Simplify your life. We hear that a lot.
Some of you have made some big decisions about simplifying your life. But you know what? It erodes. One week. two weeks, three weeks pretty soon, it's busy, busy, busy.
How do you sustain it? That's today. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an international discipleship ministry devoted to helping Christians worldwide live out their faith for the glory of God and the benefit of all people. Appreciate you being with us as we begin winding down our series, Spiritual Simplicity.
Throughout this study in 1 Corinthians 13, Chip explained what it looks like to prioritize love and declutter our lives.
So over these last couple of programs, Chip will talk about the power of authentic community. where we can experience genuine love despite our flaws and build connections that will grow our faith. But before he teaches on that, let me encourage you to download our Message Notes.
Now this is a practical tool available for every program that includes Chip's outline, description he references, and more. Get them under the broadcasts tab at livingonthege.org. App listeners tap fill in notes. All right, here now is Chip with his talk, The Love Train. Get on board.
If you have a Bible, chip begins in 2 Corinthians 5. The big question that I'm wanting to ask and answer is how do you sustain spiritual simplicity? And every week we've had a song. Were any of you kinda waiting, wondering what the song was gonna be this week? Come on, go ahead.
Where are you?
Alright, this is my favorite song of all the songs because It's my era. It's the OJs. It's get on board the love train. And we're going to talk about getting on a train. I'll explain what that train is.
I'm going to explain theologically what that train looks like. And then I'm going to give you a game plan to get on, stay on, bring other people on a love train.
So, what is the love train? I sat down and you know what? I don't know where the OJs are coming from, but I know where God's coming from. And the love train to God is a supernatural community that is forcefully moving through his story that we call history to bring life and love. He wants to bring that up there, his kingdom.
A little bit of it down here, where people that have no idea that there is a God who is real, who is loving, and who cares. And He wants you and me on this love train, and He wants us to invite people by how we live and what we do. And the love train is the Church of Jesus Christ. And I'll tell you what, the tracks are God's sovereign, faithful, unchanging purposes. And He's going to fulfill His plan over time.
And it's a time to glorify Himself, to bring all things under the reign of Christ, to present to Himself a people to be loved and to be loved by Him in a new heaven and a new earth forever. and the ticket has already been purchased. It was purchased by Christ on the cross for everyone. And everyone who is willing to believe, to turn from your sin, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever would believe in him shouldn't perish. But have eternal life, a quality of life that begins now and that goes on forever and ever and ever.
It's a love train. The architect is God the Father from the foundations of the earth. The engineer at the head of this train is the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are his body, and he is the firstborn. From the dead. And the conductor going up and down the train, checking on you, and checking on me, and wanting to know how's it going, and letting you know where the stops are, is the Holy Spirit.
It's a real train. It's kind of almost like a liquid relational train, too, because there's times where we're all spread out. Going to all kinds of different places. But God has these tracks, and this train called His church is moving on it. And he's invited you to come aboard.
and to bring others. And it makes lots of stops. And if you want to write something under the stops, the frequent stops is wherever there's a human need. That's where the love train stops. When there's a lonely person, the love train stops.
Someone has a financial need, someone is depressed, someone is discouraged, someone in your neighborhood, someone at work, someone in your family. Every time there's a human need, the love train stops. And the Spirit of God dwelling inside your mortal body, as you're abiding in Him, will take the truth of His word out of your lips, your hands, and your life, and your money, and your gifts. and he'll express the love of God through you. And I'm going to say, get on board.
Get on board. You get on board the love train. You'll simplify your life. You'll stop doing some stuff that's meaningless. You'll stop pretending.
You'll stop trying to gain approval, and you'll stop all kinds of things that seem so important now, but. Six seconds after you die, you'll look back on your life and realize it was junk. It was silly. It was irrelevant. I was playing trivial pursuit.
But for real.
Well you say to yourself, okay. I got it. The message of living a sustained, spiritually simple life. is get on board beloved train. We talked about the process and I'll review it for you at the end.
You got to surrender at a point in time in your life. You got to step away from the world. You got to step into community. You've got to step up and be who God made you to be, and then you've got to step out.
Now let me give you the theology. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. I want you to understand this is God's love train. This is the Apostle Paul, and he so understands in the midst of his hurt and his pain. And he's going to talk about before this passage how he's perplexed and how he's discouraged and he's down but not out and difficulty.
And then he's going to get at the end of this passage in chapter 6 and he's going to talk about what he's actually been through and squeezed into all the adversity in life. He understands that life matters when you live and have an eternal perspective. And in verse 14, He tells us very clearly, he says, for Christ's love compels us. Because we are convinced. That one died for all, and therefore all died.
And he died for all that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised again.
So just just notice here. Christ Love compels us. What's life like on the love train? It is not trying hard. It is not being moral.
It's not coming to church and it's not being religious. It is being connected in surrender with the Spirit of God through the Word of God and authentic community. His love compels you. Actually, the word is, it's a picture of being hemmed in. If you've ever seen one of those movies, you know, like one of the old Batman movies where the walls are coming in and they're trying to get out of there.
Or Indiana Jones movie. The Apostle Paul is using that word to say, the love of God is just hemming me in. I'm compelled. I am so loved and see the plight of people apart from his love. I have to do this from the inside out.
And then notice he says it changes his focus. He says, We're convinced that one died, therefore all died, and he died for those. Here's the focus. that we should live no longer for ourselves. That's big.
That's what surrender is about. This isn't like Christ is a part of your life. This is where the central focus of why you get up and what you do and what you do with your time, your money, your energy, and your relationships, you don't live for you anymore. We no longer live for ourselves, but for Him, Christ. who died.
and rose again. And so the question is not what will make me happy, it's what will make you happy. The question is not what do I do with my time. The question is, what do I do with the time entrusted to me? The question is not, what do I think I should do with my kids?
The question is, what does your word say I ought to do and must do with my kids? See, it's it's a It's a radical change on the love train. Then he goes on to say, In verse 16, it gives you new eyes.
So, notice the purpose, from now on we regard no one from a worldly view. point of view. Though once we regarded Christ in this way, We do so no longer. I have it memorized in a different version, and it's amazing when you're reading these words and my brain saying another one. In my version of many years ago, Therefore, from now on, we recognize no man according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh.
He says, when you're compelled by the love of God and you're now not living for you, but you're living for Him, He says, You get a new set of eyes. and the color of their skin and their background and whether they're smelly or clean. whether they're cool or uncool, you don't look at that anymore. You have that experience like Samuel the prophet did when he said, Hey, I know God's got a new king around here somewhere. And the big, tall, handsome guy says, Is that it?
God says, No. And they go through all the boys and finally it's the youngest one. And then he says in that passage, 1 Samuel 16, 7, For God doesn't see as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord weighs the heart. And when you're on the love train, that's what you start looking at. You look at people's inside beauty.
You start looking at where they're really coming from. You look past all the exterior, and that's why the body of Christ starts looking real, real different. with all different kinds of people, with all of our different baggage. All of our different struggles, all of our different backgrounds, all of our different colors, all of our different cultures. That's what the love train is all about.
And not only that, do you get new eyes, but you get a new hope. Verse 17. He goes on to say, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He's a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come.
You know, we quote that, and I actually got it in a little set of verses. about your new life in Christ, and it's absolutely true. that when you come and turn from your sin and receive Christ as your Savior, if anyone is in Christ, you become a new creation. The old is passed away. Behold, everything.
Notice the tense of the verb. becomes, it's a process, becomes new. But in the context of this passage, you know what it's saying really? It says we don't look at people externally anymore. And now he says, When we look at people, there is no single person or situation beyond the love and the redemption of Christ.
What Paul's really saying is, this whole passage is about reconciliation. This whole passage is what happens when you're on the love train and the love of God is pulsating through your spiritual veins. He says, you know what? I don't look at people the way I look at them anymore. Therefore, if any man's in Christ, he's a new creature.
The old stuff he did, the addictions that she had. I mean the stuff That we think God could never forgive, the stuff about people that we want to reach, oh, they're never open. I got news for you. If any man is in Christ, The old's passed away. God can do anything.
He wants to do anything. He did that for people in this book, He's done it through church history. And so you get A new focus, you get new eyes, you get a new hope. And then notice in verses 18 and 19, you get a new responsibility on the love train. You're listening to Living on the Edge.
We'll get back to our series, Spiritual Simplicity, in just a minute. But first, if this teaching has ministered to you, consider becoming a monthly partner. Your regular financial support goes a long way to help us encourage pastors, create resources, and share Jesus with today's youth. Visit livingontheedge.org to learn how to support us.
Well with that, here again is Chip. The love train is not a sit-back. It's so good to be heaven bound. What would thou havest me to do, thine God? He says, well, I'll tell you what, I'll have you to do.
I'll have you strap it on. Those guys in the NFL don't even understand what contact is all about. I've sent you into a spiritual warfare. And I have equipped you, and I love people, and I've sent you to get out and rescue them. And so notice what it says in verses 18 and 19.
He says, all this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and underline this in your Bible, gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ. And here's the good news. Not cat. Counting men's sins against them, and he's committed to us.
This message of reconciliation. Our message isn't clean your life up and start coming to church, need to read the Bible a lot, start doing this, this, this, this. Here's the message, guess what? God currently is not counting your sin against you. He counted it and placed it on Christ.
You have a ticket that's been purchased on the love train. God loves you. And if you get honest with people, most people running their own life, it's not going very well. Most marriages aren't going very well. Most parenting isn't going very well.
Most people's finances aren't going very well. And if you talk real honestly with the people where it's going really, really well, it's a weird thing to have everything going great and have this huge emptiness in your life. God called you, and God called me to be winsome and loving and caring and outwardly focused and to believe that no one is beyond his reach, and then you have this new responsibility. You want to tell him, God's not counting. Your sins against you.
Keta loves you. He's forgiven you. That's good news. Would you like to receive the good news? And then finally, he's given you a new role and me a new role.
Look at verse 20. He says, we are therefore. Christ ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us, we implore you. On Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. The word reconciled just means become friends.
God's just saying, I want to be friends with people. Sin is a barrier. Let's get reconciled. It's like two people that are having trouble in a marriage, they get reconciled. People that went divorced, And they realize, man, this is not working.
And they repent and they get some good counseling and they're reconciled. God says, I want to reconcile. All people, and you are my ambassadors. What's an ambassador? An ambassador is someone from another country, from another land, who represents where he came from.
And your citizenship is in heaven, and so is mine. And you're in Christ, and you're heaven-bound, and you're on the love train if you're a Christ follower. And he says, I want you, I want you like liquid to seep into every kind of need and just love people where they're at. Don't judge them. Tell them the truth.
Put your arm around them. Don't make it just words. Actually, help them and tell them there's a God who cares. And then verse 21 is just this amazing, amazing verse of truth. It says, God made him Christ, who had no sin, to be sin for us.
so that in him while we might become the righteousness of God. We not only have a role as an ambassador, we now have a standing before the God of heaven that is identical to the Jesus of heaven in terms of God seeing us completely righteous, a son, a daughter. That's why the love of Christ compelled him. Paul is a very, very, very religious man. until he got saved.
And then he realized how broken all of his religiosity was. And then he got in relationship with the living God. And then he became a passionate, relational father. Follower of the living Christ with unlimited power. That little phrase, who was dead and came back to life, and Paul would remind us.
That same power dwells in you if you're a Christ follower.
So spiritual simplicity, how are we going to sustain it? Number one, here's a little word picture. Get on the love train. And then second, Remember the theology. When you're rightly connected to the living Savior.
The love of Christ will compel you. This is not about duty. This isn't about oughts. This isn't about shoulds. This is about God's love being so experienced.
Because you step down. And you stepped away. and you stepped in and you stepped up and you can't help yourself. You're stepping out and reaching and caring for people. And when that begins to happen, You don't live for you anymore.
You have a new focus. You live for him. And then you get new eyes. You don't see the same way. And then there's a hope for everyone that you meet.
No matter where they've been, what they've been through. And then you realize I got a new responsibility. My new responsibility isn't just kids' SAT scores, or someday, some way I hope I'll get married, or I hope this job works out, or maybe someday this thing will go, you know. IPO or maybe there's all kind of important things in life. But your core responsibility is to be an ambassador, a representative of the living God wherever you are, and that your ministry is reconciliation.
And he's given you gifts and dreams and desires so that you can do that all kinds of different ways. And all kinds of different businesses, and all kinds of different gifts, and all kinds of different roles. And you can be moms, and sisters, and dads, and nephews, and nieces, and school teachers, and bricklayers, and plumbers, and we can just be all kinds of things because he needs all kinds of people. But at the end of the day, what we realize, first and foremost, we're on the love train. And we're imploring.
We're imploring people to be reconciled to God. Because he became sin, the sin offering, for them and for us, that they and we, if we by faith, would receive it. would become the righteousness of God.
Well, the picture is one thing. The theology is another. The third is, I just call it a game playing. How does it really work? And I'm just going to walk you through this.
A lot of this, hopefully, some of you are going to say, I have heard this before. You should, okay? I mean, this isn't new. I've heard this before.
So if I would stop right here and say, okay. If the incarnate Jesus in his supernatural body. would come from behind that curtain. Walk out. I'd like to say, excuse me, Jesus.
I know you don't need a microphone, but I'd like to ask you a question. What do you want us to do? I mean, could you just Give it to us. What exactly, in a sentence, do you want us to do with our lives? Lord Jesus, could you give it to us?
I think you'd say. Love God, love people. That's how simple life is. We get it really complicated. Love God.
Are you loving God?
Now, I didn't say feel like you love. But just love God. and love people. The ultimate test of success. And the ultimate test of spiritual maturity, of becoming what he commanded, make disciples, is that I love God more deeply and authentically each day.
and I love others more sincerely and more. practically. in ways they can understand. This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and you've been listening to part one of Chip's message: The Love Train. Get on board from our series, Spiritual Simplicity.
Chip will be back shortly to share some helpful application for us to think about. 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 any time through the Chip Ingram app.
Well, Chip's joined me in studio now. And Chip, we're an international teaching and discipleship ministry, but many don't know half of the impactful work we're involved in.
So take a minute, if you would, and share some examples of how Living on the Edge supports and encourages people everywhere. I'd be glad to, Dave. One of the great joys of my life is the letters, emails, Facebook messages that I get from people literally all around the country and all around the world. And they tell me these amazing stories of how Living on the Edge has been a tool used by God to change their life. Maybe you're one of those people that have really been impacted by the ministry.
I mean, I hear from people from every age, profession, background, every person imaginable. And what I hear is this same constant drumbeat of God spoke to me. I took a step of faith.
Now God's using me. And what I want you to know is that that's the heart of our ministry. We want to put teaching and tools and small group materials and downloadable things that we actually give away. To help people not just live like Christians, but be ambassadors and agents of change and grace in their homes, their schools, and their workplaces. And if you're one of those people that God has impacted you, and actually you're impacting others because of Living on the Edge, I have a very specific request.
Would you consider becoming a monthly financial partner? And of course, it helps us practically. No doubt about it. It would really help us to know that X amount of dollars are coming in from a monthly partner But literally, even more than that, it's about a group of people saying, We want to be a part of this mission to make a difference in the crazy world that we're living in. We want to make an impact and we want to make an impact with you all.
God's spoken to us. God's changed us. We want to help you help others. And so here's my request today. Would you pray?
And just simply say, Lord, if this is part of your desire for me to partner with Living on the Edge on a monthly basis, will you show me? And then show me what that looks like and how much. And what I will say is, whatever amount that is, it's perfect, whatever God shows you. But what I long to see is. People who partner, that are on the team, a part of the family, and we make a difference together each and every day.
Thank you in advance for doing whatever God shows you to do. Great encouragement, Chip.
Well, if you want to be part of supporting believers all across the world, consider becoming a monthly partner. Your regular support will go places and accomplish ministry work like you wouldn't believe.
So, set up a monthly gift today by going to livingontheedge.org or by calling 888-333-6003. That's 888-333-6003, or visit livingonthege.org. App listeners tap Donate.
Well, with that, here again is Chip. As we wrap up today's program, I just have to tell you, I love that song: The Love Train by the OJs. Get on the train. Join hands.
Now, you know what? I don't have quite the soul that I had in my younger years, but I just have to tell you, I love that song, not just for the rhythm and the beat, but the words. We need to get on board with speaking the truth in love, but loving each other radically.
So let me share a story about something that's happened just recently in my living room. I did a series at a local church. And it's filled with all young people, very multicultural. They have very little Bible background. Most of them are first-generation Christians.
And when I got done with this four-part series, I said: if anyone would like to learn just how to simply follow Jesus, Therese and I are going to open our home. Come on over tonight for the next three Sunday nights. And Teresa was a little nervous because we didn't know whether five or fifty people would come. but about twelve or thirteen came, And I just I wanted him to see what it looked like to follow Jesus. to be surrendered, separate from the world, a sober self assessment, serving in love, and supernaturally responding to evil with good.
After the first week, a lady came and said, For 12 years I've wrestled with God. I do all the right things, and I discovered it's surrender. I just want you to know I surrendered my life. last week after our time. Another lady came and said, I never understood before.
I've been coming to churches, but I trusted Jesus as my savior. Two or three of the younger people said, I don't know why, but life was so confusing. And we started meeting on Sunday nights and we started to pray for one another and there weren't expectations and we started to love one another. When we love one another, it's the most powerful witness in the world. I found that there's so many people that their Christian life has become, I go to this meeting or I listen to this message or I watch this video and there's this podcast.
And then I try really, really hard to be a good person. And then I learned those people were the bad people and those other people were over here. And we join sides and we join tribes. I don't know that in all my ministry experience I've seen such power, such answers to prayer as we simply came together vulnerably to care for one another, to love one another. And that's God's hope for you.
Are you connected with others? Are you in loving relationships? If not, Get there. Start a group. Open your heart.
Let's get off the war path and get on the love train. Great wordship. And here at Living on the Edge, we want to help you cultivate meaningful community.
So if you're thinking about starting a small group or you and your friends are looking for the next subject to study, check out our resources today. Our small group tools are easy to use and will deepen your relationship with God and each other. To learn more, go to the store at livingonthege.org or call us at 888-333-6003. Again, that's 888-333-6003, or visit the store at livingonthege.org. We'll listen to next time as Chip wraps up his series, Spiritual Simplicity.
Until then, this is Dave Druy saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge.
