Breakthrough - Absolutely Small - The Birthplace of Breakthrough, Part 2

If you could see a supernatural breakthrough in one area of your life, your relationships, your work, your ministry, what would it be?

Unfortunately, when people start to think about that, you begin to ponder some really big thing that would have to happen. And what I want you to know, almost always, just the opposite is true. Today, we're going to learn how that really works.

Stay with me. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip's our Bible teacher on this international discipleship program, and I'm Dave Drouy. Now, if you're new to Living on the Edge, you can learn more about the ministry at livingontheedge.org.

You'll find hundreds of free resources and Bible studies on a wide range of topics, from marriage and parenting, to learning how to hear God speak directly to you from Scripture. While we're in the middle of a series called Breakthrough, unleashing God's power into impossible situations, we've already learned about the first steps to breakthrough and how to make room for breakthrough. Now, in this program, Chip picks it up with part two of his message, Absolutely Small, the Birthplace of Breakthrough. And finally, what about breakthrough? I think Jesus wanted them to learn that breakthroughs start small, a man and a woman having a conversation. It's like a mustard seed.

It starts small, and then a few people come out, and then it multiplies. The other thing he wanted them to learn about breakthroughs is they're not something that are going to happen someday some way out there. You say, disciples, your mindset, your paradigm is in four months then comes the harvest. In other words, someday, some way, God's going to do something. You know, there's been things in the Old Testament and from their world. For us, it was, yes, there was a great, the first awakening, the second awakening, and there's the layman's prayer revival, and the Wesleys did things.

We've heard about things in Korea and these movements in Africa and breakouts in Latin America. I bet just mystically, somehow, some way God does that, and Jesus would say, no, God is already working. Breakthroughs are not about someday, some way. If we do X, Y, Z, F, G, M, and God mystically blows on it, God is already working. He's looking for regular ordinary people to just believe. In fact, notice the timeless axiom I put on the bottom of your notes. Unlikely supernatural breakthroughs are not dependent on a future work of God, but a present work of one.

See the difference? I believe he's working in the Muslim community in our area, in the Chinese community, in the Korean community. I think the Spirit of God is working everywhere. He's looking for an unlikely person like you or me who's ordinary, who feels unworthy, like this woman, to say, I'm going to just go tell him I'm going to take a step and I might get rejected. But what I'll probably find is he's already been working and he has hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of people who are struggling in their marriage and hurting and have health issues and unresolved issues with their parents and kids and they're confused and the work and the money and all that stuff really isn't delivering. And God just is looking for a messenger, a man, a woman, or a student who would just do what an immoral woman did to a faraway group of people from God and he'll break through.

But here's the deal. It takes a small group for breakthrough to happen because that dream will die in your heart in a New York minute and you'll be afraid to take the step unless there's three or four people praying with you. And then when you take the first one, it gets harder before it gets better and you're ready to quit, you need a group of people to say, let's hang in there. Or you're thinking, you know, Chip, you know, you're like on rounding third, I'm coming out of the batter's box.

In fact, I'm not sure I'm up at the plate. I have a sexual addiction. I got a problem in my marriage.

Actually, I have a problem that I'm not married because of how I'm living or, you know, I've got this problem over here or, you know, no one knows. I've already, I mean, cheating on your taxes is just what I do. How could God ever use someone like me?

Well, I need a group of people that will help me go through the journey and love me the way Jesus loved this woman and realize no one has it together and I can be real. It's God's plan. Breakthroughs in us have always been and always will be designed for breakouts through us.

So let's shift. That's how Jesus did it. Let's see if the disciples learned anything about how breakthroughs happen. How did his followers reach the world? And what I would say to you is if you would turn to the book of Acts for just a minute, I would encourage you to kind of relax maybe later this afternoon and read the book of Acts or at least the first six or seven chapters very quickly.

Let me give you an overview. And I think you're going to see that everything they saw Jesus do, they begin to do the same thing. And then there's a timeless axiomatic principle that we learn from them. As you open Acts 1, Jesus is in a resurrected body. He's going to say goodbye to his disciples. You can open the text there and just follow along.

I'm going to give you the thumbnail sketch. And he tells them that I want you to hang around because for 40 days I've been explaining the kingdom of God. I've been teaching you about the mission to go into all the world that every ethnic people needs to hear that I am God.

I've paid for their sin. I've risen from the dead. And the power isn't in you. The power is in the gospel, the announcement of the good news. And you will be my witnesses beginning here in Jerusalem, then Judea and Sumeria into the uttermost parts of the world. And you'll be given power.

The word is dunamis. We get our word dynamite. You will have dynamite, supernatural power inside of you. All you do is you don't convince anybody. You don't twist their arms.

You don't have to tell them how terrible they are. Here's what you do. You just testify to what I've done in you. But here's what I want you to do. I want you to hang out here, and the Spirit's going to come.

He'll give you power, and you'll get it. And then he goes up into the sky. Literally, he ascends. They're looking up in the sky. Couple angels say, hey, guys, why are you looking up there? This same Jesus who is ascending is going to come back.

So take what he said seriously. So they do what good disciples do. You know, they're kind of checking the Old Testament and realize, well, we don't know what to do while we're waiting, but we know that the Old Testament says clearly that, you know, one is going to go south, and we need to replace that person. So they just obey what they know. And Matthias becomes one of the twelve.

And they wait, and then we have a big breakthrough, whoom, right? Acts 2, the Holy Spirit comes. They're hanging out praying, just doing what they know to do. The Spirit comes, and unbeknownst to them, they start speaking in multiple different known dialects and languages because it's Pentecost, and Pentecost is a religious holiday when people have come from all over the world, and people from all over that known world hear about Jesus, the Messiah, and the praising of God in their own language. And they think, some people think they're crazy and drunk, and Peter says, we're not drunk, gang. And this cowardly Peter steps up and becomes bold Peter with God's supernatural unleashed power and breakthrough, and he gives a great sermon and 3,000 people come to Christ. And then after 3,000 people come to Christ, they, oh, what are we going to do with them? And they don't have a game plan.

They don't have a lot of programs. And, well, let's just do two things for sure. Let's keep meeting at the temple, and we'll keep teaching the people God's word, and then let's have people meet in homes, house to house. We'll break bread together.

The apostles teaching. We'll share life. We'll help people that are hurting. We'll love one another in homes, and let's each one of us go out of our homes and where we're at with other people.

And so they start doing that. Well, then it's a normal day. Chapter 3 opens up, and Peter's going, so what do we do? Well, we used to go to prayer meetings every day.

I guess we should go. It's time to pray. He's on his way to the temple, and there's a lame guy that ever since he was a little boy, you learn he's been there a long time. Peter's walked by him.

Everybody walks by him. And Peter realizes, you know, there were no venture capitalists back then to say, you know what? We believe in this mission. We think this Jesus thing's going to go. We think it's a good idea. We think it can really work, so we're going to fund it. God said, I will fund whatever you need. Just trust me. So Peter says to a lame guy, silver and gold have I none because he didn't have any.

But what I have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus, be healed. Supernaturally, he's healed. God authenticating.

It's an act of compassion like Jesus was compassionate. He gets up leaping and praising God and comes into the temple, and all of a sudden, oh, my land, what's happening? This little Jewish sect who believes in this risen Lord, it's going nuts, so we threaten them.

Don't you ever do this again. And then they go back, and what do they do? They pray. And they don't pray, oh, God, it's so difficult, and we're being persecuted. It's, oh, wow, this is awesome.

How in the world could we be so privileged to get persecuted for you? And after their prayer meeting, it says, like God's saying, amen, the room starts, and there's an earthquake. And the prayer they prayed wasn't protect us. It says, make us bold, make us strong, give us power, allow us to proclaim your name, and accompany it with signs and wonders and with all that you want to do, God. And so you just see this pattern, compassion, breakthrough, compassion, God's spirit, God's provision, so much so that no one has need.

They love one another. They keep meeting in these homes. Ethnic groups by chapter 8 are added, the Samaritans. By chapter 10, the Gentiles are added. By chapter 28, the known world, Paul, is in that strategic city called Rome, and declaring the whole future of all the rest of history. And so city, after city, after city, after city, starting in these little small groups, and notice the lessons. The lessons are very similar to the ones that we've learned. Where did the breakthrough begin? With God.

They always do. He loves the world so much that He sent His Son. Whom did Jesus choose?

Eleven unlikely candidates, all Galileans. How did they make room? They obeyed what they knew. I mean, they were conflicted. If we do this, they just obeyed what they knew. And they waited and they prayed. What courageous step did they take? They identified with what God was doing, even in the face of persecution. They radically shared their resources with one another, and they kept their focus on external acts of compassion, meeting the needs of others. By after the persecution, chapter 4, before it opens in chapter 5, the apostles, people were coming from everywhere like they did to Jesus. Needs are met. People were healed.

God is working. What did Jesus want them to learn? I love the world.

This mission I gave you is not an option. And all the power that you will ever need to do everything I call you to do, you already have. What did He want them to learn about themselves? You can't let your lack of faith and your prejudice and your view of the world to keep you from doing what I want you to do. You can't let your little agenda about my world and my stuff and my family and my future and my money, if you do that, you'll seek to save your life and you'll lose it. You need to lose your life for me, and then we often lead out the second part of that passage, in the gospel. We give our lives to announce the good news to other people. And sometimes our lives is our reputation, and sometimes it's risky, and sometimes it's very, very hard, and sometimes we're persecuted, and that's normal. And it's also awesome. It's like holding that new baby.

As my old coach used to say, no pain, no gain. About breakthrough, they start in absolutely small groups. It was with the three, then the 12, then the 120, then Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, global.

And that's how it always happens. Two and a half, three years ago, three people had a dream to reach an apartment complex for young professionals. They put on a DVD and invited their neighbors who they didn't know. Three or four came. The next week 12 came. Pretty soon they were filling a house. Pretty soon it was three, four, five, six houses, and pretty soon a young professional ministry was built. Just how God works.

Notice what it says. Timeless axiom. Breakthroughs are fueled by compassion and birthed in biblical community. Breakthroughs are birthed in biblical community.

They're fueled. Acts of compassion fuel it, followed by biblical community to figure out, what are we going to do? How are we going to do it? I'm afraid. I've got to deal with my own stuff. See, some of you are pregnant with an idea and the rapid pace of life. You've thought multiple times about your neighborhood or workplace.

You just haven't taken the step. I want you to know the Spirit of God is working in your neighborhood. I have a meeting this week with two couples who believe that, both pretty recent in their faith and really walking with God. And we're meeting together and we're going to launch a Bible study for non-Christians in our neighborhood. And they're a little uptight about it. And honestly, you know, they think I'm not. You know, Pastor, you really get this, right? Yeah, I'm a little uptight about it.

But here's what I know. God is working in the families in our community. I have another neighbor that I've built a relationship with. I love him.

I love him and his wife. They've never been in our home yet. To that I say, shame on you, Chip. Maybe they won't come. But you know what? Someone ought to say, hey, you want to come over and just have coffee? Tell us your story.

How long you lived here? I mean, you know, I've talked in the driveway forever with them. What about you? The potentiality is God wants to do something in you first because you're conflicted. And it's like, oh, man, I need to, I need to, I need to, I know what's right.

But, and you know, right about after a week after this series is over, a year from now, I could interview you. If you don't act, you'll be in the exact same spot, except you always reap what you sow. And so you think how it is is going to stay how it is. No, no, no, no. When we know what to do and don't obey, things don't get easier or the same.

They get worse. Because God in his great love doesn't allow us to stay the same. The velvet vice of his discipline, you know, he's bringing truth to your heart and your life because he wants to do good. Remember, he's good.

He's a good shepherd. He can take care of you. He'll provide for you. He'll lead you even through the valley of the shadow of death, even when it's hard, even if you don't know what to do, he'll guide you.

Remember all that? Well, if we don't listen to his voice, sometimes we get to feel his hand. But, but, but his heart is not to, he's not trying to mess over your life. He's just doing with you what we do with our kids.

Here's some consequences, honey. You didn't listen the first 11 times. Can I give you some very specific action? Pray fervently and desperately. Can I ask you, because it doesn't happen all at once, and as you pray, you'll find, he'll start speaking to you probably more than he does anything else, but pray for 30 days, fervently. Unleash your power, Lord, in my situation. Second, extend God's compassion to someone or a group in need this week.

A lot of it, just get the ball rolling. I mean, do something. Love someone.

It's legal. I mean, just new eyes. Just love someone. If you're in a small group right now, say, you know what? We're having a great time. What should we do?

Could we love somebody? Every time you just go out and extend compassion, the Spirit of God begins to explode. And then finally, join or start. I like to call them not just a small group, a life action group. Join or start a life action group.

What? To pursue breakthrough in you and through you. And what you need to do is prioritize and say, I need to get in a group to get loving, healing, encouragement. And if there's people you already know, say, hey, can we do a group?

There's others of you, and you're thinking, if I could just find two or three other people where I've talked casually, or I mean, I think Bob would do this, or Mary would do this, or there's these two people, you know, at our company, and they're Christians, they go to different churches. Great. Absolutely small. Everything new, everything birthed, any innovation, any cultural good, any movement of God gets birthed in a small group. Chip will be back with his application, but just a quick reminder, this message, Absolutely Small, the birthplace of breakthrough, is from his series, Breakthrough, unleashing God's power into impossible situations. Now, maybe your impossible situation is a relationship, an addiction, or a painful event in your past.

Well, here's the truth. Breakthrough isn't something we sit around and wait for. It happens when we trust God for the impossible and start cooperating with Him to make it a reality. In this series, Chip helps us take the first steps toward breakthrough in our relationships, our habits, and our attitudes. Breakthrough resources are available in both audio and video formats, including online streaming with a study guide. For previews and ordering details, check out Breakthrough at livingontheedge.org, special offers on the Chip Ingram app, or give us a call at 888-333-6003.

That's 888-333-6003. Well Chip, in today's message, you made the point that breakthroughs almost always begin not with a big major event, but Absolutely Small, first inside a person's heart and then in the context of a small group. In the last year, we've seen some of the biggest breakthroughs happen through the brand new Daily Discipleship with Chip, where people have been meeting with you one-on-one.

Now, could you talk a little bit about what they are and where you're headed with those? Well Dave, you know, because of the pandemic, we literally just said, Lord, how could we help people? And all I can tell you is, is I have never seen such dramatic, specific testimonies of life change, because it was personal. It was one person meeting with me, and we just, in small little ways, built these building blocks of faith where people begin to grow and build the habit of meeting with God. And then tremendous things happen in their life, in their families, their communities.

And sometimes it was a pastor in the whole church. And this year, we'll provide four Daily Discipleships where I will meet with people, mentor and disciple them. And that's going to require a significant amount of new resources.

We're growing at such a rate that not knowing when and how the money is going to come in makes it really difficult to plan. And what we're asking you to do is, could we start small and with hundreds and then thousands of monthly partners who each month, whether it's a big or a small gift, would say, let's partner together. And little by little, regardless of the amount, it would make a huge difference as we press forward and help individuals really learn to walk with God. Helping Christians here in the U.S. and around the world is what God has called the Ministry of Living on the Edge to do. If you'd like to help us fulfill that mission, we'd love to have you join the team by becoming a monthly partner. To set up a recurring donation, call us at 888-333-6003. That's 888-333-6003.

Tap the donate button on the app or donate online at LivingOnTheEdge.org. And thanks in advance for doing whatever God leads you to do. Well, now here's Chip with a final word. As we wrap up today's program and as we get near the end of this series, I've talked about a number of things with regard to breakthrough. And you heard me today talk about the absolute critical nature of having a small group, a band of at least two other people, a court of three or three to five people that when you begin to pray about a breakthrough, when you begin to focus on what you're asking God to do, when you come to the point where you realize God is good, God wants and desires to do a supernatural impossible thing in me and through me.

And then when you begin to move toward that and recognize, you know, you can't do it and you come to the end of yourself, here's what I want you to remember. Every major breakthrough always had this very small group of people. I put it this way. The birthplace of breakthrough is always small. And if you're asking yourself, you know, Chip, I still don't quite get, I mean, where should I focus?

What should I fuel? Let me ask you two questions that have really helped me. I don't know where you're at. I don't know what season of life. But lean back just for a minute and let me ask you, when you hear about X, whatever that is, and you get so angry inside that you just can't contain it, I'm going to tell you that that may be an area where God may want you to make a difference. Or when you watch this or experience that and it makes you begin to cry. In other words, your heart goes out. It's filled with compassion. It just so deeply touches you. The things that make you angry and the things that make you cry are often indicators of areas where God has put inside of you a special passion, a special concern. That anger is about usually something that's wrong or unjust that needs to be fixed.

Or what brings you to tears are the needs and the hurts of somebody or something. It could be in your family. It could be in your neighborhood. It could be in your church.

It could be an issue. And it might look so big and so overwhelming, but every major thing that has happened has started by a man or a woman who saw this overwhelming problem. The stories of every major movement begin—are you ready—with someone just like you, someone that refuses to let the status quo be the story of their life, and who says, God, I am available. I'll do whatever you want me to do, and finds one or two people that would believe that with you.

And sometimes the gestation and birthing process is more than nine months, five years, ten years, and they don't give up and they don't give in. And then later we see the hand of God, because He'll work in you deeply and then significantly through you. Go for your breakthrough.

God is good, and He's for you. At Living on the Edge, we want you to know about an easy way to listen to our extended teaching podcast. Hear Chip anytime on Amazon's Alexa Echo and Echo Dot. Just say, Alexa, open Living on the Edge, and you'll hear that day's extended teaching anytime you want. Well, for Chip and everyone here, this is Dave Druey saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge.