Resilient - It's Powerful, Part 2

I've counseled thousands of Christians in the last three-plus decades as a pastor with all kind of struggles, issues, addictions, family problems.

And when I talk to them about their relationship to God's Word, I can tell you there's a one-to-one correlation, really big problems, and almost no connection to God's Word or application. That has to change, and today we'll tell you how. Stay with me. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.

Living on the Edge is a teaching and discipleship ministry dedicated to helping Christians really live like Christians. I'm Dave Druey, and as you can tell, Chip's fired up and raring to go. When it comes to God's Word and the power it has to help us change the things in our lives we desperately want to change, Chip's as passionate as they come. I'm glad you're with us. We're in a series called Resilient, Withstanding the Storms of Life, and in this program we'll learn the keys to unlocking the truth of Scripture and how to apply it to everyday life. He's picking up where he left off in our previous program, so if you missed it, maybe catch it later on the Chip Ingram app or online anytime at livingontheedge.org.

Okay let's get going and join Chip for part two of his message, It's Powerful, from James chapter one. Watch over your heart. How? With all diligence.

Why? For from it flow all the issues of life. And so he says you have to cultivate the seed of God's Word in your heart. And so the question becomes, right, how do we wholeheartedly cultivate God's Word within us? Verses 22, 23, 24, and 25 are going to tell us exactly how to do that.

Are you ready? Number one, we must specifically apply God's Word to our lives. Okay, now let that sink in. It doesn't say you must read the Bible. It doesn't say just listen to the Bible in the car. It's not about just exposure, it's we must specifically apply God's Word to our lives.

There's a need. This is what God's Word says. Here's a sin. This is what God's Word says.

Here's a problem. This is what God's Word says. This is a relationship. This is what God's Word says. This passage says, if you want to be a joyful, winsome Christian who's not deceived, whose life changes, if you want power, whatever God's Word says about that, do it and you'll experience it. Notice why. Because exposure without application is self-deception.

Exposure without application is self-deception. Anyone who listens to the Word, if you've downloaded the notes, underline the word listen, and this is an interesting word. It means just to glance at. This isn't looking deeply.

This is just glancing at it. Listens to the Word but doesn't do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. Now, during this time, mirrors were not made out of glass.

They were made out of metal and they weren't super clear. If you really wanted to get a good look at yourself, you had to really gaze and stoop down and get a good look. This is the person who just gazes at the mirror and notices, oh, there's a hair out of place or there's dirt all over my collar, but it's just a quick glance and then they go on.

They go away, immediately forget what they look like. Most of us don't do that. In fact, especially, my wife and I were talking about this and yesterday she was saying, you know, I never really got that illustration because, especially as a woman, when I look in the mirror, if there's something wrong, I want to fix it, right? My lipstick isn't quite right or there's a hair sticking up or, oh my gosh.

When you look into a mirror, most of us really want to address it. The illustration that came to my mind, I don't know if this happens to you, let's say you get a text from someone. You're really busy and you see it's a text and it's an important person and someone you really care about and you just look at your phone and you just glance at it quickly. You don't read it all that carefully and you say to yourself, oh wow, that's an important person. I'll text them back. I'll get to that later. Now maybe none of you have done this and then like three days or four days or five days and maybe you're laying in bed or you just wake up and I mean this is an important person and you realize, oh my gosh, I didn't even text them back and I remember there was a question.

I don't remember, but it seemed like it was really important. I totally blew them off. How do they feel? Well, what's really happened? That's kind of the picture here. This is a picture of someone who comes to a meeting of God's people and then they leave. There's no sense of, God, what do you want me to do?

Lord, search my heart. Father, how could I have violated that and offended you or offended someone else? I never saw that. Me deceived?

I thought things were great. Do you get the idea? I remember years ago, I found it in some old notes and this was, oh gosh, maybe 15 years ago, maybe more. There was a group that had done a study that basically said that 71 million people in America claim to be followers of Christ. Then they did further studies to say, wow, that's very interesting because in terms of morality, behavior, finances, character, only about one in ten of those people who claim to be believers live any different than the people who don't claim to be believers. I remember, this will date me, but if you hear this name, you ought to read some of his stuff.

It's amazing. Francis Schaeffer was a theologian, philosopher, started a group called LaBrie in Switzerland and skeptics and intellectuals from all around the world would come. He created this place of dialogue and where you would just live out the faith and people could come with any questions. I remember getting to hear him. I actually wrote one of my master's theses based on the trilogy of core books that he wrote. I remember he made this statement.

It must have been about 1976, 1978. He said, Christianity in the United States currently, this is 1976, appears to be all but bankrupt. In other words, it so doesn't resemble the life of Christ. It's so filled with either religion or rules or compromise, a lack of love.

I mean, these radical core messages of Jesus are sort of like on a salad bar. Love your enemies? I don't think so. Sexual purity? No, that's not in. Love one another?

Meet as a group? He just said the authority of God's word and believers sensing that submission to what he says is a non-negotiable because he is God, because he's the savior of the world, because he is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Whether it's willfully now or someday later, every single person who has ever lived will bow the knee before the Lord Jesus Christ. Every tongue will confess that he is in fact Lord to the glory of God. I don't know what happened. I really don't. Living on the Edge, my heart beat the ministry as a missionary to America and around some places of the world.

It's helping Christians live like Christians every day, in every way, everywhere for the glory of God and for the good of all mankind because the people that helped me become a follower of Christ, they lived it out. It was a bricklayer. I mean, he wasn't eloquent. In fact, the Bible studies were just downright boring, but I'd never seen a man love his wife or date his wife. I'd never seen a father invest in his kids.

I got to see the arguments. I lived with him at times. I lived in a garage apartment in the back. I worked for him. It was a bricklayer.

I still remember building. It's called a footer. When you're going to do a house, you have to put in a footer. After you do that, you put these hadite blocks. It was out like a half an inch on one area.

I mean, it would have passed inspection, all the rest. I remember him walking through and with his foot kicking down all those hadite blocks that I had carried. I had mixed all the mud. Dave, what are you doing? What are you doing, man?

What are you doing? He goes, it's out of square. I said, yeah, but only that much. I mean, give me a break. I'll never forget. He looked at me and goes, Chip, you don't understand. I don't make this house and build this foundation for you or the inspectors. Whatever I do, it's my offering to God.

I'm not going to give him second rate anything. What I want you to know is that being around Dave, it wasn't his cool Bible studies, is after a few years, I wanted to be a man of God like Dave. I wanted to be a husband like Dave. I wanted to be a dad like Dave. It all went back to this reverence for God's word, this sense that it's not casual.

This isn't an option. I watched Dave after all these years still having all these little cards that I started doing. I watched him live it out. Then I watched him when he blew it.

It kind of humbly said, you know, I messed up and would you forgive me? See, there's power in the authenticity of walking with God and obeying his word. What he was doing was he was humbly receiving the word implanted.

Over the years and over the years and over the years, then God birthed fruit in his character, but then he also birthed it in ministry. Dave is still a bricklayer. Dave is still helping out on colleges. I mean, Dave's got to be 80 now. He's helping Chinese Ph.D. students.

He's got a high school education. He has them in his home. He loves them. Whatever he needs to learn so he can talk to them, I've watched him do this.

Are you ready? I've watched him do this for over 30 years. It's just amazing. He's a Christian that lives like a Christian. Dave has no sense that there's pastors and clergy and other people. I learned from him all of us are full-time ministers of the gospel. He tells us that exposure without application brings death. It kills our relationship with God.

It kills the power. In fact, one of my profs had a great line. He would say the problem with most Christians is they're like a photograph, overexposed and underdeveloped. Prof always had those great ones. What he was really saying was overexposed. Oh, I heard this podcast. I heard this podcast. Oh, did you hear this, teacher? Oh, did you know what's happening here? Oh, I read this book. So and so says this.

Oh, I got news for you. God would be a lot happier with you reading three verses and obeying all three verses today than reading 300 verses and going, hmm, that's nice. See, the organ of transformation in God's kingdom is not knowledge and it's not just cognitive. It's obedience.

In fact, notice number three, because immersion with application brings freedom and transformation. Look at the text. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does. Notice what he says. The man who looks, this is a different word. This is for pausing, stooping, gazing clearly into it. What's he gaze into?

He doesn't gaze into his own heart or his own feelings. How do I feel about me? How do I feel about God? Do I feel close to God?

What do others think? In other words, there's a standard of truth. What does the scripture say? See, I don't meet with God every day because I think I get brownie points on a refrigerator.

I meet with God every day because I know the deception of my own heart and that I need the word of God to purify my mind and my thinking. And see, when you look into a mirror, what's a mirror? A mirror is a source of evaluation, isn't it? I mean, you look in a mirror and you evaluate. Well, looks good, doesn't look good. Need to touch up here.

Missed a spot here. Well, the word of God is a source of evaluation, but it doesn't tell you how you look on the outside. It tells you how you look on the inside. It judged the thoughts and intentions of the heart. You might jot down a verse and it's worth memorizing Hebrews 4-12, for the word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword and piercing to the vision of both joint and marrow. It's able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our heart.

It's powerful. And so he looks intently to the perfect law of God's word that gives freedom. Freedom what? Not freedom to do whatever you want. Freedom not to sin. Freedom to look to be all that God made you to be. Freedom to have joy in every circumstance.

Freedom to be the man or the woman that God wants you to do. And notice he looks into it. He continues to do it, not forgetting what he's heard, but doing it. And then notice he'll be blessed.

He'll have God's favor. I pulled out those words and looking intently, you know what that is? That's me reading. We're like in the first century, why it says those who listen. Most of the people were illiterate and they would hear God's word over and over. They would repeat it to one another.

They were oral learners and most everyone in the church would have all the books memorized. And then they would meditate on it. And notice he continues to look at it. Okay, I looked at it, I read it, now I'm going to continue to meditate and ponder. The reason that I memorize these verses is so that when I'm in the car I can meditate. When I'm waiting in line I can meditate. I can begin to think about, where's God speaking to me? And as you memorize scripture and you don't forget it, the Holy Spirit will then begin to pull it. Answer to prayer, peace of wisdom, do this, don't do that, protection here. If you've never done this, you would just be amazed. All the research, you meditate on God's word, heart rate, blood pressure.

I mean physically, physiologically. When I started memorizing scripture very, very seriously, your mind is like a muscle. I was shocked at how sharp my mind became as I memorized a few hundred verses and then some short chapters and then a few short books.

And how I would go into a class and I would listen and I mean, gosh, I think after my junior year I never got to be. And it wasn't because I was so smart, it was literally God refined my mind in a way that I could take in information and retain it. He wants to bless us in every area of our life.

But notice the key is application, you do it. And then you experience his favor, his happiness, in your heart, satisfied. And so I summarize sort of where we're at in this series. In summary, in the midst of difficult circumstances, verse 12 verses, and powerful temptations, verses 13 to 18, and emotionally challenging relationships, 19 to 21, the man or woman who regularly feast on God's word by listening, reading, studying, memorizing and meditating for the purpose of obeying what it says will be set free to become the joyful, winsome, loving person he or she longs to become with God's hand of favor upon all that you do.

What a promise. You know, as I close, I don't know what to say other than I've been asked by a lot of people, would you teach me how to do that? How do you get into the Bible where you hear God's voice? I was just, just from memory, I paused and I thought, are you ready?

Just lean back, were you? I mean, I just jotted these and just in the bottom of my Bible, as I thought over the years of the power of God's word. First Peter two, two like newborn babes long for the pure milk of God's word that by it you may grow with respect to your salvation. Second Timothy three, 16 and 17 for the word of God, but it's God breathe. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction and righteousness that the man or woman of God would be fully or adequately equipped for every good work. First Peter one 23 for we have been born again by the word of God. Then he goes on to say the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of God endures forever. Jesus own words, man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Jesus would say to a group of Pharisees in John eight 32, for those of you who have believed on my name, if you abide in my word, then you'll know the truth and the truth will, you know the rest, don't you set you free. I thought of the great people in scripture and their relationship with God's word.

Here's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get you to where you would say, you know something more than my phone, more than TV, more than Netflix, more than my breath. I'm going to make God's word what I listen to, what I read, what I study, what I meditate, what I memorize and what I will tell you, you will receive power. You will receive power issues, addictions, struggles, temptations.

You're never going to be perfect till he comes back, but you'll receive power. Moses in his farewell, he sends them into the promised land. He says, take to your heart all these words which I'm speaking to you today for they are not an idle word. They are your life and by this word you shall possess the land that you're going into. Joshua is going in in chapter one of Joshua and God says to him, Joshua, this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you should meditate on it day and night that you might be careful to do according to all that's written therein for then you will have success and then you will prosper. Be strong and courageous.

Don't tremble. Don't be dismayed because the Lord your God is with you. I think of Ezra who said he set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it and teach its ordinances in Israel.

I just want you to know whether it was David. If your word had not been my delight, Psalms 119, I would have perished in my affliction. I mean, all through scripture, men, women, they hang onto the word of God because the word of God is powerful. Chip will be right back with his application, but if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip's talk today, It's Powerful, is from his series called Resilient, Withstanding the Storms of Life. Navigating life's storms is never easy, but as believers in Christ, God gives us the resources we need to keep standing strong no matter what comes our way. Chip's teaching provides a fresh perspective from James Chapter 1 on not only how to do it, but how to do it well and bless others along the way. For a limited time, the resources for Resilient are discounted and the MP3s are always free. Now, to order your copy or to send it to a friend, visit us at livingontheedge.org, tap Special Offers on the app, or give us a call at 888-333-6003.

That's 888-333-6003. I'm going to be right back and I'm going to talk about today's message, but I want to talk directly and personally to you first. We've got millions of people going to church, going through the motions, many of them sincere but ignorant about the Gospel, about truth.

Their lives don't change. We have a whole generation of young people saying, you can have your Jesus and your churchianity and I'm out of here because they don't see reality. Living on the Edge has been called to declare war on religious activity that doesn't align with the Jesus of the New Testament, but we can't do it without you. I grew up in that environment and I turned away from God. I just praise God that he brought people into my life that clearly explained the Gospel, but as importantly, they lived it out. They lived it out in real life and loved me and cared for me.

They were holy and they weren't weird. God longs to do that in our day. The message of Living on the Edge is helping Christians live like Christians. We do it through teaching. We create resources, but it requires a team. For us to do it moving toward the future as God has opened more and more doors, I simply tell you, I need your help. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us today and kind of move that good intention?

You thought about it. I ought to help them out. Yeah, I already decided in my head I would, but the fact is you haven't acted on it yet. Act on it today. Let's make a difference. Thanks, Chip.

Well, if partnering with Living on the Edge is an idea that makes sense to you, we'd love to have you join us. Helping Christians live like Christians will change the world we live in. Now, to give a gift, just go to livingontheedge.org, tap donate on the app, or give us a call at 888-333-6003.

Again, that's 888-333-6003. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Now, here's Chip with a final thought about today's message.

As we close today's program, here's what I know. We all want to change, right, in certain areas and you heard in this message the blessing and the advantages of God's Word and getting in it. I can almost feel some of you rolling your eyes or saying, you know, I've really tried that and I've really tried it and it just never really works for me or I don't stay faithful. Here's what I want you to know.

I really get that. I had such a hard time. I didn't grow up as a Christian.

I'd never read the Bible. I had a hard time getting in it, staying in it. I didn't understand it. And I had someone come alongside and literally meet with me every week until this very faithless, I was pretty lazy, couldn't get out of bed Christian. It caught on. And then God began to speak to me and all these things I talk about of the power of memorizing and studying and the things, it changed my life.

I saw God break the power of lust, break the power of workaholism, break the power of trying to please people in so many ways through His Word. And so that's why we're passionate at Living on the Edge to help you get into the Bible for yourself. And so if you don't have a plan, it'll never happen. And I know trying hard doesn't work. So you need a plan. You need someone to help you stay accountable and you need a resource.

If you will go to the Chip Ingram app, what is there is two or three resources. One's called Daily Discipleship with Chip. It's called Growing Deeper. And it's a specific way about how do you actually meet with God and experience Him. There's another one called Hearing God's Voice in Scripture, which I give you sort of basic Bible study steps in a really simple way where you can get into God's Word and you can really grow. Blessed is the man. Blessed is the woman. Who walks in the counsel of God's Word. He wants to bless your life, but His Word is the conduit, the power that the Holy Spirit uses. I long for you to make a decision today to say I will become a man, a woman, or a student of the Word of God. I'm going to read it daily, put it into practice daily, and ask God for help daily. And it'll be the greatest decision you ever made.