WEBVTT 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:14.179 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.220 --> 00:00:17.500 When the world seems to grow darker and darker, 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.820 when corruption and violence and hate and prejudice 00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:24.100 continue to grow, God does something unusual. 00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:27.480 He's looking for a man. He's looking for a woman 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:30.920 to stand in the gap to make a difference. Would 00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:33.920 you like to be that person? Stay with me. That's 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:38.579 today. Picture God's eyes moving across the earth, 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:41.460 searching for someone special he can use. But 00:00:41.460 --> 00:00:43.920 he's not looking for credentials, talents, or 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:47.000 impressive resumes. Today on Living on the Edge, 00:00:47.140 --> 00:00:49.920 Chip Ingram reveals what God is actually shopping 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:53.140 for. And it might surprise you. Through the examples 00:00:53.140 --> 00:00:55.840 of Timothy and Epaphroditus in Philippians chapter 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:59.340 2, we'll see four specific qualities God seeks 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:02.390 in people he uses powerfully. If you've ever 00:01:02.390 --> 00:01:04.629 thought you don't measure up or wondered if God 00:01:04.629 --> 00:01:06.549 could work through someone with your background, 00:01:06.709 --> 00:01:10.049 this message will open your eyes. Well, now here's 00:01:10.049 --> 00:01:13.030 Chip with today's message titled, Love Cares. 00:01:13.450 --> 00:01:16.450 I want to share something with you because there's 00:01:16.450 --> 00:01:18.790 something that God and Teresa have in common. 00:01:18.890 --> 00:01:22.409 Are you ready for this? They're both always shopping. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:25.400 When Teresa and I are hanging around downtown 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:27.579 Los Gatos, if we go away for a little weekend, 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:30.799 if we sometimes, I travel to Atlanta and there's 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:33.540 a number of shops there. She's always looking. 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:35.379 She's always shopping. Now, don't get me wrong. 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:38.540 She's not like a, I have to have new shoes, new 00:01:38.540 --> 00:01:41.400 dress. She's shopping for grandkids. I mean, 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:43.760 there's a birthday like every third day and then 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:46.239 anniversary. So wherever we go, she'll walk in. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:48.780 Oh, and then she'll tell me. For this season, 00:01:48.859 --> 00:01:51.040 this would be perfect for, and then she'll name 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.079 one of the grandkids and tell me why. Here's 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:58.140 what I want you to know. She cares about each 00:01:58.140 --> 00:02:00.819 child in its season, and she wants to get the 00:02:00.819 --> 00:02:05.060 very thing that would help them be and experience 00:02:05.060 --> 00:02:09.780 the very best. And what I want you to know is 00:02:09.780 --> 00:02:13.080 that God is shopping. In other words, he is looking. 00:02:13.979 --> 00:02:16.379 He's looking and what he's looking for is people 00:02:16.379 --> 00:02:19.680 that are ready and prepared to fulfill his will. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:22.219 In fact, notice on the front of your notes, I 00:02:22.219 --> 00:02:25.419 put two key Old Testament passages. It's the 00:02:25.419 --> 00:02:28.419 Lord speaking from Ezekiel 22. He says, and I 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:30.500 searched for a man among them who should build 00:02:30.500 --> 00:02:33.120 up the wall and stand in the gap before me. Why? 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:38.060 That I should not destroy it. And this is sad. 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:41.360 He went shopping and he couldn't find anyone. 00:02:42.669 --> 00:02:46.009 But I found no one. And then notice the response. 00:02:46.210 --> 00:02:48.569 Thus I've poured out my indignation on them. 00:02:48.590 --> 00:02:50.530 I've consumed them with the fire of my wrath. 00:02:50.689 --> 00:02:53.129 Their way have I brought upon their heads, declares 00:02:53.129 --> 00:02:56.050 the Lord. We see the evil in the world. We see 00:02:56.050 --> 00:02:58.969 the tragedy. We see disasters. And God is saying 00:02:58.969 --> 00:03:02.289 in the midst of all of this, this is not my desire. 00:03:02.469 --> 00:03:04.810 I'm searching for a man, for a student, for a 00:03:04.810 --> 00:03:07.750 woman that you could stand in the gap that I 00:03:07.750 --> 00:03:11.800 will fill you and use you. And I will bring light 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:15.500 and goodness and restoration and healing. The 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:17.939 second passage is one that's profoundly impacted 00:03:17.939 --> 00:03:23.199 me. 2 Chronicles 16, verse 9. The prophet is 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:26.580 speaking for the Lord. And he's speaking to Asa, 00:03:26.580 --> 00:03:30.180 a king who, I mean, for years, for 30 years, 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:32.560 I mean, he was walking with God, making a tremendous 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.199 impact. And then he felt like, well, my time's 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:41.120 over. And I'm just going to coast. God brought 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.599 a situation into his life. And instead of trusting 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:46.719 God, he trusted in himself. And the prophet comes 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:48.740 and says, for the eyes of the Lord move to and 00:03:48.740 --> 00:03:51.819 fro throughout the whole earth, that he might 00:03:51.819 --> 00:03:54.780 strongly support those whose hearts are completely 00:03:54.780 --> 00:03:59.340 his. And then he says, but you have acted foolishly 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:03.419 in this from now on, surely you'll have wars. 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:06.599 Here's what I want you to know. When we're talking 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:10.000 about, I choose love, there's a lot on the line. 00:04:10.349 --> 00:04:12.710 I'm being a little facetious with the shopping 00:04:12.710 --> 00:04:17.189 analogy, but our God is looking. His eyes are 00:04:17.189 --> 00:04:19.930 going to and fro throughout the earth, up and 00:04:19.930 --> 00:04:22.689 down these aisles in churches across the world. 00:04:22.810 --> 00:04:26.129 And he's looking for a man or a woman who is 00:04:26.129 --> 00:04:30.050 ready and prepared so he can use them. And as 00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:33.470 he uses them, it is in that process that he changes 00:04:33.470 --> 00:04:36.889 us and he meets the needs of the world and the 00:04:36.889 --> 00:04:40.420 hands and the feet and the love of Christ poured 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:43.420 out through us ordinary, regular people. And 00:04:43.420 --> 00:04:45.300 here's the question I want to talk about today. 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:50.360 Why does God use some people and not others? 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:53.500 Or why does God use some people in a great way 00:04:53.500 --> 00:04:58.920 and other people not so much? No warning. I want 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:01.019 to tell you that it's not about intelligence 00:05:01.019 --> 00:05:05.279 or giftedness or education. In fact, open your 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:08.139 notes. And what I want to show you is that the 00:05:08.139 --> 00:05:11.370 answer to that question is right out of Philippians 00:05:11.370 --> 00:05:15.949 chapter two, verses 19 to 30. Follow along, notice 00:05:15.949 --> 00:05:18.769 in your notes, the purpose for sending Timothy. 00:05:20.730 --> 00:05:23.790 He says, verse 19, but I hope in the Lord Jesus 00:05:23.790 --> 00:05:26.930 to send Timothy to you shortly so that I may 00:05:26.930 --> 00:05:29.129 be encouraged. The word literally is so that 00:05:29.129 --> 00:05:31.970 I could have joy and be cheered within when I 00:05:31.970 --> 00:05:35.089 learn of your condition. For I have no one else 00:05:35.089 --> 00:05:37.810 of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned 00:05:37.810 --> 00:05:41.220 for your welfare. For they all seek after their 00:05:41.220 --> 00:05:44.300 own interest, not those of Christ Jesus. But 00:05:44.300 --> 00:05:47.420 you know of his proven worth that he served with 00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:50.319 me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:53.800 serving his father. Therefore, I hope to send 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:56.860 him immediately as soon as I see how things go 00:05:56.860 --> 00:06:00.319 with me. And I trust in the Lord that I myself 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:07.379 also shall be coming soon. The purpose for sending 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:13.139 Timothy, Why? Paul cared. I mean, it's that simple. 00:06:13.540 --> 00:06:17.920 The next question is, well, why Timothy? I mean, 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:21.660 what did he bring to the table? The reason Timothy 00:06:21.660 --> 00:06:25.319 was chosen was Timothy cared. As you read through 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:28.579 the New Testament, Paul talks about him 10 different 00:06:28.579 --> 00:06:31.740 times. When there's a need, Paul says, I send 00:06:31.740 --> 00:06:34.319 him, I send him, I send him. You know what? He's 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:38.250 willing. He's available, he's loyal, and he's 00:06:38.250 --> 00:06:43.850 a servant. And God greatly used him. Notice we 00:06:43.850 --> 00:06:47.029 pick it up in verse 25. You ask yourself, well, 00:06:47.069 --> 00:06:49.490 why does he send Epaphroditus? Are you ready 00:06:49.490 --> 00:06:52.550 for this? You can get it, can't you? Epaphroditus 00:06:52.550 --> 00:06:56.089 cares. Verse 25, but I thought it necessary to 00:06:56.089 --> 00:06:58.490 send you Epaphroditus. Notice the description, 00:06:58.790 --> 00:07:01.910 my brother, my fellow worker, my fellow soldier. 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:05.019 who is your messenger and minister to my need. 00:07:05.420 --> 00:07:10.000 Talk about a resume. Because he was longing for 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:12.560 you all and was distressed because you heard 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.040 that he was sick. For indeed, he was sick to 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:17.639 the point of death, but God had mercy on him 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:21.439 and not on him only, but also on me, lest I have 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:25.899 sorrow upon sorrow. Why is a man so deeply moved? 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:28.519 by the hurt and the heartache and the sickness 00:07:28.519 --> 00:07:31.779 of someone else. It's because Paul cares. I mean, 00:07:31.779 --> 00:07:33.720 sometimes it gets painted in this picture of 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:37.240 this flaming apostle and this, you know, he brings 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:39.800 the truth and messenger and writes 13 books and 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:44.379 he did do that, but he was tender and he cared 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:48.560 and tasks were important, but people mattered 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:55.680 most. Notice he says, therefore receive him in 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:58.850 the Lord. with all joy and hold men like him 00:07:58.850 --> 00:08:02.050 in high regard because they came close to death 00:08:02.050 --> 00:08:06.670 for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete 00:08:06.670 --> 00:08:09.870 that which was deficient in your service to me. 00:08:10.829 --> 00:08:13.269 Do you see these characteristics coming out? 00:08:13.750 --> 00:08:17.170 Commitment. He's my brother. We're in it together. 00:08:17.250 --> 00:08:21.519 We're family. He's a fellow worker. We're arm 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.639 in arm. I mean, we're setting goals. There's 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:27.319 tasks. There's work to be done. This isn't about 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:30.339 us. We're fellow soldiers. We're doing battle. 00:08:30.420 --> 00:08:33.500 We do spiritual warfare. We're working out hard 00:08:33.500 --> 00:08:35.440 things together. We're in the trenches together. 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:38.779 And then he says, he's your messenger. And it's 00:08:38.779 --> 00:08:41.889 a very interesting word. This is a Greek word 00:08:41.889 --> 00:08:45.409 used in the ancient language of someone during 00:08:45.409 --> 00:08:47.850 that time who would be called a benefactor and 00:08:47.850 --> 00:08:51.009 someone who is sort of the benefactor of a city 00:08:51.009 --> 00:08:54.490 who might bring a drama to the city or a public 00:08:54.490 --> 00:08:58.230 works and pay for the majority of it. And what 00:08:58.230 --> 00:09:01.629 he's saying is Epaphroditus was a messenger, 00:09:01.929 --> 00:09:06.429 an apostle, a benefactor, a brother. He was the 00:09:06.429 --> 00:09:09.830 kind of person who cares. Hold people like that 00:09:09.830 --> 00:09:13.690 in high esteem. Now, here's where I wanna go. 00:09:13.769 --> 00:09:16.169 That's the passage. You got it? Philippians 2, 00:09:16.309 --> 00:09:20.730 19 to 30. What we know is that the command was, 00:09:20.830 --> 00:09:23.899 don't think of yourself. Put others' interests 00:09:23.899 --> 00:09:26.639 ahead of your own. The great example was verses, 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:29.120 right, five through 11. Jesus had this attitude 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:31.200 in yourselves that was also in Christ Jesus. 00:09:31.419 --> 00:09:33.940 He didn't think equality with God a thing to 00:09:33.940 --> 00:09:35.519 be grasped, but he humbled himself, remember? 00:09:36.419 --> 00:09:39.700 And then love obeys. He says, now obey, not just 00:09:39.700 --> 00:09:41.960 in my presence, but now much more in my absence. 00:09:42.299 --> 00:09:45.320 And now he's gonna say, love doesn't just obey, 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:49.200 but in the everyday grind of life, love obeys. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:53.120 actually cares. And here's what I want you to 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:56.340 get. Notice on the top of your notes, it says 00:09:56.340 --> 00:09:59.519 Timothy and Epaphroditus exemplify the kind of 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:05.000 person God uses to fulfill his purposes. Let 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:07.600 me read that again. Timothy and Epaphroditus 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:13.399 exemplify the kind of person that God uses to 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:17.419 fulfill his purpose. You're listening to Living 00:10:17.419 --> 00:10:20.139 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip will continue 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:22.720 today's message in just a moment, so stay with 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.500 us. If today's teaching is resonating with you, 00:10:25.539 --> 00:10:27.820 there's more where this came from. The complete 00:10:27.820 --> 00:10:30.600 series, Choosing Love, is available right now 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:34.740 at livingontheedge .org. You'll also find study 00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:37.240 notes, discussion questions, and resources to 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:39.799 help you go deeper. Everything is waiting for 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:44.590 you online at livingontheedge .org. Well, now 00:10:44.590 --> 00:10:47.090 let's continue with Chip's message. Out of this 00:10:47.090 --> 00:10:50.049 passage, I've done something that I think is 00:10:50.049 --> 00:10:53.490 going to be very helpful. There are four things 00:10:53.490 --> 00:10:56.149 that when God is shopping, if you will, when 00:10:56.149 --> 00:10:58.669 he's looking, when he's saying, should I use 00:10:58.669 --> 00:11:00.789 this man? Should I use this student? Should I 00:11:00.789 --> 00:11:03.970 use this woman? Should I use this couple? Are 00:11:03.970 --> 00:11:06.509 you ready? Should I use this church? There's 00:11:06.509 --> 00:11:10.330 four things he's looking for. And I put them 00:11:10.330 --> 00:11:13.940 in the form of a question. Question number one, 00:11:13.940 --> 00:11:17.639 when God is looking, is do you have a servant's 00:11:17.639 --> 00:11:23.419 heart? Do you have a servant's heart? Do you 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:27.620 really care about people to the point of moving 00:11:27.620 --> 00:11:30.639 out of your current schedule, your current rhythm, 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:33.940 and just life as it is today? See, that's what 00:11:33.940 --> 00:11:36.659 servants do. Remember, for a servant, there's 00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:39.120 no job too low, there's no recognition needed, 00:11:39.299 --> 00:11:42.620 and there's no thanks required. A servant doesn't 00:11:42.620 --> 00:11:45.779 whine about what's wrong. A servant says, oh, 00:11:45.860 --> 00:11:49.080 there's a problem or a need. I'm going to be 00:11:49.080 --> 00:11:53.059 a participant in changing it. Here's the issue. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:12:00.539 We in our hearts and minds intend, but it's an 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:07.259 action step. Will you please ask God, Lord, will 00:12:07.259 --> 00:12:10.669 you show me where to serve? And if not in this 00:12:10.669 --> 00:12:14.529 church, in a Christian organization, in a very 00:12:14.529 --> 00:12:17.250 special way of leading a study at work, we just 00:12:17.250 --> 00:12:21.990 want you, the body of Christ, to have a servant's 00:12:21.990 --> 00:12:25.990 heart. A servant's heart is measured by action 00:12:25.990 --> 00:12:33.750 steps that give and serve and obey and care. 00:12:34.429 --> 00:12:39.200 And so just ask yourself, honestly, Do I have 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:45.580 a servant's heart? There's a man on Saturday 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:50.679 nights, comes early, prays. All during the service, 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:54.440 he prays. We have another service, he prays. 00:12:54.820 --> 00:12:56.779 And then on Sunday morning, I drive in and I 00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:58.919 can tell you right where he stands and he's helping 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:01.879 people get in and out of the parking lot. You'll 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:03.700 probably never know his name. You'll probably 00:13:03.700 --> 00:13:06.600 never recognize him. You know what Jim has? You 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:10.100 know why God's using Jim? He has a servant's 00:13:10.100 --> 00:13:15.960 heart. Second question, are you willing and available? 00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:23.720 Are you willing and available? Many care, but 00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:26.500 not to the point of genuine willingness to act. 00:13:27.220 --> 00:13:30.240 Others are genuinely willing. You're really willing. 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.000 You're just not available. You're just too busy. 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.240 I mean, you're just doing lots of stuff and you've 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:38.279 assumed all the stuff you're doing is the most 00:13:38.279 --> 00:13:41.519 important stuff. If there's no time for God and 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:44.299 if there's no time to serve others for God, let 00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:47.600 me just tell you, you're too busy. The application 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:50.759 for some in this church is to pause and stop 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:53.580 and have a little private moment with God or 00:13:53.580 --> 00:13:57.779 a family council and say, we're too busy. We're 00:13:57.779 --> 00:14:00.039 going to cut some stuff out and we're going to 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:04.250 put some God stuff in. willingness and availability. 00:14:04.370 --> 00:14:06.789 When the eyes of the Lord are going to and fro, 00:14:06.929 --> 00:14:09.350 you know what? He doesn't use people that aren't 00:14:09.350 --> 00:14:11.129 available and he doesn't use people that aren't 00:14:11.129 --> 00:14:15.789 really willing. My question, are you willing? 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:19.620 The second reason people don't serve or don't 00:14:19.620 --> 00:14:22.980 care is, this is so sad, but you actually think 00:14:22.980 --> 00:14:25.100 that you don't have anything to give. And you 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:27.759 actually think, some of you, that because of 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:29.620 what you've done or what you've been through 00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:32.179 or the tragedy or the abuse or the divorce or 00:14:32.179 --> 00:14:36.559 the separation or the abortion or the bankruptcy. 00:14:37.500 --> 00:14:39.679 I mean, I could go on and on and on and on. You 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:43.080 think, well, I mean, you know. God uses people 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:45.220 that are squeaky clean and have it all together. 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:47.440 You know, like the apostle Paul, murderer, or 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:50.179 like Moses, murderer, or, you know, like James 00:14:50.179 --> 00:14:52.139 and John, the guys with anger management issues, 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.200 right? I mean, people that really have it together 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:56.419 like Rahab. Oh, that's right. She was a prostitute. 00:14:56.440 --> 00:14:59.220 Or, you know, Matthew, you know, the apostle 00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:01.659 Matthew. Oh, that's right. He was a tax collector 00:15:01.659 --> 00:15:06.000 and a crook. I could go on. It always amazes 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:07.820 me. When I was a kid, I grew up in a real social 00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:10.179 church and we didn't believe the Bible, but it 00:15:10.179 --> 00:15:12.080 was a beautiful church and had all this stained 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:14.919 glass. And I'm for stained glass, don't get me 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:17.379 wrong, but they had all the pictures of all the 00:15:17.379 --> 00:15:19.960 apostles like in stained glass. And that's where 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:24.620 I had them. And then, are you ready? I read this 00:15:24.620 --> 00:15:28.039 book. And one of the greatest things that's happened 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:31.100 in my life, these people are as messed up as 00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:33.620 me. Some of them a lot worse. They're as messed 00:15:33.620 --> 00:15:36.000 up as you. You know what I have in my hands? 00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:38.980 These are people who say, this is a list of things 00:15:38.980 --> 00:15:40.840 that they can check, that this is what I've been 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:42.700 through. The death of a parent, the death of 00:15:42.700 --> 00:15:45.320 a child, the death of a close friend, an unwanted 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:49.120 pregnancy, the loss of a friendship, a chronic 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.259 fatigue, unresolved bitterness, job loss, struggles 00:15:52.259 --> 00:15:54.980 with alcohol, struggles with drugs, a major family 00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:57.220 change, gone through a divorce, been a single 00:15:57.220 --> 00:16:00.200 parent, raised in a single family. have an addiction, 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:03.240 had a bad church experience, low self -esteem, 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:06.179 loneliness, depression, fired from a job. And 00:16:06.179 --> 00:16:08.559 you know what we say? Guess what? You qualify. 00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:12.639 You qualify because the grace of God has taken 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:14.399 you through this. You don't have it all together. 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:16.740 We're going to say cancer. This is a person been 00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:19.460 through cancer. Terrible divorce. This is a person 00:16:19.460 --> 00:16:21.220 been through a terrible divorce. Guess what? 00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:25.960 God uses people. who will lay down their pride, 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.740 be open to get some training and teaching and 00:16:28.740 --> 00:16:31.720 say, I want God to use my brokenness and my pain 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:35.059 in ways that are restorative, that he's gonna 00:16:35.059 --> 00:16:37.419 leverage my hurt and my pain. Here's what the 00:16:37.419 --> 00:16:40.659 scripture declares. God comforts us in all our 00:16:40.659 --> 00:16:45.240 afflictions so that we can comfort others as 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:49.200 they go through it. The eyes of the Lord are 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:51.440 going to and fro and he's asking, do you have 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:54.620 a servant's heart? He's asking, are you willing 00:16:54.620 --> 00:16:57.980 and available? And as the green lights come up 00:16:57.980 --> 00:17:00.460 on the dashboard of the Holy Spirit, he's looking 00:17:00.460 --> 00:17:02.080 for those kind of people that he's gonna give 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:05.480 direction and power and joy. Third question you 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:10.680 need to ask and answer. Are you faithful in the 00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:13.960 assignments God's given you? See, the fact of 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:16.000 the matter is, is that God has given us many 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.400 opportunities and Timothy was faithful. He was 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.299 proven, Epaphroditus was faithful. And he said, 00:17:20.339 --> 00:17:23.940 you have to be faithful. The thing that amazes 00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:26.700 me, you talk about faithful, you talk about well 00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:29.420 -prepared, you talk about people that really 00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:33.519 pray. I remember a man named Dave Marshall who, 00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:36.779 beyond all the, quote, great Christians in the 00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:40.759 world who revolutionized my life, Dave was a 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:43.599 bricklayer. Dave wasn't flashy. Dave wasn't cool. 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:45.920 The Bible studies weren't dynamic. He wasn't 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:49.230 a good speaker. But Dave didn't give up on me. 00:17:49.289 --> 00:17:51.869 I was a sort of just came to Christ and I couldn't 00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:53.150 figure out whether I was going to really walk 00:17:53.150 --> 00:17:55.349 with God or keep hanging out in bars and doing 00:17:55.349 --> 00:17:58.109 stuff I knew was wrong. And Dave just was faithful. 00:17:58.210 --> 00:18:00.329 Dave invited me into his home for dinner. He 00:18:00.329 --> 00:18:02.710 cared. Dave modeled what it meant to be a man. 00:18:02.829 --> 00:18:05.210 He cared. Dave met with me once a week. And a 00:18:05.210 --> 00:18:06.869 lot of times I blew him off. I wouldn't get up. 00:18:07.210 --> 00:18:10.410 He just kept coming. He cared. He cared. He cared. 00:18:10.450 --> 00:18:13.470 He cared. And you know what? Whatever my life 00:18:13.470 --> 00:18:16.730 ever amounts to, whatever number of people or 00:18:16.730 --> 00:18:19.410 depth of people who ever get changed or helped 00:18:19.410 --> 00:18:24.390 by Jesus, Dave Marshall is the human reason because 00:18:24.390 --> 00:18:29.569 he cared. Final question that God is asking is 00:18:29.569 --> 00:18:35.269 are you loyal and teachable? Are you loyal? There's 00:18:35.269 --> 00:18:37.990 people here that have lived through the ups and 00:18:37.990 --> 00:18:41.490 the downs of you know, leadership up and down 00:18:41.490 --> 00:18:44.269 and struggles and crisis. And you know what? 00:18:44.289 --> 00:18:46.509 They're loyal. They didn't come to this church 00:18:46.509 --> 00:18:48.450 and say, hey, what's in it for me? And if it 00:18:48.450 --> 00:18:50.329 isn't the way I like it, I'm leaving. They've 00:18:50.329 --> 00:18:53.190 prayed. They've hung tough. They've been faithful. 00:18:53.349 --> 00:18:56.289 They keep giving. They keep coming. They just 00:18:56.289 --> 00:18:59.750 don't give up. And we are here because of them. 00:19:00.170 --> 00:19:03.410 And my prayer is that I will be loyal and faithful 00:19:03.410 --> 00:19:06.569 for the generation that's going to come after 00:19:06.569 --> 00:19:10.390 us. The final, word I have there is not only 00:19:10.390 --> 00:19:13.430 loyal, but teachable. Are you willing to learn 00:19:13.430 --> 00:19:16.170 something new? You know, God is looking for people 00:19:16.170 --> 00:19:19.829 that are willing to say, you know, I, uh, you 00:19:19.829 --> 00:19:22.269 know, I don't know how to do that, but I'm, I'm 00:19:22.269 --> 00:19:27.009 open. What are you willing to do so that you 00:19:27.009 --> 00:19:29.690 could experience the blessedness and the joy 00:19:29.690 --> 00:19:32.549 and that you could be a part of meeting the needs 00:19:32.549 --> 00:19:37.940 that are you ready? Only you can be. This is 00:19:37.940 --> 00:19:40.660 Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And what 00:19:40.660 --> 00:19:42.900 a convicting message about becoming the kind 00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:45.720 of person God is searching for. Chip has more 00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:48.059 to share in a minute. Want to revisit today's 00:19:48.059 --> 00:19:50.680 teaching or pass it along? You'll find it online 00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:54.960 at livingontheedge .org. Now, as you think about 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:57.400 developing a servant's heart, let me point you 00:19:57.400 --> 00:19:59.440 to Chip's newest book that connects beautifully 00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:01.960 with what we're learning. It's called I Choose 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:05.240 Love. A servant's heart flows from agape love, 00:20:05.500 --> 00:20:08.099 the kind that isn't based on feelings, but on 00:20:08.099 --> 00:20:11.859 action. Chip unpacks how this love gives sacrificially, 00:20:11.859 --> 00:20:15.240 serves joyfully, and cares genuinely about others' 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:18.380 needs. When you choose to love this way, everything 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:22.599 changes. You can order I Choose Love at livingontheedge 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:26.119 .org. Right now, millions of people around the 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:28.259 globe are being discipled through Living on the 00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:30.710 Edge. Whether it's a commuter listening on the 00:20:30.710 --> 00:20:33.349 way to work or a family learning to apply biblical 00:20:33.349 --> 00:20:37.009 truth at home, lives are being transformed. And 00:20:37.009 --> 00:20:39.569 it happens because partners like you invest in 00:20:39.569 --> 00:20:42.369 this mission. Your generosity creates a ripple 00:20:42.369 --> 00:20:45.210 effect that extends far beyond what you can see. 00:20:45.529 --> 00:20:48.069 Today, would you consider supporting this work? 00:20:48.289 --> 00:20:52.269 Visit livingontheedge .org to give or write to 00:20:52.269 --> 00:20:56.869 Living on the Edge. PO Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia 00:20:56.869 --> 00:21:04.710 30024. You can also call 888 -333 -6003. And 00:21:04.710 --> 00:21:06.410 if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe 00:21:06.410 --> 00:21:09.289 to the Living on the Edge podcast, now featuring 00:21:09.289 --> 00:21:12.410 uncut original sermons through the Chip Ingram 00:21:12.410 --> 00:21:16.029 Sermon Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, 00:21:16.029 --> 00:21:19.529 Spotify, and wherever you listen. Well, now here's 00:21:19.529 --> 00:21:22.119 Chip with more on today's lesson. As we wrap 00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:25.819 up today's program, I would like to invite you 00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:30.759 to just pull up a chair and pause for just a 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:33.119 moment. And let's really think about some things 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:36.880 because the eyes of the Lord are going to and 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:40.160 fro throughout the whole earth. That the world 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:42.640 as we see it now, if you're concerned, you ought 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:46.059 to be as am I. We look at what's happening globally. 00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:49.319 And the violence happening, the polarization 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:53.319 in America, the hate, the prejudice, the kind 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:55.900 of things that I see that in my lifetime I have 00:21:55.900 --> 00:22:00.460 never seen. God is not wringing his hands. And 00:22:00.460 --> 00:22:02.819 if you look at history, whether it's the Greek 00:22:02.819 --> 00:22:05.240 world or the Roman world or the Persian world 00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:09.579 or the brutal Assyrian empire, God has always 00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:13.579 raised up a man or a woman, usually an ordinary 00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:17.259 person. and often either an older person or a 00:22:17.259 --> 00:22:20.279 teenager. And as we talked about really caring, 00:22:20.359 --> 00:22:23.220 that love cares, I've got a few questions for 00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:25.180 you that I'd like you to really think about because 00:22:25.180 --> 00:22:28.140 God's eyes are looking for the man, the woman, 00:22:28.180 --> 00:22:31.339 or the student that answers yes to these questions. 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:34.079 Question number one is, do you have a servant's 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:38.119 heart? Are your eyes outward? Are you a servant 00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:41.180 in your home? Are you a servant in your church 00:22:41.180 --> 00:22:43.819 and in your small group? Are you a servant at 00:22:43.819 --> 00:22:47.259 work? The second question is, are you willing 00:22:47.259 --> 00:22:50.339 and available? You know, you may have a servant's 00:22:50.339 --> 00:22:52.579 heart, but you know, there's a lot of us that 00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:55.660 get so busy and so wrapped up doing so many things 00:22:55.660 --> 00:22:59.299 that God wants to use you. But, you know, busyness. 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:03.740 kills the joy in your life. Busyness and authentic, 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:08.319 deep spiritual transformation don't go together. 00:23:08.700 --> 00:23:13.200 And it's hard to slow, to ponder, to spend time 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:17.400 with God, and to be available for just the assignments 00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:20.599 that have your name on them. What does God have 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:23.440 your name on? What does He want you to do? What 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:26.950 has He gifted you to do in this season? The third 00:23:26.950 --> 00:23:29.190 question is, are you faithful in the assignment 00:23:29.190 --> 00:23:33.509 God has already given you? You know, the Lord 00:23:33.509 --> 00:23:38.849 is a very, very wise steward of his people. And 00:23:38.849 --> 00:23:41.529 God always gives us small little assignments. 00:23:41.630 --> 00:23:43.990 And as we're faithful in the small assignments, 00:23:44.109 --> 00:23:47.109 then he gives us bigger assignments. And the 00:23:47.109 --> 00:23:49.970 final question is, are you loyal and teachable? 00:23:50.670 --> 00:23:53.829 You know, it really gets hard and enduring in 00:23:53.829 --> 00:23:56.349 this battle of the Christian life, enduring when 00:23:56.349 --> 00:23:59.769 he said, start a ministry, keep loving that husband 00:23:59.769 --> 00:24:02.490 that's unresponsive or that wife or one of the 00:24:02.490 --> 00:24:04.910 kids that just doesn't seem to really get with 00:24:04.910 --> 00:24:08.130 the program. Can you be loyal and say, Lord, 00:24:08.190 --> 00:24:11.269 rather than all that has to happen in them, I 00:24:11.269 --> 00:24:13.609 want you to teach me. I want you to grow me. 00:24:13.750 --> 00:24:17.450 And as he changes you and changes me, it always 00:24:17.450 --> 00:24:20.640 has a ripple effect. but you never reap in the 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:24.440 same season that you sow. As you are a faithful, 00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:29.180 godly mom, dad, student, roommate, as you walk 00:24:29.180 --> 00:24:32.059 with God in the integrity of your heart, I will 00:24:32.059 --> 00:24:35.640 guarantee this, all the power in heaven and earth 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.839 is behind you. Don't give up and don't give in. 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:42.000 Keep pressing ahead. How do you keep love alive 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:45.420 when the honeymoon is over? I'm Dave Drewy. Join 00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:47.900 us as Chip Ingram shares practical insights on 00:24:47.900 --> 00:24:51.119 deepening love in marriage. Tomorrow on Living 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:56.759 on the Edge. Today's program is produced and 00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:58.660 sponsored by Living on the Edge.