Today, I'm Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
Sometimes what we're used to Isn't always right. In fact, there are times when what's familiar, what we cherish, our traditions are not only wrong, they're diabolical. Today on Living on the Edge, we'll discover how to protect our faith, Our family and our relationships from unhealthy religious habits and rituals. You're gonna wanna hear this. Stay with me.
In Acts chapter 7, Stephen's defense is over. The verdict is in. And in the final moments before the stones start flying, he looks up and sees heaven open. I'm Dave Druy, and today on Living on the Edge, Chip Ingram offers us three lessons from this powerful moment that are as challenging now as they were in the first century. And then a little later in the program, he'll also tell you about a very special opportunity happening this month, and that's our mid-year match.
There's more on that just ahead. But now, here's Chip Ingram with a message titled, Maintain the Status Quo. And so now we Pick up the story. Moses. Verse 17: As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.
Then another king who knew nothing about Joseph became the ruler of Egypt. He dealt treacherously with our people and he oppressed our forefathers, forcing them to throw out their newborn babies.
so that they would die. It was at that time that Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father's house and When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own. And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in speech. and an action.
At age 40, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and he avenged him. by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day, Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them by saying, Men, you're brothers.
Wha why do you want to hurt one another? But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday? And then when Moses heard this, he fled to. Midian.
After 40 years, He looked closely. And an angel appeared to Moses in the flames. It was at the desert of Mount Sinai. And when he saw this, he was amazed at the sight, and went over to look more closely, and he heard the Lord's voice. I am the Lord, the God of your fathers.
The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Moses trembled with fear. And he did not dare to look. And then the Lord said, Take off your sandals. The place where you're standing is holy ground.
I've indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I've heard their groaning, and I've come down to set them free.
Now come, I will send you back to Egypt. This is the same Moses whom they had rejected With their words who made you ruler and judge? He sent them to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself through an angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt. He did wonders and miracles and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.
This is the Moses who told the Israelites, God will send you a prophet like me from your own people. If you have your own Bible, underline that verse, verse 37. He was in the congregation in the desert with our fathers when the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and he received the living words to pass on to us, the Ten Commandments. But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt.
And they told Aaron, Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow, Moses, who led us out of Egypt, We don't know what's happened to him.
Well, he's up on the. Mountain getting the Ten Commandments, he's with God. That was a time when they made an idol in the form of a calf, and they brought the sacrifices to it, and they held a celebration in honor of what their own hands had made. Then, notice this: but God turned away and gave them over to the worship of heavenly bodies. And this agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets.
Then he quotes Amos chapter 5, and God speaks, saying, Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for 40 years in the desert, O house of Israel? You have lifted up the shrine of Molech, the altar of your God Rephim. The idols that you made to worship, therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.
Now he's going to move to Joshua. We pick up the story in verse 44. Our forefathers had the tabernacle of testimony. They had it with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses according to the pattern he'd seen.
Having received the tabernacle, our fathers, under Joshua, brought it with them when they took the land from the nations. God drove it out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house for him.
However, this is what he adds: the Most High God does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says, and now he quotes Isaiah 66, 1 and 2: Heaven is my throne, God speaking, and earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hands made all these things?
And so his finale is strong. Notice these harsh but accurate words.
Now he's made his case. Here's his application. You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised ears and hearts. You are just like your fathers. You always resist the Holy Spirit.
Was there a prophet your fathers didn't persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one. And now you've betrayed and murdered him. What a line. You've received the law, tradition.
That was put into effect through angels. but have not obeyed it. That's truth. Result, when they heard this, they were furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Look, he said. I see heaven open. And the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. And at this, they covered their ears, yelling at the top of their voices, and they rushed at him, and they dragged him out of the city, and they began to stone him.
So much for the trial.
So much for justice. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Does that sound familiar at all? When he had said this, he fell asleep.
As I said, it's a very interesting history lesson, isn't it? I find there's four lessons that just pop out of his story that I think, at least for me, are very applicable. And I think probably for you. Lesson number one, Simply put, is truth demands transformation. Truth demands transformation.
James 1 says, When we receive truth and we don't act on it, we just are hearers, we're not doers of the truth. Jesus said, It's when you know the truth. And when he said no, he meant by way of application: when it abides in you, when you act on it, when you respond. When you're the Abraham, if God speaks, you leave. If you're Moses, you return.
If you're Joseph, you endure. If you're Joshua, you fight. But truth is based on promises given to you and your following in relationship. Truth brings transformation. But you can traffic in truth.
You can read the Bible every day. You can go to a men's Bible study. You can come to church regularly. You can listen to Christian radio. And you can feel like I must be okay, right?
I mean, I mean, I'm in the Bible?
Well Could it be that coming to church and hearing God's word is a part of a tradition? But the diabolical part would be: what if you're not responding to the part of truth where God's speaking to you? And coming to church and reading the Bible and even being in a Bible study makes you feel safe and comfortable and okay. But what if the truth of God is you need to address the issue in your marriage? You need to forgive your mate, go get counseling and make it right.
What if the truth is your finances are out of control and I've been whispering it, whispering it, whispering it, and you go to a ladies' Bible study and afterwards buy 15 pairs of shoes? What if the truth is you have a sexual addiction, you flirt at work, and I want to save you and save your marriage, and you need to get help. Get clean. What if the truth is that you live with a low level resentment of one of your folks or an ex-mate, and you're just you smile on the outside, but you're an unhappy, resentful person on the inside, and you're bound by it. And you drink the poison of unforgiveness thinking it's going to kill somebody else.
What if the truth is that your schedule is crazy? And the denial of it's going to slow down, and as soon as we do this, or as soon as we do that. And your kids are neglected. And you're giving them stuff instead of you. What if that's the truth?
What if the truth is, you're a religious person, you're just not very loving? You tell everyone how closed non-Christians are. You know why they're closed? You're not a very nice person to be around. You come off self-righteous.
What if that's the truth? See, I can live with all those things completely unaddressed. and go to Bible study. And check off, I read Genesis 22 this morning. And Matthew 22.
And I can't wait till we go to our small group and we talk about the stuff that I'm comfortable with. Just as long as we don't deal with issues. You see it? When you look at Christendom across America, is this not true or not? Haven't all of us, I mean, I grew up, I didn't grow up as a Christian.
I just grew up around all these people who said they were. They lied and cheated and committed as much adultery and did stuff that everyone else did.
So I said, I don't want any part of you. How much of that is in us? Second lesson. The basis of God's blessings are relational, not ritual. Jesus would say here in Matthew 15, Go and learn what I mean.
I desire compassion, not sacrifice. There is no formula, okay? It's not read the Bible, go to Bible study, give 10%, and ooh, I even went on a mission trip. And now, God, you owe me a great marriage, a great life. Bring the right man, a right woman.
All my kids turn out right. We're upperly mobile and. That's evangelical Christianity. Much of America. It's our view of ritual.
Our attempt to put God in a box Have a formula. And say A7, B4, C3 on the little vending machine of God.
Now, make me happy. Make me wealthy. Keep me from cancer. Have all my kids turn out right, and I really want them to get them in these kind of schools. And when you do that, thank you, Jesus.
I give you all the credit. That doesn't sound a lot like leaving. Returning. Enduring Fighting. And being an instrument of God in a fallen world that fulfills his agenda.
Now, any of those things or all of those things that he happens to give you. He's just good. But they're not the goal. Uh You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Before we continue, a quick word about something happening right now at this ministry.
June is mid-year match month, and for a limited time, every dollar given to Living on the Edge is being matched dollar for dollar by a generous group of partners. That means your gift works twice as hard and reaches twice as far. You can learn more about it at livingonthege.org, and Chip will tell you more after the message. Right now let's get back to it. Third lesson.
Perverted traditions must be exposed. And abandoned. I get that from Acts chapter 7. I mean, this guy went against hundreds and hundreds of years. of tradition.
Hundreds of years. of the law and the temple and the land. Could I just name a few? What if. How many of us you know, included.
How many of us have this tradition? that we just buy gifts and go into debt every Christmas. And buy stuff because we feel obligated and not because the people need it. And not because we really want to do it, but it's just a tradition. And to not do it...
Well, What would they think?
Well, why do you do that? Do you understand the peer pressure?
Well, why I mean why is it end of January, half of March? You know? You're underwater again. I mean, when we're walking, I've walked around with my wife in a store for some people that I really love and care about. I'm thinking, there's not a thing in the world they need.
Why are we buying them anything? Whereas I got from someone, it was one of the most meaningful gifts. You know what I got from someone? A note. Dear Chip and Teresa, I want you to know how much I love you both, how much I really care about you both.
By the way, the picture you see is the picture of a goat that I bought for you that will be in a family in Africa that's starving. I thought it would mean a lot. What if we all did two or three of those? Or how about Thanksgiving? I mean, the day will stop a country who says, in the providence of God, look what He's given us.
Let's thank Him from the heart. What's our traditions now? It's the lions at 11 o'clock, the cowboys at 2 o'clock, glottony at 5 o'clock, and materialism at Black Friday the next day. Is it true or not? It's a tradition.
And it's orally being passed. What does your five-year-old think? Thanksgiving's about. You're teaching them. What's your seven-year-old think?
What do your teenagers do? Come on, honey, it's three in the morning. We got to get shopping. Because you know what? We'll get those tennis shoes.
I'm wearing shoulder pads this year.
Someone got shot last year. I'm not sure. Do you understand? Or okay. Those are the funny ones.
Tradition. Upward mobility. is a God-given destiny and right. for you and your family. Wherever you're at, you need to make more.
Whatever kind of house, it's gotta be better. Whatever kind of car, you gotta upgrade. What would happen if you had a job that you loved with more time and deep relationships? and made less money. And your kids, are you ready?
Here's the other one. Education is paramount. Tradition. Your kids need to get great scores, get in great schools, be very upwardly mobile, get great jobs so you can feel good about you. My kid went to Stanford.
He got this on his SATs. And so we had hassles almost all their life in junior, high, and high school as we pressured and pressured and pressured and pressured and pressured because education is the God in our home. Ooh, now we're getting down to where we live, huh? Especially in some of our cultures. In others, it's not education, it's sport.
My son made the traveling team. Wow, he's 12 years old. And so we don't go to church anymore.
So I'm passing down this tradition. Sports is what matters. You're the center of the universe. I want to make you a narcissistic kid. And if I'm successful, you'll make $20 million someday and won't talk to me.
I mean, think about it. Or are you ready for this one? I'm on a roll. Be gentle. Tradition.
When the Niners play Make sure you're on time. When you two comes to town and I have tickets We're not arriving 20 minutes late. We stand outside for an hour and a half in the rain to sit where we want to sit. But I want you to know when we go to worship the living God, Fifteen, twenty 30 minutes late. You know, I couldn't have come for this part or that part.
and you're training your kids. It's tradition, right? See, see by the way Please don't hear God's down on you. Please hear that for some of you, the money issue that you need to get your debt and. And your budget and your giving an order, God wants to protect you from what will happen.
The issue that He keeps saying about your marriage, He wants to prevent a divorce. He wants joy in your life. With your kids, what He knows is a good education is great and sports are fine, but both can become idols. He wants to protect you and your kids from death, and killing and destruction. And there's certain traditions in our culture and in the church and in your family.
That are ruining you and ruining them. And it will take A Stephen like boldness And conviction. I had a tradition I had to deal with here recently, and living on that just had this explosive growth. And so I found myself getting up earlier and doing the things I know I'm supposed to. But just in a season of real pressure, I found myself, you know, just that last hour or so before I went to bed, it was, you know, man, I just got to wind down here and ESPN.
Some of you actually have a tradition of, it's a very strong tradition, that two and a half to three hours every night you sit in front of the TV. It's a tradition. And you're passing it on.
So, if that's getting you where you need to go, then I would keep that tradition. If not, you ought to question it. See, what I want to say about all of us, we ought to ask, why do I do what I do? Why do I do what I do? That's how you get from tradition to truth.
And so all I want to tell you is that I found myself Every night Watching stuff. And then ESPN, it gets a cake commercial, so I went to ESPN to express the highlights, and that didn't what's on the next station. And I'm beep, beep, beep, beep, beep for about an hour, my brain going like this. And it was every night, every night, and I did this for a few months. And then I realized I wasn't sleeping as well.
And then I heard the Holy Spirit whisper: this was three months ago. Put something good in your mind before you go to bed.
Okay, I will. And I'd be coming home from something late, and I'd be thinking, I'm going to get a bag of popcorn, I'm going to watch ESPN for an hour before I go to bed. Is it wrong? No. Is it sin?
Absolutely not. But God was whispering. You're setting yourself, you're building a traditionship. And and so I didn't listen. Mm-hmm.
So I did it for another couple three months. Then I didn't sleep as well. And then God began to Not whisper as much as I'm, you know, passages and passages and passages. And like you, I'm thinking, well, I'm in the Bible every day and I'm preaching every week. And this is the area he whispered, what?
Because he loves me. At the new year, I had to say, I have developed a little addiction of watching TV before I go to bed and not putting anything good. And so I started just reading these two chapters. You know, before I went to bed.
Now, I like to say, okay, so just for some of you who know, so I went five nights in a row this last week, and I was so proud of myself, and then Friday I didn't. ESPN highlights, ESPN highlights, ESPN. Breaking traditions is hard. When I do what God whispered in my ear, All of a sudden, passages are going through my mind as I was dreaming. God's speaking to me.
I'm resting more deeply. You know why? He loves me. Yeah.
Sometimes what you get used to Is it right? It's diabolical. The very last point here is that Truth bearers. Refuse. to maintain the status quo.
In their life, Their relationships or their sphere of influence. You know when homes are going to change, you know when workplaces are going to change. When I And you all together Say, We will be Stevens and Stevenettes. And we will take honest looks at the traditions in our lives. And we will take so literally that if we know the truth and practice the truth, then we will know the truth and it'll set us free.
And where there's freedom, there's always faith. and there's power and there's promises and there's relationship and there's joy and there's impact. But you have to break some tough traditions. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram in a message titled Maintain the Status Quo. It's from our series called The Jesus Revolution: Join the Movement.
All of these messages are available any time at livingonthege.org, so feel free to go back or pass them along. We'll hear more from Chip in just a moment, so don't go anywhere. And don't miss Chip's teaching Monday through Friday. Subscribe to the Living on the Edge podcast to stay current, or find the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast for his full length messages. Both are available wherever you listen to your podcasts.
An hour of TV before bed. Nothing sinful, nothing dramatic, but after months of it, the sleep was worse, the mornings were harder, and the whisper of God was harder to hear. That's the insidious thing about the traditions in this series. They're not evil on their face, but God hates what they quietly produce. Because you can be going south while completely convinced you're going north.
That's exactly why the work of Living on the Edge matters. Helping people move from the traditions that are slowly killing them to the truth that actually sets them free. And here's a chip on what that looks like around the world and how your gift this June makes it possible. Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian church. He was falsely accused.
put on trial and stoned to death. and he died praying for the people who killed him. By every worldly measure, he looked like a defeat. But watch what happens next. a young man named Saul stood there holding the coats of the men who had thrown the stones.
And the seed planted in that moment eventually grew into the greatest missionary the world has ever known. In Acts chapters 6 and 7, God shows how he turns apparent defeat into unstoppable advance. What looks like the end of the story is often the beginning of the next chapter. Stephen couldn't see what his faithfulness would produce. Neither can you, neither can I.
But we can give anyway. Because we serve the God who writes the next chapter. Your gift this June is a seed. It's matched the moment it arrives. planet.
and trust the gardener. The sovereign King of the universe, who sees all that you're going through, all that's going on in the world, just like He did in the early church, and in His great wisdom and love and providence. will bring about his purposes, fulfilled in you and through you. as you walk with him. There is a movement that started early in the book of Acts, and it is forcefully moving, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.
Make sure you're a part of it. We can make a difference together. Your gift this June is a seed and it's matched the moment it arrives. Every dollar doubled, every impact multiplied. Don't miss out.
Go online and give today at livingonthege.org or call us at 888-333-6003. You can also mail your gift by writing to us at LivingOnTheEdge, P.O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024.
Well, I'm Dave Druy inviting you back next time when Chip Ingram continues our series, The Jesus Revolution, right here on Living on the Edge. Yeah.
Uh Today's program is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge. Uh
