Does someone need you to believe in them today? Is there someone you know that a word from you, an affirmation, a compliment, it'll change the course of their day and maybe the course of their life? We're going to learn how to do that today. Stay with me. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
We are an international teaching and discipleship ministry that motivates Christians to live like Christians. We're in the middle of our series, Spiritual Simplicity, Doing Less, Loving More. I hope you learned a lot so far from Chip Study. And to help others learn as you have, take a minute after the message and share it. You can do that through the Chip Ingram app or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Alright, if you're ready, go in your Bible to 1 Corinthians chapter 13 as we join Chip for the remainder of his talk, Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places. Who in your world? Who in your world needs you to look them into the eye and say, you know, yeah, you blew it. or there is a struggle, or this is a pattern in your life. But I believe in you.
I care about you. I believe in you. There's a friend of mine who's an extraordinarily gifted guy. And I just kind of, you ever watch people kind of get a lot of darts here and darts there? Seen him recently, he's kind of discouraged and was more discouraged.
And as I was praying one morning, God just prayed. prompted me, you need to go sit down and talk with this guy. And so I did and asked him a few questions and as he began to share, I said, what time out? Do you understand in your field You're probably one of the top three in all of America.
Well, okay. Maybe top five, I think three, two. Do you understand God has used you to do this, this, this, this, and this? Yeah. Do you understand what these things that are getting you down are about this big?
You know, you're starting to believe the criticisms that you're getting. I just want to tell you something. I believe in you. I'm behind you 100%. And whatever you decide to do with your life, I want you to know I'm in it with you.
And you know what? It wasn't a big deal. But I watched his countenance change and I watched what happened to him the rest of the week. Who in your world? needs to hear from you.
I believe in you. That mistake, that divorce, that abortion. That dropping out of school? That not making the team? Is that why?
It doesn't have the power to define you. I believe in you. Who needs to hear that from you? And maybe change the course of their life. You know what?
It's called love. And what we're going to learn is: when you do this, see, love never fails. Love never fails when you bear with one another and cover the sin. Love never fails when you believe in people. Third, love hopes all things.
The word is used 32 times in the New Testament. 18 times is translated trust, 10 times is translated hope, a handful of times it's translated hope for. It has the idea to wait for and have confidence in deliverance. Usually has the idea of salvation, deliverance not just from the forgiveness of your sin, but deliverance out of this world and all of its evil. And our great, great hope is heaven.
The return of Christ, the anchor of our soul. There is coming a day that no matter what's happening, how unfair it may be, our ultimate, ultimate hope is that we have a Savior, the God-man Jesus, who died, was raised from the dead, and those who trust in Him have an eternal hope. And practically, it's not hope and hope. When people speak, kind of in English or in a sort of casual way. They use hope, I would translate it wishful thinking.
It goes something like this.
So what are you gonna do? Meeting someone at work. I'm going to Vegas this weekend. Really? Yeah.
What are you gonna do? Get married. Really, how long you knowny? Two weeks. Hope it works out.
Yeah. Yeah. Good luck. How does last two marriages go? Not very good.
But I'm hoping for the best. Ho ho Hope, hope, hope, I mean, I mean, it's just hoping and hope. There's no basis. It's like writing checks without a bank account. By contrast.
This is confidence. This is absolute confidence, not. That this person has the power to change. Not that circumstances are gonna change and work everything out. This is a hope that's rooted in the promises of God, the character of God, and the sovereignty of God, that He's in absolute control.
And even though these are situations where someone's been struggling with addiction, you've tried and tried and tried, and they've been to a couple rehabs.
Someone who's, you know, you got a kid, they lie, they lie, they lie, you've done everything but stand on your head, and guess what? They still lie. This is a problem in a marriage that you can't even get them to go to counseling, and you hope, and hope, and hope. And I mean, this is just where you got a co-worker that, I mean, they just make everybody crazy. But they happen to be your supervisor.
And you get to the point where you're just out of emotional gas. And and you you you get where That they're going to change, that there's going to be some big thing happen. You lose hope. in their capacity or in your ability to fix the situation? This is a hope.
Where you say, you know something? I've done all I can do. This person, I'm not putting my hope that someday, some way, under the right conditions, they're going to have this aha moment and everything's going to be wonderful. But I refuse to give up hope because this is a book where Saul became Paul. This is a book where Rahab went from prostitute to being in the line.
of the Messiah. This is a book as long as the resurrection of Christ is true, failure is never final. And I'm not going to trust in this person. I'm not going to trust in this program. I'm not going to trust in my ability, but I'm going to trust that the all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign, loving God cares about this person.
And I'm going to trust that he's going to work. I had a really, what I thought was a pretty good illustration right at this point in my message, which I would share right now. But I'm not going to. Last night we were singing, and as we were singing, the third song was The Greatness of Our God. Yes.
And as we were singing that song, It was just like God bang hit me and I just remember knowing the songwriter of that song. And that song now was introduced at Hillsong. There were 100,000 worship leaders from all over the world, and it's coming out on four or five major albums with major worship leaders. I mean, it's just sweeping the globe. And as I was sitting there last night and singing the song and hearing just people embrace the greatness of our God.
I just thought. You really are great. Cause see when that songwriter was 16 I lost all hope. that any of my parenting in any way could ever make any difference. When that songwriter was 17, we were so butting of heads and he was rebellious and he had a dad that was young and afraid and was too hard on him at the wrong times.
And we just had a horrendous situation in our house. And I got to where I mean, he told me, he said, Dad, I got to tell you, I kind of like you as a person. I just don't believe in any of the Christianity. That's where you're going. I'm not buying it, I'm just rebelling.
And I mean, it it broke my heart. And um Therese and I'd sit up in bed and pray and talk and Cry. And he had no desire. I came to where, you know what? I have lost all hope that he will change, and I have lost all hope that I have any.
parenting technique. that will bring about change. And I had just Absolute hope. That the God who changed Saul from Paul, the person that you think it's impossible for God to reach or change. The issue in your marriage that you think is stuck forever, or something with one of your parents, or one of your kids, or a close friend.
And I just came to, you know, what? As long as Jesus rose from the dead, God still does the impossible. And God, I'm asking you for your glory and for your name that you do something special in that boy's life. And about late 17. It's a long story he did.
By eighteen he was leading worship. By 19, he had a ban. By 20-something he was going around the country. And then pretty soon he just started writing music. And to think that someone I had no hope could change, and I saw my failure in my parenting to think that God would have him write a song that millions of people would talk about how great God is.
Yeah. That My friend is biblical hope. See, that's what Jesus did for Peter. I mean, I don't know. There's lots of sins, and I think sometimes we categorize them probably a little differently than God does.
I think with God, betrayal is like way up there on the top of the list. You know, people that love you, who give their life, they care, and you turn your back on them and you just totally diss them. That's what Peter did. Under pressure, I don't know him. In fact, it was blankety, blank, blank.
I've never seen the guy. And the blankety blanks are cuss words, for those of you who wonder what that means. And he turned away completely. And Jesus had such confidence, you know what? He told Peter, you know, you're going to blow it.
My trust isn't in your bravado. My trust isn't, everyone else will let you down. I'll never let you down. My trust is not in the Peter. of your willpower and what you think you can do.
My trust is in what God can do, the Acts 2 Peter. And then after Peter, you repent, go back and strengthen your brothers. I believe in the Peter, the statement that upon this rock I'm going to build my church. And the rock isn't your personality, your ability. It is my word and my promises through you.
And so in John 21, we have this amazing picture of this betrayer, and he feels like he's ashamed, and he's blown it, and he's betrayed the Lord, and he's heard about the resurrection, and he feels like a heel. And my life's over, and I'm not going to be any good. And I just, I've blown it. It's too much. It's too long.
Peter. Have some fish. Thanks, Lord. Peter, a question. Do you love me?
Huh. Yeah. Peter, do you love me? Yeah. Peter.
Do you love me? Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal, question, question. Question. Lord, you know all things. You know where Peter got?
My hope. is not in my ability to obey. But you know my heart, I've blown it. Peter, feed my sheep, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. God reinstated, God restored.
Someone you know needs to know that your hope in God, not their ability to change, can bring about change. Who's that person? And what will it look like this week for you to love him? The final way we learn is We endure. We endure all things.
To endure means to actively remain, to persevere under misfortune and trial. I love this. The meaning of the word is to bear bravely and calmly ill treatment. It means to remain. You might just jot in your note, love stays.
It's not Staying out of an inability to leave, or an inability to set boundaries, or an inability to deliver consequences. It's not an enmeshed codependency love that says, I have to stay because I'm an incomplete person, and so I will live in this dysfunctional situation and continue in this abuse or continue in this dysfunction. No, no, no, no, no. Truth And grace Truth. Here's the boundaries, and that kind of behavior.
That kind of addiction, those kind of things will not be tolerated and here's consistent consequences and the help from others to maintain those. Grace. But I'm not giving up on you. See, the opposite of love is not hate. When there's hate, there's passion left.
The opposite of love. is indifference. You just don't care. Just what the heck? And often you say that more strongly.
Just Forget it. This endurance, hupo meno, hupo to be under meno, the stress, misfortune, pain, difficulty, and it's an active word. It's not passively, I'm going to endure what's happening around me. It's an active engagement of remaining healthy and understanding, this is the truth that must be obeyed, but. Despite these devastating failures, and I might have every reason and right.
to leave. I'm going to stay. And I'm not going to stay because of you. I'm going to stay because what God has done in me and the strength and grace He gives me to demonstrate the love of Christ to you. That's what Jesus did on the cross, He endured.
It wasn't nails that held him up there. It wasn't the Romans that put him up there. And it wasn't the Jews that got him there. What held him on the cross was he endured, love stays, and he remained because he knew you would fail badly. and I would fail badly.
You're listening to Living on the Edge. We'll get you back to today's program in just a second. But first, did you know that other believers are paramount to your faith journey? Keep listening after this message as Chip explains why and highlights some resources we have to get you into authentic community today. Stick around to learn more.
But for now, here again is Chip. And you may think you've just messed up a little. When the standard is absolute, unapproachable, light, complete perfection, 24-7, 365, as long as you live, you fail badly.
Okay. And so he endured. And as he endured, the scripture says that he became sin or a sin offering on our behalf. And so, your sin, my sin, the sin of all people for all time, as he hung upon that cross as an offering, God took all that sin and he placed it on Christ and then he turned away because he couldn't tolerate sin and the wrath of God for your sin and my sin and all people's sins. And that's why Jesus cried, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Because there was a division in the Godhead for the first time in all eternity. And when he died, he paid or covered or atoned for your sin and my sin once and for all. And the gospel is not get religious, become a Christian, and try hard to be moral. The gospel is you have already been forgiven. The wonderful happy news is of a God of love and kindness.
And you can receive it by faith. You don't have to receive it. You can tell God, forget you, I don't want your free gift, but you can never earn it. And so, those that would understand the good news of the gospel, that you have been forgiven, and the offer is by faith, will you receive it? And those who receive it by faith, by turning from their sin and believing and trusting on what Christ's done, the Spirit of God enters their life.
They're born from above, or literally born again. And the Spirit is sealed in their physical body, and the life of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit takes up residence in you. And you have been removed from the kingdom of darkness, placed in the kingdom of light. Spiritual gifts have been deposited. You're connected to the supernatural community called the church.
And then God wants, through His Spirit, in relationship. For you to begin to walk by faith and live and enjoy Him.
So, the Christian life is not how long you read the Bible, not how much you pray, not how much money you give, not how many good works. It's all about abiding in a relationship with the Father through the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit. And then what you find is, You love to be around people that you love. And you begin to read this because God speaks to you, and your relationship deepens. And then you start talking to Him, and it's not just a little five minutes or 10 minutes in the morning or at night, but it's all through the day.
And then pretty soon the love of God compels you because of what He's done in you to share that with other people. And you find yourself taking money out of your pocket to other people who need it more. And you don't get little brownie points for it. You are just following Christ. Why?
Because love never fails. Love never fails. Literally, the word is translated over 70 times, falls. Or to fall down. It means love never falls down.
Love never is gets corrupted. Love never gets ruined. When you love, Situations and circumstances may not come out the way you want them all the time, but you will never lose. Why? Because you.
Are governed by an all-wise, all-powerful, sovereign God. That's why Joseph, who was betrayed, who is lied about in terms of The rape, who was forgotten in prison. At the end of his life, the difficulty, the pain, he understood, I don't get it, but I'm not. I'm going to stay in God's program. He's in control.
And he would say, at the end of his life, after he's made the second most powerful person and saved the entire nation of Israel, he would say to his brothers who feared for their life after their father died, thinking now Joseph will take revenge. And he says to him, Guys, you still don't get it, do you? You meant it for evil. But God meant it for good to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive. When you love, you can never fail.
Outcomes may not be the way you want them, but you can never fail. It never fails. Listen carefully. Nothing will enter your life that God does not either decree or allow, and nothing will ever enter your life that if you're willing to trust Him, He cannot work out. For your good.
That's What it means when we say God is sovereign. And his sovereignty and rule in your life. begins when you can Just do what we said at the very beginning. Admit. I failed.
All the energy of blaming other people, blaming your past, blaming your parents, blaming someone else, blaming Hollywood, blaming your family of origin, when you can just face. Love requires truth and grace. And just own up and say, I'm not the dad I'm supposed to be. I'm not the Christ follower I'm supposed to be. What's coming out of my mouth is a failure.
How I'm spending my money is a failure. And this addiction I have, I'm failing. God, I admit it. I can't do this. Will you forgive me?
His answer will be, I already have. And he will ask, will you receive it? And your answer needs to be unreservedly. Scripture says if we confess, it just means to agree with God. If we confess our sin, missing the mark, failure.
He's faithful. And he's fair. To not only forgive you of your sin, but to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. For many that happens at a very first time and we call it trusting Christ becoming a Christian for many many people that are Christians you've trusted Christ the fact of the matter is you're just negotiating all your failures You just blaming here and chucking and jiving here and You got to come clean and be honest and get real. and receive his forgiveness and then follow.
with His power and His grace. The truth of the matter is. Christians and non-Christians alike. have one country song in common. A lot of us are looking for love in all the wrong places.
And when we do we hurt ourselves. We hurt other people. and we miss God's best. If you're gonna um Find love in the right places, I'm going to tell you where it's at. The intimacy, the security.
the significance, the purpose, the impact. It happens in the family of God. It's when His Word takes root in your life and you have relationships that are rich and deep, and you feel connected, and there's genuine intimacy. And that aligns your sexual expressions in a way that are God-honoring and fruitful. That aligns the spending of your money and your priorities that are God-honoring and fruitful.
That gets your time redirected in ways that are God-honoring and fruitful. And we call it becoming a Romans 12 Christian. And in verses 9 through 11, it says, Let love be sincere. Literally, it means take off your mask. Let love be without hypocrisy.
Notice, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Here's the love: be devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, contributing to the needs of the. It's just talking about doing life in community with a band of brothers and sisters where the real you shows up and meets real needs for the right reason in the right way.
Okay. And my passion, and if I'm getting a little excited, I'd say forgive me, but I don't want forgiven. The great majority of Christians in America and around the world think church is an event that you come to once a week. It's a community that you join. that you do life with.
and where God changes it from the inside out. What would happen if you got connected with a group of people? And you got really loved, that changed the entire trajectory of your family. I long for you to maximize love. minimize the trivial demands of life.
So you simplify.
So you've become who God made you to be. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and the message you just heard, looking for love in all the wrong places, is from our series Spiritual Simplicity. Chip will join us in studio to share some insights from today's talk in just a minute. Most of us live very hectic lives, moving too fast, demanding too much, and delivering too little. If you're desperate for an alternative that actually works, then this study is for you.
Chip's teaching will help you escape this destructive pattern and reveal how to better prioritize what matters most and love others in a fresh, revolutionary way. If you've missed any part of this series, catch up anytime through the Chip Ingram app.
Well Chips join me in studio now with a quick word for all of you. Thanks, Dave. As summer draws to a close and vacations wrap up, you're likely getting ready to jump back into your fall routine. Whether you're starting a new school year or a small group of starting back up a church, we want to put resources in your hand that will help grow your faith. We have a growing catalog of studies and curriculum on topics like how to understand who God is, how to grow your faith.
Maybe you want to strengthen your marriage or become more intentional as a parent. I'm confident that our small group materials will help you and your community learn, share, and support each other. It's about doing life together and living with purpose, and we want to help you. Thanks, Chip.
Well, we have a growing library of small group resources on a wide range of topics, and they're so easy to use. Chip provides the teaching, then you'll have time to discuss what you've heard alongside our helpful study guides. We also offer some insights for leaders to effectively lead their groups. If you're not in a small group yet or looking for your next topic to study, check out our resources. And as Chip said, for a limited time, we've discounted all of our small group resources so you can get into community today.
To learn more, go to livingonthege.org or call us at 888-333-6003. That's 888-333-6003 or livingontheedge.org. App Listeners tap special offers.
Well, with that, here again is Chip to wrap up our time together with some final application. As we close today's program, I just want to ask you two very important questions. Question number one. Is there someone that God wants you to help overcome the mistakes of their past? You know, it's one thing to know intellectually God loves us, He forgives us, it's been paid for by the cross, Christ has been risen from the dead, and He offers us free, unconditional love and forgiveness.
But, you know, we all need someone to put a hand on our shoulder, to look deep into our eyes and say, you know, I forgive you, I love you, I believe in you, that mistake is behind you, and God has a future for you, and I want to walk with you in that. Is there someone you know today that a phone call, a text, an email, a lunch, a breakfast, that God is prompting you right now? Imagine thousands of people making one singular step to affirm someone who's made a mistake, the difference that it could make today. And secondly, there's some of you that you realize this message isn't for someone else. You've made a big mistake.
And you feel overwhelmed and bad and guilty. Would you right now bow your head, shut your eyes, and just ask God to help you receive his love and forgiveness? You don't have to earn it. You can't get it back. You can't work yourself back into some standing.
He loves you. Would you just say, Lord, I believe and trust as I confess right now, you love and forgive me. And then today, share where you've been with one trusted friend so that a brother or sister in Christ can help you seal the deal that you indeed are forgiven. Thanks, Chip.
And as we close, I want you to know that as a staff, we ask the Lord to help you take whatever your next faith step is. If there's a way we can help, we'd love to do that. Give us a call at 888-333-6003 or connect with us at livingonthege.org. And while you're there, take a moment and look through our resources on various topics, many of them absolutely free.
Well until next time, this is Dave Druy saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.
