WEBVTT 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:14.179 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:17.480 Who is the most authentically humble person that 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:20.280 you know? And what is it about that person's 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:23.460 attitude, their concern for others, their approach 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:26.460 to life that makes them so attractive? Here's 00:00:26.460 --> 00:00:28.199 the question. Would you like to be like that? 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:32.259 I want to be like that. And today, we together 00:00:32.259 --> 00:00:36.899 can learn how. Stay with me. On this weekend 00:00:36.899 --> 00:00:39.500 edition of Living on the Edge, Chip Ingram reveals 00:00:39.500 --> 00:00:42.759 the secret to humility. I'm Dave Drewy, and in 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:44.979 our series, Choosing Love, we're discovering 00:00:44.979 --> 00:00:48.219 that love isn't a feeling, it's a choice. And 00:00:48.219 --> 00:00:50.780 today, Chip shows us how Jesus modeled perfect 00:00:50.780 --> 00:00:54.299 servanthood. No job too low, no recognition required, 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.920 no thanks needed. You'll learn why humility grows 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:01.079 through obedience, not introspection. and you'll 00:01:01.079 --> 00:01:03.460 discover the incredible rewards that come when 00:01:03.460 --> 00:01:06.319 you follow Christ's example of descending into 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:09.500 greatness. So grab your Bible and turn to Philippians 00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:13.099 2, verse 5. Here's Chip Ingram with today's message, 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:17.239 Love Serves. Notice humility flows from a specific 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:21.400 mindset. Hear the command. Have this attitude 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:23.760 in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:26.900 who, although he existed in the form of God, 00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:29.500 did not regard equality with God a thing to be 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:32.200 grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:35.099 of a bondservant and being made in the likeness 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:38.780 of men. When it says he emptied himself for Bible 00:01:38.780 --> 00:01:41.560 students, the word is kenosis. Literally, it 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:45.500 means he made himself nothing. It's a sacrifice 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:48.159 that's unbelievable. And what he's doing is, 00:01:48.299 --> 00:01:51.439 he's saying, I was in the form, the very essence 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.840 of God. I make myself nothing, never ceasing 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:58.790 in any way. Relieving himself of any deity, he's 00:01:58.790 --> 00:02:01.909 fully God, fully man. And then notice what it 00:02:01.909 --> 00:02:05.569 says. Taking the form, the essential nature, 00:02:05.689 --> 00:02:09.430 not just of a servant, but of a bondservant. 00:02:10.090 --> 00:02:12.569 A bondservant in Jewish and in Roman culture 00:02:12.569 --> 00:02:15.270 had no rights. He's the guy that empties the 00:02:15.270 --> 00:02:18.349 trash. He's the guy that has zero rights, no 00:02:18.349 --> 00:02:21.650 anything, anywhere, at any time. Could you just 00:02:21.650 --> 00:02:26.259 pause for a moment? Could you imagine? I mean, 00:02:26.259 --> 00:02:27.939 when you think of how we cling to our rights, 00:02:28.099 --> 00:02:31.000 how come they didn't do that for me? Don't they 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:35.340 know who I am? Can you imagine the creator of 00:02:35.340 --> 00:02:38.759 the universe taking the form of a bondservant? 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:41.340 And it says he's made in the likeness of a man. 00:02:41.419 --> 00:02:43.900 The word likeness is our word schema. This is 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:45.819 the word that means just the outward fashion 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:48.979 of, the appearance of. And he was fully human, 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.039 except he wasn't like all other men. There's 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:57.710 no sin nature. Everything he did, he said, follow 00:02:57.710 --> 00:03:01.650 me, model this. I can do nothing apart from him. 00:03:01.750 --> 00:03:04.289 His entire life was I'm dependent on the Father 00:03:04.289 --> 00:03:07.110 and in the power of the Holy Spirit to live this 00:03:07.110 --> 00:03:10.889 life so you can follow behind me and you be dependent 00:03:10.889 --> 00:03:12.969 on the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:03:13.729 --> 00:03:17.590 And he did that because he loves you. He did 00:03:17.590 --> 00:03:22.009 that to rescue mankind. He descended into greatness. 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:25.879 You want to have a mindset? You want to embrace 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:29.560 the mindset with regard to your position? Right? 00:03:29.699 --> 00:03:33.139 We all have one. We do. And prestige, you know, 00:03:33.180 --> 00:03:36.199 like what makes me a somebody. Let me give you 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:38.680 three characteristics of the mindset of a servant. 00:03:39.180 --> 00:03:42.939 You might jot these down. And then think about 00:03:42.939 --> 00:03:46.400 how they might play out in your home, in your 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:52.099 driving, at work. Characteristic number one, 00:03:52.139 --> 00:03:55.449 no job is too low. Why? Because you're a servant. 00:03:55.930 --> 00:03:57.729 There's trash on the ground? Pick it up. Why? 00:03:57.830 --> 00:04:01.949 You're a servant. No recognition is required. 00:04:02.990 --> 00:04:06.569 No one needs to know who you are. No one needs 00:04:06.569 --> 00:04:10.409 to say, oh, wow, you're no recognition. You don't 00:04:10.409 --> 00:04:13.610 have to casually, like I certainly do at times, 00:04:13.689 --> 00:04:15.830 tell people that you know so -and -so or you 00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:18.370 work so -and -so. See, you don't have to bring 00:04:18.370 --> 00:04:22.790 recognition to yourself. No job too low. No recognition 00:04:22.790 --> 00:04:27.129 needed. No thanks required. You know, when a 00:04:27.129 --> 00:04:29.389 servant would do his job, no one said, oh, wow, 00:04:29.629 --> 00:04:32.290 thanks so much. It's he's a servant. That's what 00:04:32.290 --> 00:04:34.250 he's supposed to do, serve all the rest of us. 00:04:34.689 --> 00:04:38.120 You see, it's a mindset. Can you imagine what 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.160 it would be like to be married to someone who 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:42.720 thought their job was to serve their mate? Can 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:44.899 you imagine a mom or dad who thought that the 00:04:44.899 --> 00:04:47.860 whole goal of their life was to serve their children 00:04:47.860 --> 00:04:49.680 in a way to help them be responsible and to grow 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:51.459 up? Can you imagine what it would be like to 00:04:51.459 --> 00:04:53.959 have a boss or a supervisor who saw themselves 00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:56.500 not as the head and the requirement and got mad 00:04:56.500 --> 00:04:58.139 when people didn't get their deliverables, but 00:04:58.139 --> 00:04:59.839 I'm going to serve you and help you be successful, 00:04:59.980 --> 00:05:02.019 and maybe the best way to serve some of you is 00:05:02.019 --> 00:05:05.730 help you find another place? Because you struggle, 00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:08.410 this isn't what you were intended for, but the 00:05:08.410 --> 00:05:10.990 mindset isn't, you hack me off, get out of here, 00:05:11.089 --> 00:05:16.209 I want to serve you. Well, those are the three 00:05:16.209 --> 00:05:19.550 characteristics of a servant's mindset. Can you 00:05:19.550 --> 00:05:22.529 take any more? Let me give you three characteristics 00:05:22.529 --> 00:05:27.730 of what makes great servants. Number one, they 00:05:27.730 --> 00:05:33.459 observe needs. See, real servants realize, I'm 00:05:33.459 --> 00:05:36.680 not here for people to serve me. And so they 00:05:36.680 --> 00:05:38.899 observe needs. If you've ever been to a very 00:05:38.899 --> 00:05:41.439 good restaurant and the waiter or the waitress, 00:05:41.540 --> 00:05:45.699 do you ask for water? They're there. You ask 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:48.259 for a second of this. I mean, they're watching 00:05:48.259 --> 00:05:54.060 your table and they observe needs. When you stand 00:05:54.060 --> 00:05:56.560 up and when you're here, do you just go and talk 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:59.079 to someone you know? Are you observing? I wonder 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:01.410 what the needs are. Wonder how things are going 00:06:01.410 --> 00:06:03.610 here. I wonder if they need help in the children's 00:06:03.610 --> 00:06:06.470 ministry. I wonder if they need help over here. 00:06:06.529 --> 00:06:10.550 Who might need, servants have this mindset of, 00:06:10.670 --> 00:06:14.629 there might be some needs I can fulfill. Second, 00:06:14.949 --> 00:06:18.610 is they take initiative. You don't have to ask 00:06:18.610 --> 00:06:21.730 them. They just take initiative. Oh wow, there's 00:06:21.730 --> 00:06:23.430 a need, I'll fill it. I'll take care of that. 00:06:23.730 --> 00:06:28.230 I'll do that. And third, they don't draw attention 00:06:28.230 --> 00:06:32.850 to themselves. Now, that's pretty different, 00:06:32.930 --> 00:06:38.050 isn't it? That's what Jesus did. And he loved 00:06:38.050 --> 00:06:42.449 deeply and better. And that's why he's the greatest 00:06:42.449 --> 00:06:45.170 human being who ever lived, because he was a 00:06:45.170 --> 00:06:50.769 human being. Fully God, but a human being. That's 00:06:50.769 --> 00:06:53.829 how he viewed position and prestige. Finally, 00:06:54.029 --> 00:06:57.769 we become truly great when we embrace Christ's 00:06:57.769 --> 00:07:02.389 mindset toward Productivity. Ask yourself, what 00:07:02.389 --> 00:07:08.730 did he really accomplish? Quite a bit, huh? Being 00:07:08.730 --> 00:07:12.889 found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself 00:07:12.889 --> 00:07:17.370 by becoming obedient to the point of death, even 00:07:17.370 --> 00:07:22.870 death on a cross. Underline the word humbled 00:07:22.870 --> 00:07:27.089 himself. Put a box around becoming obedient. 00:07:28.199 --> 00:07:31.939 and then circle death and circle on a cross. 00:07:32.860 --> 00:07:39.560 Jesus descended from the supreme creator and 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:44.319 ruler to taking on human flesh, to being a servant, 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:48.740 to making his life a sacrifice, to dying for 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:52.279 us, and then to die in the most humiliating way 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.939 known to mankind. Now, here's what you need to 00:07:55.939 --> 00:07:58.199 get. especially those with a sensitive conscience, 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:01.860 which I really appreciate. The way to eliminate 00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:05.079 your pride is not to focus on how arrogant you 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:07.300 are. It's not to walk out of here and go, you 00:08:07.300 --> 00:08:09.220 know, I think of myself, and I'm really into 00:08:09.220 --> 00:08:11.639 position, and yes, I think my possessions make 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:13.420 me of someone, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, don't 00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:15.139 go there. When you try and get rid of pride, 00:08:15.379 --> 00:08:17.560 out the window, it comes back in the door. If 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:19.100 you get it out the door, it'll come back in through 00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:21.300 the attic. You know how you can become a humble 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:27.519 person? It's really, really easy. Obey. You obey 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:31.240 your way to humility. Because humility isn't 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:34.340 some feeling. Humility is considering others 00:08:34.340 --> 00:08:35.820 more important than yourself. So what do you 00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:39.799 do? You act on the truth that these people are 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:42.759 actually more important than me. Therefore, my 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:46.059 time will go toward helping others. My money 00:08:46.059 --> 00:08:48.139 is going to go toward helping others. And my 00:08:48.139 --> 00:08:51.460 talents will go toward helping others. And more 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:54.259 than some kind of feeling, you do what Jesus 00:08:54.259 --> 00:08:57.600 did. He acted on it. And by the way, just a little 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:00.019 note, put a little star. He didn't feel like 00:09:00.019 --> 00:09:03.460 it. Do you remember the garden? Emotionally. 00:09:04.539 --> 00:09:06.539 Jesus didn't, you know, love is giving another 00:09:06.539 --> 00:09:08.440 person what they need the most when they deserve 00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:11.320 it the least at great personal cost. Jesus was 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:13.659 not in the garden going, Father, from eternity 00:09:13.659 --> 00:09:15.659 past, we're going to save him. This is great. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:18.100 Holy Spirit, I want to high five you. I'm going 00:09:18.100 --> 00:09:21.970 to go to the cross. We're going to do this. Oh, 00:09:21.970 --> 00:09:24.809 Father, oh, Father, if there be any way, not 00:09:24.809 --> 00:09:27.009 my will but yours be done, but if there's a plan 00:09:27.009 --> 00:09:30.409 B, a plan C, I don't want to do this. I don't 00:09:30.409 --> 00:09:32.169 want to be separated from you. I don't want the 00:09:32.169 --> 00:09:35.370 cost. I don't want the pain. I don't want to 00:09:35.370 --> 00:09:38.570 do this nevertheless. Can I tell you something? 00:09:38.730 --> 00:09:40.570 When you don't feel like reading the Bible and 00:09:40.570 --> 00:09:42.409 read it, when you don't feel like praying and 00:09:42.409 --> 00:09:44.429 pray, when you don't feel like giving and give, 00:09:44.570 --> 00:09:46.409 when you give time and you care, when you're 00:09:46.409 --> 00:09:48.350 tired and say, I don't feel like it, I don't 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:51.019 feel like it, I don't think you're being a hypocrite. 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:55.600 I think you're probably more pleasing to God 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:59.600 than almost any other time in your life. It takes 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:02.419 a lot more faith to obey when you don't feel 00:10:02.419 --> 00:10:06.399 like doing it. You are living in such a feel 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:09.200 -oriented culture. I'm kind of tired. I don't 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:11.440 feel like reading. I'm kind of tired. I don't 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:13.019 know if I can make it to the small group. I'm 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:16.679 kind of tired. I'm so worn out. Blah, blah, blah, 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:18.700 blah, blah. How did Jesus feel? He was beat within 00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:22.899 an inch of his life. They crushed thorns into 00:10:22.899 --> 00:10:32.419 his skull. Love serves. I choose love. I choose 00:10:32.419 --> 00:10:35.299 to serve. And something supernatural happens 00:10:35.299 --> 00:10:42.820 when that occurs. Humility grows by obedience. 00:10:44.110 --> 00:10:46.509 If you walk out these doors and go, I want to 00:10:46.509 --> 00:10:48.789 be more humble, I intend to be more humble, you 00:10:48.789 --> 00:10:51.970 will not be humble. You act your way into humility. 00:10:52.389 --> 00:10:58.090 Obedience is the pathway to humility. Humility 00:10:58.090 --> 00:11:00.970 is about considering others, people, more important 00:11:00.970 --> 00:11:04.769 than yourself. You're listening to Living on 00:11:04.769 --> 00:11:07.350 the Edge with Chip Ingram. We'll hear more from 00:11:07.350 --> 00:11:09.879 Chip in just a moment. If today's message is 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:11.960 speaking to your heart, don't keep it to yourself. 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:14.419 Share this teaching with someone who needs to 00:11:14.419 --> 00:11:18.500 hear it by visiting livingontheedge .org. While 00:11:18.500 --> 00:11:20.340 you're there, be sure to check out all of the 00:11:20.340 --> 00:11:22.740 other faith -building resources we have available, 00:11:22.980 --> 00:11:26.059 including teaching videos, blogs, and devotionals 00:11:26.059 --> 00:11:29.639 from Chip. It's all waiting for you at livingontheedge 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:33.919 .org. Let's continue with Chip's message. So, 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:35.779 let's do a quick test and then we're going to 00:11:35.779 --> 00:11:37.360 get to something very exciting like the really 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:41.059 wonderful side of the rewards of humility. Here's 00:11:41.059 --> 00:11:45.740 the test. How other -centered are you? Okay, 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:50.480 get out your device or devices and just scroll 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.980 through the last two or three weeks and how many 00:11:53.980 --> 00:11:59.299 names and times on your devices are about serving 00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:04.129 other people and how many are about you? That 00:12:04.129 --> 00:12:09.590 will tell you. Second is go home, pull up your 00:12:09.590 --> 00:12:11.710 bank statement and a couple of your credit cards 00:12:11.710 --> 00:12:15.950 and look at where your money went and ask yourself 00:12:15.950 --> 00:12:18.429 how much of the money entrusted to you, because 00:12:18.429 --> 00:12:21.710 it's not yours and it's not mine, went to expressing 00:12:21.710 --> 00:12:24.070 your love to God and to helping other people 00:12:24.070 --> 00:12:26.970 and how of it went to you and to service your 00:12:26.970 --> 00:12:31.620 debt. See, the reason Jesus talks so much about 00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:34.659 money is because it's at the core. It's the MRI. 00:12:34.899 --> 00:12:37.159 If you want to know where your heart's at, it's 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:39.700 not how you sing a song. It's not how often you 00:12:39.700 --> 00:12:41.440 come to church. If you want to know where your 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:43.120 heart's at, you know, it's like the old thing, 00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:46.090 just follow the money. And so the reason he says 00:12:46.090 --> 00:12:48.889 and taught to him, look, the first 10%, just 00:12:48.889 --> 00:12:51.309 so you know that I own it and you don't, you 00:12:51.309 --> 00:12:53.529 write that check to me. But if you live on a 00:12:53.529 --> 00:12:56.149 bit of a budget and you decide how much is enough, 00:12:56.289 --> 00:12:58.330 then over and above that how much is enough, 00:12:58.450 --> 00:13:01.350 you begin to share and give and love. And then 00:13:01.350 --> 00:13:03.230 what he says is I keep descending into greatness. 00:13:03.549 --> 00:13:06.049 All these people's lives change and people get 00:13:06.049 --> 00:13:08.190 loved and people come to Christ and they experience 00:13:08.190 --> 00:13:12.350 the life of Christ. See, my money tells me whether 00:13:12.350 --> 00:13:14.960 I'm humble or whether I'm about me. And then 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:17.919 I ask myself, what about my talent? Where's my 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:21.299 talent going? I mean, my energy. Did you know 00:13:21.299 --> 00:13:24.360 in Christendom, 50 % of all the people that go 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:27.139 to Bible -believing churches do not give anything 00:13:27.139 --> 00:13:30.259 of their time or their money. And I would love 00:13:30.259 --> 00:13:32.519 to say our church is a big exception. It's not. 00:13:32.580 --> 00:13:35.399 It's exactly that same place. And by the way, 00:13:35.419 --> 00:13:37.740 if you look at our numbers, we don't need your 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:41.039 money. I mean, we could do a lot more. But here, 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:45.600 my challenge is, You want to be a servant? Then 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:48.700 serve. Get your priorities in order. Get your 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:51.480 time in order. You can't do anything I'm talking 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:54.059 about unless God speaks to you and strengthens 00:13:54.059 --> 00:13:56.360 you. Your priorities will never get right until 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.179 your finances get right. And if you think there's 00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:00.980 any ulterior motive, give it somewhere else. 00:14:01.620 --> 00:14:09.580 But maturity, joy, power. Love demands humility 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:13.559 that requires obedience. Now, just before you 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:17.539 think, oh my lands, I want to tell you something 00:14:17.539 --> 00:14:20.860 that makes all this worthwhile. Are you ready? 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:24.759 The next and last point is we experience the 00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:27.399 reward of true greatness when we follow Christ's 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:31.419 example of servanthood. Now, remember I said 00:14:31.419 --> 00:14:34.159 everyone wants to be great? Are you ready? Okay, 00:14:34.220 --> 00:14:39.710 how great do you really want to be? Okay? How 00:14:39.710 --> 00:14:43.190 great do you really want to be? Because if you 00:14:43.190 --> 00:14:46.809 are willing to take your position, your possessions, 00:14:46.909 --> 00:14:49.990 your prestige, your power, and say, I'm a steward 00:14:49.990 --> 00:14:52.269 of that, and I'm going to use that humbly as 00:14:52.269 --> 00:14:54.649 God directs to serve and to love God and to love 00:14:54.649 --> 00:14:57.750 others, here's the promise. Christ will exalt 00:14:57.750 --> 00:15:00.809 you. He always exalts those who practice humility. 00:15:01.110 --> 00:15:03.309 In fact, notice, here's the example from Jesus. 00:15:03.830 --> 00:15:06.669 For this reason. What reason? This descending 00:15:06.669 --> 00:15:09.289 into greatness, also God highly exalted him. 00:15:09.350 --> 00:15:12.350 Literally, it super exalted him. And he bestowed 00:15:12.350 --> 00:15:14.409 on him the name which is above every name. Why? 00:15:15.070 --> 00:15:19.539 So that at the name of Jesus. Every knee will 00:15:19.539 --> 00:15:22.340 bow. Where? Of those who are in heaven, of those 00:15:22.340 --> 00:15:24.000 who are on earth, and those who are under earth. 00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:26.740 And that every tongue will confess that Jesus 00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:29.039 Christ and put a box around Lord. The word is 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:32.860 Yahweh. He's referring back to Isaiah 45, 23, 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:36.080 where God Yahweh says, I am the one and every 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:38.159 knee will bow before me. If you want a passage, 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:41.360 God the Father is Lord. Jesus is Lord. And notice 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:45.980 the reason. For the glory of God. You know, Mother 00:15:45.980 --> 00:15:50.019 Teresa didn't own a whole lot. And there's people 00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:53.559 that have built huge, huge things. But we remember 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:57.299 Mother Teresa. Why? She just loved people. And 00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:59.779 she loved people that no one cared about. And 00:15:59.779 --> 00:16:03.940 God exalted her. As you humble yourself, as we 00:16:03.940 --> 00:16:06.539 as a church, like never before, humble ourselves 00:16:06.539 --> 00:16:13.360 by being obedient, God will exalt you. What would 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:16.490 it be worth? What would it be worth to have a 00:16:16.490 --> 00:16:19.950 deep, loving, connected family? Deep, loving, 00:16:20.009 --> 00:16:23.870 connected friendships? Be the person that changes 00:16:23.870 --> 00:16:26.169 the entire culture where you work or your neighborhood. 00:16:27.129 --> 00:16:31.210 See, God gave Jesus the greatest position and 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:35.649 the greatest name. Now, here's the deal. We need 00:16:35.649 --> 00:16:37.789 to apply this very specifically, and I want to 00:16:37.789 --> 00:16:41.509 do it very soberly. For those of you who are 00:16:41.509 --> 00:16:44.009 here and you are a follower of Christ, You're 00:16:44.009 --> 00:16:46.929 absolutely certain that you are in God's family. 00:16:47.029 --> 00:16:48.710 You've trusted Christ. At a certain point in 00:16:48.710 --> 00:16:50.570 time, you were convicted of your sin and your 00:16:50.570 --> 00:16:52.909 lifestyle. You realized that you needed to be 00:16:52.909 --> 00:16:56.110 forgiven and saved by a holy God. And you extended 00:16:56.110 --> 00:16:58.830 the empty hands of faith and said, I turn from 00:16:58.830 --> 00:17:00.990 my past life and I ask Jesus to come into my 00:17:00.990 --> 00:17:02.990 life and forgive me for my sin. I believe you 00:17:02.990 --> 00:17:05.250 died in my place and rose from the dead. If you're 00:17:05.250 --> 00:17:08.569 one of those people, here's the question. Your 00:17:08.569 --> 00:17:11.619 knee is going to bow. And you are going to confess 00:17:11.619 --> 00:17:14.400 him as Lord. My question is, is he Lord today? 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:20.740 If you have never said, I'm all in, and saying, 00:17:20.819 --> 00:17:23.099 whatever that means, my geography, my family, 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:26.940 my money, my dreams, I may be a little scared. 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:28.259 In fact, if you're not a little scared, you don't 00:17:28.259 --> 00:17:30.400 know what I'm talking about. But I'm going to 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:33.180 trust God, and I'm going to stand up, and I'm 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:37.119 going to publicly declare, he is my Lord. He 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:40.150 will call the shots from this moment on. And 00:17:40.150 --> 00:17:41.769 if you've never done that, I'll ask you to stand. 00:17:42.750 --> 00:17:44.829 And I will tell you, you will experience power, 00:17:45.009 --> 00:17:48.029 some difficulty, and some joy and reward that 00:17:48.029 --> 00:17:50.690 you've never experienced. And you will find yourself 00:17:50.690 --> 00:17:53.289 having to get into God's word because he'll begin 00:17:53.289 --> 00:17:56.240 using your life. There's another group of you 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.079 that you're here and you're exploring and you 00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:00.539 wouldn't claim necessarily to be a Christian 00:18:00.539 --> 00:18:03.240 or you're not really sure if you are in the family 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:05.099 or out of the family. You're a good person, a 00:18:05.099 --> 00:18:07.299 moral person. You're visiting a church. But if 00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:09.259 you died today, you are not absolutely certain 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:12.019 that you would spend eternity with Christ. Every 00:18:12.019 --> 00:18:15.099 person is going to bow the knee and you will 00:18:15.099 --> 00:18:21.819 profess Jesus is Lord. Option A. Is that if you 00:18:21.819 --> 00:18:24.740 haven't done that, you bow the knee and you humble 00:18:24.740 --> 00:18:27.579 your heart and you say, I need you, God. Will 00:18:27.579 --> 00:18:31.059 you forgive me? I want to turn from sin. I ask 00:18:31.059 --> 00:18:33.539 you to come into my life and I want to follow 00:18:33.539 --> 00:18:37.920 you. Option B is you say, well, no, I'm not ready 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:39.700 to do that. Maybe later. I don't want anyone 00:18:39.700 --> 00:18:41.400 telling me what to do. I'm not sure about this 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:43.359 God stuff. If that's good for you guys, fine. 00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:47.420 I'm going to do my own thing. The day will come 00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:51.279 when you will bow your knee. And instead of joy 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:55.339 looking at your Savior, in absolute dismay and 00:18:55.339 --> 00:18:59.500 distress, you'll go, oh, I remember when I was 00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:02.279 in that church and I heard God's voice and I 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:05.160 may never hear it again like this. I so wish 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:09.740 I could go back. But you can't. And he brought 00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:13.339 you into this room on this day to forgive your 00:19:13.339 --> 00:19:17.079 sins and give you a new life. God wants you to 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:20.750 be great. He wants you to be great. He just wants 00:19:20.750 --> 00:19:23.250 you to descend into greatness. The acid test 00:19:23.250 --> 00:19:27.730 of greatness is love. This is about being loving 00:19:27.730 --> 00:19:31.049 people. The road to greatness, have you got this 00:19:31.049 --> 00:19:35.970 word down now? It's humility. The road to greatness 00:19:35.970 --> 00:19:37.769 is considering others more important than yourself. 00:19:38.809 --> 00:19:42.549 And finally, the opportunity for greatness, it's 00:19:42.549 --> 00:19:45.519 serving. It's serving in the church. It's serving 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:48.539 at home. It's saying, I'm a servant. No job is 00:19:48.539 --> 00:19:51.079 too low. I'm a servant. I'm available. I'm a 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:53.339 servant. I don't need recognition. I want to 00:19:53.339 --> 00:19:55.839 be a part of the change engine. I'm not someone 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:58.400 who comes and sits and observes and intellectually 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:00.180 believes the things that everyone intellectually 00:20:00.180 --> 00:20:03.579 believes. I'm a servant. God, just show me where 00:20:03.579 --> 00:20:08.599 to plug in. This is Living on the Edge with Chip 00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:11.059 Ingram, and we're in our series, Choosing Love. 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:14.180 Today, Chip revealed that humility isn't something 00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:17.619 you feel your way into. You obey your way into 00:20:17.619 --> 00:20:20.599 it. Chip has one more powerful challenge to share 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:23.599 in just a moment. If you're serious about transforming 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:25.900 your relationships, you need to get your hands 00:20:25.900 --> 00:20:29.140 on Chip's newest book, I Choose Love. This book 00:20:29.140 --> 00:20:32.099 tackles the hard questions. How others -centered 00:20:32.099 --> 00:20:34.660 are you really? Where does your time, money, 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:37.599 and energy actually go? Chip doesn't let you 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:40.480 off easy. He challenges you to look at the data 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:43.559 on your devices, review your calendar, and follow 00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:46.980 the money to see where your heart truly is. But 00:20:46.980 --> 00:20:49.480 I Choose Love doesn't just convict you, it equips 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:52.039 you. You'll discover practical ways to serve 00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:55.160 without seeking recognition. If you want to descend 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:57.960 into true greatness through servanthood, order 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:02.000 I Choose Love today at livingontheedge .org. 00:21:02.779 --> 00:21:05.500 As a nonprofit ministry, each one of these programs 00:21:05.500 --> 00:21:08.400 depends on listeners who invest in biblical teaching 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.609 that changes lives. When you give to Living on 00:21:11.609 --> 00:21:13.829 the Edge, you're multiplying this message of 00:21:13.829 --> 00:21:16.609 transformative love. Will you partner with us 00:21:16.609 --> 00:21:20.410 today? Give today by going online to livingontheedge 00:21:20.410 --> 00:21:25.470 .org or write to Living on the Edge, PO Box 3007, 00:21:25.589 --> 00:21:30.490 Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. You can also call 888 00:21:30.490 --> 00:21:35.700 -333 -6003. Don't miss the Chip Ingram Sermon 00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:38.480 Podcast, a new feature on the Living on the Edge 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:41.880 podcast. Every sermon, complete and unedited, 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:45.220 now available alongside our daily broadcasts. 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:48.380 Subscribe to the Living on the Edge podcast today. 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:51.279 Well, now here's Chip with one final thought. 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:55.019 Before we go any farther today, I want to bring 00:21:55.019 --> 00:21:58.900 you back to that very important option A and 00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:02.160 option B I talked about at the close of the program. 00:22:03.309 --> 00:22:06.809 Because God has said it will happen. Every knee 00:22:06.809 --> 00:22:09.990 will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus 00:22:09.990 --> 00:22:13.490 Christ is Lord. And option A is that people will 00:22:13.490 --> 00:22:18.049 do that willfully, joyfully, that they will recognize 00:22:18.049 --> 00:22:20.950 that God the Son who made all that there is, 00:22:21.089 --> 00:22:24.589 who came and died in your place and my place 00:22:24.589 --> 00:22:27.569 for the sins of the whole world, who rose from 00:22:27.569 --> 00:22:29.609 the dead, who's seated at the right hand of the 00:22:29.609 --> 00:22:33.240 Father, is opening his arms and saying, come 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:36.839 unto me. Let me love you and forgive you. I came 00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:39.519 that you might have life and have it abundantly. 00:22:40.339 --> 00:22:43.880 Option B is for those who say, I don't want that. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:47.799 I'll control my life. No one's going to tell 00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:50.529 me what to do. And we don't always say it that 00:22:50.529 --> 00:22:53.049 harshly. Sometimes we say it like, we'll all 00:22:53.049 --> 00:22:55.849 get around to the God thing later. Or, you know, 00:22:55.869 --> 00:22:58.589 I think that's probably true, but I'm going to 00:22:58.589 --> 00:23:00.549 do some stuff that I think is really fun right 00:23:00.549 --> 00:23:04.390 now and maybe later. Or maybe you're one of those 00:23:04.390 --> 00:23:06.950 people that are literally shaking your fist in 00:23:06.950 --> 00:23:09.750 the face of God and saying, no one and nothing 00:23:09.750 --> 00:23:12.910 is going to rule over me because you have a warped 00:23:12.910 --> 00:23:15.109 view of God or had a bad religious experience. 00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:18.980 We don't talk about this much in our day, but 00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:21.500 I want you to know there is a reality of eternity, 00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:24.759 and God sent the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:28.259 and whoever believes in Him has eternal life. 00:23:28.660 --> 00:23:31.900 The one that has the Son has life. The one that 00:23:31.900 --> 00:23:34.440 does not have the Son of God does not have life. 00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:38.299 There are two endings, a group of people that 00:23:38.299 --> 00:23:41.740 God will say to them, Your will be done, and 00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:44.559 you will be separated from Him forever and ever 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:47.269 and ever. And there's a group that will say to 00:23:47.269 --> 00:23:50.849 God, Your will be done. Forgive me. I bow my 00:23:50.849 --> 00:23:54.930 knee, and I do it voluntarily. I don't know where 00:23:54.930 --> 00:23:57.670 you're at, but here's my prayer, that at this 00:23:57.670 --> 00:24:00.670 day, on this moment, you would be an option A 00:24:00.670 --> 00:24:03.470 person. And you would surrender your heart and 00:24:03.470 --> 00:24:06.250 your life at this very minute and say, Lord Jesus, 00:24:06.470 --> 00:24:09.569 forgive me. Come into my life. I acknowledge 00:24:09.569 --> 00:24:12.049 you as the Lord, the Savior, the Creator of the 00:24:12.049 --> 00:24:14.609 world, and I want to follow you. I believe you 00:24:14.609 --> 00:24:17.470 died in my place. You rose from the dead. I receive 00:24:17.470 --> 00:24:21.150 you as my Savior. Make me your son. Make me your 00:24:21.150 --> 00:24:23.450 daughter. And then I want to tell you to get 00:24:23.450 --> 00:24:25.609 on your phone and text the best Christian you 00:24:25.609 --> 00:24:27.910 know and tell them what you just did. And then 00:24:27.910 --> 00:24:31.569 go to livingontheedge .org. That's livingontheedge 00:24:31.569 --> 00:24:34.710 .org. It's very easy to find, and we have some 00:24:34.710 --> 00:24:37.369 resources to help you in your brand new life. 00:24:38.029 --> 00:24:40.329 Now find a good church this weekend that teaches 00:24:40.329 --> 00:24:43.990 the Bible and get on the journey. Only God can 00:24:43.990 --> 00:24:46.450 change a life, but what's your part in the process? 00:24:47.029 --> 00:24:49.769 I'm Dave Drewy. Join us next time on the weekend 00:24:49.769 --> 00:24:55.829 edition of Living on the Edge. Today's program 00:24:55.829 --> 00:24:58.670 is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.