WEBVTT 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:14.179 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.339 --> 00:00:17.620 Someone has said the greatest social disease 00:00:17.620 --> 00:00:21.760 in America today is loneliness. We all long to 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:23.899 be deeply connected. And I want you to know that 00:00:23.899 --> 00:00:26.519 God has a plan for developing genuine, beautiful, 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:29.760 intimate relationships. And he wants you to experience 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:32.420 that kind of connection with others. Today, we're 00:00:32.420 --> 00:00:34.880 going to talk about how you can experience authentic 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:38.079 community right now, right where you live. Stay 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:42.969 with us. Why do so many sincere, Bible -reading, 00:00:43.090 --> 00:00:45.670 God -loving Christians still feel spiritually 00:00:45.670 --> 00:00:49.049 stuck? Well, today on Living on the Edge, Chip 00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:51.350 Ingram tackles that very question, revealing 00:00:51.350 --> 00:00:55.030 the surprising answer, community. It's not about 00:00:55.030 --> 00:00:58.070 trying harder or doing more. According to Scripture, 00:00:58.369 --> 00:01:01.310 transformation requires a very specific environment, 00:01:01.729 --> 00:01:04.709 and most of us have never truly experienced it. 00:01:05.230 --> 00:01:07.709 In today's message from his series, God's Dream 00:01:07.709 --> 00:01:10.230 for Your Life, Chip takes us into Romans chapter 00:01:10.230 --> 00:01:13.549 12 to show us what authentic community really 00:01:13.549 --> 00:01:16.950 looks like and how to get it. Chip titled today's 00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:19.650 message, How to Experience Authentic Community. 00:01:20.310 --> 00:01:23.329 Did you ever wonder why so many Christians get 00:01:23.329 --> 00:01:26.950 spiritually stuck? I mean, the Bible is very, 00:01:27.030 --> 00:01:29.549 very clear. It says, if any man, if any woman 00:01:29.549 --> 00:01:33.010 is in Christ, the old things pass away, behold, 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:37.599 All things become new. And yet, you know, you 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:41.959 meet people, and I mean sincere, good. I don't 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:44.200 mean slackers. I mean people that really love 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:47.120 God. They've seen transformation in some very 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:49.980 significant areas, and they're even in the Bible 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:53.079 on a regular basis, and they really want to grow, 00:01:53.180 --> 00:01:56.079 and yet they hit a ceiling, and then they just 00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:02.040 feel stuck. But as you see on your notes, Part 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:04.439 of the answer is that the greatest seed in the 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:07.780 greatest soil cannot grow in the wrong environment. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:11.259 Notice in your notes, a little biblical background 00:02:11.259 --> 00:02:15.139 here, the command of Jesus requires very specific 00:02:15.139 --> 00:02:19.080 ecosystem or environment. The very last night 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:21.479 on the earth, he'd washed their feet and then 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:23.139 he turned to them and he looked them eye to eye 00:02:23.139 --> 00:02:25.939 and he said, I want you, this is the new commandment, 00:02:25.979 --> 00:02:28.400 to love each other in the same way I've loved 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:31.939 you. sacrificially, authentically, lay down your 00:02:31.939 --> 00:02:35.180 life for one another, but it requires an environment. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:40.300 Here's what I want you to get. The specific environment 00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:44.580 or ecosystem in which the seed of God's word 00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:48.180 in your heart that's honest and good and wants 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:51.460 to grow is authentic community. It's authentic 00:02:51.460 --> 00:02:55.800 community. Notice the form that it takes is a 00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:58.750 small group. I mean, the group could be three 00:02:58.750 --> 00:03:01.430 people, four people, ten people. But that's just 00:03:01.430 --> 00:03:05.949 the form. That's the container. Never, ever confuse 00:03:05.949 --> 00:03:09.629 just being in a small group with authentic community. 00:03:10.990 --> 00:03:13.210 I've been in small groups that there's no authentic 00:03:13.210 --> 00:03:17.110 community. Haven't you? Authentic community is 00:03:17.110 --> 00:03:20.330 deeper. Authentic community is this environment 00:03:20.330 --> 00:03:22.849 where people lay down their lives for one another. 00:03:23.150 --> 00:03:24.810 Authentic community is where you take a group 00:03:24.810 --> 00:03:26.639 of people and they say, you know what? We're 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:28.680 going to change the world and we're around Jesus. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:31.060 Authentic community is living under persecution 00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:33.500 and hearing God's word and going from house to 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:35.400 house to support one another to live it out. 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:41.000 In fact, it raises two very important questions. 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:44.500 Question number one is what is authentic community? 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:46.919 And then question number two is how do you get 00:03:46.919 --> 00:03:49.819 it? And the answer to both those questions is 00:03:49.819 --> 00:03:53.060 in Romans chapter 12 verses 9 to 13. If you're 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:54.659 just new with us, we're going through the... 00:03:56.160 --> 00:03:59.500 chapter in Romans 12. And in verse 1, we learn 00:03:59.500 --> 00:04:01.340 that what God really wants from all of us is 00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:03.840 what? He wants us to surrender to Him, all we 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:06.199 are, all that we have. In verse 2, we said there's 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:08.460 an enemy of our soul. There's a world system 00:04:08.460 --> 00:04:10.879 that's trying to woo and seduce our heart away 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:13.419 from our Savior. And we're not to be conformed 00:04:13.419 --> 00:04:15.199 to this world, but be transformed by the renewing 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:17.079 of our mind, to be separate from the world's 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:19.120 values. And we looked at verses 3 through 8, 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:21.019 and we learned that we're not to think too high 00:04:21.019 --> 00:04:23.620 or too low, but to have a sober self -assessment. 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:27.000 to know where we fit in the body. And now what 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:28.680 he's going to talk about is serving and love. 00:04:28.759 --> 00:04:31.600 He's going to talk about what kind of relationships 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:35.500 are we to have as fellow believers. And if you 00:04:35.500 --> 00:04:39.439 look at your notes there, in verse 9, you're 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:41.540 going to see that authentic community is the 00:04:41.540 --> 00:04:45.300 real you showing up. Verse 10 is going to say 00:04:45.300 --> 00:04:48.720 that the real you needs to meet real needs. And 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:50.699 then in verse 11, he's going to say, the real 00:04:50.699 --> 00:04:52.980 you needs to meet real needs, but for the right 00:04:52.980 --> 00:04:56.220 reason. And then verses 12 and 13, the real you 00:04:56.220 --> 00:04:58.920 needs to meet real needs for the right reason 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:04.279 and do it in the right way. For some of you, 00:05:04.339 --> 00:05:09.680 you love God, you have a good heart, you're taking 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:14.540 in God's word, but you're stuck. There's a ceiling. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.360 You have these outbursts of anger and you feel 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.300 terrible about it. You have issues in your life 00:05:21.300 --> 00:05:24.480 that you know you don't want and you've told 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:26.600 God, I'm sorry, and you want to change and you've 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:28.639 tried hard to change, but you still don't see 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:30.819 any radical transformation. I'm telling you, 00:05:30.860 --> 00:05:36.860 this moment on this day may be God's answer to 00:05:36.860 --> 00:05:39.040 the environment in which some of those things 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:41.920 you've struggled with so long, He can change. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:45.949 But it doesn't happen alone. So let's look together. 00:05:46.430 --> 00:05:49.170 What is authentic community? And maybe more importantly, 00:05:49.350 --> 00:05:52.870 how do you get it? First from verse nine, authentic 00:05:52.870 --> 00:05:56.250 community is the real you, not a projection of 00:05:56.250 --> 00:05:59.589 yourself. See, you can't have authentic community 00:05:59.589 --> 00:06:02.829 unless the real you shows up. Authentic community, 00:06:03.009 --> 00:06:07.050 he says, let love be sincere. Hate what is evil, 00:06:07.129 --> 00:06:09.920 cling to what is good. The two characteristics 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:12.500 of the real you showing up is one, authenticity, 00:06:12.740 --> 00:06:16.220 and two, it's purity. Where the word says, let 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:19.199 love be sincere, circle the word sincere, and 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:22.759 right above it, hypocrisy. Paul is borrowing 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:26.839 from the Greek of his day. And in the Greek theater 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.980 of that day, they were all male actors. And so 00:06:29.980 --> 00:06:32.420 if you were a good thespian, you could be able 00:06:32.420 --> 00:06:34.480 to... throw your voice, and you could play a 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:36.819 male part, a female part, an old person, a young 00:06:36.819 --> 00:06:39.160 person, and dressed up in different costumes, 00:06:39.339 --> 00:06:41.180 and then there would be a mask that you would 00:06:41.180 --> 00:06:44.120 wear, so you would throw your voice. And Paul 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:47.120 takes that word for the mask, and that's this 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:52.339 word. He says, let love be without a mask, without 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:56.269 hypocrisy. Let the real you show up. Yes, you 00:06:56.269 --> 00:06:58.209 gotta be discerning and you gotta be careful 00:06:58.209 --> 00:07:00.569 of who you share the real you with, but he's 00:07:00.569 --> 00:07:02.449 saying that authentic community isn't just getting 00:07:02.449 --> 00:07:05.029 in a small group. It's when the real you's showing 00:07:05.029 --> 00:07:07.709 up and you let people see who you are progressively, 00:07:08.129 --> 00:07:11.790 wisely, discerningly. In fact, jot in your notes 00:07:11.790 --> 00:07:15.110 if you were Acts chapter five. This is important. 00:07:15.709 --> 00:07:19.079 I mean, this is beyond important. Some people 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:21.100 never experience this their entire Christian 00:07:21.100 --> 00:07:23.420 life and they can never figure out why they don't 00:07:23.420 --> 00:07:25.639 experience the transformation power that God 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:28.579 has promised us in scripture. In chapter four, 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:31.220 it gives an example of this very wealthy man 00:07:31.220 --> 00:07:33.699 who had a piece of property in Cyprus on this 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:35.600 island, which is the equivalent of like downtown 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:39.279 San Francisco or Manhattan in that day. And so 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.660 he sells it and he takes the money and he says, 00:07:41.660 --> 00:07:43.540 look. I mean, I don't know this for sure, but, 00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:45.959 you know, I got a second home. You know, this 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:48.079 is a piece of property. You take this to meet 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:49.399 the needs of the people in the church. They're 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:52.180 really hurting. And I think a buzz happened in 00:07:52.180 --> 00:07:55.620 the church where, wow. I mean, it was so sacrificial. 00:07:55.620 --> 00:07:58.220 It was so generous. And people were like, boy, 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:00.139 I guess this is what it means to love one another. 00:08:00.339 --> 00:08:02.480 And his name was Barnabas. And I think Barnabas 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:04.600 got this reputation because they started calling 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:07.639 him the son of encouragement. And the story goes 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:10.300 on in Acts chapter five. And jot that down because 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:12.459 before your head hits the pillow, you ought to 00:08:12.459 --> 00:08:14.540 read it. It's not very long. It's very interesting. 00:08:15.420 --> 00:08:17.680 So there's this young couple. I'm guessing they're 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:21.160 young. Maybe they're not young. But Ananias and 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:25.019 Sapphira. And so they kind of look around and 00:08:25.019 --> 00:08:27.680 they think, wow, everyone's talking about Barnabas. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:29.439 We wish people would talk about us like that. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.279 We sure wish people would think we're that generous 00:08:32.279 --> 00:08:34.620 and loving and kind. And so they hatched this 00:08:34.620 --> 00:08:36.929 plan. And the plan is, here's what we're going 00:08:36.929 --> 00:08:39.350 to do. We're going to sell this piece of property 00:08:39.350 --> 00:08:41.190 and we'll get the money and we'll tell people 00:08:41.190 --> 00:08:44.169 that we sold it for this much money and like 00:08:44.169 --> 00:08:46.850 we gave it all away. But we'll really keep back 00:08:46.850 --> 00:08:49.190 the money for us so we'll kind of have our cake 00:08:49.190 --> 00:08:51.809 and eat it too. We'll appear generous and loving 00:08:51.809 --> 00:08:53.990 and sacrificial, but we'll still have the major 00:08:53.990 --> 00:08:56.789 part of the money. And so, you know, he comes 00:08:56.789 --> 00:08:59.389 and talks to Peter. God reveals to Peter what's 00:08:59.389 --> 00:09:02.110 going on, and Peter says, Ananias, why have you 00:09:02.110 --> 00:09:04.370 lied to the Holy Spirit? Before it was sold, 00:09:04.450 --> 00:09:06.350 it was yours. After it was sold, it was yours. 00:09:06.929 --> 00:09:09.809 You aren't compelled to give a little or a lot. 00:09:10.149 --> 00:09:15.149 The issue is integrity. And then right there, 00:09:15.210 --> 00:09:18.710 bam, he dies. I mean, literally drops dead. And 00:09:18.710 --> 00:09:21.289 the young men come and pick him up for what? 00:09:21.409 --> 00:09:25.269 His hypocrisy. The very first sin in the church 00:09:25.269 --> 00:09:29.090 is hypocrisy. And the judgment is death. His 00:09:29.090 --> 00:09:31.370 wife comes a few hours later. And I'm thinking, 00:09:31.429 --> 00:09:33.450 Peter's going, I sure hope she's not in on this. 00:09:33.970 --> 00:09:36.429 And so he says, Sapphira, it's good to see you. 00:09:36.470 --> 00:09:38.029 How's things going? Oh, pretty good. How's the 00:09:38.029 --> 00:09:41.909 kids? I'm adding just a little. And he says to 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:43.789 her, so did you sell this piece of land for such 00:09:43.789 --> 00:09:47.490 and such a price? Oh, yes. You know, Ananias, 00:09:47.490 --> 00:09:49.149 when you're married to such a generous, loving, 00:09:49.250 --> 00:09:52.789 kind, amazing husband like I have, and we sacrificially 00:09:52.789 --> 00:09:57.009 have given it all away, I'm, again, reading between 00:09:57.009 --> 00:10:00.230 the lines. And Peter looks at her, and I think 00:10:00.230 --> 00:10:02.110 just with sadness in his heart, and said, the 00:10:02.110 --> 00:10:04.009 young man's feet who took away your husband shall 00:10:04.009 --> 00:10:07.250 take you away as well. Bam, she dies on the spot. 00:10:08.870 --> 00:10:12.710 And it says a great fear came among the church. 00:10:12.809 --> 00:10:16.289 Yeah, are you kidding? You're listening to Living 00:10:16.289 --> 00:10:19.169 on the Edge, and Chip Ingram will continue today's 00:10:19.169 --> 00:10:22.000 program in just a minute. Today's message is 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:24.679 part of Chip's series, God's Dream for Your Life, 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:27.980 and you can hear it anytime at livingontheedge 00:10:27.980 --> 00:10:31.139 .org. Whether you want to revisit what you've 00:10:31.139 --> 00:10:33.879 heard today or pass it along to a friend, this 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:36.580 message and hundreds more are available online. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:40.279 You'll also find small group resources and opportunities 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:43.120 to help you live out God's dream for your life. 00:10:43.340 --> 00:10:47.759 It's all there at livingontheedge .org. Well, 00:10:47.779 --> 00:10:49.759 now here's Chip. Now, you've got to understand, 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:51.960 can you imagine if you've never read the Bible 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:54.500 before, and this is your first time through the 00:10:54.500 --> 00:10:56.620 New Testament, and you're a brand new Christian, 00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:59.259 you're thinking, so this is what happens to hypocrites? 00:10:59.299 --> 00:11:02.639 I'm in trouble. I mean, literally, it was like, 00:11:02.700 --> 00:11:06.879 whoa. In fact, if God was acting in this way, 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:09.740 I think he was going to make a point. See, if 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:13.240 hypocrisy gets in the mix, it's like leaven and 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:18.220 bread. It spreads. And when people aren't authentic, 00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:20.919 the message of Jesus would have been wiped out 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:25.779 within a few years. And so God wanted to demonstrate 00:11:25.779 --> 00:11:31.399 how important this was. And I often thought later 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:33.899 when I was a pastor, if God did that for like 00:11:33.899 --> 00:11:37.759 24 hours in the church all across America, all 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:39.679 of us would have to turn in our pastor's badges 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:43.730 and become morticians. Probably a lot of us pastors 00:11:43.730 --> 00:11:45.690 would need other pastors who are doing better 00:11:45.690 --> 00:11:52.350 than us to bury us. But do you get it? Do you 00:11:52.350 --> 00:11:55.690 really get that church, quote, was never ever 00:11:55.690 --> 00:11:57.990 intended to be a group of people that come to 00:11:57.990 --> 00:12:00.529 an event and feel like in some way they're... 00:12:00.940 --> 00:12:03.259 doing something morally positive because they 00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:05.139 come to an event and listen to someone talk about 00:12:05.139 --> 00:12:07.419 God and even sing a few worship songs to him 00:12:07.419 --> 00:12:09.740 and then file out and live life their own way 00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:12.559 and not be absolutely connected to one another 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:14.740 and have a safe environment where the real you 00:12:14.740 --> 00:12:18.500 shows up. And you know why the real you doesn't 00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:20.700 show up? The same reason the real you doesn't 00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:24.019 show up in me. He says, let love be without hypocrisy. 00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:26.679 And then it says, cling to what is good. Hate 00:12:26.679 --> 00:12:29.679 what is evil. Literally, the word is abhor what 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:33.559 is evil. Most of us are spending this, I wonder 00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:35.879 if this is wrong. How close can I get to sin 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:38.879 without falling in? So people in counseling will 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:41.120 ask me questions like, well, is this rating, 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:43.120 this rating, or this rating in this movie? Do 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:45.139 you think it's okay if I can do this? Or, you 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:46.480 know, we're dating right now, and we're doing 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:48.179 this, this, this, and this. Is that really sexual 00:12:48.179 --> 00:12:51.159 sin, or can we? Or, you know, we have so much 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:52.899 money, and I want to know, is it the gross, or 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:55.240 is it the net, or could I take a percentage? 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:59.620 You know, it's kind of like, how? Instead of, 00:12:59.659 --> 00:13:02.980 what's it say? Cling to what is good. The issue 00:13:02.980 --> 00:13:05.340 isn't how close can I get to sin, quote, without 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:10.139 sinning. It's how close can I get to God? How 00:13:10.139 --> 00:13:14.480 pure can I live? Because when you're pure, not 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:19.139 perfect, pure, the real you can show up because 00:13:19.139 --> 00:13:22.279 you can be honest. And you know one of the most 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:25.639 powerful and significant experiences you will 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:29.179 ever have in your life is being in a small group 00:13:29.179 --> 00:13:33.860 of people that's really safe, that really love 00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:38.259 you, and you really love them. And the real you 00:13:38.259 --> 00:13:41.980 shows up. The real you that's making great progress. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:45.480 The real you with the frustrations and hurts 00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:49.240 and struggles. The real you with the real problems. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:52.399 And as you bring your struggles, you're not judged. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:57.740 You're loved. And the real you that needs help 00:13:57.740 --> 00:14:01.000 gets support. And the real you that needs accountability 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:04.360 and as we all do an occasional kind of rebuke 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:06.919 and you know, what were you thinking? You kind 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:12.399 of violated our trust by that. See, that's a 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:15.860 fundamental part of authentic community and a 00:14:15.860 --> 00:14:19.080 lot of people never have that. And so enormous 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:22.379 amounts of energy, what we end up doing instead 00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:25.539 of allowing God to transform us, The energy is 00:14:25.539 --> 00:14:29.019 we have to do sin management. And so we're spending 00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:31.000 all this energy trying to either hide or deal 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.720 with our guilt or deal with our shape or drown 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:38.159 it out with food or work or money or shopping 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:43.039 or speed. And so when the real you shows up, 00:14:43.059 --> 00:14:44.360 that's the beginning of authentic community. 00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:46.960 But it's beyond that. It meets real needs, not 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:50.590 superficial or convenient ones. Authentic community 00:14:50.590 --> 00:14:52.730 doesn't happen when you do a little nice thing 00:14:52.730 --> 00:14:54.649 or a little nice thing here and it doesn't really 00:14:54.649 --> 00:14:57.289 cost you very much. Authentic community happens 00:14:57.289 --> 00:14:59.769 when the real you shows up. Notice it says devotion. 00:14:59.970 --> 00:15:02.330 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. 00:15:02.590 --> 00:15:05.649 Humility. Giving preference to one another in 00:15:05.649 --> 00:15:09.870 honor. Real needs getting met always involves 00:15:09.870 --> 00:15:14.049 devotion on our part and humility. The word devotion 00:15:14.049 --> 00:15:16.990 here is strong. He's saying you need to be committed 00:15:16.990 --> 00:15:19.330 to one another and lay your lives down for one 00:15:19.330 --> 00:15:22.210 another like you would for blood relatives. I 00:15:22.210 --> 00:15:24.330 mean, for people that you feel this moral responsibility 00:15:24.330 --> 00:15:27.210 for. And he says, be devoted to one another how? 00:15:27.309 --> 00:15:30.710 In brotherly love. Philo Delphia. That's the 00:15:30.710 --> 00:15:34.309 word. We named a city in Pennsylvania by that. 00:15:35.009 --> 00:15:37.509 It's this commitment of family love, of being 00:15:37.509 --> 00:15:40.070 there for one another, of doing whatever it takes. 00:15:41.309 --> 00:15:43.330 I thought I knew what it meant to kind of be 00:15:43.330 --> 00:15:46.309 devoted and love. I was a new Christian. And 00:15:46.309 --> 00:15:48.669 after probably, I guess it was about five, six 00:15:48.669 --> 00:15:50.889 years, I'd been coaching for a couple years after 00:15:50.889 --> 00:15:53.289 school. And Teresa and I were married. And we 00:15:53.289 --> 00:15:56.769 had two small kids at this time. And so, I mean, 00:15:56.789 --> 00:16:01.009 I was shocked, literally shocked that God called 00:16:01.009 --> 00:16:03.690 me into vocational ministry. I thought, I just 00:16:03.690 --> 00:16:06.289 can't imagine ever him being able to use someone 00:16:06.289 --> 00:16:08.009 like me. You know, I'm a teacher. I'm a basketball 00:16:08.009 --> 00:16:11.860 coach. I can't imagine being a pastor. But he 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:15.259 made it clear, so we went to school. And after 00:16:15.259 --> 00:16:16.799 about a year there, built some relationships. 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:19.220 We stayed in a little apartment complex. Actually, 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:22.080 it was a huge apartment complex, but it had like 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:23.720 these apartment here, apartment here, apartment 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:25.679 here, apartment here. They were little quad things. 00:16:26.100 --> 00:16:27.720 And so you really got to know the people. You 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.259 shared one hallway. And I came home after school. 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:33.679 It was in my first or second year, and Teresa's 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:35.460 eyes were all red. I said, honey, man, what is 00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:36.940 going on? Are you okay? She goes, oh, I spent 00:16:36.940 --> 00:16:39.279 all afternoon with Pat, you know, right across 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:41.549 the hall. I said, well, what's going on? She 00:16:41.549 --> 00:16:45.610 goes, well, her husband left her. I said, oh, 00:16:45.649 --> 00:16:48.850 you gotta be kidding. And they'd gotten really 00:16:48.850 --> 00:16:50.629 close. They had a little boy the same age as 00:16:50.629 --> 00:16:52.350 my little boys. They were all about five years 00:16:52.350 --> 00:16:55.929 old. And she goes, it's worse than that. Bank 00:16:55.929 --> 00:16:59.389 accounts are emptied. He left her. They have 00:16:59.389 --> 00:17:02.769 a like two or three week old newborn and she 00:17:02.769 --> 00:17:07.509 has no money. And we just prayed and cried. I 00:17:07.509 --> 00:17:09.680 thought, wow. So, you know, I'm thinking, My 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:11.299 heart's really going out to her, so I'm thinking 00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:14.579 it's really spiritual. Honey, you want to pray 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:16.099 for her? She goes, well, actually, we did that. 00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:18.940 But I've been thinking about it, and we talked 00:17:18.940 --> 00:17:21.819 over dinner. She goes, I think we should, in 00:17:21.819 --> 00:17:23.460 two days, her rent is due, and they're going 00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:25.319 to kick her out if she doesn't have rent money, 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:30.779 and I think we should pay for her rent. And my 00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:33.240 portfolio at this point is very easy to keep. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:37.039 I can keep it in my head. We don't have a savings 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:39.559 account because there was no need. We had a checking 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:42.839 account. And I made under $1 ,000 a month on 00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:45.039 straight commission as I went to school full 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:49.359 time. So I said, honey, if we pay for Pat's rent, 00:17:49.579 --> 00:17:53.519 our rent is due in 10 days. And the moment we 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:56.000 pay for her rent, we will have $10 in our checking 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:02.859 account. She said, I know. Oh, you know. When 00:18:02.859 --> 00:18:04.819 you marry above yourself, it's really not very 00:18:04.819 --> 00:18:07.740 good at times, you know. And so it was like. 00:18:08.140 --> 00:18:10.259 You know what? Okay. But you know what it was? 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:12.960 It was being devoted isn't like, oh, I hope it 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:15.200 goes well for her. I heard she had cancer. You 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:16.920 know, that family's going through a rough time. 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:22.839 No, no, it's like we're in this together. She's 00:18:22.839 --> 00:18:25.789 family. And so, you know, I'm figuring I'm probably 00:18:25.789 --> 00:18:27.369 going to have to learn how to be a pastor someday. 00:18:27.470 --> 00:18:29.410 Might as well start now. And so, okay, Lord, 00:18:29.529 --> 00:18:31.069 here it is. And we write the check. And by the 00:18:31.069 --> 00:18:33.289 way, it was not noble. I think people get this 00:18:33.289 --> 00:18:35.589 idea that when we take big steps for God, yes, 00:18:35.609 --> 00:18:37.809 God. Most of my really big steps are like, yes, 00:18:37.890 --> 00:18:40.690 God. You know, I don't really want to do this. 00:18:40.690 --> 00:18:44.210 I'm pretty. But okay, I'm gonna claim your promise, 00:18:44.309 --> 00:18:46.009 but my God will supply all my needs according 00:18:46.009 --> 00:18:48.109 to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. You 00:18:48.109 --> 00:18:50.369 said I'd do that, and the context is giving, 00:18:50.430 --> 00:18:52.650 being generous, Philippians 4 .19. I'm standing 00:18:52.650 --> 00:18:58.490 on that passage. Our rent's due. No money. We 00:18:58.490 --> 00:19:00.950 have a three -day grace period. First day, grace 00:19:00.950 --> 00:19:03.369 period, no money. Second day, grace period, no 00:19:03.369 --> 00:19:08.869 money. Third day, hey, yo! Which part of this 00:19:08.869 --> 00:19:11.009 verse am I misinterpreting, or what's the deal? 00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:14.720 And that day in the mail, that day, an envelope 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:16.779 came, you know, business side envelope. And in 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:18.859 the left -hand corner, it had a football helmet 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:22.319 that was green and yellow. And it was from Lombardi 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:26.059 Avenue. I got a letter from someone from the 00:19:26.059 --> 00:19:28.619 Green Bay Packers. I was like, are you, you know, 00:19:28.619 --> 00:19:32.059 what is this? So I opened the letter and the 00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:34.140 letter says, hi, Chip, I'm sure you don't know 00:19:34.140 --> 00:19:37.339 me. I met you about six years ago or so. I was 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:39.279 a senior in high school at the time and you taught 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:43.000 a Bible study in San Jose. And I later went on 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:45.160 and played college football and I was the first 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:48.799 quarterback taken in the draft. And I'm playing 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:51.380 for the Green Bay Packers now. And when you taught 00:19:51.380 --> 00:19:53.319 that Bible study, all I can tell you, I can't 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:55.579 really remember what you said, but something 00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:58.240 happened that changed the spiritual trajectory 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:01.619 of my life. And I've never forgotten it. And 00:20:01.619 --> 00:20:03.619 I've not thought of you for six years, but this 00:20:03.619 --> 00:20:06.259 is weird. Out of the blue, you came to my mind 00:20:06.259 --> 00:20:08.619 and I'm supposed to send you this thousand dollars. 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:15.000 I mean, it was just like, oh. You know what happened? 00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:18.680 I got to experience authentic community. This 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:22.359 is how God works. This is normal. He puts people 00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:25.680 in your life that you have some more time than 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.859 they have. You have money that they don't have. 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:30.039 You have energy that they don't have. You have 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:31.640 spiritual gifts that would help them that they 00:20:31.640 --> 00:20:33.460 don't have. And you don't nod and think, well, 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:35.059 I went to church. I read the Bible. I went on 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:37.619 a missions trip. You think, I'm a part of this 00:20:37.619 --> 00:20:41.109 community. And that need is a red light going 00:20:41.109 --> 00:20:44.589 off on my soul to love them. And I will tell 00:20:44.589 --> 00:20:47.930 you what, man, we got tight with Pat. I mean, 00:20:47.930 --> 00:20:49.730 it was like 20 years later, he got a postcard. 00:20:50.750 --> 00:20:52.829 Teresa, you know, I saw somewhere you and Chip 00:20:52.829 --> 00:20:54.970 and da -da -da. I just want a picture of her 00:20:54.970 --> 00:20:58.609 and her grown son and the little one. And you 00:20:58.609 --> 00:21:01.509 know, our hearts were connected to Pat. Why? 00:21:02.369 --> 00:21:05.329 Because wherever your treasure is, your heart 00:21:05.329 --> 00:21:07.849 follows it. And then I got to see that God also, 00:21:07.930 --> 00:21:10.410 that was the first of many lessons. I mean, that 00:21:10.410 --> 00:21:14.829 was a like, ooh. And after that, in the last 00:21:14.829 --> 00:21:18.470 30 years, we've done that scores of times. Scores 00:21:18.470 --> 00:21:21.529 of times, never knowing for sure how God's apply. 00:21:21.910 --> 00:21:25.390 My testimony, he always does. And what we've 00:21:25.390 --> 00:21:28.069 experienced is God. See, at the end of the day, 00:21:28.130 --> 00:21:29.509 you know what most Christians don't know? God 00:21:29.509 --> 00:21:33.049 is real. He's not a philosophy. He's not a formula. 00:21:33.250 --> 00:21:36.710 He's not a moral code. Jesus is a person and 00:21:36.710 --> 00:21:39.250 he's real and he loves you and he made promises 00:21:39.250 --> 00:21:41.490 and he wants you to stand on him and you take 00:21:41.490 --> 00:21:43.849 risks, which are called faith, and you love one 00:21:43.849 --> 00:21:46.950 another and people get love through you and then 00:21:46.950 --> 00:21:51.529 he supplies. When the real you meets real needs 00:21:51.529 --> 00:21:55.569 through devotion and also through humility. Because 00:21:55.569 --> 00:21:57.569 at the end of the day, you know what? You have 00:21:57.569 --> 00:21:59.730 to think more of other people than yourself. 00:22:02.230 --> 00:22:04.910 This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:22:05.069 --> 00:22:07.730 Today, Chip unpacked what it really means to 00:22:07.730 --> 00:22:10.849 do life together. Not just showing up to a small 00:22:10.849 --> 00:22:13.789 group, but letting the real you show up, meet 00:22:13.789 --> 00:22:16.630 real needs, and experience the kind of transformation 00:22:16.630 --> 00:22:20.170 that simply cannot happen alone. That's the heart 00:22:20.170 --> 00:22:23.410 of God's dream for your life. Now, if today's 00:22:23.410 --> 00:22:25.730 message resonated with you, we'd love to help 00:22:25.730 --> 00:22:29.009 you go deeper. At livingontheedge .org, you'll 00:22:29.009 --> 00:22:31.690 find small group resources and practical tools 00:22:31.690 --> 00:22:34.829 built around this very series, designed to help 00:22:34.829 --> 00:22:37.589 you and the people you care about build authentic 00:22:37.589 --> 00:22:40.950 community. What makes Living on the Edge different 00:22:40.950 --> 00:22:43.559 is simple. Chip doesn't just explain what the 00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:46.539 Bible says. He shows you how to live it out all 00:22:46.539 --> 00:22:49.839 week long. And that kind of practical, life -changing 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:52.359 teaching is only possible because of friends 00:22:52.359 --> 00:22:55.440 like you who believe this mission matters. Would 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:58.160 you consider partnering with us today? Your monthly 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:00.900 gift creates the stability that keeps this program 00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:03.779 on the air and reaching people across the country 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:06.559 and around the world. When you sign up, you're 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:09.680 not just supporting a radio program. You're investing 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:13.680 in changed lives and a legacy of biblical discipleship 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:17.980 that will outlast all of us. To give, visit livingontheedge 00:23:17.980 --> 00:23:24.680 .org or call us at 888 -333 -6003. Even easier, 00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:27.720 use our mobile app. Just click on the heart icon 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:31.160 and follow the instructions. Well, now here's 00:23:31.160 --> 00:23:33.400 Chip. You know, as we wrap up today's program, 00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:35.880 I... I guess the question I have for you is that 00:23:35.880 --> 00:23:39.579 if a non -Christian overheard you talking or 00:23:39.579 --> 00:23:42.960 was sort of at the next table at a coffee shop 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:45.599 and heard you kind of talking with a friend, 00:23:45.859 --> 00:23:48.660 would they hear you talking about other people 00:23:48.660 --> 00:23:50.579 or would they hear you talking about information? 00:23:50.619 --> 00:23:53.859 Would it be just sports or what's on sale? Or 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:57.279 would they kind of eavesdrop and think, wow, 00:23:57.539 --> 00:24:01.319 I wish I had a relationship with someone that 00:24:01.319 --> 00:24:05.259 was that deep, that real? that vulnerable, and 00:24:05.259 --> 00:24:08.059 that authentic. If you don't have close friends, 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:10.559 then you need to launch a small group. Or if 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:13.099 your family doesn't have these kind of relationships, 00:24:13.339 --> 00:24:16.079 and don't get me wrong, I know it's hard, you 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:19.059 got to go there. Because at the end of the day, 00:24:19.220 --> 00:24:23.240 relationships are what matter. And deep relationships 00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:26.200 that matter can't happen without authenticity. 00:24:26.740 --> 00:24:29.940 And you need to be wise about who you do it with. 00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:33.000 But it'll be the greatest thing that ever happens 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:35.319 because when the real you shows up and the real 00:24:35.319 --> 00:24:38.220 you gets loved, it's awesome. And that's God's 00:24:38.220 --> 00:24:41.579 plan. I'm Dave Drewy with a final question. Are 00:24:41.579 --> 00:24:45.259 you serving God or just serving your image? Join 00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:47.400 Chip Ingram and discover what it really means 00:24:47.400 --> 00:24:50.579 to love people the way Jesus did. Tomorrow on 00:24:50.579 --> 00:24:56.440 Living on the Edge. Today's program is produced 00:24:56.440 --> 00:24:58.619 and sponsored by Living on the Edge.