Real Discipleship - Dying for Change. Part 2

Have you ever tried to stand still on a treadmill?

I mean, it's impossible, right? If you stand still inevitably, you're moving backwards. And what we're going to learn today from the very lips of Jesus is that our attempts to hold onto the status quo, our attempts to keep things just the way they are, actually cause us to move backwards.

You don't want to miss it. Stay with me. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge is an international discipleship ministry featuring the daily Bible teaching of Chip Ingram.

I'm Dave Drouin. And in just a minute, Chip will pick up where he left off last time in his series, Real Discipleship. But before we get started, these messages were recorded many years ago, so you'll notice that Chip's going to sound a little different than what you may be used to. But the truth he's going to share from the Gospel of Mark is still applicable to all of us. So let me encourage you, after today's message, share it with someone in your life.

You can easily do that through the Chip Ingram app or by downloading the free MP3s that you'll find at livingontheedge.org. Well, here now is Chip with the second half of his talk, Dying to Change. You know, we've got churches. Eighty-five percent of the churches in America are shrinking. You know why?

Because they're more concerned with keeping things as they are. Don't rock the boat. The greatest message in the world, our message is God has come. He lives among us. And if you have a sin problem, ha ha ha, we all do, there's a way out. He forgives. That message has been entrusted to institutions where eighty-five percent of them in America are shrinking.

You know why? Because those churches are more concerned about having it their way and staying comfortable rather than getting out on the cutting edge and doing things differently. The doctrine stays the change.

Everything else is up for grabs, period. We'll worship on Saturday night, Monday night, Thursday morning. I don't think God cares.

We'll worship when people can come. The style of music five years from now may be totally different. The methods of ministry, children's, youth, five years from now may be totally different.

You know why? Because our commitment is to love people, care for people, and honor God. And the methods always have to change. You know, in business, if your methods don't change, what happens?

You go bankrupt. In churches, you just die. The church is dying for change. Now let's find out if this external adherence doesn't really make you right with God, what does? Jesus will explain it to his disciples. He went on to say in verse twenty, what comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. Not what goes in, not the list, not the rules, not the externals. Tradition always focuses on the externals. Truth always focuses on the internals. For from within, out of a man's heart, and now we have a list only here, it's the broadest list in the New Testament from the very lips of Christ. If you want to know what separates you and me from God, there's the list.

It's not the rules you keep. Instead, out of men's heart comes evil thoughts. The word means just a broad spectrum of evil. Sexual immorality, a broad word. You name the type of sexual immorality, this word says I'm the canopy that can fall under. Theft, murder, adultery, greed, the passion to have power, to compare.

More is better, I've got to have it. It makes me significant. Malice, that ill-filling, that bitterness in relationships, the desire for harm to come to so and so or so and so. People have hurt you, people have cheated you. Ex-in-laws, ex-mates, parents, that malice in our hearts that says, oh gosh, down deep, I'll be so happy if something happens to them because they deserve it after what they did to me. That defiles you and defiles me. Deceit, you know the little things, the cheating, the little lies, the quote white lies, the trying to have it both ways at work, the padding of expense accounts. Sales presentations you know aren't totally true but you do it to get the sale.

That's defiling. Fantasies, lust, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean. In our day, some of us think that I come to church, great, and I made it three out of four weeks this month. I prayed three out of four days, reading the Bible more often.

Oh man, way to go, I can't hardly stand. I'm starting to give regularly and boy is that tough and I'm trusting God, fantastic. So why is God upset that I'm sleeping with my girlfriend? Because he's a holy God and he's not impressed with you or me or the Pharisees keeping the rules. I spent the first three years of my Christian life reading through the New Testament because I didn't understand the Old Testament.

I kept doing the new one you know. I never read the Bible until I was 18 and the first three or four times through I kept reading, looking at myself like a disciple and thinking oh you know like the cowboy, old cowboy movies you watch, you always identify with the good team, the guys with the white hats. You know what I learned? I started reading through the New Testament and started identifying with the Pharisees and I got an education because I was a lot more like the Pharisees than I was like the disciples and God started to do a work in my life. See, it's your heart God's after and if he has your heart, trust me, you'll be in the word.

You'll give graciously not because you have to and your life will be different but he wants my heart and he wants yours. There's nothing wrong with liturgy. There's nothing wrong with candles.

There's nothing wrong with robes but left to ourselves, our tradition snuffs out the truth and what God wants us to do is be people of truth and honesty. Admit when we blow it significantly change to say I'm sorry to people on the job site in our home, to be vulnerable and open when we blow it, keep taking the steps so God can say, you're inadequate, you have need, you have hurt, great, that's what grace is all about. That's the kind of people that I always bless. My strength is perfected how? In your weakness. Now Jesus does something that's absolutely incredible. The author wants to make a point. The tradition of man has been demonstrated. The theme obviously is the tradition of man versus the truth of God in this section and now the truth of God is going to be demonstrated. He's going to give us three quick snapshot miracles and miracle number one he's going to say there's nothing externally that can defile a person. The ethnic origin of this lady is hated by the Jews. I mean hated by the Jews and he's going to do something for her that he didn't do for a lot of Jews and then the second miracle he's going to demonstrate that internal defilement, something wrong with us, a handicap or something the Jews would say you know that guy's off isn't he? He's going to say no.

In fact I don't even feel rejected. He's going to be so bold even touching on his tongue and then finally he's going to open the gates and this whole next section verses 24 through chapter 8 10 all occurs guess where? If you look up the cities on the map they all occur in the heart of the Gentile area. Mark is telling his readers Jesus came yes for the Jews first absolutely but who for?

The whole world. Notice how he makes these points. These are illustrations of what has just been taught by the Lord. Verse 24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre up north. He entered a house and didn't want anyone to know it.

He's out of the Jewish section and looks like he's trying to get a break yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact as soon as he heard about it a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and she fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek or a Gentile born in Syrian Phoenicia which is present-day Lebanon and they hated him.

I mean that the Samaritans were bad news these people were just yeah their slang term for them was dogs. Matthew 15 here it says she begged from Matthew 15 the parallel passage she begged and said oh Lord son of David. She recognized him unlike the Jews as the Jewish Messiah. I mean he did all the miracles he had the teaching you're the Messiah oh Lord son of David she cries and what does she ask please drive the demon out of my daughter that's her request. Now Jesus and faithful to his mission to the Jew first and then also to the Greek or to the Gentile says first priority let the children eat all they want children of the Jews first day lady the first priority in my ministry is for the Jews and he goes on to say for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs it literal means the little puppies and they had outside dog pets and they would eat with their hands and when they got done there were crumbs everywhere and they would just push it off the table and let all the little dogs come in they clean it up. Now this passage has gotten Jesus in trouble many people think boy how harsh. What he was saying is look ma'am you're right about me I am the Jewish Messiah and my first priority is to ministry to the Jews because it's not right to take that first priority and give it to you Gentiles to you to puppies if you will and I think you got to hear the tone of his voice I don't think hey I'm for the Jews get out of here lady you know that's not Jesus you know I think it was hey you know there's priority in ministry here this is the plan and then he gets absolutely delighted listen to the response yes Lord wish more Jews were saying that she replied but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs do you hear what she's saying two things humility and faith hey if you have a priority and I'm a second-class citizen in terms of how you want to meet the needs and fulfill the father's plan hey I'll be second-class but don't the little puppies get to eat shrewd response Jesus was thrilled you get the Pharisees over here that know everything from the law and all these rules and all this jazz and they rub up against people and they reject them and here's a woman who breaks out of all the prejudice and Jesus saying you may be a woman initiating conversation culturally unacceptable you may be a Gentile and of the most hated race of the Gentiles but your external defilement in the eyes of a Jew doesn't hold water when you come in humility and simple faith because that's what God's looking for the heart so notice what he does he then told her for such a reply because of what it indicated you may go home the demon has left your daughter she went home and found her daughter lying on a bed and the demon was gone external defilement of any kind he says that's not the basis for relationship with me it's from the heart humility and faith next quick picture the healing of the deaf and the dumb man verse 31 then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre through Sidon and down through the Sea of Galilee into the region of the Decapolis okay it's Gentile region remember when he healed the demoniac would you send him back into Decapolis to tell what God had done for him from this passage it sounds like he did a good job a lot of people knew there are some people and they brought a man to him was deaf and could hardly talk and they begged him to place his hand on the man after he took him aside away from the crowd now now notice a Jew is not going to even touch a Gentile notice what Jesus does he put his fingers into the man's ears that's pretty intimate then he spit and he touched the man's tongue then he looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said which means be opened at this the man's ears were opened his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone but the more he did so the more they kept talking about it the people were overwhelmed with amazement the words here only in the New Testament it means they were hyper super abundantly amazed and bewildered in the perfect tense meaning it happened and it continued to happen they couldn't believe who he was what he did they were convinced then notice what happens they their commentary on the life of Christ he has done all things well he makes even the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak notice the strategy of the author he teaches on internal versus external defilement quotes Isaiah and says it's the heart then he goes over here with a woman who's clearly out of bounds by the culture and says faith and humility I accept her and then he takes a man and he's totally out of bounds he's got an impairment remember when the fella had blindness and what was the Jewish mindset even the disciples said hey Jesus would you tell us who sinned was it this guy or his folks and Jesus said guys you've got a little misunderstanding but it's for the glory of God see anybody with this kind of it they were unclean and Jesus he could have just spoken a word made him like that what do you do it's like he's rubbing it in their face hey he won't make me dirty is what he's saying and he sticks his hands and his fingers and then spits and puts it right on his tongue and you know what he's saying to us there are no unclean people people with orange hair and earrings here and earrings up here and people come from all kind of different lifestyles there's nothing about their exterior that can make them unclean and the church of Jesus Christ needs to love them unconditionally and build bridges and care the way he did that's his message his message is it's for everyone in fact the author finally in sort of a crescendo the next 10 verses is going to give a great example verse 1 chapter 8 during these days another large crowd gathered he's right in the middle of the heart of the Gentile region since they had nothing to eat Jesus called his disciples and said to him I have compassion for these people for they've been with me already three days and they've had nothing to eat if I send them away hungry they'll collapse on the way because some of them have come a long distance his disciples answered but where in this remote place can we get enough bread to feed them how many loaves do you have you know keeps working on them where's your focus guys on what you have or what you don't have seven they replied he told the crowd to sit down on the ground when he'd taken the seven loaves he and given thanks he broke them gave them to the disciples to set before the people and they did so then he took a few small fish as well and he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them the people all these Gentiles ate and were satisfied that's a historical event they were fed it was a real need he did it for the Jews five thousand remember but I think the author clearly in this context this passage wants us to know that these Gentiles these unclean people that the religious elite wanting to get near Jesus says I came on the bread of life so they can eat and be satisfied I'll take care of their sin I'll give meaning to their life I bring forgiveness to them all in fact as it goes on I think the author really rubs it in afterwards the disciples picked up seven baskets full of broken pieces that were left over that's interesting same author we looked at five thousand Jews being fed how many baskets left twelve baskets left over except the word for baskets was a term for a Jewish small basket with a small neck and they were carried on the side for your daily provisions this time he feeds four thousand people in a Gentile area and the word for baskets is what Gentiles used it was a large big basket kind of like a laundry one of those laundry things it's the very same word when Paul was hoisted over the wall it's big enough for a man to get inside of what's he saying I don't want to push too much into the numbers but I think he fed the Jews and had twelve baskets left over twelve tribes I've come for all the Jews whosoever will he feeds the Gentiles seven baskets the number of perfection of completeness he's saying I've come for the whole world Jew Gentile alike so they can eat and be satisfied I don't care what they look like I don't care what rules they don't or do follow what I care about is their heart if they will come in humility and faith like this woman if they will sit at my feet and learn of me and be taught and respond I'll heal him I'll feed him that's his message for us how are you doing where'd this passage start out how are you doing you hypocrite you focusing on the rules does God have your heart do you unconsciously like me justify yourselves by these external little things you do and think that makes you right with God is there some things of the heart that Jesus talked about in your business life in your financial life is there bitterness in relationships is there little closets of lust and fantasy that's what defiles you and me that's what God wants to get rid of that's what he wants to transform in your life that's what brings us to the Savior contrast Pharisees with rules who missed the boat needy people rejected by others who come in faith the church of Jesus Christ can transform this world when we're the latter instead of the former and we don't look down our nose at people and we take them right where they're at and we're not afraid to touch them and we're not afraid to mix it up and we care and when we blow it we say I do it but we long for the truth and make whatever changes we need to make to reach out love people refusing to be strangled by tradition Chip will be right back with his application for this message dying to change from his series Real Discipleship are you familiar with the term compounded interest in economics it's simply the idea of rapidly growing your investment so what does that have to do with becoming a disciple of Jesus through this six-part series Chip explains that discipleship is kind of like spiritual multiplication our job is not just to lead people to Jesus we're called to help them mature in their faith and empower them to take others on that same journey so join us as we study the Gospel of Mark and discover how to spiritually invest in the lives of others and if you happen to miss any part of this series the Chip Ingram app is a great way to catch up before we go any further Chip's joined me in studio to talk about something that's been on his heart recently Chip well thanks so much Dave what I want to share now is really important wherever you go these days it seems like you're either hearing bad news or conversations about bad news the volume of information coming at us today is incredible and unfortunately a lot of that information is incorrect or it's drawing us away from the truth as Christians we know we have a cause we have a hope in Christ that we know that our lives are meant to reflect Jesus in our world each and every day yet even as Christians we're not immune to the impact of the discouraging messaging and anger and negativity that's coming at us day in and day out and here's the deal if you are not fueling your heart and your mind with good things if you're not studying biblical truth if you're not connecting in community with other believers if you're not learning what the Bible says about how to live as a Christian in every circumstance the hopelessness of this world is going to seep into your soul it'll steal your joy your peace and your witness so what should we do can I give you a couple suggestions number one consume good true biblical content daily get up meet with the Lord renew your mind with this word second Living on the Edge is committed to teaching and discipleship you'll find teaching on the radio podcast app daily Bible studies small group resources tools about family identity spiritual warfare the character of God we are absolutely committed to helping Christians live like Christians and a big part of that is helping you renew your mind so let me ask you if the ministry of Living on the Edge has guided you helped you deepened your walk with God would you consider prayerfully partnering with us God is doing a great work in the midst of really challenging days but we need your help and right now is a great time because from today through July 7th every gift you give will be doubled dollar for dollar thanks for praying about it and then doing whatever God shows you if you've been blessed by chips teaching or any of the Living on the Edge resources would you consider supporting us today thanks to a small group of financial partners every gift we receive between now and July 7th will be doubled dollar for dollar to send a donation call us at triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3 that's triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3 or if you prefer visit Living on the Edge org app listeners tap donate for chip and the entire team thank you in advance for your generosity well here again is chip with some final thoughts from today's program as we close today's program I like to make a bit of a confession if I may I found myself early in my Christian life as a Pharisee of a Pharisee I was discipled by a group with all the best of intentions and they didn't teach me any of this but I got the idea out of my warped view of God and probably some insecurities and pride and family of origin issues that God would love me when I read the Bible every day memorized at least three scriptures every week met and discipled at least one or two people individually led a Bible study made sure that I prayed all the way through my prayer list every single day and God had everything except my heart everything that Jesus describes that he hates I had become and I'll never forget meeting a young co-ed that I become friends with and I remember her saying to me you know chip when I first met you you were a really neat guy and I thought if I ever wanted to be a Christian I would want to be one like you and I was a baby Christian and I was filled with joy and I didn't judge people and now three years later she looked at me and she said well if you are what it looks like to be a really committed Christian what I can tell you is that's something I would never want to be all you have is verses for people and every time I'm around you I feel like I don't measure up and I feel guilty and like God doesn't like me and I remember walking away from that conversation and my first inclination was she obviously doesn't have the spirit of God and therefore hers is the problem and I made it about another 10 steps when the Holy Spirit hit me between the eyes and said Chip no you are the one that has the problem and he broke me and it took a few years to break the patterns and the lies but all I can tell you is that if you're clinging on to Bible reading, church attendance, your own spiritual disciplines as what makes you right with God could I just implore you to pause and ask God to search your heart and ask do unbelievers like being around you do you find yourself in your mental thoughts judging other people being critical of other people wondering why don't they give like you give why don't they serve like you serve those are the kind of attitudes that repel people what I can tell you is as painful as sharing that story is I'm so glad I learned that holiness and love aren't dependent on my external performance and he wants to free you of that as well. Great word Chip thanks. As we close if you're looking for a way to get more out of Chip's teaching let me encourage you to download his message notes this helpful tool is available for every program Chip's notes include his outline all of the scripture references and lots of fill-ins to help you remember what you're learning you can download them at livingontheedge.org under the broadcasts tab app listeners just tap fill in notes well until next time this is Dave Drewy thanking you for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.