not know. We worship what 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:55.940 we know for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a 00:15:55.940 --> 00:16:00.440 time is coming and has now come when true worshipers, 00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:02.919 that's what we want to be, right? I do. True 00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:05.860 worshipers will worship the Father in spirit 00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:10.389 and truth. Now, notice this line. For they are 00:16:10.389 --> 00:16:13.730 the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. You 00:16:13.730 --> 00:16:16.429 want to be close to God? You want to experience 00:16:16.429 --> 00:16:18.710 God? You want to see God do things in your life 00:16:18.710 --> 00:16:21.129 about people that you read about and in the New 00:16:21.129 --> 00:16:24.230 Testament, in the Old Testament? He is seeking. 00:16:24.889 --> 00:16:28.490 I mean, he's got the spiritual x -rays out, probing, 00:16:28.570 --> 00:16:30.610 looking for men, looking for women, looking for 00:16:30.610 --> 00:16:33.389 students who would worship him in spirit and 00:16:33.389 --> 00:16:37.659 in truth. He's the hound of heaven. He longs 00:16:37.659 --> 00:16:39.500 to have a relationship with you. You are special. 00:16:40.740 --> 00:16:44.139 But he won't interfere. You know, it's like people 00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:46.659 dancing, you know. It's rude to rip someone else 00:16:46.659 --> 00:16:48.840 and say, I want to dance. See, when you're polite, 00:16:48.940 --> 00:16:50.279 what do you do? You tap them on the shoulder. 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:53.440 And then the other person steps back. And then 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:56.740 you step in. This is what God does. Day by day, 00:16:56.840 --> 00:17:01.360 moments like this, he comes to you. And he taps 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:03.059 you on the shoulder. He says, excuse me, can 00:17:03.059 --> 00:17:06.019 I cut in? And you say, well, I'm worshiping this 00:17:06.019 --> 00:17:10.519 house right now. He says, I know. He said, not 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:14.420 a good dance. And he taps you on the shoulder 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:16.339 and he says, can I cut in? Oh, I'm worshiping 00:17:16.339 --> 00:17:17.759 my career and I have to go to school and I got 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.039 to go to grad school and then I have to do this 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.019 and I have to do that. He says, I know. Can I 00:17:22.019 --> 00:17:28.619 cut in? See, he seeks after people who worship 00:17:28.619 --> 00:17:32.180 him in spirit and in truth. Why? God is spirit. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.940 And his worshipers must worship in spirit and 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:39.500 in truth. Now, the question is what, right? What 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:42.619 in the world does it look like? If the Holy Spirit 00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:45.519 will illuminate our minds, do you realize that 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:48.799 the Father will be seeking you? We find in John 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:52.539 chapter 4, verses 21 to 24, Jesus ends up talking 00:17:52.539 --> 00:17:55.079 with a lady, a Samaritan. It's very interesting. 00:17:55.180 --> 00:17:57.900 In verses 21 and 22, they're talking about geography 00:17:57.900 --> 00:18:01.000 and location. Authentic worship can happen anywhere. 00:18:02.639 --> 00:18:05.180 Now, we're more open to that, but in that culture, 00:18:05.220 --> 00:18:07.480 that society, hey, God is going to show up at 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:10.339 the synagogue. Jesus said a time's coming when 00:18:10.339 --> 00:18:14.039 location means nothing. See, worship is not about 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:17.619 form. It's about function. It's not about location. 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.000 It's about purpose. Worship can happen in a church 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:25.420 building, nature, quiet moments, a human heart. 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:28.140 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20 says, know you not 00:18:28.140 --> 00:18:30.119 that your bodies are the temple of God and the 00:18:30.119 --> 00:18:34.700 spirit of God dwells in you? God, we are told 00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:37.619 in scripture, doesn't take up residence in things 00:18:37.619 --> 00:18:40.019 made by human hands, but what in human hearts? 00:18:42.819 --> 00:18:45.519 This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:48.420 Chip has more to share in just a moment. If this 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:50.720 message is helping you understand the restlessness 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:53.460 in your soul, you can share it with others by 00:18:53.460 --> 00:19:12.490 directing them to Living on the Edge. For each 00:19:12.490 --> 00:19:15.170 devotional, Chip teaches for 10 minutes from 00:19:15.170 --> 00:19:18.210 one of three life -changing psalms. Following 00:19:18.210 --> 00:19:20.890 his teaching, you spend 10 minutes in quiet reflection 00:19:20.890 --> 00:19:24.579 and prayer. Today we've studied Psalm 27, which 00:19:24.579 --> 00:19:27.160 reveals David's heart for worship and his bold 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:30.500 trust in God. Psalms of Hope will take you deeper 00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:33.140 into that same transformative practice of meeting 00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:36.319 God through the Psalms. Begin your journey today 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:40.880 at livingontheedge .org. Just search for Psalms 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:44.039 of Hope. This ministry reaches people like you 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:46.259 because friends choose to financially support 00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:49.630 it. Your partnership enables us to continue delivering 00:19:49.630 --> 00:19:53.130 biblical truth that transforms lives. Would you 00:19:53.130 --> 00:19:55.789 consider giving today? We've made it easy to 00:19:55.789 --> 00:19:59.269 give online. Just go to livingontheedge .org 00:19:59.269 --> 00:20:02.109 or write to us through the mail at Living on 00:20:02.109 --> 00:20:07.650 the Edge, P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. 00:20:08.190 --> 00:20:10.430 You can also call us and give over the phone. 00:20:10.509 --> 00:20:16.519 Just dial 888 -333 -6003. Also check out our 00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:18.400 new feature on the Living on the Edge podcast. 00:20:18.579 --> 00:20:22.220 We call it the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast, presenting 00:20:22.220 --> 00:20:24.960 each of Chip's sermons unedited from beginning 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:28.039 to end. You can find these episodes right alongside 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:31.660 our regular broadcasts on your podcast app. Just 00:20:31.660 --> 00:20:35.339 search for Living on the Edge. Well, now here's 00:20:35.339 --> 00:20:38.160 Chip with today's talking point. I want to talk 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:41.000 directly about worship. I think it's one of the 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:44.000 most misunderstood concepts in all the Bible. 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:47.200 We have said as we close today's program that 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:49.779 worship is the complete and total giving of ourselves 00:20:49.779 --> 00:20:53.519 for that which we believe has ultimate purpose 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:56.960 and will provide the greatest reward. And I ask 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:59.680 you some questions. I think they're penetrating, 00:20:59.700 --> 00:21:02.200 profound questions about what's going to happen 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:05.259 in your life and mine. What do you worship? Let 00:21:05.259 --> 00:21:08.440 me ask you honestly, what do you worship? Wherever 00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:11.599 your time. Wherever your energy, wherever your 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:14.420 mind is dreaming, and wherever your money goes, 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:17.200 that's what you're ascribing worth to. And I 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:19.339 didn't grow up in the church. And hear my heart. 00:21:19.420 --> 00:21:22.680 I am not down on you at all. But I want to bring 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:24.960 you to the reality of the words of the Apostle 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:27.460 Paul. I urge you, therefore, my brethren, in 00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:29.440 light of God's grace, in light of His mercy, 00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:32.039 that what He really wants is you. Present your 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:35.160 body a living and holy sacrifice. That's what's 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:37.740 acceptable to Him. That's what spiritual worship 00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:40.569 is. And I got to be honest with you, this is 00:21:40.569 --> 00:21:42.589 a journey. It's a point in time, but it's also 00:21:42.589 --> 00:21:46.269 a journey. God, through... Three significant 00:21:46.269 --> 00:21:49.450 injuries that took me out of most of the season, 00:21:49.509 --> 00:21:52.529 or at least a part of the season, showed me that 00:21:52.529 --> 00:21:54.650 although I'd received Christ, I was reading my 00:21:54.650 --> 00:21:57.349 Bible, I was praying, I worshipped basketball, 00:21:57.609 --> 00:22:00.549 I worshipped baseball. I mean, I was living for 00:22:00.549 --> 00:22:02.829 the day when they would interview me after the 00:22:02.829 --> 00:22:04.869 game and I could tell them I scored so many points 00:22:04.869 --> 00:22:06.630 and I did so great and it was all because of 00:22:06.630 --> 00:22:10.529 Jesus. And God helped me see that, no, that wasn't 00:22:10.529 --> 00:22:12.609 it at all, Chip. It was really because you want 00:22:12.609 --> 00:22:15.369 the applause of people. And then as I continued 00:22:15.369 --> 00:22:17.849 to grow, what I realized was my heart and my 00:22:17.849 --> 00:22:21.569 lips said one thing, but my finances reflected 00:22:21.569 --> 00:22:24.829 that I really was a lot more interested in hobbies. 00:22:24.910 --> 00:22:27.710 I was a lot more interested in my future. I was 00:22:27.710 --> 00:22:30.509 a lot more interested in my security than I was 00:22:30.509 --> 00:22:32.470 really worshiping God because my money wasn't 00:22:32.470 --> 00:22:36.690 going there. And I remember a watershed moment 00:22:36.690 --> 00:22:38.950 in my life when I began to give the first 10%. 00:22:39.579 --> 00:22:42.680 to God, to my local church, and then gradually 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:44.980 over and above that to missions, and then gradually 00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:47.099 over and above that to specific things. And I 00:22:47.099 --> 00:22:50.019 saw God bless. And what I realized was, that's 00:22:50.019 --> 00:22:53.140 real worship. It's not what my lips say. It's 00:22:53.140 --> 00:22:55.920 where my life and my energy are focused. That's 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:58.599 what I'm ascribing worth to. And I think today, 00:22:58.819 --> 00:23:01.359 just to hear my heart, the evangelical church 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:04.640 in America, we think singing songs is worship. 00:23:04.839 --> 00:23:07.019 I mean, that's part of it, but it's not singing 00:23:07.019 --> 00:23:10.869 songs. It's love that is in deed and truth. So 00:23:10.869 --> 00:23:12.890 let me ask you, what are you really worshiping? 00:23:13.069 --> 00:23:15.109 Are you giving the first portion of your time, 00:23:15.210 --> 00:23:18.970 your energy, and your money to God? And the given 00:23:18.970 --> 00:23:22.190 is that you do that in a local body. But let 00:23:22.190 --> 00:23:24.869 me just share very candidly too, we get emails 00:23:24.869 --> 00:23:28.190 and letters and phone calls that are awesome. 00:23:28.529 --> 00:23:31.369 I mean, people's lives who say, living on the 00:23:31.369 --> 00:23:35.369 edge is changing my life. And yet... Can I be 00:23:35.369 --> 00:23:38.250 very honest? It's a very small percentage of 00:23:38.250 --> 00:23:41.230 people who really ascribe worth to the ministry. 00:23:41.490 --> 00:23:44.009 And what I mean by that is people who say, you 00:23:44.009 --> 00:23:46.289 know, when I hear the music come on, I pray for 00:23:46.289 --> 00:23:48.829 you guys, or I've put you down in my prayer list. 00:23:48.930 --> 00:23:51.329 I tell my friends because I believe it matters. 00:23:52.009 --> 00:23:55.009 An even smaller percentage who say, by writing 00:23:55.009 --> 00:23:57.990 a check, you know what, I believe there is worth, 00:23:58.069 --> 00:24:00.509 there is value in the ministry. Not just that 00:24:00.509 --> 00:24:03.190 I feel good, not that I'm just a consumer, but 00:24:03.190 --> 00:24:05.809 this is helping me to the point that I want to 00:24:05.809 --> 00:24:08.150 ascribe worth and I want to give on a regular 00:24:08.150 --> 00:24:11.509 basis. And so I would ask you, what is your view 00:24:11.509 --> 00:24:13.589 of living on the edge? What is your view, not 00:24:13.589 --> 00:24:16.630 emotionally, but what is your view from the heart? 00:24:16.910 --> 00:24:19.769 If we are ministering to you, we're on this station. 00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:22.859 Because there's a core of people in this city 00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:26.039 that sacrificially give. Would you be willing 00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:31.119 to partner and join with them? We have some information 00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:33.380 that we'd like to give you, but I'd like to ask 00:24:33.380 --> 00:24:36.539 you to pray today and make a decision to support 00:24:36.539 --> 00:24:39.319 Living on the Edge so that we can continue to 00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:42.220 do what God has called us to do. But we can't 00:24:42.220 --> 00:24:44.759 do it alone. Will you partner with us? And will 00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:47.680 you do it today? What does God really want from 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:51.150 you? I'm Dave Drewy. Find out tomorrow on Living 00:24:51.150 --> 00:24:56.750 on the Edge. Today's program is produced and 00:24:56.750 --> 00:24:58.670 sponsored by Living on the Edge.